Okay, before I get to the main stuff, a couple more picks worth noting. Stewart Mandel at SI.com goes with Rutgers to my relief (he also picked Toledo to upset Pitt a few weeks ago). Of course that was spoiled by seeing Bruce Feldman pick Pitt (ESPN Insider).

Pitt 24, No. 19 Rutgers 20: It pains me to pick against the Scarlet Knights, but even though RU QB Mike Teel is coming off a career game, I think the Panthers speedy and talented back seven will give him a long day. Keep an eye on Knights RBs Ray Rice and Brian Leonard against Pitt LBs H.B. Blades and Clint Session.

Thing that has me sold: The Panthers hard-hitting duo is the best tandem Rutgers will face all season.

Damn. I’m getting all freaked and superstitious ahead of this one.

Interesting little tidbit about Pitt from Ivan Maisel’s blog.

Pittsburgh is tied for second in the Big East with nine interceptions. What’s odd is that those nine picks had been made by eight different Panthers, from defensive tackle Gus Mustakas back to left corner Darrelle Revis, the Panther with two interceptions.

Yeah, wow.

The Big East Notebook from Joe Starkey (Insider subs)doesn’t have much that hasn’t already been discussed or particularly interesting: Pitt hasn’t played anyone, attendance issues, good punters on both sides, Palko has 58 TD passes Rutherford 59, Van Pelt 66 and Marino 79. For Rutgers it’s QB Mike Teel needs to play well, so will DT Ramel Meekins.

Finally, and while I would love to excerpt the whole thing because it alternates between interesting and clueless it would definitely exceed the bounds of fair use, the ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. breakdown of the Rutgers-Pitt game. It was this passage when talking about the Rutgers offense versus Pitt defense that made me laugh bitterly.

MLB H.B. Blades plays with a mean streak and he takes the shortest path to the ball but DT’s Rashaad Duncan and Gus Mustakas lack ideal size. They won’t be able to hold their ground when the Scarlet Knights run right at them. That will allow one of the interior offensive linemen, whether it’s LOG Mike Fladell, OC Darnell Stapleton or ROG Cameron Stephenson, to release up to the second level. Even if Blades is able to shed the block quickly, he’ll be forced to wrap Leonard up three-to-four yards downfield rather than at the line of scrimmage. However, it’s important to note that SS Sam Bryant is a powerful open field tackler who is big enough to line up close to the line of scrimmage. Rhoads will likely move Bryant into the box regularly and that should help limit the production of Rutgers’ ground game.

[Emphasis added.]

Now check a little lower over what Zeise wrote in response to the Q&A about stuffing the box against the run. Yeah, Bryant would be the eighth man in the box. The odds of him being brought up regularly are…?

One other part that I found interesting since there has been some talk about Rutgers pass rush.

The good news for Rutgers is it recorded seven sacks last week with Meekins and DE William Beckford finishing with two each. The bad news is it recorded just 12 sacks over the first five games of the season and Pittsburgh’s pass protection has been sound for the most part. In addition, the front four must stay in their rushing lanes because Palko is mobile enough to make plays with his feet when he breaks contain or a seam opens up between the tackles.

Navy was playing with a back-up QB in a scheme meant to have the QB move around a lot, and take off fairly often. Palko should have time with the shorter drop that has been utilized all season.

Despite all the accolades as Rice and Leonard being the best backfield in the country, and possibly the best (neutered) TE in the country in Clark Harris, the Rutgers offense is hampered by Mike Teel at QB. Teel, prior to the Navy game, had only completed 9 passes to Clark Harris in 5 games (someone sent him a memo or something because Harris got 5 catches against Navy).

What has been the big thing for Rutgers this year has been the defense. Something that can be directly attributable to Rutgers HC Greg Schiano since he is also the DC.

And a day after Rutgers’ 34-0 stifling was in the books and its defense was officially installed as the nation’s stingiest, the unit had earned itself … an extra hard week of work.

“That whole game plan was something different,” coach — and defensive coordinator — Greg Schiano said of what produced such raves in Annapolis, Md., and what won’t work this coming Saturday, when his undefeated squad travels to 6-1 Pittsburgh.

Because of last weekend’s bye, and Navy’s incredibly taxing triple-option offense, the No. 19 Scarlet Knights didn’t practice their nickel or dime packages for nearly two whole weeks. They didn’t work on their base defense, they didn’t run their base pressure, their base fronts or their base coverages. Navy demanded such different techniques and reads, Schiano said, this week will be “a big challenge.”

