Do you remember back in September how frustrated we were over the offense struggling to score points? Rutgers has been absolutely miserable at it. The most points they have scored in a 1-A game was 21 versus Navy. In the past two games the offense has produced 20 points (the defense had a safety against UConn. In the six 1-A games the offense has produced 77 points.

Still, Rutgers defense is strongest against the run.

Brown became the third different marquee back — and the second player who came in as the nation’s leading rusher — to see his rushing numbers take a hit coming out of a game with Rutgers.

The Huskies’ star came in averaging 177.8 yards per game. He managed 107 on 27 carries in the Knights’ 12-10 victory — getting just 7 yards on 13 carries in the second half.

[Shun] White topped the country in rushing at 196 yards per game when Rutgers traveled to Annapolis. He finished with 85 on 16 carries.

Devine? He was averaging 99.8 before facing the Knights. He had 55 yards on 19 carries that game.

“It’s all about our preparation,” said middle linebacker Ryan D’Imperio, named the Big East’s Defensive Player of the Week for his 11-tackle performance against the Huskies. “We don’t just go out there and it happens. It’s not an accident.”

Good thing, because there’s another challenge waiting on Saturday. This time it’s Pittsburgh’s LeSean McCoy, the Big East’s second-leading rusher at an average of 114.8 yards per game.

“Everyone is a competitor. You like playing against the best,” said defensive tackle Pete Tverdov. “I wish we could play the leading rusher in the nation every week. That would be awesome.

“McCoy, just like the other backs we’ve faced, provides a huge challenge. When you face a back as good as he is, it tests your manhood a little bit. Can you step up to the challenge? Will you be prepared and ready to go?

“This will be another huge test we’ll have to pass.”

But there’s a statistical quirk about what the defensive unit has accomplished: By the numbers, Rutgers isn’t anything special against the run, checking in at No. 72 nationally (out of 119 schools) in that category.

Of course Rutgers lost 2 of those 3 matchups, so I’ll settle for McCoy rushing for under his average if Pitt wins. Yet apparently that defense is why Paul Zeise sort of picked a Rutgers upset.

5. Why hasn’t this program been able to beat Rutgers in its last three matchups? Are these players cognizant of that?

The players definitely know that. They might be best-served to watch films of (former Pitt coach) Walt Harris’s offense run up and down the field against Rutgers defense and incorporate some of the protection schemes into their offense. This offensive scheme seems to be a bad matchup with Rutgers. Instead, we’ll see them try to pound the ball between the tackles against Rutgers and throw short passes — which is playing to Rutgers strengths. I expect this to be a very low scoring game — and I think Rutgers will win again.

I agree insofar as Rutgers’ defense wants to stop the run and Pitt wants to run. So it is strength against strength. It’s just that Rutgers wasn’t very good for most of the Harris time, so to compare them without appropriately taking that into account seems silly. Though, Pitt coaches might take note that Rutgers CBs are under 6-foot (*cough* Baldwin *cough*).

Hey, here’s something familiar. A strong defense, but not creating a lot of turnovers.

Schiano has acknowledged that he has never been through a turnover drought quite like this in his coaching career.

In seven games, Rutgers has produced four turnovers — all against Morgan State, the only non-Bowl Subdivision opponent on its schedule. That makes the Knights 0-for-6 against the rest of their schedule.

And that explains the grim numbers in the latest NCAA statistics: Rutgers is tied for last nationally (with Washington) for fewest turnovers caused, is 116th (out of 119 schools) in interceptions with two and is 108th in fumbles recovered, also with two.

And of course, Mike Teel will still be the QB for Rutgers.

It’s Jonathan Baldwin week. His first 100 yard game came against Navy. In the past two games, he has become the player to stretch the field — as everyone was expecting back in training camp.

That means it is time to make him available to the media for puff pieces.

Pitt’s coaches, clearly, are concerned about heaping too much on Baldwin too early, be it playing time or praise. He’s still a backup and, according to Bossard, played only 21 snaps against Navy.

They shouldn’t worry so much.

Every so often, an athlete with a different skill set and mindset comes along, and normal rules don’t apply.

