You know, if Coach Wannstedt doesn’t give Mason a decent amount of playing time after this, there’s a problem.
It took him about six weeks into the 2007 season before he acknowledged that, yeah, that (running back LeSean) McCoy kid is pretty good.
That’s why his praise of freshman middle linebacker Dan Mason, a Penn Hills High School graduate, has been surprising given that the season has not started yet and he has not made a tackle. Wannstedt referred to Mason as “the real deal” Monday during his news conference, and yesterday he took it further.
“He has Scott McKillop‘s playmaking ability,” Wannstedt said, “the seriousness of H.B. Blades and Clint Session‘s athletic ability. He is a combination of all three.”
Adam Gunn, the present starting middle linebacker is very much aware of the future.
After watching the freshman from Penn Hills play with the presence of a veteran, Gunn didn’t dismiss the possibility that he might end up playing next to Mason sometime this season instead of starting ahead of him.
“He’s a fast guy, he’s very physical and he has leadership characteristics that are ready to break through. When he gets the opportunity, I’m sure he’ll shine,” Gunn said. “It’s my job to take him under my wing and watch film with him and make sure he understands exactly what’s going on out there, make sure he’s in his playbook. It’s the whole mental aspect he’s missing right now. Once he gets that, he’s going to be a great player for us.”
Mason is one of those players who has to play right-away so that his time is not wasted. If he even comes close to what he has already shown, he will be gone before his senior year.
Put your best players on the field and allow them to make plays!!
My question, is Mason the better player?
Yes, experience is valuable, but football is a very physical game that allows better athletes to rise to the occasion experienced or not. One thing that I think we all agree upon is that Wanny favors the experienced upperclassman even though they might not have the physical attributes that the underclassman has.
What a pity because McCoy was wasted for about ¼ of his first season and we really only had last year to really marvel at his talents and if history holds true Mason will play but it will be a very gradual process.
The beginning of their schedule really affords the opportunity to play Sunseri and Mason.
In my opinion, Gunn and Stull although experienced are not their best players at their respective positions. This is Gunn’s first year in the middle and Stull will pick up where he left off from the Sun Bowl.
Somehow this issue, that DW was reluctant to play McCoy right away, has become PITT’s urban legend, and it’s just not true.
In the opener of 2007 against EMU McCoy got 10 carries to LSH’s 16, but McCoy didn’t ‘start’ the game as LSH was a returning 900 yard rusher who, BTW, had a better YPC average the year before than McCoy would have his whole PITT career. Contrary to popular belief DW recognized McCoy’s talent right off the bat and had the kid rushing the football in the first quarter of his first college game.
After that game McCoy was the workhorse of our rushing game getting 19 carries against Grambling to Collin’s 6. Against MSU in the next game McCoy got 25 carries to Porter’s 3.
Then after LSH came back from injury McCoy was getting the bulk of the carries from that point on.
Again – this whole ‘DW not recognizing McCoy’s talent’ and not playing him properly as a freshman issue is total bunk. The ONLY thing DW didn’t do was name McCoy as a starter that very first game – an issue that seems to be way more important to the fans than need be.
Sorry, his talent was wasted, he should have been starting at game one with most or not all of the carries, McCoy was a great RB at Pitt, McCoy carried the team last year; LSH was a good back only in certain situations.
McCoy was the best back at Pitt since number 33, number 33 started his first game at Georgia, too bad Majors didn’t start an experienced upperclassman ahead of him.
Stull is not average, a great game for Stull is average, Stull is mediocre at best, he will lose us games.
The goal is to win that is why there is a scoreboard. Put your best players on the field and allow them to make plays, sure they will make mistakes but better players adapt and react faster.
Sorry I do not care for the current headcoach, he is great with recruits, the media and is a real nice guy, but on game day he is always slow to react and adapt.
Look up these stats, who had a better first 4 year record?
Foge, Gottfried or Wanny?
Two out of those three head coaches were fired and they both had more wins than Wanny!
Wanny is still here and we are going nowhere with him.
Sorry Shady’s talent was not wasted. He played in 100% of the games played while he was at Pitt. Not starting a few games didn’t, affect his career or the outcome of any game’s he played in.
There is an article in the Trib (I think) where Walt Harris is interviewed as he prepares the Zips for PSU this weekend. He said that he is very strict when it comes to preparing a QB, but most people who stick it out are appreciative as to what they have learned.