Still, Schiano has to like what he’s working with. Now in his second year of doubling up duties, he’s got his undersized and somewhat patchworked defense ranked first in the country in points allowed, second in yards allowed, fourth in passing yardage allowed and seventh in rushing yardage. He said he full well expects to relinquish his defensive coordinatorship some day, but for now, this group’s got him hooked.

The performance against Navy also got a Rutgers player recognized as a possible player of the week in USA Today.

Ramel Meekins — The Rutgers defensive end had 12 tackles, two sacks and three forced fumbles in the undefeated Scarlet Knights’ 34-0 win at Navy. Meekins helped the Rutgers defense record its second shutout and hold a Midshipmen offense that had been averaging 351 yards rushing to just 161 yards of total offense.

Pitt’s toughest defensive opponent this season has been Cinci. This will be the offense’s biggest challenge to date.

I noted last week that Pitt was very much in favor of scoring first. In fact, in every game this season Pitt has scored first. The first quarter, especially has been very high octane for Pitt.

Whatever their motivation, the Panthers certainly are on the same page come game time. Pitt (6-1, 2-0 Big East) is off to its best start in 24 years, largely because it has outscored opponents, 76-3, in the first quarter this season.

“It’s very difficult to maintain the intensity that these guys have,” Wannstedt said. “We haven’t had a game, including the one we lost to Michigan State, where we’ve come out of the tunnel and our guys have been flat. We’ve come out smoking.

Our guys are coming out, and they’re mentally focused. We’re coming out emotional. You can’t play this game at the level you need to play it at unless you’re emotionally ready to play. We can’t wait to see how good they are or how ready they are and react to that.”

Rutgers has been similar in the fast start approach.

When it comes to fast starts, the Panthers aren’t alone. Rutgers has outscored opponents, 48-7 in the first quarter and 44-0 in the third quarter.

Pitt’s scoring by quarter: 76-3; 69-29; 74-31; 44-30. Total 263-93.

Rutgers’s scoring by qtr: 48-7; 68-24; 44-0;  30-19.  Total 190-50.

On the other side, Tyler Palko’s precision passing is getting more attention.

“I don’t care what offense you’re in. You have to make good decisions,” Palko said. “When you throw a football, you’re taking a chance. If I’m making bad decisions and bad reads, we’re not going to be on the field very long.”

Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh has credited Palko’s work ethic in film study, but he noted the greatest improvement has come in his fundamentals. Palko isn’t holding the ball as long or throwing off his back foot as often. He isn’t staring down targets. In fact, he has distributed the ball to at least six different receivers every game, connecting with seven three times and eight twice.

“If his fundamentals are in order, I think he could be a good passer all the time,” Cavanaugh said before the Toledo game. “Sometimes, if he gets rattled or starts guessing, his feet aren’t set and he becomes inconsistent. He knows that now, and I think he’s buying into what we’re doing.”

In my Q&A with Syracuse blogger Matt Glaude, he never published the final installment of his questions to me, but he asked me about Palko this year.

Tyler Palko is leading the nation in passing efficiency. Has this been the result of playing a somewhat favorable schedule to start the season or is he really that effective? How has Palko been getting it done? Is it all Derek Kinder and Joe DelSardo?

Part of it is simply making the decisions faster. At the risk of going cliche, Palko is the son of a very successful Western PA high school coach. It took him a while to really get the system that Wannstedt and OC Cavanaugh installed. I mean, get in a wrapping his head around the nuances, understanding the concepts, reasons and simply grokking it. Once he reached that point, it made things easier to know what his role and what he needed to do.

What has aided this has been a receiving corp that went from question mark/weakness to strength. This without DelSardo even catching a pass this season. Kinder has stepped up in a tremendous way to become the #1 receiver. Redshirt sophomore Marcel Pestano and redshirt freshman Oderick Turner made tremendous strides from an inconsistent spring to improving training camp to solid receivers.

From there you add Darrell Strong at Tight End, who is starting to match expectations when Pitt recruited him, as the big target receiving TE like Todd Heap.

I think Palko really knowing and understanding the system itself and what it is supposed to do is huge. There’s a difference for a player like Palko in being told to run a certain play or series, and comprehending the reasons and the whole game plan. He seems much more comfortable when he understands the whole plan.

It’s part of why I think he will be playing on Sundays. He has shown that he can thrive in two different systems doing different things. He has a good enough arm, but more important he has the head to be a NFL QB.

