Time to cram some things into posts and attempt to catch-up on training camp and the links to them, with a passing attempt to tie them together.

Starting with the injuries. Coach Wannstedt pointed out some before camp even began.

We do have a few guys that will be limited from an injury standpoint. Nothing has occurred this summer. Two or three of the freshman that have reported were banged up in All-Star games, and actually before they arrived here. There were some surgeries that a couple of kids had done: Jeff Knox had shoulder surgery from a basketball injury; Arthur Doakes had something done right after the season from an old shoulder injury; Derrick Burns hurt his leg up at the Big 33 game. He (Derrick) came here , was training and suddenly couldn’t participate. We have more incoming freshmen on the injury list this year than what we’ve had in years past.

…

Two players will be on the medical list and will not be participating. Aundre Wright had a bad knee injury at camp and Aaron Smith — neither of those two guys will be out participating due to medical reasons, and will be out for the duration of the year.

None of the incoming freshman were likely to even sniff the depth chart, so taking a medical redshirt is probably not a big deal.Wright tore his ACL at the end of spring practice and Aaron Smith’s injury was not disclosed.

At the start of last year’s training camp, Wright and Smith were at the top of the depth chart for kick and punt returns respectively. Neither exactly distinguished themselves. Wright is not even on the depth chart for kickoff returns, and was the 3d cornerback behind Antwuan Reed and Buddy Jackson.

(more…)

A real tough break for one of the top-ranked recruits in Pitt’s soon to be signed class.

Senior forward Anthony Gonzalez will undergo surgery next Wednesday to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and will likely miss the remainder of the basketball season.

This is not the same knee that was operated on last September during football season.

It’s not major, but it is frustrating.

The injury is not expected to impede his football career.

Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt and assisant Brian Angelichio, who recruited Gonzalez, were in Bethlehem on Wednesday night to see him and are satifisfied that the injury will not jeopardize anything.

“He’s going to be fine; they were not concerned at all,” said Jim Tkach, a Liberty football assistant who is close to the Pitt coaches because his son, Tyler, is a member of the Panthers’ program. “He should be able to recover in time to play in the Big 33 game in June. Anthony’s a great kid. This is a tough thing for him, I’m sure, but he’ll bounce back.”

The cynical side says that this injury at least will keep him from risking any other injuries in basketball. The downside, is that between the injury during football season and now this, that is going to make hit harder to get back into shape. Not that I really expected him to play as a true freshman, but it won’t be any easier having to get into Buddy Morriss’ conditioning regimen after a couple extended layoffs.

While Pitt’s overall recruiting class has not been star-studded, it has been considered very solid and part of a building effort.

The Panthers have the chance to be as successful in the recruiting battles as they were on the gridiron. They were just an eyelash away from a Big East football championship in 2009 and are putting together an excellent class with 24 total commits and 18 are either four- or three-star quality. The Pitt program’s consistency the last few seasons has helped them compete for some of the best Big East talent and they are once again showing some success in-state against the Nittany Lions.

Top prospect: A national top 20 in the athlete category, Anthony Gonzales (Bethlehem, Pa./ Liberty), spearheads the 2010 class. Even though Gonzales missed some action this fall with an injury, he has made his mark as a multi-talented football player. He could end up at quarterback for the Panthers, but he has the toughness and overall skill level to line up at several different positions until his collegiate niche is found.

Don’t be surprised if: The Panthers continue their success on the field due to their recruiting the last couple of years. The 2009 class was solid, but this year’s class is even more impressive. Dave Wannstedt and his staff do a very good job of meeting their position-specific needs.

Some good news via Andy Katz’s Twitter.

Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said Monday that Jermaine Dixon (broken foot) should be healthy enough by the CBE in Kansas City later this month.

That means that the x-rays came back as expected and he rehab will be on track.

Well, here’s one cliche you can almost certainly count on hearing and reading this year about Coach Jamie Dixon: “This may be Jamie Dixon’s best job of coaching a team, ever.”

The odds of this sort of cliched comment in a telecast or entire puff piece will increase exponentially starting at about 16 wins.

It fits. You have three starters in Fields, Young and Blair gone. The top reserve player, Biggs gone. Gilbert Brown suspended until late December. Lots of youth on the team. Now Jermaine Dixon has a setback that keeps him from rejoining the team until at least mid-November.

