Not much to go on right now. The stats on offense (PDF) such as they are say that Tino Sunseri was the better passer. Going 6-7 for 60 yards and a TD. Bostick was adequate at 9-14 but with an interception. Sunseri, though, took two sacks for -15 yards while Stull was unscathed.

To the shock of no one, Coach Wannstedt sees no controversy.

On the quarterbacks:

“Bill Stull went with the first group. Then Pat Bostick was next. Then we gave Tino Sunseri a shot with the first team, and he responded. We brought Bill Stull back, and then Pat Bostick with the third group. We’re really at this point in camp trying to work all three of them. I thought that all three did fairly well. I don’t think that any of them jumped off the charts in a great way, or in a bad way. We had some checks at the line, they all handled that well. We signaled things in, they all handled that well. I think that those little things that go without notice sometimes, they all handled that well.”

On the starting quarterback position:

“Bill Stull is the starting quarterback. Obviously we’re in training camp and every day we go on the field to prove ourselves and we have to continue to improve. I don’t think it’s as much as we’ve got to prove something, as much as it is to improve. The decision making, and the throws, that’s what training camp is for.”

I take that back, someone was surprised.

The declaration was surprising, considering that Stull has struggled during camp and appeared to be losing ground in recent days to Sunseri, who has begun to get first-team reps in every practice. Bostick, however, again worked only with the second team, which seems to indicate that he is headed for a role as backup or, perhaps, even a redshirt.

During yesterday’s scrimmage, Stull’s first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by defensive back Jared Holley. Stull completed 9 of 14 passes for 57 yards, but all the completions were short, safe passes, and he led one touchdown drive.

Sunseri was 6 for 7 for 60 yards and threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to reserve tight end Jon Tisak. Sunseri appeared to throw a second touchdown pass, a fade to receiver Jonathan Baldwin, but Baldwin dropped it in the corner of the end zone.

Really? Surprised? After everything Wannstedt has said and his history? You can’t be surprised. Even if it isn’t believed, Wannstedt saying it should not be surprising.

What is interesting is that despite Wannstedt’s protestations, everyone else seems to see this as a QB competition.

If Stull is the unquestioned starter, it isn’t being discussed in position meetings with Frank Cignetti Jr., Pitt’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The Panthers are treating each practice as if it’s an audition, and Stull’s first pass was intercepted by cornerback Jarred Holley.

“I feel if I don’t play well that I’m not going to play,” said Stull, who also led an eight-play scoring drive. “Obviously, it is a competition. I know how camp is around here. I definitely think it’s a competition. I’m always going to compete and do my best, and I know the guys behind me are going to do the same.”

Stull is being pushed by Sunseri, who’s splitting first-team reps with Stull and appears to have moved ahead of junior Pat Bostick (5-of-10 passing for 18 yards). Sunseri has impressed with his arm strength and mobility, but he admits he’s still learning the nuances of the offense and huddle command.

Nonetheless, he led two scoring drives, settling for a field goal on the first after Jonathan Baldwin dropped a corner fade in the end zone and rolling right to throw a 22-yard touchdown to walk-on tight end Jon Tisak on the second.

“With the way coach Cignetti has done it, it’s open competition,” said Sunseri, son of former Pitt All-America linebacker and assistant coach Sal Sunseri. “In that same aspect, we’re trying to help each other every day. … Whatever we can do to help the team is what we’re going to do, and whoever can do it the best is going to play.”

As for Ray Graham, while it appears he impressed Kevin Gorman with his performance, any Wannstedt watchers know that Graham probably hurt his chances by fumbling the ball on his first two touches (recovering one of them).

I’m guessing Dion Lewis is still the leader for the top of the depth chart at tailback at this point. Graham will be a factor in time, but he has been fumbling too much in practice and now the scrimmage for Coach Wannstedt to trust him right now.

On Ray Graham fumbling and recovering:

“Ray Graham has talent. With those early turnovers, you easily go down 14-0. It was a fumble last year in the Bowling Green game early that turned the game around. So, that’s all part of it. It’s just not a matter of how hard someone is throwing the ball, or how many moves a player has or athletic ability, but are they able to play the whole game and do the little things that are necessary. That’s what we’re working through with the younger guys. There’s no question that Ray Graham has talent, he’s going to be a heck of a player. There’s no question that Tino Sunseri’s got talent, he’s going to be a heck of a player, but it’s just a matter of when and how fast these guys come along.”

Back to QBing, and Gene Collier apparently attended the scrimmage. He sees Sunseri as the best option, and not just because of the unwashed masses.

Bostick went next and launched one of the very few deep balls attempted, overthrowing sophomore wideout Aaron Smith quite comfortably. Sunseri followed, but it wasn’t possible to determine if he was drawing any momentum from Panther-centric portions of the blogosphere and the related message boards, where it is widely advanced that in the current history of Pitt football, it is “Tino Time.”

Let the record show that I have not, nor do I intend to use that phrase. Otherwise, good to know another reader.

The redshirt freshman out of Central Catholic might not be any better than the others at checking down at the line or in any of his required recognitions, but again yesterday the best balls thrown came out of his right hand. Sunseri was anything but error-free, but his 16-yard slant to Oderick Turner was maybe the crispest completion of the scrimmage, and his fade pass to Jonathan Baldwin was just the prettiest thing, even if it was disallowed by a boundary call. When Sunseri rolled right later in practice and found freshman tight end John Tisak behind Todd Gilchrist, nothing Bostick or Stull could arrange between then and the end of hostilities could alter the impression that Sunseri looks like Wannstedt’s best pitcher.

There is no escaping the undercurrent that to most observers Sunseri looks best and Stull is just not looking like he has earned the starting gig.

On the defensive side, the stats here (PDF) show the safeties led in tackling. Looks like most of the defense got work and collected tackles. No shock since the defense has been and continues to be dominate.

On the kicking matters:

Both Pitt kickers converted field goals yesterday — Dan Hutchins a 30-yarder, and Kevin Harper a 36-yarder, as well as an extra point. Hutchins also punted twice for an average of 39 yards, and walk-on Matt Yoklic punted once for 51 yards.

I’m going to guess that as long as Harper shows accuracy he will be the kicker and Hutchins will land the punting duties. I just don’t see the coaches going with Hutchins to handle both. Kickoff duties is anyone’s guess.

Looking over the list of players who did not play, I’m mildly concerned that Nate Byham has missed several practices with a “headache” after taking a hit. Aren’t they called concussions these days?

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said redshirt junior defensive tackle Ty Tkach had surgery on his left foot this week and is expected to miss about three weeks. Fourteen other Panthers didn’t participate in the scrimmage: safeties Irv Brown (calf) and Elijah Fields (foot), tight ends Nate Byham (headache), Andrew Devlin (knee) and Dorin Dickerson (hamstring), linebacker Carl Fleming (headache), quarterback Kolby Gray (shoulder), tailback Shariff Harris (hamstring), cornerback Buddy Jackson (jaw), center Wayne Jones (knee), wide receivers Cedric McGee (hamstring) and Mike Shanahan (hand), right tackle Lucas Nix (infection) and safety Marco Pecora (ankle).

The running back battle also may have thinned out for a while as Jason Douglas was hurt in practice. Status unknown.

Mike Shanahan has to be very frustrated to have missed the scrimmage. He was looking great.

Q: You mentioned that Jonathan Baldwin and Aundre Wright are having great camps at wide receiver. How are the rest of the wide receivers doing? How do the third and fourth receiver spots look?

ZEISE: I think the receivers as a whole have played extremely well this camp. I really do. I think Mike Shanahan, before he got hurt, was making a push to really get into that top four group. He was having a great camp and he might have the best hands at camp as I don’t recall one ball he dropped. But right now the top three are Baldwin, Cedric McGee and Oderick Turner. Aundre Wright has probably the edge over the other players because he’s been the most consistent and he has some experience. There have been flashes from players like Greg Cross, Cameron Saddler and Ed Tinker but I don’t think any has made enough of a push to get into the top four yet.

TE Mike Cruz did return to practice after missing a few days for the nebulous “personal reasons.”

Of course, it could always be worse at QB. Here’s the ‘Cuse: Joe Fields to Perry Patterson to Andrew Robinson to Greg Paulus. I almost feel better about Pitt’s situation. Almost.

The scrimmage won’t change things at Tight End, but it will be curious to see who plays as the TEs have been nursing minor injuries and other things.