Morning. Haven’t had a chance to look at the papers or box score yet. Had a very long solid sleep. A whole day of liveblogging college football, surprisingly, takes something of a mental toll. No zoning out for long periods. Very brief bathroom breaks. Eating bad food, in handfuls. On the plus side I was paid to sit on my ass all Saturday to drink beer (that was optional but I am a perfectionist), watch and write college football, and since I was “working” it fell to the wife to deal with the kid all day while I fulfilled my responsibilities. So no, I am not complaining about a sweet gig. Hell, I’m bragging.

This was a very, very good win for Pitt. There are some concerns. There are some issues. There always are. Don’t worry, I’ll get to them later. This was a big, important win for the team and the program. It was legitimate progress.

Last year, Pitt didn’t win one road game. Not a single one. This year, Pitt already has two and they are both in conference.

There was a real, viable gameplan on offense that was well executed. Pitt took advantage of an agressive defense and set them back on their heels with the short pass and screens. It created hesitation and allowed the running game to go. The tight ends were involved more. Buches finally got some passes going his way.

LaRod Stephens-Howling had a monster game, as the O-line was able to create holes in the right spot for him to get through. That 70 yard run was tremendous. It first looked like he squirted through the line and took off, but the overhead shot showed an actual, hole right where he was headed. At that point he hit the accelerator and blew through and caught the whole Syracuse linemen and secondary by surprise as he ran past them. Not only was the hole opened, he hit it exactly the way you want a tailback to do it. No hesitation, no planning on jukes afterwards. Head up, and looking downfield.
Tyler Palko executed the gameplan very well. The first time in two years I’ve seen him do that on the road. He knew that it was his job to get rid of the ball quickly and was finding his receivers or safety valve without hesitation. Cedric McGee was not only sighted, but played a vital role as the 3d WR/safety valve. He picked up key first downs or created 2nd or 3d and short on drives with excellent yards after the catch runs. Syracuse was so keyed on stopping Kinder and Strong — they were blanketed by coverage most of the game — and Palko made sure to find other receivers.

The defense played a very good game. I think the corners should have been playing tighter against a less then impressive group of Orange receivers, but I’m hardly surprised that DC Rhoads had them backing off. Very good containment of the run, and some great up-front pressure by the D-line to keep Perry Patterson from having too much time to throw.

Don’t forget, Syracuse is an improved team from last year. If anything, their progress probably puts them where Pitt was last year. In fact there were times when I watched that I felt Pitt was playing the team it was last year. Considering how bad they were last year, however, that is significant progress.

Pitt and Dave Wannstedt were probably right and it was sporting not to put that final score on the board at the very end. I can’t help but wish they had, though, just because it would have really pissed off the Orange. Adding some extra spice to the game next year and perhaps a little heat to a traditional game that lacks the feel of hatred and rivalry.

I hate to say it, but I think they wasted nearly half the season with Lowell Robinson.

Citing his team’s depth at wide receiver, coach Dave Wannstedt is moving Lowell Robinson to the defensive backfield after a two-month experiment at wideout. Robinson was a JUCO All-American safety at Erie (N.Y.) Community College last year and intercepted a conference-high seven passes. The 6-foot, 195-pounder, who moved to wide receiver during training camp and played mainly on special teams, will remain the Panthers’ kickoff returner and will play on coverage teams.

Robinson has looked very good at returning kicks, but moving him to WR was questionable from the start. As a JUCO, he doesn’t have a lot of time at Pitt. He now has to try and climb the depth chart at safety for the rest of the season. No question he is valuable on the special teams, but I don’t give him good odds of getting on the two-deep depth chart by seasons end barring injuries. That just gives him next season.

I also think this is clearly an indicator that they are very nervous about how much they are going to use Jason Pinkston on the O-line.

Wannstedt said junior guard/center Chris Vangas and sophomore tackle Chase Clowser would be the first substitutes off the bench on the offensive line. Jason Pinkston, who moved from defense to the offensive line two weeks ago, also could see some time.

“It doesn’t take long before the lack of depth is obvious,” Wannstedt said.

All week, we’ve read how Pinkston will see a lot of time and be a key reserve. Now it seems that they are hedging.
Talking about the line and how Palko hasn’t been sacked as much, Zeise responded in his Q&A.

Q: It seems like Palko is getting sacked less, not because of great line play, but because of the West Coast system of quick passes and dumping off the ball. What are your thoughts?