The latest was Dixon, who will miss a minimum of eight weeks after undergoing foot surgery Wednesday morning at UPMC South Side Hospital.

Dixon, the team’s lone returning starter, reinjured the same fifth metatarsal bone he initially broke in July. He had been back playing for about a week and was reinjured Tuesday night during a pickup game with other Pitt players.

Coach Jamie Dixon said Jermaine Dixon was jumping when another player landed on the foot “with heavy, major force.”

Pitt opens practice Oct. 16. Its first regular-season game is Nov. 13 against Wofford. Eight weeks would put Jermaine Dixon’s return in the middle of November.

I would dispute the cliche, though. If Pitt has a season that still manages to finish .500 or better in the Big East it would be his best job as a teacher.  Preparing the kids. Working them in the practices. Teaching them. Not as a coach in the games themselves.

It all leads to a less than serious question as to whether forces beyond the those of mortal men have aligned against Pitt.

3. It seems as if Pitt has been snakebit since Scottie Reynolds beat the Panthers at the buzzer in the Elite Eight. Should Jamie Dixon be worried?

DeCourcy: In the bad karma department, you really need to take it back a bit farther, to when the Panthers held a 67-63 lead and the ball with 3:05 left. The Panthers advanced the ball against a Wildcats press, Levance Fields gave it up too soon and guard Jermaine Dixon dribbled into a midcourt trap. Instead of calling an immediate timeout, he surrendered the ball. That’s where the bad news began for Pitt.

Since Reynolds’ shot went down, though, there’s been at least as much good news.

It’ll be tougher for them to reach their potential with Dixon missing most or all of the preseason with a broken foot and Gilbert Brown suspended for the fall term. But with the United States U-19 team, Jamie Dixon demonstrated once again that he’s an outstanding coach by leading the Americans to the gold medal. And Ashton Gibbs, recruited essentially to be a backup guard at Pitt, started at point for that team and played exceedingly well.

The Panthers will begin the season with their most coveted recruit in two decades: 6-9 power forward Dante Taylor, a McDonald’s All-American. They’ve got three excellent commitments for 2010 and 2011.

It’ll be a struggle to extend the string of NCAA Tournament appearances to nine, but the future at Pitt remains promising.

It’s admittedly been a bad few weeks. I suppose there could be a bigger case made with both Young and Blair slipping on draft night about things, but I think most Pitt fans were happy with the offseason. The USA U-19 squad coached by Jamie Dixon took gold. Not to mention that Dixon rebuffed overtures from Arizona and USC to stay at Pitt. Plus the transfer and immediate playing time for Chase Adams to help at point guard.

And Dante Taylor made Andy Katz’s list of freshmen who need to have an impact.

Panthers coach Jamie Dixon knew DeJuan Blair was likely headed to the NBA after his sophomore season.

Sure, there could have been a meltdown, an injury, something that would have kept him in Pittsburgh. But Dixon went hard after Taylor, and Taylor committed, knowing full well he could come in and make an impact. The difference between Blair and the new guy is this: No one expected Blair to be a star and off to the NBA in two seasons. Taylor? He comes in as a McDonald’s All-American with a lot of hype.

“Nobody was writing about DeJuan as an impact freshman,” Dixon said. The Panthers will likely pump up Taylor in the preseason, and they should, but Dixon isn’t going to put too much pressure on him. He arrived at the USA Basketball trials in Colorado Springs last June for the team that Dixon ultimately coached to the gold medal at the Under-19 World Championships in New Zealand. Playing a few days there was a good experience, but Taylor wasn’t ready to make the squad and was not in the best shape possible. “He was a little heavy then at 250, but he’s lost about 15 pounds,” Dixon said. The Panthers did receive some bad news this week when their one returning starter, senior guard Jermaine Dixon, broke his right foot again; he will be out for the next eight weeks. Pitt was already down a wing after Gilbert Brown was deemed academically ineligible by the school for the first semester. Still, the experience Ashton Gibbs had on the gold-medal team this summer and the return of scorer Brad Wanamaker still make the Panthers a threat on the perimeter. But if they’re going to make it back to the NCAA tournament for a ninth straight year, Taylor will have to produce in the post. “He needs to rebound,” Dixon said of his prized recruit. If Taylor rebounds, he’ll score. This is a good year to come into the Big East as a freshman big man. The league suffered a big-man vacuum in the offseason as forwards Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien of Connecticut, Dante Cunningham of Villanova, Blair and Sam Young of Pitt, and Earl Clark and Terrence Williams of Louisville all left for the pros. There are still plenty to deal with, such as Gates, Georgetown’s Greg Monroe, Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody, Marquette’s Lazar Hayward, St. John’s Anthony Mason Jr., and Syracuse’s Arinze Onuaku and Rick Jackson. But Taylor has the body to compete with all of them. “He’s got good hands, he runs well, his post-moves are developing, and he’s a great kid,” Dixon said. If he can handle the hype and board — score on plenty of putbacks — he’ll be even more celebrated by March.

