THAT IS THE QUESTION…

Note: This is a follow up article to the one posted here on March 17^th talking about the four QBs on the roster…

We love our Quarterbacks in Western Pennsylvania. We love them in high school ball, we love them on the Steelers and we love them at PITT.  We also love to throw them aside the second they make mistakes or when a contender is on the horizon.  The battle cry for PITT fans is “Bring on the Backup!”  We hear it every single year and while it is frustrating to some – it is what football is all about to others.

This year is no different than any of the last few years when we had heated arguments about Stull and Bostick in 2008, Stull and Sunseri in 2009, Bostick, Myers and Sunseri last season, etc.  From the last snap of the 2010 bowl game PITT fans started speculating on just how well our starting QB Sunseri did and started discussing how Bostick and/or Myers could do much better in 2011.

Pat Bostick simplified this question for us a bit by removing himself to the greener pastures of Graduate School and professional internships leaving the crux of the argument to revolve around the incumbent starter, rsJR Tino Sunseri and the newcomer and gunslinger rsFR Mark Myers.

There are valid points, both pro and con, that can be offered on each player.  Let me make a personal note here – I was vehemently opposed to how Dave Wannstedt handled the QB situation from the end of the 2009 season until the opening game at Utah in declaring Sunseri the starter way before the spring practices for the 2010 even started.  There was never a valid or open competition conducted and IMO it hurt the team and the anointed Sunseri.  I do not think Coach Graham is doing that this season at all. But I was very critically outspoken of how Sunseri got the job then.

(more…)

In a previous article we discussed the changes in the overall culture of the football program, along with the specific changes we’ll see on offense.

Today we’ll discuss the defensive changes that PITT will face. While we addressed the fact that the offense lost 50% or so of its starting lineup, the same isn’t true of our defensive starters returning.

We did lose three senior starters to graduation (we hope they graduated at least) in Jabaal Sheard, Greg Romeus and Dom DeCicco.  Sheard had nine sacks and DeCicco led the team in tackles with 94 and in INTs also.  Romeus was injured in 2010 but was a preseason All-American prior to that and a very good player.  So, three darn good players gone but this happens every year in college football, to every team.

Part of this loss will be compensated by one player who really stepped up and shined last year, Brandon Lindsay at DE.  He led the team in sacks with 10 and tackles for losses (TFLs) with 17.5.  He seemed to be all over the backfield and we anticipate he’ll excel again this season.

(more…)

Reed has been killing it with the football stuff. This despite the lockdown of information — beyond what the coaches are willing to release. I disagree with the philosophy — and not just because it starves the media and this site a bit. It creates a situation that puts all the pressure on the team to win.

When you win, fans don’t care about the closed practices. The lack of information and/or controls on what is happening. It’s the Bill Parcells/Bill Belicheck/Nick Saban style.

But when the team loses, the fans start clamoring to know what’s going on. The media, already facing constant criticism from one side because they don’t have any real info to share because of the control, start releasing some of the simmering annoyances and frustrations with the controls of information.

Those are all long-term issues. Right now, not so much a problem. So that’s just a bit of a digression.

(more…)

I almost feel like I should apologize for the lack of any substantial information on what is happening during PITT’s spring practices – no real details are coming out at all and everything that is written here is gleaned from controlled articles and videos from the Athletic Department.

Still, there are things that interest and are worthy of discussion so here goes…

The offense won the day to even the scoring at 2-2. Graham feels that the O is still committing too many TOs, but on the other hand that must make the defensive coaches happy.  Graham has his usual post-practice video, found here, and accompanying him were Coach Todd Dodge (QB Coach) and Coach Tony Gibson (Cornerbacks).

It has to be mentioned that Graham’s demeanor and accent is eerily similar to President Bush (the younger)… and along with that he throws out some Bush-quality quotes which raise the eyebrows (that is if you have eyebrows. The Coast Guard made me shave mine off because they said they were ‘unruly’ and scared the Junior Officers)…

“Our free safety will go to the field and our bandit safety will be to the boundary. Our free safety is what people call a strong safety and our bandit safety is what people call a free or weak safety. The bandit safety will be more of the run forcer and the free safety will be more of a quarterback. We do not use the usual terminology because then it signifies you are slow. I want every one of my players on the field to be fast.”

Kolby Gray slid back over to safety. We have had a couple of guys have some minor  nagging injuries so Gray will do whatever it takes for the team. He will still represent the role of quarterback but we can only have three in that position right now. He had a great first day and practice went very well.”

I can just see it now.  Gray walks into a Friday afternoon QB meeting and tells Coach Dodge:  “The other guys felt they deserved some time off so they went to Peter’s Pub for happy hour and ask me to represent them at this meeting… so what’s up?”

(more…)