Pitt is suddenly short on tight ends, as redshirt freshman Mike Cruz was excused for a second consecutive day for what coach Dave Wannstedt called “personal reasons”, and seniors Nate Byham (headache) and Dorin Dickerson (hamstring) were held out of Sunday’s afternoon session.

Only redshirt freshman Justin Virbitsky and true freshmen Brock DeCicco and Jon Tisak, a walk-on, were available for practice.

It has remained that way, as Cruz has still been excused for the dreaded “personal reasons.” The importance of Cruz is not at the TE spot this year, but because he was expected to be the long-snapper on special teams. Considering that kicker and punter are up in the air spots, his presence or absence will impact.

Obviously the scrimmage may help start to form a depth chart for tailback. I honestly have no sense of it right now. All the backs — except perhaps for Shariff Harris — have appeared to have good days where they did things that drew attention and suggested they could take the job.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt admitted he was happy with the way Graham and the rest of the running backs ran yesterday but said it was too early to tell who will emerge from the pack.

“Ray Graham made a few people miss, but it is early yet,” Wannstedt said. “But [all of the running backs] held onto the ball. The guys who have been here showed their experience but I don’t think anyone out here did anything that we’re going to be handing out [LeSean McCoy‘s] jersey anytime soon or even [LaRod Stephens-Howling‘s] for that matter.”

Players have missed practices with minor injuries or such, but so far no season enders.

“It has just been bumps and bruises, nothing a situation where [we are concerned],” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “As long as there is nothing major. If there were any ACL injuries or shoulder [surgeries] then we’d talk about it, but this type of stuff is going to be there every day and it is all a part of camp.”

Yesterday the Panthers were without offensive tackle Lucas Nix (leg infection), safeties Elijah Fields (foot contusion) and Irvan Brown (calf), wide receiver Mike Shanahan (hand), tight ends Nate Byham (headache) and Dorin Dickerson (hamstring), and defensive tackles Myles Caragein (ankle) and Tyler Tkach (foot).

The danger of missing scrimmages, especially, for players like Shanahan and Caragein are in their battles on the depth chart. Byham, Nix and maybe Fields are still solid to be starters.

Fields, though, may not be the lock he seemed.

The defensive lineup is practically set. The only real position battle is at safety, where Taglianetti has surpassed Fields. The coaching staff probably would prefer to have Fields playing deep, only if for his size advantage but there is a trust factor with Taglianetti that gives him the edge.

This, of course, may simply be another tactic in keeping Fields hungry and not getting complacent.

Dan Mason may shock everyone at the way things are going. He is spectacular in camp and may actually push for the starting MLB spot.

Mason already has passed fifth-year senior Steve Dell for second-team reps, and Mason’s development could determine whether Gunn remains in the middle or returns to the outside, where he might be better suited.

“Dan Mason continues to show us that he’s going to be an outstanding player here at the University of Pittsburgh,” Wannstedt said. “Mason is where we were hoping he’d be. The one thing with him is, physically, he’s ready to play but as the offense adds plays and situations, every day is a new learning experience for him. I’ll be curious to see where he’s at two weeks from now or the third week of the season.”

“I could see him getting playing time, and I think he will.”

Of course, Mason is a freshman, this is Coach Wannstedt it is the MLB spot, and he has had a junior or senior man his entire time coaching Pitt. Could Wannstedt really go outside the comfort zone without an injury to force the move?

There is also the battle between Joe Thomas and Chris Jacobson for the left guard spot on the O-line. Thomas has apparently done well in camp. His issue has always been consistency when it comes to the game. Jacobson still appears to be grasping the mental stuff. Edge clearly favors Thomas at this point.

Show of hands, people. How important is this first scrimmage?

On tomorrow’s schedule:

“Tomorrow we’ll scrimmage. We’ll back off a little bit in the morning and then we’ll have a controlled scrimmage tomorrow afternoon with officials, for the first time.

“When the coaches get off the field, the players are on their own. No one is telling them the play in the huddle. We’ll have officials out here, so if a guy lines up offside it will count. So we’re going to put some pressure on them from a mental standpoint, a physical standpoint and see if the guys can separate themselves.”

Coach Wannstedt in his remarks, whether he intended it or not has only added to the importance of the scrimmage. For two key spots on offense. Running back and of course, quarterback.

On Tino Sunseri and the other quarterbacks:

“I would say that he’s (Sunseri) been having a good camp. So has Pat Bostick and so has Billy Stull. We’re evaluating them every day and talking about it obviously four times a day as coaches, but things are status quo. We’re just the first week into it and we haven’t even had a live scrimmage yet. Tomorrow will separate a lot when we turn everybody loose. But Tino has had some progress. He’s getting better and he’s learning a lot and I’m very encouraged with where he is at right now.

“He (Tino) did a nice job during the two-minute drill. Pat Bostick did, too. Pat went down and made a great throw in the corner of the end zone with Craig Bokor hitting him right in the mouth.”

Now if you want to start parsing words and looking for the subtext and hidden meanings (and why is it, I do this with coaches but refuse to play that game with anything my wife says?), Coach Wannstedt is trying to tamp down the speculation that Stull is losing his grip as the starter and that things are anything but the “status quo.”

This despite all reports and observations saying otherwise.

Of course, that has left Bostick as the seeming odd-man out of the mix. Not playing poorly like Stull, but not turning heads as a surprise like Sunseri.

Q: What are your reasons (aside from the geography of their origins) that in your quarterback-related comments you seem to go from Stull directly to Sunseri with no mention of Bostick, who has the size, experience, conditioning and arm to take on the starting QB position?

ZEISE: My reason is simple — Tino Sunseri has taken a lot more snaps than Pat Bostick from what I’ve been able to tell. And I don’t advocate any quarterback over any other — all I do is call them like I see them and from what I’ve seen the best pure passer on this team is Tino Sunseri. Now, does that mean he is the best quarterback, only time can tell, but the things I have commented on are this — which guy throws the best passes and seems to be right now the most consistent of the three. I do think Pat has been pretty good, too, but he’s been used sparingly with the first team the past few days so it is hard to make a real evaluation of what he’s done compared to the other two. Sunseri and Stull have taken the bulk of the reps with the first team and so far, from what I’ve seen, Sunseri has been the better of the two.

Bostick as the odd-man out story was expanded by Zeise and also was the subject of a second story from the AP.

The AP story notes that even as Bostick has struggled in no small part because he keeps getting tossed into the starter spot because of injuries to the regular starter, the team has won some big games.

No matter, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Bostick kept hearing the Panthers won in spite of his three interceptions, not because he constantly helped get them in scoring position.

If it’s not Bostick’s interceptions, it’s his supposed poor footwork. Or the hitch in his delivery. Or his release point. Or his arm strength. Or his toughness. Or his career statistics to date: 177 of 293, 1,770 yards, 9 touchdowns, 17 interceptions.

“I think Pat has worked on his foot quickness. I think he’s worked on his arm strength. They would be the two key things. There’s not a player on our team who’s more committed, understands the offense, what to do with the football more than Pat Bostick does,” Wannstedt said. “It’s those physical skills that he’s been working extremely hard at.”

However, Pitt keeps flashing every signal that Bostick won’t be its guy.

As you would expect in a piece like this, Bostick has a positive attitude.

He said he’ll work harder than ever because he believes it is part of the deal that comes when an athlete accepts a full scholarship.

“I’d like my role to be the starting quarterback,” said Bostick, who has become one of the team leaders over the past two years. “But I still have a job to do every day even if I am not. I think some guys, if they are not the starter, they let their foot off the gas but that is not the case with me.

“Your opportunity can come at a moment’s notice and it is one play. One moment’s notice an injury happens and you are out there playing and you have to be ready. What really motivates me is that this university made an investment in me to do a job and I’ve got to do it.”

His new offensive coordinator can envision Bostick as a coach someday with his approach.

It’s hard not to conclude that Bostick has just been thrown from one mess to another that it totally screwed up any chance at developing. As a freshman, it was clear that mentally and physically he needed a redshirt. A chance to adjust. A chance to get conditioned. Injuries and a lack of any other viable QBs forced him in there. Stull and Sunseri, heck, even Smith had redshirt years or at least a year to just learn.

Last year was supposed to be the redshirt year, then it wasn’t and of course another injury and a staff afraid of Greg Cross forced him back out there. Yet he has maintained a positive attitude, saying and doing all the right things.

He has responded to the new OC. His delivery and footwork have looked better. You have to root for him. Or is that just me?

I like to think Pitt fans on the whole have been doing their best to be relatively open-minded about the QB situation for this season. Some might have their preferences, or “anyone but” feelings, but overall there is a “wait and see” attitude. If for no other reason than simple pragmitism.