As for further in the future, John Johnson (noted back in late August as being a likely commit) made it an official verbal for 2011. Expect a lot of talk about his grit — like Wanamaker and Robinson — other recent Philly area recruits.

But in Philadelphia circles, he is considered the second-best player in his class behind Rakeem Christmas of Philadelphia North Catholic. He averaged 21 points, 5 assists and 3 steals per game as a sophomore last season. He scored 30 in the PIAA Class A championship game victory against Kennedy Catholic.

“His heart is his biggest asset,” said Jonathan Stewart, an assistant coach at Girard. “When he steps onto the floor he’s going to bring it 150 percent. He has that constant aggression.”

Johnson chose Pitt over Saint Joseph’s, Virginia Tech, Penn State and Georgia Tech. All had offered scholarships.

This is the quote that makes me really want to see Johnson at Pitt and succeed.

Johnson made his decision yesterday, a day after Pitt assistants attended a Girard College open gym.

“When Pitt started [recruiting him], you just saw his whole personality change,” [Girard College coach Tyrone] Morris said.

The 16-year-old is a good long-range shooter and has a great burst off the dribble. His quickness and playmaking ability make him a good fit.

The two-time Associated Press Class A all-state performer led the Cavaliers to their first PIAA Class A state title last season. Johnson averaged 21.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 3.4 steals en route to garnering third-team all-Southeastern Pennsylvania.

“I felt like I was already on the team,” Johnson said of Pitt. “They didn’t fill my head up with dreams like you are going to be this and that. They told me I have to work for what I want. That’s what I wanted to hear.”

[Emphasis added.]

Pitt will also be part of ESPN’s November 17 college hoop marathon with the game against Binghamton (my old law school roommate’s alma mater) on ESPN2 at 5:30 pm.

Honestly, news of a foot injury to Jermaine Dixon in July would not normally be a huge concern. It’ two months (8 weeks) out of action. He’ll be back before practices even begin. Dixon has shown in his first season that he is well-conditioned and it shouldn’t take him too long to get back into shape.

Of course what gives pause is this ominous factoid.

Pitt doctors are very familiar with the injury. It is the same injury that forced former Panther guard Levance Fields to miss a portion of the 2007-08 season.

The dreaded fractured fifth metatarsal on Dixon’s right foot. Something that nagged at Fields for a while and kept him from getting in shape through the summer as well.

Hopefully Fields’ experience will remain the exception and Dixon will be back and ready to go.

This is just one more reminder how much tougher Sam Young is than me.

Young participated in Friday’s skill work for the first time without a wrap on his left biceps. He was involved in one of the most bizarre incidents ever in predraft workouts.

A week ago in Toronto, Young was impaled by a metal piece off a vertical testing pole. “It was one millimeter away from hitting my nerve; three millimeters away from a blood vessel,” Young said.

He described the incident as follows, and the account was corroborated by at least one Raptors official: Young jumped up to slap the pole, turned in the air and the piece of metal popped into his skin. But the piece had two sides, and it went in two different directions, making it impossible for him to just pull it out. Young was suspended in the air on the pole before Raptors personnel gently took him down with the pole still attached to him.