Johnson started right away at Georgia Tech and became only the second true freshman in school history to be named All-Atlantic Coast Conference.

No stage is too big for such athletes. No time is too soon.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel has thrust Pryor into about as high-pressure a situation as any freshman could face.

The soft-spoken Baldwin isn’t the type to lobby for playing time, but he’s quick to reject the notion that going from Aliquippa to the Big East was a major adjustment.

“That transition wasn’t really anything,” he said.

So, he’s ready for full-time duty if called upon?

“Yes.”

The piece makes it seem that Wannstedt is all but conceding he can/should be playing a lot more.

Which is funny, because another piece has the WR Coach Bryan Bossard still playing the “he’s still learning and not quite ready yet” approach.

“The sky is the limit,” Pitt receivers coach Bryan Bossard said. “We’re barely scratching the surface on what he can do.”

At the moment, Baldwin is almost strictly a one-dimensional player. He is most effective at running deep routes and making instinctive plays against smaller defensive backs. Bossard said Baldwin must develop his route-running skills in order to be a more complete player.

“He’s had success on the deep balls, but there’s more to the game than running deep balls,” Bossard said. “He has to learn how to work his intermediate cuts and get on the same page with the quarterbacks. By far he is our best vertical threat, but there is more to the game than throwing the ball down the field.”

Bossard said if Pitt wasn’t so deep at receiver, Baldwin might be in a position to earn more playing time. But, with a veteran corps of receivers, there is no rush on the part of the coaching staff to play Baldwin more.

Yes. Just a vertical threat. Those short, vital catches over the middle in the Syracuse game were just lucky.

Yes, Baldwin has to work on his blocking and no doubt his route running skills could certainly be refined. The fact is, Pitt needs his presence on the field a good deal because he is a deep threat teams can’t ignore. His presence, automatically helps to spread the field because of that.

I’m trying to be done with the whole Pat Bostick stuff. It’s just that there are still some things to clean-up.

First, Bostick is a good teammate who knows what to say about this.

“I’m the backup quarterback on a team that’s trying to win a championship,” Bostick said Tuesday. “Whatever they deem necessary to do that, trying to prepare ourselves to win a championship. We’re getting into the thick of things now. I’ve got to get ready to help this team win.”

…

“The important thing is, I’m not worried about the future right now, and this team is not worried about the future right now. We’re worried about right now,” Bostick said. “I think it’s natural to think about the future, and there are questions that arise as a result of what happened. But it’s also important to know that I’m helping this team to win every game, every week, and whatever the circumstances are for me to go on the field, that’s what I’m prepared for.”

Next, Coach Wannstedt should stop talking. It just seems that he is really trying to justify the decision and getting a little silly about it.

“It’s been made very clear to Pat and our team that he’s the backup quarterback,” Wannstedt said. “I’m concerned and Pat is concerned about winning as many games as we can this year. To say to a kid that you’re the second-team quarterback, but if someone gets hurt you’re not going into the game … I don’t know if that’s fair to the team and I don’t know if that’s fair to the kid.

“The third point is these redshirt things work out in different ways. Thank God, Derek Kinder had his redshirt year or his career would have been over [last] August. … You have to look at it in two ways. What’s best for the team? And who knows what’s going to happen and what’s best for the kid?”

I have to agree with Zeise who came back to it in the Q&A. The decision was made solely for this year. To then try and add a justification on how redshirts can work themselves out — because of injuries and what is unknown — is a load.

Q: Why are you people making such a big deal over Pat Bostick burning his redshirt this year when he still has next year to use it? Maybe with another year of maturation Greg Cross or Tino Sunseri will ready to be the back-up and thus Bostick could take his redshirt.

