(Note: I expanded the bit about DEs from my Notes From the Front Lines Part 2 and sent it to ChantRant – this is it below)

Number three on my list of concerns, five being the least worrisome and one being the most, is our remaining talent at Defensive End.

PITT has been hit with what might be called “Slow White Guy Syndrome” (SWGS), pronounced “sweeegs”,  at DE over the last year and going into this season.  At a snapshot taken today we are in a world of hurt if rsJR Dave Durham, an ex-fullback transfer from Ohio State and rsSR Jack Lippert, a career fill-in player on both sides of the LOS, see substantial playing time at the DE position.

Lippert was a high school “Prep Star” and “Tom Lemming All-American” DE so back in 2009 when he chose PITT we thought he’d move right into the DE rotation after a redshirt year. What we actually got was a player who the coaching staffs moved around to try to find playing time for him. He played DE, Center, Right Tackle then landed back at DE last season. He is a player who I really looked forward to watching play at PITT based on his HS career but, as with Dorin Dickerson, the staff never really knew what to do with him.  Let’s hope he has a DD-like SR year.

Dave Durham was recruited for the defensive line by OSU, redshirted his FR year and then was switched to Fullback, got some playing time, didn’t like his future there so he slapped Urban Myer repeatedly across the face and then came to PITT

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by Lilburn Nole for ChantRant.com

Three quarters through the 2012 season there probably were very few people that were thinking this would be a question heading into 2013. The surprising decision by Menelik Watson to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft after just one full season of highly competitive football has forced that to the #1 spot on the minds of many Seminole fans. It will be very interesting to watch this spring and see what direction the coaches go to find a right tackle replacement.

The easiest option is for some one just to step up at RT. Bobby Hart (Jr.) would be the obvious answer considering he started the last 9 games of the 2012 season, but for whatever reason (a discussion for another time) he fell out of favor in the 2012 season playing in only 8 games with 0 starts. What’s more, when he did find the field it was often at the guard position and not tackle.

The only other player on the roster with some game experience at tackle would be Garrett Faircloth (RS Sr.). The oft-injured Faircloth has good length and technique, but lacks some in the size and strength category. Faircloth only played in 2 games in 2012 but played in 11 games in 2011 making 6 starts, but all of them at guard. Update: Faircloth has been medically disqualified for spring due to a shoulder injury, so scratch him off.

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by Lilburn Nole for Chantrant

I’ll be honest from the start here, I don’t think who ends up starting at quarterback in 2013 will make a huge difference. The reason I say this is that I foresee this being a run-oriented team that isn’t going to require the QB to shoulder the load. However, as the “sexy” position and leader of the offense it will grab the most attention from the majority of Nole fans, myself included.

There are already some intriguing stories to consider heading into spring ball. First, Jacob Coker (RS Soph.) has been spotted on campus in a walking boot. There is little to no information on the severity of the injury so it could be a non-factor in his preparation for spring and ability to compete. Second, how much will a commitment to the baseball team prevent Jameis Winston (RS Fresh.) from being on the football field getting reps in his attempt to earn the starting QB job?

Spring opens with Clint Trickett (RS Jr.) as the #1 QB as he has spent the past two seasons as the backup to EJ Manuel. Trickett has an adequate arm, a bit of “gunslinger” mentality, is rumored to do a good job taking on a leadership role, and makes quick decisions. Having been in the system for 3 seasons and around the game all his life as a coaches son (his Dad is the OL coach), Trickett has an excellent grasp of the offense and could be an excellent game manager. He is the smallest and least athletic of the 3 QBs and has shown the tendency to force balls on occasion. Though he is far from a statue in the pocket, Trickett will not be a QB that uses his legs often and makes a defense respect the threat.

Jacob Coker has good size and athletic ability, but we don’t know much about him. He played in a predominantly run first offense in high school, though Coach Fisher was high on him. At 6’5″ 230 lbs he is just about how you would design a QB. Word from fall camp in 2012 was that Coker gave Trickett a pretty good battle to be the back up, so obviously there is not a huge gap in terms of the coaches confidence in Coker.