“It didn’t break off, so I hung on it,” Young said. “They turned the vertical pole sideways. But I couldn’t take the whole thing with me. So the guys in the gym weren’t sure what to do. I waited 15 minutes for paramedics. They came, put a towel over my face and with a chain saw separated me from it. There were sparks flying everywhere.”

The worst part was when Young was in the ambulance. “I’m holding part of the pole that’s still in me, and the ambulance had to go over speed bumps to get out of the arena,” Young said. “I’m trying to keep it steady, but it’s pulling on my skin. It was crazy. I wanted to yank the whole thing out, but I wasn’t sure about the effect. I finally got to the hospital, they drugged me up, they fiddled with it and yanked it out. I would have been in trouble had I pulled it out. It was the craziest hour of my life.”

There were no stitches and almost no blood from the puncture wound. Young said he was told not to do the weightlifting portion of the testing in Chicago, and he isn’t supposed to do any lifting for two weeks as a precaution.

He said doctors told him to rest for a few weeks, but that wasn’t going to happen. Young went and worked out for Chicago and Indiana after the incident. He’s heading to Golden State for a group workout next week. “I was determined to not let it affect me,” Young said.

If it’s me, I’m running around freaked out screaming, “Get it out, Morton! Get it out!”

The more details that emerge from that incident, the crazier it gets.

Temple guard Dionte Christmas witnessed Young’s mishap.

“That was pretty crazy,” Christmas said. “He’s a tough guy. I can see that just from seeing him out on the court, but after that, he’s definitely got my respect.”

On the bright side, that means when the NBA commentators bring up Sam Young, they have something else to mention beyond the backflips and poetry.

Hopefully he got to keep the piece for the potential lawsuit.

I feel like there should be Facebook updates on this. “Levance’s groin feels good today, not so much in the tailbone.” I just don’t know. It’s like this injury is randomly moving around.

First it was a bruised tailbone. Then it was that he strained his groin. Now it seems to be some sort of sports hernia. The actual severity of any of these things is in dispute. One minute he can barely stand, the next he is good to go.

He’s sitting out practices, but there for games. It doesn’t help that Pitt and Coach Dixon have contributed to the confusion and questions over his status. Maybe they feel it is creating some sort of advantage. I don’t see it. Teams are going to prep assuming he’s healthy. It’s not like putting Gibbs, Wanamaker and/or Dixon out there instead is going to confuse them.

Yet Fields’ status barely gets a mention compared to Ty Lawson’s toe.  I guess, because at least Lawson’s injury has remained in one spot.

Both papers had stories on the good health of the team this year.  Well, yeah.

Luke Winn isn’t picking a winner yet for the NCAA Tournament, but has a top-3 that you should lean towards.

4. Are you a Pitt person, a UConn person or a Carolina person? Those are the only three teams I’d advise picking to win the national championship in your bracket. Vegas still views it as the Tar Heels’ title to lose — it likes them more than three times as much it as it likes the Panthers — but all three are viable options. Which one you pick is a matter of taste: Pitt is a tough, offensive-rebounding monster that can look vulnerable if DeJuan Blair gets in foul trouble; UConn is an athletic, shot-blocking force that’s the stingiest team of the three, but is missing its best perimeter defender, Jerome Dyson; Carolina is a high-octane scoring machine that’s prone to huge lapses in its perimeter D. As of now I’m a UConn person, because I tend to side with the superior defense … but I reserve the right to change tastes before my bracket is filled.

Bob Knight breaks down Pitt’s poor rebounding when Blair is out.

Brandin Knight doesn’t want to hear crap from people.

Nevertheless, skeptics remain. When asked if Pitt needs to advance beyond the Sweet 16 for the season to be considered a success, Knight nearly recoiled from the question.

“Everybody now is like, ‘Oh, yeah, I’m a Pitt fan.’ You might have been a Pitt fan up until Charles Smith and those guys left, and then when things got bad you weren’t a fan anymore,” said Knight, 27. “Now, when you come back when things are going well, as soon as things get a little rocky, those are the people that turn around and are like, ‘Same old Pitt.’

“Everybody has their opinions. For some people, we have to get past the Sweet 16. Well, we have to get past the first round and the second round to get to the Sweet 16. Just getting past the Sweet 16 wouldn’t take this program to the next level. We want to win every game, and we don’t focus more on the Big East Tournament and just throw away the NCAA Tournament. We’re dedicated to winning every game.”