— Practices were barely underway and pads only went on over the weekend. There has to be time to see what progress has been made, especially with a new OC.

— Coach Dave Wannstedt has declared that Bill Stull is the starting QB. Whether out of pure faith that Stull is the guy, to forestall a QB cotroversy or try to instill some confidence in Stull to just go out and play without looking over his shoulder.

— It wasn’t going to be freshman Kolby Gray, and that was even clearer now that he will have shoulder surgery and take a medical redshirt.

— It’s not like anyone is absolutely sure what to expect from any of the QBs.

— Wanting to see what new OC Frank Cignetti does with them, and if he has a final (any?) say on the QB situation.

That said, it  did not escape many that both the Trib (Gorman) and P-G (Zeise) beat writers felt the need to note on the blog side of things that Stull is not looking good, while Sunseri is surging and Bostick is at least progressing. Zeise started it with a “don’t panic –yet” post about the overall QB play.

Yes, I know it is early and a lot of time is left in camp but……..it has not been the finest hour for the quarterbacks the last two days since they started playing in shoulder pads and actually faced a little bit of heat from the defense.

I had written after the first two days that the quarterbacks threw the ball well and they did. But I also cautioned they were throwing in 7 v 7’s and without a pass rush. Well, yesterday the defense turned up the heat a little bit and it all came crumbling down.

Starter Bill Stull looked a lot like the player who ended last season and Tino Sunseri looked a lot like a second-year player. And Pat Bostick was the odd-man out yesterday as he barely participated in any of the team stuff as he and Sunseri will be alternating days to get the bulk of the work with the second team.

Again, much like I said a few days ago — don’t over react to a few good days — I’ll say the same thing now, perhaps as camp progresses they will all settle in, get used to the speed of things and figure it out.

And most treated it as such. Pitt’s defense is strong. Everyone who has seen the practices has talked about how dominating and overwhelming the D-line has looked that the QB situation may not be getting a fair shake.

But then both came out and stated things after Sunday practices that really caught Pitt fans’ attention. First Gorman’s view:

Through the first six days of camp, however, Stull has lost his vise-like grip on the starting job. And he has no one to blame but himself. Sure, you have to take into consideration that he’s running the first-team offense against the first-team defense, which has him running for his life at times. And that Tino Sunseri is playing well when given the opportunity.

But that’s not the reason Stull has struggled.

Simply put, Stull isn’t making the throws. He’s missing open receivers. He’s off-target, whether it’s too short, too long or over the wrong shoulder. That’s not the worst of it. On Sunday, the fourth consecutive day Stull has struggled, he threw three interceptions and two touchdowns despite working on gold zone (15 yards in) and red zone (15 yards out) drills.

Unlike Wannstedt, Frank Cignetti Jr., Pitt’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, hasn’t declared one quarterback the unquestioned starter. He’s charting every play, and also knows that Pat Bostick threw four touchdowns and two interceptions, Sunseri one score and no picks.

Then Zeise:

The bottom line is Tino Sunseri has made it fairly clear that while he’s young and inexperienced, he isn’t just going to roll over and accept his role as a back-up as he’s played pretty well. Meanwhile, Bostick hasn’t played poorly or well in recent days because, his opportunities have been limited and Stull, at least the last two days, has struggled.

I know the spin – the defense is so much ahead of the offense it isn’t fair to evaluate. I’ll buy it to a degree and Stull is and should be the starter for now and going into the season. But there is no question this competition is a lot closer now than it was five days ago so it should be fun to watch develop.

And before I even reached other thoughts on this, Zeise has a blog post from this morning’s practice that speaks volumes.

Unless the goal of the quarterback is to make sure his receivers have no chance to catch the ball, I can’t quite figure out why a change hasn’t been made yet.

I know, I know, I know the company line is ‘we can’t use a redshirt freshman at that position he has no experience and well, you have to remember last year was our starters first year as a starter…….” My first reaction to the “it was his first year as a starter” line is this — please remind me how many starts Tony Pike had before last season and how that turned out for Cincinnati. And Darryl Clark, how many times did he start prior to last season and how did that turn out for Penn State? Heck for that matter, USC’s Mark Sanchez had three career starts before last season and well, he did OK I think.

College football teams all across the country use young players at key positions all the time and win with them. It is a fact of life in college football, rosters turn over every year and some years significantly. The idea that you always must have an experienced player at every position to win is ridiculous. Yes, ideally you’d like to but if the best player isn’t a senior, well, you need to look elsewhere.

And frankly, if you have an entire training camp plus the added bonus of three mulligans (to use another golf reference) to start the season (i.e teams you should be able to physically overmatch and thus win while protecting the quarterback and helping him gain confidence and get his feet wet and get used to the flow of the game) – that’s seven weeks of work you could have to get a guy ready before the varsity games start. But the key is getting him as many reps as possible and well, you’ve now wasted an entire week.

Wow. Not good. Or good. Depending on whether you believe Coach Wannstedt will change his views on who is running the 1st team.

It is clear that neither beat writer has seen anything from Stull that makes them believe he can hold on to the job. Zeise appears to be in the corner of Sunseri. Believing he is the best option at QB and will be/should be the starter based on performance in camp. Tha’s some raw frustration coming from an observer.

Cat Basket was already down with letting Sunseri run the first team a little. Eye of a Panther wonders if Wannstedt can break free of his thinking — something Zeise clearly echoes today.

I remember Wannstedt has always stressed he wants the best player on the field, but we all know what kind of premium he puts on experience (i.e., upperclassmen). Sunseri is not even a true freshman, but a redshirt. If he is performing the best of all three QBs, then he at least needs a chance to run the first team.

If the concern is about Stull’s confidence, then it is already too late. He has struggled and if he can’t respond to the challenge of being even temporarily demoted then he isn’t the player/leader the coaches think/need him to be.

I root for Stull. Hell, I root for Bostick as well. I really never gave Sunseri a thought this season, because of Wannstedt’s predilections. So, I really can’t say I was rooting for Sunseri this season, since I figured he had a very small chance of impacting.

Ultimately, though, I root for Pitt and want to see the QB out there that best helps the football team win. If it’s Sunseri let’s find out. If it is the defense just killing the O-line and not giving any QB a chance the coaches need to be sure.

Went the entire weekend without firing up the computer. Not by plan, but because with college football season getting closer there is a lot to do. All the things I can get done now, will create less strife in the household when I spend 12 hour saturdays in front of the TV or traveling to the ‘Burgh for Pitt games.

SI.com predicts a 3-way tie for first in the Big East, with Pitt being third of the three (presumably meaning a belief that Pitt will lose to both Rutgers and WVU).

Family ties to look at when Pitt and Rutgers meet.

[Khaseem] Greene is already thinking about Oct. 16, when Pitt comes to Piscataway, and taking down his brother.

“That’s pretty much a big topic around where we live at,” Greene said. “My dad, my uncles, my whole family talks about that: When that time comes, when we could actually meet up one on one, what’s going to happen.

“As a man and a competitor, I gotta do what I gotta do just like he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. And that’s how we leave it at the end of the day.”

[Ray] Graham’s speed and low center of gravity (he’s 5-foot-9 to Greene’s 6-1) rattle the nerves of Greene – who admits he couldn’t beat Graham in a running back duel these days.

The likelihood of the too meeting on the field this year are slim. Not only is it unclear if Graham will be seeing action in the game, but Greene is 3d on the Rutgers depth chart at strong safety. In time, though, it can be expected.

One more thing from the Cardinals exhibition visit to play the Steelers. The Johnstown paper ran a story on their local boy, LaRod Stephens-Howling.

Bemusing little piece on Pitt having three sets of brothers on the roster. Given the Taglianetti’s father, there is a bit more in the anecdote department regarding them.

Adam Gunn is eager to go.

Fullback Henry Hynoski gets it.

In fact, gauging Hynoski’s success will likely be done by looking at the team’s overall rushing numbers.

“I don’t get the ball as much,” Hynoski said. “I’m more of a lead blocker than a runner. They will throw me the ball, so I’ll be catching some passes when they dump the ball to me. It’s actually a lot like high school, but I’ll do more blocking.”

It’s a role that he not only likes, but it helped sell him on the Panthers program.

“The coaches that recruited me were honest that it wouldn’t be like high school,” Hynoski said. “I would be doing three things: blocking, running and catching passes. I don’t care about statistics. I’m going to do my role.