Jamies Winston is the highly sought after dual threat QB whose potential has Nole fans salivating. Winston has size, arm strength, and athleticism. He has only been in the system for the fall, however, and it will be interesting to see how he does in the mental aspect of the QB position. A valedictorian candidate in high school, Winston possess the intelligence required to grasp Fisher’s offense, though academic ability doesn’t always translate to the mental requirements on the football field. Winston certainly has the most potential of the three QBs, but as Bobby Bowden use to say, “Potential means you haven’t done anything yet.”

by Lilburn Nole for Chantrant.com

No matter if you’re looking at advanced statistics like the ones found at www.footballoutsiders.com or traditional statistics like scoring defense and total defense you’ll find the Seminoles as a Top 5 defense the last two seasons. However, if there has been one complaint about that Mark Stoops-led defense it would be a lack of turnovers and less aggressive strategy.

While Florida State has been near the top in most defensive categories, you have to scroll down the page a bit to find the Seminoles when it comes to turnovers created. FSU fans will be eager to see if new Defensive Coordinator Jeremy Pruitt (formerly on the Alabama staff) will install a more aggressive style defense with more blitzes and man to man looks mixed in with the zone heavy looks that have been the norm the last couple of seasons.

Pruitt has spent the last three seasons working under Nick Saban, so it is likely he will have been influenced working under arguably the top defensive mind in the game today. While I don’t expect FSU to switch to the 3-4 defense of Saban, I do expect to see greater variance in coverages and more blitz packages. Stoops relied much more heavily on a zone scheme mixing in man to man on passing downs. Saban’s philosophy is to run zone on running downs and man to man in passing downs with zone mixed in. There is no guarantee that Pruitt will continue to incorporate the schemes that he has worked with the last 3 seasons, but as this is his first time coordinating at the college level, and knowing Jimbo Fisher’s respect for Saban and his philosophies, I feel it’s a safe assumption.

Unfortunately, it may be difficult to get a good read on a defensive strategy in the spring as practices are closed and the spring game will most likely feature more vanilla calls both offensively and defensively. However, pay close attention to the player interviews and you may be able to gain an insight into what is being worked on and discussed in practices.

Second of five pieces from the Blog Chant Rant on FSU’s Spring Practices.

This isn’t really a question of who will play, as the limited depth will require one of a select few to get the job. It’s more a question of who is going to step up and make the leap to a high caliber player able to provide the Seminole defense with a consistent pass rush. Florida State has the task of replacing three NFL caliber defensive ends in Bjoern Werner, Tank Carradine, and Brandon Jenkins, though Jenkins missed almost all of last season with injury.

While they will be lacking in experience, however, they will not be lacking in talent. In the mix are former 4-star recruit Georgio Newberry (RS Soph.), and 5-star recruits in Mario Edwards Jr. (Soph.) and Chris Casher (RS Fresh.). Edwards slimmed down as the year went on in 2012 and saw his contributions increase earning two starts after Carradine was lost for the season. Casher will be interesting to watch because, though he is talented, he has missed the last two football seasons. I expect Casher to be close to 260 lbs by the time the season rolls around and his size and athleticism should allow him to jump right back in at a high level

The depth for the defensive end position got a much needed boost when FSU landed top 5 DE DeMarcus Walker this recruiting cycle and had him enroll for the spring. He has the size to come in and contribute right away, and going through a spring practice is huge for him and his ability to provide depth in the 2013 season. If he can establish himself as an option this spring, than FSU should feel much more comfortable heading into the fall with 4 capable ends. (Update: Walker hasn’t seen the field yet this spring because the NCAA Clearinghouse is checking into one of his high school classes.)