Love that. It just tells you how much the program means to Knight.

For all those wondering what Pitt was doing to get ready to deal with the press and teams trying to strip Pitt.

Pitt has averaged 20.5 turnovers in its past two games, and handling full-court pressure was a focal point at Monday’s practice. The whistles were put away.

“Coach Dixon told the press team to hack us and see how we are going to react,” guard Jermaine Dixon said. “We know we’ve got to cut down on the turnovers.”

Coach Dixon was apparently annoyed that the team spent too much time after turnovers whining at the officials. Let a team like Seton Hall chirp constantly. All it got them was 3 technicals in one game.

It’s nice that a “source” says Lance Stephenson has an interest in Pitt. I mean, if a blue-chip, 5-star, presumed 1-and-done player wants to come to Pitt it’s hard to say no.  I just don’t see it happening unless DeJuan Blair leaves after this year. There’s the lack of the scholarship to actually give him at the moment. There’s also a sense that this is just a little passing fancy thing. Pitt has made attempts to recruit him, now Pitt is #1, so there is a little reconsideration.

It’s worth watching, but I’m not going to expect anything. Hmm. Apparently that is also what Dokish is saying (and lots of other recruiting stuff).

Plus, Pitt is pursuing a top player out of Ohio. Adreian Payne is a big man, that Pitt had identified previously and now pushing harder.

Of other interest is whether Travon Woodall is going to redshirt or apply for a redshirt. Apparently they feel he’s had enough little injuries to make a case for a redshirt.

Or at least good to play.

Pitt sophomore center DeJuan Blair practiced with the team today and is expected to play Friday night against Texas Tech.

Blair sat out yesterday’s 74-60 victory against Belmont University because of some swelling in his right knee. Blair had an X-ray yesterday that concurred with a previous MRI that there was no damage to the knee.

Phew.

A couple stories today covering the adjustments to injuries and players that have made it up the depth chart.

While C.J. Davis has long been a starter on the O-line, it was moving over to center (and I believe Paul Zeise has pointed out in the past that center would be where he projects in the NFL) and how well the O-line still played — albeit with a slow start against ND before getting better as the game went on.

“I was very pleased with C.J.,” Cavanaugh said. “I know he is a four-year starter, but to make that swap from guard to center and handle a lot of shotgun snaps, it was very impressive, and he blocked very well. … We were hoping forthat, and it was nice to see. He did a wonderful job. And I think Dom, it has been awhile since he’s been in the lineup and there are some things he has to clean up. But he came in and competed very well and he got some people blocked most times and missed a couple of things, but I think the more action he gets, the more comfortable he is going to be in there.”

The Panthers were able to run the ball as LeSean McCoy rushed for 169 yards against the Irish. Pitt also used two quarterbacks in the game, Bostick and Kevan Smith, and its Wildcat package, which is a direct snap to McCoy. Despite all that, Davis didn’t miss one snap or make one errant shotgun snap.

The current alignment with Davis at center and Williams at left guard likely will remain intact for the remainder of the season, Cavanaugh said, adding that he is looking for more consistent play out of Williams the rest of the way.

The other spot on the line was having Dom Williams inserted as the starting left guard. Williams barely has seen the field since being dropped down the depth chart back in 2005. That he came in and played so well, was a pleasant surprise. Hopefully he can keep it up.

On the other side of the ball, Elijah Fields got to see more action against ND. I guess getting out of the coaches doghouse. And of course, made plays. The biggest mover this season, though, has been Andrew Taglianetti.

To say he was lightly recruited is being polite. He wasn’t even supposed to be on the team this year. Expected to be a grayshirt that wouldn’t even play this year, but with an open scholarship he got to join the team on time. He quickly became a staple on special teams, where he has been a big boost. He’s blocked two punts and has even worked his way into some defensive packages against Notre Dame.

“I just like being out there,” Fields said. “Every opportunity I get to get on the field, I’m happy with it.”

Taglianetti, a season-long factor on special teams, took some rare snaps in the “dime” defense (six defensive backs) against Notre Dame.

“I think coach (defensive coordinator Phil) Bennett has a lot of faith in both of us,” Taglianetti said.

