Okay, about South Florida. Pitt Panther Prowl exchanged Q&A with The Bull Gator, and vice versa. Good stuff.

Simply awesome — Dave Wannstedt goes Twitter.

Nice piece on LaRod Stephens-Howling.

Head coach Dave Wannstedt awarded Stephens-Howling a game ball after that performance, not just because of his rushing but also for the three special teams tackles he made. He’s playing on punt and kickoff coverage teams for the first time this year. Wannstedt gushingly calls him “the most underrated player in the Big East.”

“I cannot say enough good things about LaRod,” Wannstedt said. “If there’s ever been an example of a team player, a guy willing to do whatever and just wanting the team to win without getting caught up in personal accolades, it’s LaRod.”

Wannstedt toyed with putting McCoy and Stephens-Howling in the backfield together during training camp, but it’s yet to happen in a game. Right now, they offer different looks to a defense and will give South Florida something to think about for Thursday’s night’s game in Tampa.

There are supposed to be 13 NFL scouts at the Pitt-USF game tomorrow. I guess that’s why I find it hard to believe that DE George Selvie will miss this game.

Selvie and McClain were limited at Tuesday’s practice, but their workload increased from Monday, USF coach Jim Leavitt said.

“Well, we definitely wouldn’t go less,” Leavitt said. “We got a game Thursday. We want to definitely do more. So they’re doing more.

“We’ll see on game day if they can play. I’m assuming they’re going to try to play if they can.”

If Selvie is out along with DT Terrell McLain, then you add that to CB Theo Wilson who has a sprained left knee and WLB Brouce Mompremier who is recovering from a scary neck injury. Well, wow. Four starters out. That’s a lot of injuries on the defense. If Pitt can’t get the offense going against a really banged up defense, then either Pitt has some real problems or USF really can coach-up their players. I’m not saying Pitt wins, but they better be able to score.

If you want a good omen, Beano Cook predicts a USF-Penn State BCS Chamipionship game. Can’t believe he left out Notre Dame.

The Tampa Bay Rays play the White Sox at 2:30 the same day. A big sports day in the Tampa-St. Pete area. At least it isn’t in direct conflict.

From a chat with one of the USF beat writers.

Q: Greg, Pitt uses running to control the clock, how does USF plan to stop the run especially McCoy. — Jim

G.A.: A big question this week. USF’s been very consistent in praising not only LeSean McCoy, but also LaRod Stephens-Howling, who had two fourth-quarter touchdowns in their win against Syracuse. Both have been very effective. USF’s first five opponents haven’t really presented a running threat — none have rushed for so much as 100 yards as a team — but that changes this week. Instead of the nickel package USF has made its base defense thus far, the Bulls will be back in a standard 4-3 defense, with defensive end Chris Robinson likely sliding back to strongside linebacker, alongside Tyrone McKenzie and Kion Wilson.The run defense has been stout, but it hasn’t been challenged like it will be Thursday night. Remember, McCoy had a big game last year against the Bulls, but USF scored 48 points — I don’t think the Bulls will be happy if they give up 37 points on Thursday …

Q: Greg, our secondary got burned for some big plays on Sat. Are there any adjustments being made to address this or do you not see it as a problem against such a run-based offense? — Brendan

G.A.: Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said he was “embarrassed” by his defense giving up five pass plays of 35 yards or more in Saturday’s 41-10 win against N.C. State. All but one came with USF ahead by at least three touchdowns, and three of the five didn’t result in points, but Burnham said it’s something that has to be fixed or it’ll be more costly next time. Defensive backs coach Troy Douglas said it isn’t tackling — he claimed USF’s defensive backs have missed only one tackle in the last two games — but said it’s more about positioning and being in the right place. Pitt quarterback Bill Stull hasn’t had great numbers, with just two touchdowns so far, but it’s an area that will be a focus in practice for certain.

The Bulls, of course, say they are focused on this game as the first step towards winning the Big East — it is their conference opener.

So is it any surprise that Pitt’s defense is putting most of their emphasis on QB Matt Grothe?

“Their quarterback is a special player,” Pitt middle linebacker Scott McKillop said. “They want the ball in his hands. He makes a lot of people look silly. Sometimes, you think, ‘Oh, there’s three people around him. He’s trapped. He’s swarmed.’ And, somehow, he manages to get out.”

Grothe is at his best in big games. He completed 23 of 40 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 overtime victory over Central Florida on Sept. 6. The following Friday, he completed 32 of 45 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns in rallying the Bulls from an 18-point deficit with a 31-point outburst in a 37-34 victory over Kansas.

“Grothe is able to pick you apart if you stay back on him, but once he gets out of the pocket the play’s not over yet,” Pitt weak-side linebacker Shane Murray said. “He’s very good at rolling out, too, and he’ll find guys downfield. He has the ability to see the whole field. So, he can hold the ball and kill a defense with his legs and his arms.

“And that’s what hurts other teams.”

Grothe is completing passes at a 66% clip this season. He’s got 8 TD passes and only 2 INT. 1175 total passing yards. He’s also got 1 rushing TD. Oh, and he’s the leading rusher on the Bulls with 219 yards.

Pitt also hasn’t forgotten how the Bulls humiliated them on 2 fake punts in the same game last year. Given the play of the special teams last week, it has to be a point of emphasis.

I suppose that’s what it comes down to with Coach Dave Wannstedt. We all know it on some level. Some are comfortable with it. Others not so much. Still others frustrated, because they believed he might change and adapt.