Zeise: There is definitely some truth to that, but that’s how the system is supposed to work. They also have used more max protection schemes and Tyler is a lot better versed in the safety valves that each play provides and he’s making quicker decisions. That’s all a part of any team that doesn’t give up many sacks. Do you really think the Dolphins had the greatest lines on the planet all those years they were protecting Dan Marino, or do you think his lightning quick release of the ball had something to do with him hardly ever getting sacked. So yes, part of it is the system but I do think the offensive line is playing much, much better in pass protection as well. Of course, Syracuse leads the nation in sacks I guess this theory will be put to the test tomorrow.

Palko is also making the reads quicker. While on Zeise’s chat on Thursday, he spent more time mocking those who have wanted to make sure Bill Stull saw some action at QB. Either he got too many e-mails about the issue or he has something against the whole idea of giving the back-up some work for the future. He does his usual stumping for Conredge Collins to get more carries. To be fair, though, the Pitt coaches said Collins was going to get more work and instead saw less. Heck, they are saying it again this week.

Pitt running backs coach David Walker said the Panthers hope to balance their running game with 6-foot, 235-pound fullback Conredge Collins, who is averaging 4.9 yards per carry and has scored on his past two touches.

“We’ve got to come up with other ways we can get him the ball,” Walker said. “He’s in the mix with some of the one-back stuff we do. I would hope we’re going to start to see his carries increase, because he’s proven he can be very effective with the ball.”

Whether it happens or not is another issue.

Today’s theme as Pitt gets ready for Syracuse is that the Orange like to rush the passer.

On Syracuse having success getting quarterback sacks:

The surprising thing, they have two sacks by corners. I think the safety has a sack or two. The linebackers have a few. For the most part, and this is what we have to be aware of, it’s been their defensive linemen. Those guys, they’ve gotten a lot of sacks just by rushing three. They’ve got sacks by rushing four. They’re not blitzing all the time when they come up with their sacks. I looked at that last night (on film). I went through it because I wanted to see what they were doing. We studied their interceptions, they have nine. We studied their sacks to see how they’re coming up with their sacks. That gives us an opportunity to talk about some things.

Syracuse has 25 sacks so far. Tops in the country. They are aggressive, which is a reflection of the style of defense that Syracuse HC Greg Robinson likes. Even if Syracuse didn’t play that style, it seems likely they would at least try to bring pressure against the Pitt O-line with Simonitis being done.

Simonitis will be replaced by Joe Thomas, a true freshman, and the Panthers will shuffle some reserves to piece together a plan should another starter get hurt. In short, all signs point to a potentially long afternoon for the Panthers’ offensive line.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt addressed such potential problems yesterday while acknowledging his need to have his team prepared for such a hostile environment. He said the presence of senior quarterback Tyler Palko should ease some concerns and that the veterans around Thomas should help him work his way through some of the jitters that come with a first start.

“[Noise] will be a big factor, but I think having an experienced quarterback is the most important thing when you go to an environment like that,” Wannstedt said at his weekly news conference. “I feel good, too, about [Palko’s] ability to handle the environment because he’s played up there before. We’ll have the noise out here during practice [today] and Wednesday to work through some of the issues with signal-calling and so forth. But this is something we’ll address from day one.

“I don’t see our group getting rattled or having any problems; we’ve got a pretty grounded group.”

The O-line usually gets plenty of scrutiny from Pitt fans. With all the changes afoot, they will be under a microscope.

Wannstedt believed that while injuries are never good, being able to play many young players should benefit the Panthers down the homestretch this season. Freshman Joe Thomas will start at right guard for Simonitis, and redshirt sophomore Dom Williams – who moved to left tackle to back up Jeff Otah after Bachman’s injury – will go back to guard to spell Thomas.

Freshman Jason Pinkston, who got his first game action in Saturday’s win over Toledo, is now the backup left tackle this week. And redshirt freshman Craig Bokor is the backup left guard to sophomore C.J. Davis.

“Fortunately, Pinkston got some playing time, which was good,” Wannstedt said. “Dom Williams has played in the past. Bokor is doing a decent job. … So, we have some younger players and there’s not much experience there, but we do have some young guys that are eager to play.”

Well, at least their eager.
The potentially good thing about this game is that Palko has been very good about getting rid of the ball quickly. With the solid receivers and tight ends for Pitt, there is the potential for some early exploiting of the Syracuse rush.