“I’d obviously like to make more runs. I will get my share of touchdowns, but I’m playing for a prestigious team. It’s an honor to play for a program like Pitt.”

Cameron Saddler says his knee is at 95%, happy to be playing and trying to win the punt and/or kickoff return duties.

New offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti gets a two-part piece. The first about his return to Western PA, the second and the bigger part most Pitt fans care about is his views on offense and coaching. Not to mention recruiting.

“Think players, not plays,” Cignetti said. “That’s especially true in college football. Identify who your playmakers are and then put them into whatever plays you are going to run against a given defense.

“I wish I had something more philosophical for you but honestly, it all comes down to the guys out there making plays and as a coach, you have to ask yourself, ‘How can I make sure my best players are touching the ball as many times as possible every game?'”

…

“Coach Cignetti has done a great job with our feet and helping me get my rear end into throwing the ball,” Bostick said. “He is a great quarterback coach and a great offensive thinker. It is definitely different [than most coaches] but it keeps you on your toes. Attention to detail is such a big part of his approach. There are so many little things that most people wouldn’t be able to even see it but he is stressing them and pushing us on them every day and on every play.”

Cignetti put it simply: “In this classroom, with the quarterbacks, we have high expectations, we expect them to compete every day and we expect to be successful.”

Beyond his offensive philosophy, Cignetti’s approach to coaching is what really sold Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt. Wannstedt was looking for a coach who ran a pro-style offense but what he also got in Cignetti was an extremely competitive recruiter and a guy whose energy level and borderline-hyperactivity rivaled Wannstedt’s.

Which has showed up in grabbing kids out of Ohio so far for the 2010 recruiting class.

Linebackers now seem a lot more fluid than it did at the start of training camp.

In the unlikely event Gunn can’t perform, the Panthers will have to try to get senior Steve Dell, who never has started a game, or true freshman Dan Mason (Penn Hills), who has started fast, groomed to be a starter in a hurry.

Murray is the other wild card.

He is listed behind redshirt sophomore Max Gruder at weakside linebacker as he tries to show he has fully recovered from his injury.

Like Gunn, he can play all three positions but first must prove he can withstand full contact.

Redshirt freshman Manny Williams is in the mix at weakside linebacker as is redshirt sophomore Tristan Roberts, who has struggled thus far.

Dan Mason, a true freshman, has really stood out in camp so far.

“I hope I can make a contribution,” Mason said. “They are giving me a lot of reps.”

With camp only five days old, Mason already is pushing Steve Dell for second-team middle linebacker (behind senior Adam Gunn) on a defense that is the reason Pitt is picked to win the Big East title.

Mason, ranked as the nation’s No. 8 middle linebacker out of Penn Hills, is responsible for adjusting the defensive front.

“I have to work harder at the mental part,” he said. “Strength and conditioning, I’m ready. I’m feeling good.”

Not to mention convincing the coaches. All accounts have said he has been a standout in camp. The coaches just have to believe he can make the reads on defense.

Elijah Fields given a one-day suspension as a wake-up call. Again.

Sophomore Andrew Taglianetti replaced redshirt junior Elijah Fields at free safety with the first-team defense because of what Wannstedt termed an “internal issue” involving Fields on Wednesday. “Elijah will be back working with the first group,” Wannstedt said. “He hasn’t started yet. He hasn’t done anything. We’re being very demanding on these players. It’s not just what happens on the field.”

Zeise is less than charitable about this. Seeing it as Fields still not getting it in his 4th year. Since I don’t know what it was this time — and one practice seems relatively minor — it may simply be that Fields is one of those kids who needs a regular shake-up. He may be a redshirt junior and extremely talented, but I don’t think anyone seriously considers him a team leader. He is a talented cog with pro possibilities.

Also happening as usual, is the D-line overwhelming the O-line.

Speaking of the more things change, the more they stay the same – watching Pitt’s defensive line dominate a practice has become fun in some ways, particularly when it is still going on with the second and third units in there.

Gus Mustakas is back and apparently at full strength to lend more depth and further force inside the defensive line.

And continuing the familiarity theme, the quarterback play slipped noticeably. Obviously not helped by the O-line getting blasted back.

Despite receiving praise from Wannstedt — who said he “thought that all the quarterbacks threw the ball well” — it was actually a tough day for the signal callers, Stull in particular. They were under constant pressure and, as a result, their throws weren’t as crisp as previous practices. Stull threw five consecutive incomplete passes, as the team drill ended with Stull and Sunseri combining to complete only one of their final 10 passes.

Not a cause to sound the alarm, but not a good day, either.

Cat Basket is hoping for freshman Dan Mason to beat back Wannstedt-ian perceptions and become the starting middle linebacker. Looking for one word to describe that goal: Quixotic.

On the matter of the running back competition, Coach Wannstedt emphasized that it will more likely because of one thing that will eliminate contenders.

“We’re going to have to work on the running game, we’re going to have to find a couple tailbacks and the only way to do that is to run the plays in practice. Unfortunately, it’s going to come down to the guy that gives up that one fumble or makes a mental mistake. He’s going to eliminate himself. Coach David Walker has a very difficult job.”

I do think, unlike a couple other positions, that running back is truly open regardless of whether the kid is a freshman or not. Mainly because three of the contenders are true freshmen while a fourth is a redshirt freshman.

“They all realize there’s not a player in our room that has won a job,” Walker said. “Everybody is being given a fair opportunity to compete. It’s a competitive environment. This is a production business and the guys that are the most productive in camp are the guys who are going to play, regardless of everything else.

“When we say it’s an open competition, it is open competition across the board. The guy who may be taking the fifth rep today might be taking the first rep Sept. 5 (in the season opener against Youngstown State). Who knows how it’s going to play out?”

What will really help any running back? An offensive line they can trust. There’s a focus on sophomores Lucas Nix and Chris Jacobson. Nix already has the right tackle spot locked up, and Jacobson is trying to beat out Joe Thomas for left guard.

Wise said Jacobson has a lot of ability, but he needs to do better with the mental part of the game and the intricacies and fundamentals of line work.

“Chris, it hasn’t come as natural to him,” Wise said. “But he has very good toughness, [and] he is still sorting some things out more. He is still thinking too much, but it is coming.”

Jacobson knows that beating out Thomas (6-5, 290 pounds), a player with 27 career starts, is not going to be easy, but Jacobson also knows that the Panthers are counting on him to contribute this season.

“Coaches want me to prove I deserve to start. It is a competition, that’s what I thrive on,” Jacobson said. “I didn’t know what I was doing last year, but [guard] John Malecki and even [former quarterback] Tyler Palko did a good job in the offseason explaining things to me and working with me.”

And there’s the segue to all the former Panthers on the Arizona Cardinals squad that stopped by to talk to the Pitt players before the exhibition NFL game last night.

Five former Pitt players who are now members of the Arizona Cardinals visited the Panthers at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex on Thursday before their preseason game against the Steelers at Heinz Field. All-Pro receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Gerald Hayes, quarterback Tyler Palko, running back LaRod Stephens-Howling and secondary coach Teryl Austin took turns speaking to Pitt players. “Ever since I’ve been back here, I’ve been trying to bring alive our great tradition. That’s one thing we have here that a lot of schools don’t have around the country,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “Those are the guys that made this program. It was awful nice of them to come by and spend a little time, and they all said something to our team. Hopefully, it sticks with a few guys and makes a difference with a couple guys.”

You would hope.

The practices are split once again, with the older players and first-teamers practicing in the morning. The afternoon is with mainly freshmen and second-team.

The first two days of practice have come and gone. As per NCAA rules, helmets are allowed, but no padded clothing. Watch out for those girdles.

(more…)

While Pitt is still yet to list the basketball schedule, things trickle from others. Kent State is on the schedule. Coming to the Pete on Saturday, December 12.

It took all weekend, but the reports of Sam Young signing with the Grizzlies have finally been confirmed. The reports surfaced as early as late-Thursday night, but took until the end of the weekend for the Grizz to confirm. No terms announced — of course — but it appears to be a $2 million deal guaranteed over three years along with around $600,000 in incentives — the first two years base pay is around $900,000 per. The Griz hold the option for the third year which suggests that if they don’t exercise the option they pay him about $200 K to leave.

The Grizzlies finished the summer league 5-0. As 3 Shades of Blue simply put it:

Sure, it doesn’t mean much (except that it can surely add fissile-quality fuel  to the debate that rages over draft picks and placement).  But darnit, all eleven of us that count ourselves as what could be termed “Grizzlies fans” are jonesin’ for something to view positively, and view summerleague positively we will.

and Sam Young was part of the good.