During a seven-play span of the third quarter, the two former WPIAL stars made the most of their playing time. With Notre Dame leading 17-10, Taglianetti shot in for a third-down tackle on a screen pass and, on the next play, Fields alertly jumped on T.J. Porter’s muffed punt return. After a Pat Bostick interception, Fields cut down Malcolm Floyd after a fourth-and-7 catch.

Fields was on the field for roughly 75 percent of the defensive plays against Notre Dame, one of his busiest afternoons of the season. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Fields is showing the promise he brought to Pitt as a star recruit from Duquesne High School.

Defensive Tackle Myles Caregein, a redshirt freshman, has been seeing more action with Tommie Duhart out with an ankle injury. Coach Wannstedt has been happy with his performance.

Oh, the Sam Young playing small forward takes on greater importance with this news.

Sophomore forward Gilbert Brown, who played in all 37 games last season with 15 starts, has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot and will be out 10-14 days. That means Brown likely will miss the season opener Nov. 14 against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Brown did not mention the injury after Sunday night’s exhibition game against Seton Hill, but he had been experiencing some discomfort in the foot the past few weeks. Dixon said that the foot does not bother Brown when he plays, but he has pain the following day.

This is frustrating for all. Brown is only beginning to come into his own. He has shown glimpses, but has also struggled to stay injury free.

The hope was that this season, he would be a key player. Attacking from the wing on offense and being a shutdown defender on the perimeter. Well, Sam Young can probably give him some advice about dealing with the frustration of the body holding you back longer than everyone including yourself expects.

In some good news, Levance Fields’ latest MRI was good.

Fields is cleared for all-out practice, Dixon said. The senior point guard is expected to practice two days and take one day off.

It’s undecided if Fields will be in uniform when the Panthers play host to La Roche on Sunday in their final exhibition.

Keep him coming back slow. Let the kids get some more work and just play it safe with Fields’ health until December.

Chas is probably not anywhere near a computer, and he never deleted my account so…

Today was, um, ugly. Thankfully, Bill Stull is not seriously injured:

Stull was talking and moving his arms while leaving Heinz Field, and preliminary tests revealed no serious injuries. For precautionary reasons, Stull planned to spend the night at an on-campus hospital, UPMC Presbyterian.

“It looks like he’s going to be fine,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. [ESPN]

It was scary to see him down for so long, mostly motionless, and carted off on a stretcher. I knew in the back of my mind that it could be entirely precautionary, and it was great to see him give the fist pump as we left the field. The AP report mentions it happened after he “struck” LeSean McCoy. I didn’t see it clearly enough and I don’t really understend what happened…anyone?

Keep venting, we deserve to do it. Today was just so damn frustrating.

Shane Murray, as you’ve probably heard or read — heck I even saw it on the ESPN Crawl this evening — is out for the year with a torn ACL in his right knee. It wasn’t caught until a second MRI. It isn’t clear whether it was torn from when he got injured just before the end of camp or subsequently when he came back versus Syracuse.

One of the area where there isn’t depth, yet.

Okay, about South Florida. Pitt Panther Prowl exchanged Q&A with The Bull Gator, and vice versa. Good stuff.

Simply awesome — Dave Wannstedt goes Twitter.

Nice piece on LaRod Stephens-Howling.

Head coach Dave Wannstedt awarded Stephens-Howling a game ball after that performance, not just because of his rushing but also for the three special teams tackles he made. He’s playing on punt and kickoff coverage teams for the first time this year. Wannstedt gushingly calls him “the most underrated player in the Big East.”

“I cannot say enough good things about LaRod,” Wannstedt said. “If there’s ever been an example of a team player, a guy willing to do whatever and just wanting the team to win without getting caught up in personal accolades, it’s LaRod.”

Wannstedt toyed with putting McCoy and Stephens-Howling in the backfield together during training camp, but it’s yet to happen in a game. Right now, they offer different looks to a defense and will give South Florida something to think about for Thursday’s night’s game in Tampa.

There are supposed to be 13 NFL scouts at the Pitt-USF game tomorrow. I guess that’s why I find it hard to believe that DE George Selvie will miss this game.

