I had a chance to drive up and watch the PITT practice this morning. The practice session lasted from 10:15 until 12:30 with a one hour scrimmage to start off. Here are some observations:

1.  If you were keeping score the offense bettered the defense this morning. Neither side was that great or that bad but the offense moved the ball in the air (Savage) and on the ground (Conner).  A word about our true FR RB James Conner -damned impressive in every way.

If you look at him out there he looks almost slender given the stories about him being a bruising back. But he’s tall at a legit 6’2″ and he carries that 235 lbs well.  He was ripping off positive yardage regularly with some big 15-20 yarders thrown in.  The thing with Conner is that he can get inside and move the pile but also get through the interior LOS because he hits the holes so quickly.  Then when you don’t expect it he cuts outside and out runs the linebackers, drops his shoulder and levels the DB.  He did this time and again today.

Actually that ‘dropping the shoulder’ backfired a bit today as after one hit he lay on the ground with what looked at first like a separated shoulder.  The coaching staff went into severe shock at the sight of it.  Not to panic as he was up with an ice pack taped on and stayed on the sidelines for the rest of practice.  I’m starting to think that PITT fans will forget about Shell in a hurry if this kid plays anywhere near the level in games as he has in practice – he’s the real deal  and might be RB1 before the season ends.

Jaymar Parrish opens eyes with his play at FB also.  He’s built like one and blocks like one.  That will be an interesting position to watch with a starting FB returning.

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At long last the ACC released its full basketball schedule. All the conference games (PDF).

This also means individual ACC teams could put out their full schedules. Including Pitt. Obviously we knew bits and pieces. Some have been announced. Others assumed.

Time to see the full picture.

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The practice reports Justin filed have already given us a lot of insight into Pitt’s offensive line. The left side with Adam Bisnowaty and Cory King is stronger in run support. The line actually has some depth this year. I don’t want to say I feel good about the O-line, but I feel a lot better about than I have for the first time since 2009.

The depth helps. It means guys like Cory King and Matt Rotheram are able to play at their guard positions. Where they fit best and are much more comfortable.

After they moved from tackle to guard — where their wide bodies are better suited — the expectations also are bigger.

“If you ask Cory,” Hueber said, “he is happy he doesn’t have to worry about those wide rushes (from the defensive ends).”

When told about the move at the end of last season, King admitted, “It was kind of relief.”

Rotheram played both positions as a redshirt freshman in 2011 before suffering a season-ending ankle fracture at midseason. He played tackle last season because Pitt had a manpower shortage, but he understands guard is where he belongs.

“At tackle, sometimes you are on an island, and it’s not as good to be a big-body guy out there,” he said. “I did what I had to do to get on the field and put our team in the best position to win.”

Both guards are of the size and bulk that Coach Chryst wants on the offensive line.

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