As long as the O-line can give Palko enough time to look up from center after getting the ball, Pitt might be able to run some nice screens and quick outs. This is also the kind of defense, where Dorin Dickerson could be very important. Dickerson may be the only back for Pitt with enough speed to get to the outside and turn the corner.

Game notes. Game notes for Pitt and Syracuse (PDF). The house of horrors that is the Carrier Dome for Pitt — 3-9-1.

At this time, the shocker is that Freshman tailback Delone Carter is not officially listed as the starter on the ‘Cuse depth chart (p. 18). Curtis Brinkley is still listed as the starter. It really only seems like a formality to something that will happen sooner, rather than later.

The true freshman tailback Delone Carter rushed for four touchdowns, including two in overtime, and probably established himself as the Orange’s star for the future. Carter’s 129 yards came on only 20 carries as he showed why he was named Mr. Ohio last year when he rushed for 49 touchdowns at Copley Senior High.

I think we can expect some comparisons to how Kevin Collier is doing for Pitt, since it disappointed many when the local kid came to Pitt.

Carter really turned it on in the second half against Wyoming when he gained 115 of the 129 yards.

It can be expected that Syracuse will be looking to run — a lot. Taj Smith was their big play receiver and he is out for some time. Another starting WR, Rice Moss, suffered a “slightly” separated right shoulder in the Wyoming game, but is not ruled out for Pitt (he is listed on the depth chart as starting).

Do you have an update on Rice Moss?

“Yes, it is maybe a little better than what we were expecting. The next couple days will be good indicators I think. It could have been worse is what I would tell you. I would like to think optimistically. Who knows? We really don’t know right now.”

What is the injury?

“Light separation of the shoulder.”

Any chances he could play against Pittsburgh?

“There is a chance.”

Keep in mind, his arm was in a sling on Sunday at practice.

Syracuse has a very vulnerable pass defense.

Pittsburgh comes into the Carrier Dome on Saturday with a 4-1 record, its best start since 2002. Quarterback Tyler Palko is ranked No. 1 nationally in passing efficiency and will be facing a secondary that surrendered 326 passing yards to Wyoming.

“He’s obviously completing balls at a good rate and he’s also not throwing many interceptions,” Robinson said. “He’s thrown some touchdown passes. So it makes him very effective. We’ve all known Tyler Palko is a talented young player. It’s our job to minimize his game; make him less efficient.”

What Syracuse has done well on defense, is blitz. They have 25 sacks to lead the country. Given their secondary, the effectiveness of Pitt’s passing game and Pitt’s questionable O-line; I don’t think it will be a state secret to expect Syracuse to blitz a hell of a lot in this weekend’s game. Just a hunch.

It would seem Dorin Dickerson is quite bothered that Pitt has not played him yet. And yet, there are no actual words from him.

As Pitt players headed to the tunnel at Heinz Field after Saturday’s victory over The Citadel, the body language of one told an entirely different story.Dorin Dickerson couldn’t hide the disappointment, bordering on disgust, that he didn’t play against an overmatched Division I-AA opponent.

The former West Allegheny High School star was one of the Panthers’ more heralded recruits, but he has yet to play a down in their first four games. That makes him a candidate to take a redshirt and preserve a year of eligibility.

…

“I was in Dorin’s shoes before, and things didn’t work out the way I wanted them to for the first two years here,” said Pitt fifth-year senior quarterback Tyler Palko, a fellow West Allegheny graduate who redshirted as a sophomore. “This is only the fourth game of his career here. He’s going to have a lot of football ahead of him.”

Dickerson is smart enough not to actually say anything, though his body language is apparently betraying him. Dickerson also has an uncle who is a former head coach at the college level. Sure it was Temple, but Ron Dickerson is probably giving him some good counsel.

I’m a bit torn at this point on playing Dickerson. It’s a third of the way through the season and it just doesn’t seem worth it to play him. The prudent thing might be to preserve his full eligibility and give the coaching staff more time to figure out how and where to play him. Something I suspect is a little more problematic than they admit. Playing him without any clear idea of what to do with him seems just as stupid.
On the other hand, there is the curiosity to see what he can do. He is a top recruited prospect and in this day and age, it just seems madness to sit him like this. Plus, if he is as good as everyone thinks he will be, then there is no guarantee he will stay for his full eligibility. Redshirting him would just mean only 2 years of Dickerson playing. He could leave after his redshirt sophomore season. The idea of leaving that kind of weapon just sitting on the pine all season for the sake of his full eligibility would be the kind of thing that makes you question whether Coach Wannstedt even understood what kind of player he had.