ZEISE: Technically you are correct but I’d say the likelihood of him taking a redshirt next year is next to nothing because he’ll be the back-up again and well, since he is the back-up, he’ll need to get some work and stay fresh. Look, this wasn’t a move that was made with the long term thought out — and this is something Dave Wannstedt even admitted during his news conference Monday. And while those other two players might progress — are you telling me that Greg Cross — or even Kevan Smith for that matter — hasn’t progressed enough to take three snaps and hand-off and then a fourth snap and then take a knee? Really, unless Bill Stull is injured and can’t play this week — and he said after the game he is fine — there was no logical reason to waste Bostick’s redshirt for what he was asked to do. And frankly, if the idea was to get him some work, considering Pitt scored to take a 28-point lead with 14 minutes left in the game he could have entered the game in the Panthers next drive — which began with 12:54 to play — and got some meaningful work. Had that been the case, this explanation of “needing to get him some work” would have been a whole lot easier to buy. The other theory I have heard floated — that coaches are losing confidence in Bill Stull — and want a viable alternative to be ready — that would be a lot easier to buy as well had they put Bostick in the game at the 12:54 mark and let him get some meaningful snaps — but they didn’t.

OC Matt Cavanaugh at least had a more reasonable explanation. The coaching staff screwed up on the timing portion.

Cavanaugh also admitted that the timing of playing Bostick late in the fourth quarter was “probably not” perfect. But he believed it was important because starter Bill Stull has been “banged around a little” this season with hip and shoulder injuries, and “you never know when he’s going to come out.”

“Obviously, it would have maybe been better if we’d stuck him at the beginning of the fourth quarter and given him a lot more work, but we’re a little slow to feel comfortable with a lead,” Cavanaugh said. “We didn’t think it would be fair to just throw (Pat) on the field.

“It could have been a better situation, the timing could have been better, but we accomplished what we wanted to. We wanted to get him some reps. Hopefully, we can continue that and have him ready if he has to play.”

You know, I can accept that easier than anything else. Why? Because it is consistent with the Pitt coaching staff with playing back-ups. There is no plan. It isn’t really thought out. With very little reason or logic. Any “plans” often get tossed because of the game situation.

It’s a shame it took the offensive coordinator and until the Thursday news for this to be said. It might have spared at least some of the speculation, rumors and such.

If you imagine Pitt football as a big family, then Mike Ditka is the crazy uncle who will just go off on rants that just leaves the kids nervous and the grown-ups quietly shaking their heads in the background. you love him, but after the get together, you take your kids aside and make sure they understand that everything Uncle Mike said is not something to believe. In fact it would be best if you don’t even mention some parts to others.

I know that in Pittsburgh the hot topic are the hits, fines and comments from Polamalu. Ditka’s solution, though, is nuts.

Ditka said the only way to change the violent nature of the game would be by changing the equipment.

“I said a long time ago if you want to change the game take the mask off the helmet,” he said. “It will change the game a lot. If you want to change the game and get it back to where people aren’t striking with the head and using the head as a weapon, take the mask off the helmet.

“A lot of pretty boys aren’t going to stick their face in there. If you’re going to take hitting out of football, you might as well just call it soccer. That’s what I believe. A lot of people will be disappointed I said that, but football is what it is. [Vince] Lombardi said it a long time ago. Football is not a contact game. Dancing is a contact game. Football is a collision sport.”

Why yes, back in the days of leather helmets, it was so much safer and no one got banged around the head. Little violence or risk of injury to the cranium then. Those were handsome men by the time they were done playing professional football. That just doesn’t compute.

That’s up there with the old-time hockey argument that helmets and eyeshields promote more hits to the head and high sticks. That if they didn’t have that kind of protective gear, the players would be less careless and more respectful of the opponent.

Otherwise, it was a good visit from Uncle Mike.

“I constantly talk about tradition at Pitt, and that’s what separates us from most of the other ones,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “You can’t say the words ‘Pitt tradition’ without saying ‘Mike Ditka.’ For him to come back and spend some time with the players, I think it’s a neat thing.”

Wannstedt took advantage of the moment to introduce Ditka, an Aliquippa native, to a pair of Panthers from his hometown in redshirt freshman linebacker Brandon Lindsey and freshman receiver Jonathan Baldwin.

“The kids that came to Pitt made a wise choice, and they’re going to get a great education,” said Ditka, who was in Pittsburgh for today’s grand opening of a Ditka’s Restaurant in Robinson. “Football only continues on with a very few of us. I was fortunate that I could carry on to pro ball. But most of these guys the education is going to take you the rest of the way.”