You know, I’m starting to get the sense from reports that there still is no separation amongst the running backs in the scrimmage. The numbers have tended to look similar and it is just a different back each day who “looked good” or better then the others.

Shane Brooks led all rushers with nine carries for 48 yards and a touchdown, followed by LaRod Stephens-Howling (7-46, TD) and Kevin Collier (10-45, TD).

That doesn’t really say much since it is completely unclear who was doing these things against first or second team defense. Still, already this spring we’ve been told that Collier, Stephens-Howling and Brooks have all looked good during various scrimmages. Who knows? Maybe they all are performing very well. Maybe the run defense is unchanged. Either way, without any apparent separation amongst the present backs, LeSean McCoy should feel pretty good about his chances when he comes in this summer — and there may be an even stronger clamor by the fans for him to play.

Otherwise, from the Saturday practice the team was inconsistent on both sides of the ball. Nothing about that should be surprising. It’s spring drills. You expect the head coach to grouse a little about the lack of consistency and the need to improve. And you expect a lot of mistakes and unanswered questions.

John Bachman and Kevan Smith are struggling to work on the Center-QB exchange. Darrell Strong keeps getting positive reviews in the camp. Nate Byham is definitely pushing him for playing time at the TE. Eijah Fields had a nice interception as did Shane Murray.

Offense will be interesting. Pitt is strongest at TE and WR. There is depth and lots of skill there. If the QB position gets settled quickly, it will be a challenge for Pitt not to throw the ball a good deal. As much as Wannstedt wants to run, the potential with the passing game is huge. Considering the questions of the O-line, a lot of short-passing and screens might be in the future.

The ongoing one-on-one battle between Jason Pinkston and Greg Romeus is apparently worth watching. What the players seem to lack in skill and knowledge at their respective positions they are making up for with enthusiasm and hits.

Pinkston, Pitt’s right offensive tackle, and Romeus, the left defensive end, have collided nearly every spring practice session and provided a premier matchup during the Panthers’ intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday morning.

Pinkston appears to have gotten the better of Romeus, for the most part, during the past two weeks in practice, but the defensive end did have a sack, a pass breakup and three tackles during the scrimmage.

“You’d like to have 22 freshmen like that, with that type of ability and futures that they have,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “They’re both going to be great players for us here.”

Both are still learning their positions and from that perspective, I would think it might be better to switch them up periodically on the 1st and 2nd teams to have them go against guys with more skill and knowledge at the position. The whole, “they’re just football players and they make plays” thing sounds good but tends to be code for raw, undisciplined and set up to be exposed when playing against someone who knows what they are doing with their hands and footwork on the line.