Sam Young playing like the experienced player that he is, and showing that he has an idea already how he’ll earn his paycheck in the NBA-knowing how to use his size on the perimeter on both ends and having enough of a nose for the ball inside to grab some rebounds.

Thabeet, to the surprise of no one who watched the Big East, was a disappointment in that fans of the pro game realize he is an even bigger project than expected for the NBA.

Gilbert Brown, is hoping to emulate the progression of Sam Young. Tantalizing, promising athletic talent in his first year of playing. A seeming step back in his second but emerging in his junior year as he gets stronger and more committed to the full game (at least that’s how the storyline is shoehorned).

Brown contends he realized he needed to be bigger long ago (“Just watching this league, not even playing in it, you got to know how physical it is,” he said.), but youth and a spot often outside the starting five may have contributed to the late start. Injuries, too, have collared Brown, who suffered through ankle and shoulder problems and missed his true freshman year with a medical redshirt.

“I feel great now. I feel like I’m in great shape,” Brown said. “My shoulder’s fine; it hasn’t hurt for a while. My ankles, well, they’ll always be my ankles.”

In addition to an increased workout regimen, Brown said he’s been focused on his shooting and ballhandling, building upon a strong second half of last year when he was a key to the Panthers’ first Elite Eight appearance of the modern NCAA Tournament era.

With his new and improved body, Brown may appear to be a Young-type player in the Panthers’ strong forward position. But with newcomers Dante Taylor, Talib Zanna and J.J. Richardson entering a frontcourt with Nasir Robinson, Dwight Miller and Gary McGhee, Brown’s better off remaining in the rotation at the swing spot. There, he’ll likely compete with Brad Wannamaker for the starting spot as Jermaine Dixon slides over to the two guard on offense.

That doesn’t mean Brown can’t play the way Young did in his two seasons as Pitt’s top scorer. Young developed a solid outside shot and drove from the perimeter inside, much like the three would do in the Panthers’ offense.

Brown’s game has seemed to follow Young’s pattern. Now, his body does, too.

Even Gilbert Brown seems unsure what to expect from his ankles (other than a sense of betrayal).

Levance Fields is getting ready to head overseas, but still has his eyes on the NBA.

That ability extends beyond the hardwood. The 22-year-old Fields, who grew up in the rough-and-tumble Brownsville Houses, has long had a penchant for turning struggles into successes. He established himself as a big-game floor general at the University of Pittsburgh, the latest in a string of metro-area guards to stand out at the Big East school.

“He’s shouldered a lot in his life,” says Pitt assistant Brandin Knight. “It’s made him mature beyond his years.”

Ask Fields why he wants to play in the NBA, and he gives a quick response: He says he wants to buy his mother Koreen Thomas a house, one far from Brownsville.

“I go home to see her all the time … she still lives there,” he says. “I go home, and I’m just a homebody, hanging out with her. I hardly go outside.”

Fields speaks quietly when he talks of his old haunt, as if reflecting on each word. Last year, the 73rd Precinct, which encompasses Brownsville and Ocean Hill, reported 31 murders, the most in the city according to the NYPD.

There’s also a nice sidebar piece looking at Travon Woodall as the next possible PG at Pitt.

Woodall, who’s 5-11, lacks Fields’ savvy and court vision, but he brings speed and athleticism. “I’m more athletic than him,” Woodall says. “I can jump. I’ve caught some (alley-)oops.”

He also picked up plenty of wisdom from Fields. While sitting on the bench, he watched Fields run the offense; by the end of the season, he was often pointing out Fields’ mistakes during timeouts.

“It was weird,” Woodall says. “I started feeling like his father, criticizing him.”

Of course the competition to start at PG will be with Ashton Gibbs, who isn’t shying from expectations with Pitt.

“I think people are definitely underestimating us,” Gibbs, a rising sophomore point guard, said last week at the Joe Brown Memorial tournament. “We’re bringing a lot back. We lost four starters but we’re bringing a lot back, a lot of reserves back. We’re the same team that went at the starters in practice last year so we know we can play against some of the best players in the country.”

And this more than a little rose-colored glasses look at Pitt players’ summer league performances.

Throughout the summer league all four true freshmen showed their ability at times and the two redshirt freshman showed signs of improvement. Because practice is such a critical factor in how the rotation comes to form, it is too early to name any certainties as starters, but there are two clear facts about this version of the Panthers: this team is extremely deep, and there are a lot of options with the personnel of the roster.

With the summer league over, one thing that is certain is that there will be some serious battles at every single spot on the floor this year. Despite all the uncertainly, Panther fans should be pleasantly optimistic about this young group.

It’s a little on the overly-gushing side, and yes it’s summer league. Still it is an encouraging read.

It’s a safe bet that with a 4-man recruiting class that is one of Pitt’s best in 20+ years, and 2 players that redshirted last year, that Pitt will be playing a lot of freshmen.

• Travon Woodall (redshirt freshman guard)
• Dwight Miller (redshirt freshman forward/center)
• Dante Taylor (freshman forward/center)
• Talib Zanna (freshman forward/center)
• J.J. Richardson (freshman forward)
• Lamar Patterson (freshman forward/guard)

Whether they start or are in the bench rotation, the freshmen will see a lot of action. Pitt has 6 freshmen (redshirt and true) and 6 other scholarship players:

• Jermaine Dixon (senior guard),
• Gilbert Brown (redshirts junior guard/forward),
• Gary McGhee (junior center),
• Brad Wanamaker (junior guard),
• Ashton Gibbs (sophomore guard) and
• Nasir Robinson (sophomore forward).

No matter how you slice it, this is a young and inexperienced team heading for the 2009-10 season.

I mean, good lord, this is inexperienced and young. Until I just put it down on the computer, I don’t think it truly hit me. This Pitt team is going to take some lumps.

Jermaine Dixon is the senior, but this is only his second year with Pitt. Brown will be in his 4th season, but he has had no luck staying healthy for a season which has limited his minutes and tantalized with his athletic potential. Gary McGhee, you just somehow hope the big lug can get to serviceable and not averge a foul every other minute. Gary Wanamaker has shown big improvement from his freshman to sophomore year, but seemed to wear down late in the season. Ashton Gibbs hopefully will get a lot out of extra coaching and high competition in the U-19 games — not to mention maybe realizing the team will need him to be one of the leaders. Hopefully Nasir Robinson will have a jump like Wanamaker did from freshman to sophomore year.

So, summer league takes on even more importance for building chemistry and getting the players ready for this year.

“We have to come in and be ready to play,” said Taylor, Pitt’s highest-rated recruit of the Dixon era. “That’s not asking too much. We all knew what we were coming into. We all knew who was leaving. Now we just have to prove what we have to do on the court.”

Taylor, a 6-foot-9 forward/center, is Pitt’s first McDonald’s All-American since Brian Shorter and Bobby Martin in 1987. He is a candidate to step into the starting center position that DeJuan Blair vacated when he decided to turn professional after his sophomore season.

At 6-9, Taylor is not the ideal size to play center in the Big East, but he and Zanna are the tallest players on the roster after 6-10 junior Gary McGhee, who is the only Panther with experience in the frontcourt.

“I think my best position will be [power forward],” Taylor said. “But right now we’re in the weight room, so by the beginning of the season I’ll put on a little weight and get stronger, so I’ll probably play [center].”

Taylor’s reputation took a small hit when he was cut from the USA Basketball under-19 team that Dixon is coaching this summer. Taylor admitted he was out of shape for the tryout but said that was the result of being inactive for two weeks while he tended to his sick mother.

Taylor, who labored through summer league games last week, said he is now focused on getting in shape for the start of the season.

In a way, the challenge of getting this team ready for the upcoming year makes Coach Dixon’s decision to take the U-19 responsibilities something of a gamble. Under most seasons, that would be spreading a coach thin. This level of inexperience makes it a real challenge. Of course, with NCAA rules prohibiting much work with the players in the offseason, it isn’t that bad. Still, while this team may have the most potential in a year or two of any team under Coach Dixon, there is no questioning that it is also his most inexperienced.

Then there is that still available scholarship. Everything says Pitt is just holding it for the 2010 recruiting class, rather than just tossing it to another player that may not be talented enough.

But what if he is. And he is a likely one-and-done? Cue the return of Lance Stephenson rumors.

Lance Stephenson is currently on a visit to the University of Cincinnati, a program that up until this point has not been involved in his recruiting process.

