Just got back, and stealing a few minutes at a coffee shop.
Dorin Dickerson is very happy about finally getting to play.
“I was really excited and I got a lot off my shoulders. I felt a lot of pressure to play and to play well.”
Apparently Coach Wannstedt was still a little hesitant before the game to burn Dickerson’s redshirt.
Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said he talked with Dickerson and his father, Randy, before the game Saturday about forfeiting his chance at a redshirt.
“I think that Dorin had the mind-set that he wanted to play,” Wannstedt said. “He wasn’t concerned with how much, but he wanted to be part of it this year.
“When I recruited him, we told him he would have a chance to play. We’ll see how it goes from here. It’s a long season. We’ve got a lot of games left, and he got a nice start today.”
I’ve hardly been decisive in my opinion about Dickerson and redshirting. I tepidly (and with more than a little wiggle room) thought he should get to play this season, so I don’t think it was a mistake. I do, however, want to see how they use him. Hopefully a little more than just gimmick plays and special teams.
With the injury to Simonitis the redshirt also came off of Jason Pinkston. Honestly, this is the scarier prospect since Pinkston was converted in training camp to the O-line from the defense. Now he will be expected to be a key reserve for the O-line. That just speaks to the issue of injuries on the line and lack of depth.
This was a horrible game for Toledo and one of the worst outcomes in quite some time.
The Rockets, now 2-3, were held without a first-half touchdown for the first time since a 2003 game at Ball State, a span of 33 games, and finished a game without a TD for the first time since a 49-0 loss at Ohio State on Sept. 12, 1998.
That seems like some measure of revenge taken on Toledo.