Right now, I’m at the point where I acknowledge it. Wannstedt’s actions — playing those who he thinks knows the system best regardless of their talent and ability to actually execute, fearing mistakes to the point of paralysis on developing the talent behind the starters, preferring to hire coaches to whom he has the deepest ties to and won’t challenge his assumptions (classic groupthink), sticking with one system and game plan regardless of the talent rather than adapting the gameplan and system to the talent, and playing not to lose (and yes, I know I’ve left stuff out) — all say he isn’t changing.

I thought for myself that Wannstedt was capable of adapting. That while he would stick to his basic priniciples of what he believes, he could tweak and adjust things as a head coach at college. That Wannstedt would be Pete Carroll-esque with more than just having similar enthusiasm and energy.

Instead, it is rather clear that Wannstedt has followed the path of Al Groh and Chan Gailey. Playing somewhere around mediocrity. Really, Wannstedt has been a less successful, but more engaging version of Al Groh. Groh has been a great recruiter to his alma mater. He has sent lots of top talent to the NFL. At the same time, he has never gotten too far in a conference not that different from the Big East in strength (I know, worse). In his best years, Virginia has been a top-25 team, and he’s had a couple sub-.500 years (along with this year). The team has averaged 7 wins or so a season, 5-3 in conference most years, and has been 3-2 in 5 bowls. It doesn’t look like it will ever get much better there.

Jonathan Baldwin and Greg Cross, as much as anything else have been representative of the frustration fans are realizing in Season 4. Maybe they don’t live up to the hype. Maybe they do. We just don’t know. When asked about them every week, it’s the same thing.

Q: Paul you said “on this offense Jonathan Baldwin, LeSean McCoy, LaRod Stephens-Howling and Greg Cross are the only four who are genuine playmakers” Why is it that only one of these four players gets a chance to play?

ZEISE: Well, we got to see three of the four Saturday against Syracuse — and not surprisingly they all made key plays. I mean, Dave Wannstedt conceded the bubble screen to Jonathan Baldwin on third-and-9 was basically a safe play that is designed not to get a first down in that situation but just get a few yards of field position and avoid a negative play. But Baldwin broke a tackle and made some nice moves to get to within a few feet of the first down and that enabled the Panthers to go for it on fourth and then continue to the game-tying score. The situation with Greg Cross is puzzling and frustrating — I can’t quite figure out why this kid was recruited if he is not going to be used. And if they are waiting to use him this week against South Florida, that is a terrible idea because the Bulls strength is this — speed on defense. So Cross won’t be the fastest player on the field and he won’t be able to run wide or make people miss, which means it is not a good week to try and bring him out to showcase his talents. In fact, the only way you have a chance to beat the Bulls is if you man up and try to beat them the old fashioned way — by pounding them with a power run game and keeping their offense off the field. And let’s not forget that for the fifth week in a row, Jonathan Baldwin is allegedly — according to the coaches — in line for more playing time …

[Empahsis added.]

The coaches are saying he should play more (and to a lesser extent similarly with Cross), yet they don’t. Which they then justify by saying that it was because the game situation dictated against it. A tight game, and they couldn’t risk the mistakes. The usual. Legitimate and utterly reasonable statements. And at the same time complete and utter crap.

Never mind that in at least the Buffalo and Syracuse games it never should have been that kind of game. You can’t legitimately argue that the across the board talent and depth at Pitt versus those two teams was close. And in Syracuse’s case, it definitely wasn’t any sort of advantage on the coaching. So either the players aren’t doing the job (other than not turning the ball over) or the coaches aren’t.

There’s no real development of the players behind the starters. It’s just about improving their conditioning and learning the playbook.

There was a point made about Wannstedt’s style that resonated with me.

…And, we are always one hurt thumb away from disaster.

That fits with Coach Wannstedt after a lot of disappointing seasons at Pitt and the pros. It was the injuries. They couldn’t “catch a break.” Too much of other things to overcome. A coach that leaves no margin for error for anything to go wrong — and something always does — is bound to fall short.

This is a coaching clinic for the right reasons. Not to get on the side of a high school or AAU coach with influence over top players. This is to help.

A group of coaches — including Pitt’s Jamie Dixon and Xavier’s Sean Miller — will host a coaching clinic Oct. 16 at La Roche College in Pittsburgh. It’s a rare midweek clinic on the Thursday night before colleges start practice, and all proceeds from the event will go towards the Dave Manzer Heart Fund.

Who is Dave Manzer?

He’s the former head coach at Messiah College who is in a Milwaukee hospital awaiting a heart transplant. Meantime, his wife Kathy and three children — Andrea (20), Erica (16), and Aaron (6) — are left without a husband and father healthy enough to earn a living, meaning though times are tough for much of the country it’s probably fair to assume most of our problems pale in comparison to the ones with which the Manzer family is dealing.

Right before the start of full practices and the midnight madness starts. Coach Jamie Dixon, Sean Miller and other coaches who come from the Pittsburgh areas coming to help.

As previously noted, Levance Fields has had setbacks in coming back after some additional surgery on his foot. It’s slow coming, and he is still expected to be ready for the start of the season. If there’s a silver lining, it’s this.

In Fields’ absence the Panthers have been able to give much-needed minutes at the point to freshmen guards Travon Woodall and Ashton Gibbs. The Panthers need both of them to be ready to go in October and maybe in November in the event Fields isn’t 100 percent. The Panthers’ staff is also feeling confident about the progress of sophomore guard Brad Wanamaker and JC transfer Jermaine Dixon.

I’m sure the coaches would love to have him healthy and getting conditioned and in sync with the team, but this presents a big opportunity for the guards to make their presence known and get into the rotation. With Fields’ conditioning thrown off, especially early in the season he will need extra spells. Hopefully the other guards will step up to let him.