Selvie and McClain were limited at Tuesday’s practice, but their workload increased from Monday, USF coach Jim Leavitt said.

“Well, we definitely wouldn’t go less,” Leavitt said. “We got a game Thursday. We want to definitely do more. So they’re doing more.

“We’ll see on game day if they can play. I’m assuming they’re going to try to play if they can.”

If Selvie is out along with DT Terrell McLain, then you add that to CB Theo Wilson who has a sprained left knee and WLB Brouce Mompremier who is recovering from a scary neck injury. Well, wow. Four starters out. That’s a lot of injuries on the defense. If Pitt can’t get the offense going against a really banged up defense, then either Pitt has some real problems or USF really can coach-up their players. I’m not saying Pitt wins, but they better be able to score.

If you want a good omen, Beano Cook predicts a USF-Penn State BCS Chamipionship game. Can’t believe he left out Notre Dame.

The Tampa Bay Rays play the White Sox at 2:30 the same day. A big sports day in the Tampa-St. Pete area. At least it isn’t in direct conflict.

From a chat with one of the USF beat writers.

Q: Greg, Pitt uses running to control the clock, how does USF plan to stop the run especially McCoy. — Jim

G.A.: A big question this week. USF’s been very consistent in praising not only LeSean McCoy, but also LaRod Stephens-Howling, who had two fourth-quarter touchdowns in their win against Syracuse. Both have been very effective. USF’s first five opponents haven’t really presented a running threat — none have rushed for so much as 100 yards as a team — but that changes this week. Instead of the nickel package USF has made its base defense thus far, the Bulls will be back in a standard 4-3 defense, with defensive end Chris Robinson likely sliding back to strongside linebacker, alongside Tyrone McKenzie and Kion Wilson.The run defense has been stout, but it hasn’t been challenged like it will be Thursday night. Remember, McCoy had a big game last year against the Bulls, but USF scored 48 points — I don’t think the Bulls will be happy if they give up 37 points on Thursday …

Q: Greg, our secondary got burned for some big plays on Sat. Are there any adjustments being made to address this or do you not see it as a problem against such a run-based offense? — Brendan

G.A.: Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham said he was “embarrassed” by his defense giving up five pass plays of 35 yards or more in Saturday’s 41-10 win against N.C. State. All but one came with USF ahead by at least three touchdowns, and three of the five didn’t result in points, but Burnham said it’s something that has to be fixed or it’ll be more costly next time. Defensive backs coach Troy Douglas said it isn’t tackling — he claimed USF’s defensive backs have missed only one tackle in the last two games — but said it’s more about positioning and being in the right place. Pitt quarterback Bill Stull hasn’t had great numbers, with just two touchdowns so far, but it’s an area that will be a focus in practice for certain.

The Bulls, of course, say they are focused on this game as the first step towards winning the Big East — it is their conference opener.

So is it any surprise that Pitt’s defense is putting most of their emphasis on QB Matt Grothe?

“Their quarterback is a special player,” Pitt middle linebacker Scott McKillop said. “They want the ball in his hands. He makes a lot of people look silly. Sometimes, you think, ‘Oh, there’s three people around him. He’s trapped. He’s swarmed.’ And, somehow, he manages to get out.”

Grothe is at his best in big games. He completed 23 of 40 passes for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 overtime victory over Central Florida on Sept. 6. The following Friday, he completed 32 of 45 passes for 338 yards and two touchdowns in rallying the Bulls from an 18-point deficit with a 31-point outburst in a 37-34 victory over Kansas.

“Grothe is able to pick you apart if you stay back on him, but once he gets out of the pocket the play’s not over yet,” Pitt weak-side linebacker Shane Murray said. “He’s very good at rolling out, too, and he’ll find guys downfield. He has the ability to see the whole field. So, he can hold the ball and kill a defense with his legs and his arms.

“And that’s what hurts other teams.”

Grothe is completing passes at a 66% clip this season. He’s got 8 TD passes and only 2 INT. 1175 total passing yards. He’s also got 1 rushing TD. Oh, and he’s the leading rusher on the Bulls with 219 yards.

Pitt also hasn’t forgotten how the Bulls humiliated them on 2 fake punts in the same game last year. Given the play of the special teams last week, it has to be a point of emphasis.