“He got here yesterday [Friday],” said a player on the team. “We just got through playing open gym. [He played] with the whole team and a couple old players.”

…

Memphis and Arizona may still be involved, but no visits have been set, as far as we know.

Other potential schools in the mix include Missouri, Pittsburgh and UNC-Charlotte, according to a source.

Stephenson briefly expresed an interest in Pitt but neither side seemed serious.

Stephenson is a McDonald’s All-American guard. The most talented kid not signed. He’s also got a boatload of baggage and question marks. Some writers have referred to him as a potential “cancer” and “coach-killer.”

My feeling has been that he would not work for Pitt. For Pitt’s system and the culture that has been established at Pitt. Stephenson is a pure one-and-done player. He would have declared for the draft if he could have. It is where he wants to be. College is a way-station for him.

And yet, I find that I can rationalize/talk myself into it. It would only be for one year… Coach Dixon is in a position now, where he can come down on the kid if he can’t play nice with others… Pitt is in a good shape with its APR so the program could stand the hit when Stephenson never even finishes his second semester… The NCAA investigation that comes with Stephenson is for stuff before he gets to school, and if he never gets to suit up it is not a big deal…

Nahh. This would still be a mistake and just ugly.

The downside, Coach Dixon will be directly in your ear through mid-July.

Ashton Gibbs made the U-19 roster while Dante Taylor will come back to Pittsburgh to get ready for the upcoming season and bond with his teammates while playing in the Pro-Am Summer League.

The 19-and-under team, coached by Pittsburgh’s Jamie Dixon, will consist of Washington State’s DeAngelo Casto and Klay Thompson, Duke’s Seth Curry, Pitt’s Ashton Gibbs, Butler’s Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack, Kentucky’s Darius Miller, UTEP’s Arnett Moultrie, Northwestern’s John Shurna, Kansas’ Tyshawn Taylor, Georgia’s Howard Thompkins and Ole Miss’ Terrico White. The team will compete in the FIBA U19 World Championships in New Zealand from July 2-12.

Four players were cut from U-19 trials: West Virginia’s Darryl “Truck” Bryant, Minnesota’s Ralph Sampson III, Florida-bound high schooler Kenny Boynton, and Pitt-bound high-schooler Dante Taylor. UCLA’s Drew Gordon had already withdrawn from the trials with a patella tendon in right knee.

Boynton and Taylor seem like minor surprises. Much like Gibbs making it. I am guessing Gibbs made the squad so that the team had some more reliable perimeter shooting threats.

As for the Pittsburgh summer league, it was in jeopardy but once word got out that it was at risk things changed.

The league has grown in popularity yearly, and a small group of fans that attend the games regularly are responsible for keeping the league going.

When word leaked out a couple of weeks ago that league director John Giammarco did not have the financing in place to run the league, donations began to stream in to help defray costs such as rent and payment to officials.

“I’m stunned that a summer basketball league would bring such a call to arms,” Giammarco said. “It’s been amazing.

“These fans love basketball and didn’t want to see it go away. It’s been a labor of love for me. It’s been so well-received by fans. I didn’t want to see it die, either. We wanted to make this work.”

Fans can check the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Web site (www.pittsburghbasketballclub.com) for a complete schedule and rosters. Giammarco was hoping to have such information posted by tomorrow.

The summer league, in my view, just did not realize the interest and support it could generate. If they had gotten word out sooner that sponsorship and support was drying up, there would not necessarily have been the last minute scramble.

The summer league is vital for Pitt. It provides a chance for the players to play over the summer in Pittsburgh with some good competition with some organization. It also keeps them in Pittsburgh where they can still be with their teammates (improve chemistry) and take some more classes and keep working out with some oversight.

Coach Dixon and Pitt cannot be directly involved per NCAA restrictions, but Dixon did what he could to encourage the formation.

Not sure what the Venn diagram looks like for Pitt fans outside of the Pittsburgh media market that would want to watch a rebroadcast of the Blue-Gold game and has the NFL Network. I’m guessing it’s kind of small.

Nonetheless, if you fit that intersect tune into the NFL Network at 3pm (EST) on Saturday, April 18:

The two-hour telecast gives the Panther Nation an early look at the new faces and established stars on this year’s Pitt team, which is already receiving advance praise as one of the country’s Top 25 teams.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt provides color commentary during the game, while Rob King calls the play-by-play action. Additionally, former Pitt coach Serafino “Foge” Fazio and Jory Rand give special reports from the field.

Fans will also be treated to an array of special features and guest appearances by former Pitt linebacker H.B. Blades, now of the Washington Redskins, and Jeff Otah, an offensive tackle with the Carolina Panthers.

Well, I know how I’m wasting my Saturday afternoon.

Wow. Nearly 48 hours away from the computer and my hands aren’t even shaking. Little twitchy, but better than the withdrawl symptoms expected.

Well, judging by the comments from those who were there and watched the local telecast, one thing that remains consistent since 2000 will be this conversation:

Brain (stalking out of Heinz Field from the Blue-Gold Game): Come Pinky, we must prepare our angst and concern for the upcoming Pitt football season.

Pinky (bounding about Brain): Why? Wot we going to worry about this season, Brain?

Brain: The same thing we worry about every season, Pinky. … The offensive line!

Theme song.

That said, it should not be a shock that the defense dominated and the offense struggled. The offense put up a total of 10 actual points (as opposed to the way the scrimmage was scored).

That was the extent of the offensive output as the defense completely dominated the rest of the scrimmage at Heinz Field. The Panthers managed to run the ball for only 16 yards on 37 carries and the quarterbacks combined to throw three interceptions.

It was certainly not the impression the Panthers were hoping to leave fans with, but there is no question it was a tough day for the offense.

“Last year we walked out of the spring game and we had scored a bunch of points and I remember saying to myself, ‘We need to get better on defense,’ and, offensively, I was very pleased,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said when asked if he was concerned about the Panthers’ lack of production on offense.

“It will even itself out, this was one day and the defense didn’t give up anything cheap. We have work to do in all phases and we know that, so I am not going to overreact. I will say, if we do not run the football better we will not be an effective offense. That is one area we need to focus in on and that will be a priority when we get to training camp.”

And why was the running game so ineffective?

The quarterbacks combined to complete 21 of 43 passes for 201 yards. Stull was 12 of 17 for 132 yards with the touchdown and an interception, while Pat Bostick (4 of 10 for 31 yards) and Tino Sunseri (5 of 15 for 38 yards) also threw picks. Sunseri led the second-team offense to a nine-play, 46-yard drive — thanks to two offsides penalties — for the field goal.

The offensive line was overwhelmed by pass-rushing pressure that forced eight hurries, and the running game struggled. Lewis led all rushers with 12 carries for 34 yards — with a long of 9 — but Chris Burns managed only 13 yards on 11 carries, and the offense finished with 16 net yards on 37 carries.

…

What has Wannstedt optimistic is that as good as Pitt’s defense was in the Blue-Gold Game, it was missing starters in defensive end Greg Romeus, middle linebacker Adam Gunn and cornerback Aaron Berry from a unit that should rank among the best in the Big East this season.

What should have Wannstedt worried is that while the offense was missing starting left tackle Jason Pinkston, tight end Nate Byham and fullback Henry Hynoski, it had all of its other skill players available — and scored only one touchdown.

So, yeah, as we all know if the O-line isn’t blocking or protecting well it is going to be next to impossible to make any real judgments about the offense as a whole — not that anything can really be taken away from spring practice other than hope, worry, trepidation and occasionally excitement for the upcoming season.

And if you think I’m just trying to talk myself into not overreacting to all of this, well you’ve probably gotten to know me pretty well over the years.

The offensive line might be okay, if Robb Houser can get back to where he was before his injury. Otherwise, the center will not hold. As it stands, even if he does, there is still a dearth of depth on the O-line that remains a tremendous worry.

Despite the return of left guard John Malecki and the emergence of Jacobson and Nix, fixing the front five is Pitt’s biggest concern. Neither Robb Houser nor Alex Karabin proved to be the solution at center. Thomas didn’t do anything to win back his starting job at right tackle, although he could return to right guard if Malecki moves to center. Jason Pinkston (shoulder) missed spring drills but is being counted on at left tackle. Greg Gaskins is likely the top reserve at tackle, but there are no incoming All-Americans in this recruiting class. Moving nost tackle Caragein to guard or center is a remote possibility.

Even Coach Wannstedt had to acknowledge the weakeness — but he has faith in the O-line coach.

