It’s better than a bankruptcy/going out-of-business sale. Just clearance on all things, as I’ve got too many tabs open and not enough time.
It’s another test for the O-line.
The Bearcats feature one of the most active defensive units in the country with a strong pass rush, and that starts with standout defensive end Connor Barwin, the Big East’s second-leading sacker.
Barwin, with seven sacks and 9 1/2 tackles for losses, is the kind of rush end who is a handful for any tackle, particularly Pinkston, who is essentially a first-year starter.
“This is my first time against Cincinnati, and seeing them on film, they look very good,” said Pinkston, a redshirt sophomore. “[Barwin] is very fast, he is very athletic, he is a lot like a mix of [Pitt’s two defensive ends Jabaal Sheard and Greg Romeus]. He plays on both sides [left and right]. This little stretch of games really is going to be a challenge for me because of the defensive ends we’ll be facing.
“The good thing is we have a good group of ends on our team as well, so that helps us prepare for it. That helps a lot. You can’t take a play off. I get as much work as I can against them and go from there.”
Extra focus on Jason Pinkston who has done a fine job on the O-line. Proving that old theory about when you don’t talk about the O-line, they must be doing something right. Pinkston hasn’t gotten much mention since training camp when he was out of shape. But he’s getting some attention this week as he has done well in taking over Jeff Otah’s spot.
As does Pinkston, who is still learning the technical aspects of playing left tackle after starting his career at defensive tackle. He moved to offense midway through his freshman season, then started the first three games at right tackle last season before suffering a season-ending left-shoulder injury that required surgery and forced him to miss spring drills.
“I think Jason’s done a very good job,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “He’s never really had a solid year of camp, spring practice and offseason lifting to give him a full advantage. If he wasn’t such a good athlete and so very conscientious, he probably wouldn’t have been able to make the progress he’s made.”
During the off-week, Pitt worked on things like two-minute drills, red zone offense and better communication in the secondary.
Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said the Panthers spent their bye week trying to correct communication problems in the secondary, which has allowed 10 touchdown passes in the past three games.
“There are going to be very good throws and very good catches from the opponent,” Wannstedt said. “The things that we’ve had a few plays against us this year are some mental mistakes.”
Senior safety Eric Thatcher said the Panthers emphasized using hand signals to improve communication among the defensive backs in an effort to eliminate mental breakdowns.
Pitt is among the best in the country on converting on 4th downs.
A good recruiting question I think many have been asking.
Q: Why is Pitt taking so many small and medium-size running backs in this year’s recruiting class and have open/pending offers out to even more yet? Especially since they all have near-same sizes and 40 times? Might some of them be converted to cornerbacks, safeties, nickel package linebackers, etc.?
ZEISE: This is a great question — one I can’t answer other than to say Dave Wannstedt’s philosophy has always been take as many athletes and skill players as possible and find a way to fit them in. They all have speed, they can play special teams and return kicks and stuff, so taking athletes is never a bad thing. Some of them are obviously going to have to move positions but I’m not sure where and who. It is a little bit puzzling given their limitations in scholarships this year but they are looking to the future and, frankly, if you redshirt these guys, they will be ready to go in a few years when the depth chart isn’t so jam-packed. Also, two guys listed as running backs, Kevin Adams will likely be a linebacker or a safety and Jason Douglas is going to be a slot receiver/return guy.
Still that’s four RBs in this recruiting class and aside from the aforementioned Adams (6-0, 208), the other 3 are in the same size and weight group of 5-6 to 5-9 and in the 170s. I wonder, though, how many who still have offers from Pitt are actually receiving active interest from Pitt at this point. The offer might still be there, but not the wooing for some.
A couple puff pieces. One on Austin Ransom and the other focused on DEs Jabaal Sheard and Greg Romeus. Scott McKillop did another “as told to” first person piece in Sporting News Today centered on the bye week, getting healthy and ready for Cinci.
Now moving to the game. Pitt has never lost to Cinci.
And last year, Pitt hung a 24-17 loss on UC at Heinz Field in a game the Bearcats led 10-0 in the first quarter.
Pitt finished 5-7 last year, going 3-4 in league play, and has not appeared in a bowl game since losing to Utah in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl following the 2004 season.
“We didn’t go out and play like we were capable of playing against a Pitt team that was down,” wide receiver Dominick Goodman said. “We should have done a lot of things different, but we lost and we learned from it.”
The UC defense was manhandled by Pitt, allowing 260 rushing yards, with LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens-Howling both hitting the 100-yard plateau on the ground.
Barwin said he has never seen Kelly as upset as he was after that game, when the UC coach blamed himself for not preparing his team better.
“It was the first time that we had not played to the level that we are capable of playing and coached at the level that we are capable of coaching,” Kelly said.
“That was not just the players. That was coaches and players who really screwed up that game. Last year was a game we let slip away. We had a couple kids miss curfew. We were not focused the way we needed to be.”
It was the second straight loss for the Bearcats, but it also served as a turning point for a UC team that went on to win four of its last five games.
Under Kelly, the Bearcats are 19-5. That’s impressive and the major reason why Brian Kelly is in demand. Another major reason has been the way he has had the Bearcat offense continue to function very, very well despite a multitude of QBs.
No one knows that better than Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly, who has endured injuries to starter Dustin Grutza (broken leg) in the second game and to backup Tony Pike (separated shoulder) in the third game. The Bearcats finished the Akron game with third-stringer Zach Collaros, then started fourth-stringer Chazz Anderson against Marshall.
Pike is expected to start against Pitt.
Amazingly, Cincinnati leads the Big East in pass efficiency at 137.5 percent.
“I think it takes some consistency from what we talk about every day – the next-man-in philosophy – and not panicking and making sure kids understand that we trust the next guy in,” Kelly said. “I think it speaks volumes for the kids in that they’ve got enough confidence in themselves to go out there and feel like they can get the job done. That’s the most important thing, the confidence in their ability.”
All without a stud RB, their rushing offense is ranked 90th nationally. Their leading rushers — Jacob Ramsey and John Goebel — barely combine to average 100 yards/game. It’s going to be important for Pitt to put pressure up front on Pike. Not to mention, that classic fundamental — tackle, not hit.
Since joining the Big East, Cinci had not beaten Louisville and WVU until this year. Prior to this year, Pitt hadn’t beaten Louisville since the Cards joined the Big East. If you haven’t figured it out yet, the past is meaningless.
The Pitt players are at least saying that much.
“I think if it was earlier in the year, it might be harder for us to gain respect (for Cincinnati),” fifth-year senior receiver Derek Kinder said. “But in the situation we’re in right now – with us both being ranked and so much on the line – it can be anybody, and we would get up for the game. We’re looking at our main goal, which is to win the Big East. If we don’t win this game, it’s going to be tough. That’s the only thing on our minds right now.”
Cincinnati has not been able to solve the Panthers, losing three Big East meetings by an average of 14.4 points. The Bearcats were ranked 23rd nationally last season, yet lost, 24-17, at Heinz Field. Pitt remains the only team the Bearcats haven’t beaten in league play, although they snapped streaks against West Virginia and Louisville the past two weeks.
“We can’t take them lightly,” fifth-year senior free safety Eric Thatcher said. “That’s a big game for them. It’s a big game for us, too. Not beating us is going to make it even more important for them and make them want to play even harder.”
It’s not a rivalry. No matter what the Big East calls it. Maybe in time. This game, though, may help determine whether it can actually become one.