“Until we get that group meshed together, it’s going to be tough to protect the quarterback,” Wannstedt said. “We’ve got to be cognizant of that.”

The Panthers have had ongoing problems at center, where backup Alex Karabin was sidelined by a knee injury and third-teamer Wayne Jones was suspended for the remainder of spring drills for violating team policy.

The depth at the position was so shallow that senior John Malecki played right guard — alongside starting center Robb Houser — with the first-team offense and took snaps at center with the second-teamers.

Safe to say, offensive line coach Tony Wise has his work cut out.

“We’ve got the best offensive line coach in the country,” Wannstedt said, “and Tony will figure it out. We’ll get it solved.”

Despite the QBs getting no protection in the scrimmage, Pat Bostick took the Ed Conway award for most improved player on the offensive side. Max Gruder, now playing weak-side linebacker took it for the defense.

“No one has worked harder than these two guys in the last six months,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “We all know how Pat has trained and lost weight and got stronger and worked on his release. He’s really made strides as a quarterback. And every time I see Max, he’s got his notebook, and he’s studying and he’s worked himself into being a starter at the weak-side linebacker spot. Those guys both were deserving.”

The Conway Award winners under Wannstedt have gone on to become key players for the Panthers: tackle Mike McGlynn and defensive end Chris McKillop in 2005, guard C.J. Davis, linebacker Clint Session and cornerback Kennard Cox in ’06, tackle Jeff Otah and defensive tackle Gus Mustakas in ’07 and tight end Dorin Dickerson, receiver Cedric McGee and defensive tackle Mick Williams last year.

The bright spot — if you only read the news account — Bill Stull hit Jonathan Baldwin with a 54 yard TD pass.

Aliquippa graduate Jonathan Baldwin caught a 54-yard touchdown pass from Bill Stull on the third play of the 2009 Pitt Blue-Gold Game. It turned out to be the only touchdown of the game as the defense (Blue) trounced the offense (Gold), 54-23.

“Everybody is still learning,” said Baldwin, who finished as the top receiver with five catches for 75 yards. “It’s the spring and we have a new offensive coordinator (Frank Cignetti).”

Whether it is the case of learning a new offense or a better defense is a matter for head coach Dave Wannstedt and the films to decide. He won’t have to watch the films long, though, to know that Baldwin is ready to be a factor.

“I’m a lot more comfortable in the offense,” said Baldwin. “I had limited playing time last year and I know there are higher expectations of me this year.

“But I have higher expectations for myself this year, too.”

The people who saw the play, however have all indicated, that the ball was underthrown. Baldwin, at least made the adjustment to it. That part is a good sign. No matter what, I think we all know that whoever is the QB, they will need extra help from the receivers.

The good news, is that the defense looks exceptionally good and hopefully that has a lot to do with the play of the offensive line.

• The defensive line is among the best in the country and deep. The line was excellent last season but depth was an issue toward the end of the year. But Tony Tucker, Shane Hale, Brandon Lindsey and Justin Hargrove improved greatly and should provide necessary depth to give the starters a break.

• The secondary should be improved. Aaron Berry could be an All-Big East first-team player and sophomore safety Dom DeCicco had an excellent spring. Even more encouraging is safety Elijah Fields finally is fulfilling some of his enormous potential and second-year players Antwuan Reed, Jarred Holley and Buddy Jackson all took big steps forward.

• Despite the loss of Scott McKillop, the linebackers could be a better unit. There is no obvious superstar such as McKillop in the middle, but the depth is improved and the returns of Shane Murray and Adam Gunn from major injuries has provided two experienced players to a unit loaded with younger players with potential. Also, Max Gruder had an excellent spring and Greg Williams could be an All-Big East player.

The D-line, especially seems to be getting the most love.

The Panthers are preparing for another Big East season and will be counting on Lindsey and the defense to get them there.

“We have a lot of work to do in all areas,” said head coach Dave Wannstedt. “We’ve been going against each other for 14 days so there weren’t a lot of surprises.”

One of the players that Wannstedt did mention in his postgame comments was Lindsey.

“The defensive line is ahead of our offense at this point,” Wannstedt said. “I was encouraged by Shayne Hale, Brandon Lindsey, and Tyler Tkach; they really showed up for us. It was great to see improvement in our young players.”

The best thing, in my view, for the football team this spring, was that the basketball team went deep into March. That meant a lot less attention on every thing they did. A little less pressure, and a bit less snap analysis of the team some 4 1/2 months before the first game of the season.

Lots of activities and autograph sessions with some past Pitt players. Q&A with the coaches. The game will be televised locally, but does little good for those of us not living in the ‘Burgh. I would have enjoyed a road trip this weekend just for fun, but between family obligations, taxes not done and, well — I think the wife would have beaten me with a tire iron if I had even suggested any more college sports activities — it just isn’t going to happen.

Still, seems like a lot of fun.

Fans will have a chance to interact with coaches and learn about some tactical decisions and why they are made, the recruiting process and a typical practice schedule, as well as some other aspects pertaining to the Panthers or college football in general.

Wannstedt said he is looking forward to the event because he thinks it is a good way to get fans more engaged with the program.

“We just decided we needed to change some things up,” he said. “I’ll talk a little bit about recruiting and the process and the program over all and then we will have Phil Bennett talk about defense and obviously Frank Cignetti, the offense.

“Then it will be open to questions, and that will probably be as much fun for the fans as anything because they’ll get a chance to ask questions about what takes place during practice, game day or halftime or whatever they want to know.”

Of course, one reporter said that odds are very good that the first question will have something to do with quarterbacks, to which Wannstedt quipped, “I’ll defer that one to Frank. That’s why he’s talking.”

Seems like Coach Wannstedt went out of his way to stress to the beat writers that the spring game is not any more meaningful than the other practices. I noticed a similar thing in Gorman’s blog post as well.

Perhaps the biggest misconception revolving around spring drills is the importance of the Blue-Gold Game. In reality, it’s little more than a glorified scrimmage in the eyes of Pitt coaches. And they evaluate it as such.

“We’ll put it in the same category as our last (two) Saturday scrimmages,” Wannstedt said. “We’ll look at the execution and how the players respond that way. It will be an important day for our players, no question about that, but I wouldn’t say it’s really any more important than the last two scrimmages.”

Added offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti: “You won’t see much. It will be real vanilla. We’ll just go out there and run a base offense and, obviously, just try to come out of it healthy.”

There is something to be said for the Panthers putting on their uniforms and performing in game-type situations before fans at Heinz Field.

“Just by being in the stadium and having people in the stands and knowing it’s on TV, that has a tendency to affect some players differently than if we were just up here on a Saturday morning, having a scrimmage in the bubble,” Wannstedt said. “That’s good. That type of exposure has a tendency to bring out the best and, sometimes, the worst in players.

“We need to find that out now.”

I think most fans know that it isn’t any more than a light scrimmage that is the end of a spring fan fest. It’s just a way to help generate more interest in Pitt football. The only reasons it takes on a bigger meaning to the fans is that it is one of the only times they get to see the team at this time, and it is the final practice and scrimmage of the spring.

It always has. I’m not talking about moving a guy from middle linebacker to weakside — like Max Gruder.  That’s akin to moving a guy around on the lines. That’s shifting a title but keeping the player in the same unit. Nor am I talking about changing positions for freshmen. That’s typical. A player has speed or size to play somewhere else at the collegiate level that better uses his abilities.

Making a change after a couple years in the players career/development, though, makes me nervous. Especially when it comes to changing offense to defense or vice versa. Add in some player resistance, and it really strikes me as a big mistake. Not to mention not actually having a clear plan of development with the player. (See also, Dickerson, Dorin)

Sometimes it is inevitable, but just needed a little time to penetrate.

Shayne Hale was lured to Pitt with the promise that he could play middle linebacker, and the U.S. Army All-American from Gateway High School intended to hold Panthers coaches to their word.

Despite possessing prototypical size to play defensive end, the 6-foot-4, 245-pound redshirt freshman long resisted recruiters’ efforts to convince him to line up in a three-point stance and transform into a pass rusher.

The Panthers took a passive approach, and let Hale decide on his own.

“We told him, ‘You’re playing linebacker, but if you change your mind and want to take a shot at end, that’s up to you.’ We stuck to it,” Pitt defensive line coach Greg Gattuso said. “He came halfway through (last season) and said he thought he’d be a better defensive end. We took him immediately. It had to be in his heart. If he wanted to be a linebacker, so be it, but I think everybody felt he had a chance to be a good end. And he does.”

That makes sense. Hale is a top-talent and in HS he was convinced that he was best at linebacker. And his production reinforced it. Even as every college coach recruiting him was talking to him about being a DE.

Or seeing Greg Williams embrace the conversion from a crowded backfield to linebacker as a redshirt freshman. I get that. He had played a bit of safety in high school. And most importantly, he embraced the change. He was redshirted and saw the depth at RB. He understood how far behind he was.

It’s part of why reading about Greg Cross being put at WR, still bothers me. Even if he’s great about it.

“Any way I can get on the field and help my team out, I’m willing to do it,” said Cross, who is on track to graduate next spring and emphasized the importance of a Pitt degree to him and his family played a part in his decision to stay. “At first, it was a little frustrating, knowing what I could do. During the season, I had to take a step back and look at the bigger picture and understand that (Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt) was going with this guy.

“I had to grow up and swallow my pride and stick with the team. It was about being a team player and not so worried about myself.”

Such unselfishness should serve the soft-spoken Cross well with the Panthers, who believe he has the potential to be a dynamic threat in a variety of ways. Wannstedt has discussed with Cross the possibility of returning kickoffs and punts, as well as covering them.

Wannstedt initially contemplated switching Cross to safety because of his size and speed, but opted to keep him on offense for the sake of familiarity and depth to a position that lost starter Derek Kinder to graduation and reserve T.J. Porter to an indefinite suspension after two DUI arrests.

“From a depth standpoint, we use three or four receivers. He could get in a two-deep on offense tomorrow, where on defense he’s not going to be,” Wannstedt said. “Watching him catch the ball, he’s got better hands and some skill running with the football. It gives us a chance to utilize that.”

Cross is at least an athlete. Moving a QB to WR is not uncommon. It happens at all levels with athletic QBs — especially with pro-football oriented coaches. I’m just in the group that feels like Cross was completely wasted last year by a coaching staff that never had a real plan with Cross. They just got caught up in the idea of spread and wildcat formations, but realized how much it went against their core beliefs in football.

That brings me to Myles Caragein. He will be a redshirt sophomore and has the chance at being the starting nose tackle after playing TE and DE in high school.

“I had a talk with him about pushing himself further, not being content that he’s doing well,” said Gattuso, Pitt’s defensive line coach. “I definitely think he has another gear to go, and I told him that. I want him fighting for a job. I don’t want him to be a caretaker waiting for a senior to come in. He’s good enough to go out there and start and play for us.”

If there is a sense of urgency on Gattuso’s part, it’s because Pitt’s coaches believe Caragein’s combination of smarts and strength make him an ideal candidate to move to the offensive line. For now, Wannstedt has been convinced to keep Caragein in his tattered blue practice jersey.

“It’s always up to the head coach and what’s best for the team,” Gattuso said. “But we feel the ability to have explosive defensive linemen is important. He has a chance to be a starter for us.

“He’s got the perfect size, strength level and quickness to play nose guard. He’s a little different than Rashaad Duncan, but I think he’s going to be just as effective.”

Pitt coaches long viewed Caragein’s wrestling background — he was a two-time WPIAL champion and finished with a 138-18 career record — would allow his transition from playing tight end and defensive end at Keystone Oaks to battling on the interior defensive line for the Panthers.

“It’s completely different,” Caragein said. “I like it down there because you’re in the trenches. You’re able to read the blocks a little more to see what’s happening. I think wrestling (prepared) me for nose guard because I’m used to pushing around bigger, heavier guys. Wrestling helped me a lot with hand work, leverage and giving me that attitude of never giving up.”

I’m sure Caragein would say all the right things if he was switched sides. That said, given, the very strong belief in him at being the NT by Gattuso says something.

To say nothing of Coach Wannstedt and Tony Wise’s approach with the O-line to play the best players and make sure they can play all over the line — and valuing experienced players. Well, as smart as Caragein is, he would still see another year lost trying to learn to play O-line. At best, he might start getting on the 2-deep by 2010. It really would waste two years of his development, without a clear plan.

And only a week of spring practice left.

I’ve followed along. I’ve read Kevin Gorman’s blog along Cat Basket for almost daily sources. I’ve read the articles in the papers. At the same time, I can’t say I’ve put much thought into spring practices.

Here are what seem to be the some of the main things right now.

Running Back: Dion Lewis, a freshman early enrollee, has apparently been the best RB in the spring. Either Chris Burns was simply passed, or he hasn’t shown the same fire from last summer’s practices. The battle is not settled, but it is not as expected to be Burns and Shariff Harris battling to see who starts and who spells.

Quarterback: Bill Stull will still be the starter at QB, but he is not going to make it easy on himself. No one is or should be shocked that Coach Wannstedt declared that the job was Stull’s to lose. The disappointing thing is that he has not shown much beyond being a senior this coming season and having the backing of the head coach. That’s not to say that Tino Sunseri and Pat Bostick are getting the shaft. It’s simply that the QB position will continue to be a major source of angst for Pitt fans. Interesting observation from an outsider on Sunseri:

Sunseri is the best athlete, but he’s smaller in person than I expected. He’s listed at 6-foot-2 but looks a good couple of inches shorter than Stull and Bostick, who are each listed at 6-3.

I had to go back and check Pitt’s media guide, but yeah, they do list Sunseri at 6-2. All reports I could remember when he was a senior in HS was that he was barely 6-0. In college, you can argue that is not a big deal. Plenty of players thrive despite being 6-0 or under. I would be more concerned if this was still Matt Cavanaugh’s offense. I have some concerns since Pitt does run a pro-set and therefore may not give a shorter QB the lanes to pass with the lines — instead counting on the QB to throw over the lines.

New OC Frank Cignetti is trying not to declare a starter — despite what his boss is saying — so that is still something to keep an eye on.

One interesting development with regards to Pat Bostick is this:

Bostick has looked more and more comfortable this spring, and completed 9 of 17 passes for 72 yards with a touchdown and an interception in the scrimmage.

Where Bostick has shown the most improvement is in the velocity on his passes, a credit to Cignetti. Bostick isn’t showing signs of the windup or hitch in his delivery, and threw some nice deep balls in his first series. The Panthers ran a flea-flicker to Oderick Turner that was broken up by DeCicco and then a deep sideline route that Dorin Dickerson dropped. Bostick also went deep to Jonathan Baldwin, who let the pass slip through his hands, and showed some savvy by flicking a shovel pass to Lewis to avoid a sack when Caragein was draped on his back that gained a first down.

If this is true and consistent, well, then it is a significant change in the course of Pat Bostick’s possibilities. He’s still slow afoot, but if he is able to pass effectively and with force without the hitch and wind-up it is great news.

And yes, if this is Cignetti’s work, then it is a significant indictment on former OC Matt Cavanaugh’s ability to develop, work with, and teach college QBs. Something that was obvious and a significant issue for two years with a young QB is disappearing in spring practices under a new OC that has been here barely six weeks.

Center: I admit to being a bit puzzled by this one. Robb Houser was brought in last year from the JUCO ranks and immediately became the starting center. By all appearances, he seemed to be doing a well-enough job. Definitely better than the previous year’s efforts at the position. Then he suffers a broken ankle and was lost for the second half of the season. C.J. Davis slid over and did a great job filling in.

Now, it seems Houser can’t beat walk-on Alex Karabin. Is this a lingering effect from the injury — out of shape, not all the way healthy, no effort? No clear answer. What is obvious is that Pitt is still scrambling to find someone else who can take the reigns. That may mean moving John Malecki to center.

The extent of John Malecki’s experience playing center was hiking six snaps in the first practice for the Big 33 Football Classic in July 2006. It was enough to convince coaches he was a guard.

Malecki will be a senior. This smacks of desperation. It’s also a big problem stemming from Pitt’s failure to recruit an actual center, and failing to develop one from the offensive linemen recruited. I don’t find this to be second-guessing Pitt’s recruiting priorities. There have been plenty of questions about Pitt not recruiting an actual center.

Nothing was recruited on the Center spot once more this past year. It has been a point — to blind arrogance — that the o-linemen Pitt recruits can be moved wherever on the line. It’s a great concept, but it hasn’t held at the center spot. Last year worked out with C.J. Davis, but that  was the exception. John Bachman, Greg Gaskins, and other efforts to actually move to the spot have all failed.

Sorry. Maybe I’m being a bit hard on this one. It might all work itself out,  but Center  has been a problem for all but one year so far under Wannstedt. At some point, you have to make an effort to actually recruit a real center.

Jonathan Baldwin: He looks dominant.

More Later.