After moving to TE last season, but missing the entire year with an injury, Dan Hicks (RS Sr.) is moving back to his defensive end position this spring. This will also help to provide additional depth and experience at the position. Hicks will be another one o keep an eye on during spring practice to see how he makes the adjustment back to the defensive side of the ball.

by Lilburn Nole for ChantRant.com

Edit: You have to love the name Tank Carradine for a kid at DE.  Its like Tank McNamara and David Carradine (“Grasshopper”) were married and adopted a kid who turned out to be a stud football player.  They have DEs with the first names “Tank”,” Bjoern”, and “Georgio”.  You have to give their staff credit for that.

Note:  Due to breaking developments my “PITT’s Five Things for Spring” list we are sharing with FSU’s Chant Rant blog may have to be modified as, obviously, RB may soon be a reason for concern.

Number five on my list of concerns, five being the least worrisome  and one being the most,  is our depth at Wide Receiver.  PITT went into spring drills with one true wide out returning as a starter.  That would be Devin Street and he’s been a productive player for us for over the last three years.  Last season he had his best year yet with 73 receptions for 975 yards (13.4 ypc) and five TDs.  That is a lot of production returning.  Street has also been our best deep threat which, ironically, due to a QB who couldn’t throw a deep ball to save his life, led him to be wasted in that role up until this season.

However, transfer Tom Savage (yes, he hasn’t played for two year which is another thing to be concerned about) will most probably be our QB this season and his deep passes are the strength of his game; big arm and very accurate.  His yards per completion average is a very good 14.3 so we PITT fans expect big things from that combo in 2013.

After Street however there are a lot of question marks.  Rounding out the remaining prospects we have only one WR who saw any meaningful PT in Ed Tinker, a local Pittsburgh City League player,  who played in all the 2012 games but mostly on special teams.  Tinker only had five receptions for 68 yards and a single TD but showed some flash with those receptions coming at the end of the season.  He’s talented but largely unproven.

In addition we are very high on Manasseh Gardner, another City Leaguer (it is unusually for PITT to have two on roster) who transferred back home to play for Paul Chryst.  Chryst had recruited him to Wisconsin when Chryst was the OC there.  This guy is the talk of spring practices so far and showing both good speed and great hands.  He has that feel that he could explode given the chance to play regularly.  He’s just a playmaker.  Chances are he’ll jump Tinker and be the second WR on the field.  However, PITT is going to see a lot of three and even four WR sets so all three will get ample playing time.

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Note: Chas asked me to chip in and do a two-Blog series with the FSU Blog ChantRant in anticipation of our ACC opener with Florida State University.  Rich (of ChantRant) and I decided to address what we thought were five major concerns going into the Spring Practices then follow that up with an general article after the practices are over.  I like this format as it aquaints our respective fans with the other team.

FSU’s #5 – Who works where in the secondary?

It has been announced that senior Lamarcus Joyner is moving to cornerback this spring. Conventional thought is that this is to open the door for Karlos Williams (junior) to finally make his mark at safety. This is an interesting move in my mind, though, as cornerback seems to be a more loaded position than safety.

Nick Waisome (junior) and Ronald Darby (soph.) saw extensive action at corner last year performing well, while Tyler Hunter (junior) also saw a good bit of time at nickel back. Hunter in particular is a guy that got work at safety and cornerback and has the ability to play both positions. In addition to Waisome, Darby, and Hunter, highly recruited corner Colin Blake (RS fresh.) will be back from an injured freshman year to compete. Blake was a highly rated CB with great size. Keelin Smith (RS soph.) had Jimbo Fisher singing his praises last fall before the season started.

Throw in Lamarcus Joyner, a fixture in the FSU secondary for several season, and there is an embarrassment of talent at the corner position.

At the safety position Terrence Brooks (senior) returns as the starter at one spot. The position vacated by the potential move of Joyner will be the one to really watch this spring. As I stated at the beginning, it would appear Karlos Williams is the front runner here, but guys like Hunter and PJ Williams (soph.), who impressed in limited action last season, could also see a shot at earning this spot.

Williams was a Top 10 safety out of high school and impressed the coaches enough last season to see the field quite a bit over upperclassman. While I would bet on a tandem of Brooks and Williams, the Noles do have some other potential options that could emerge.

The good news is that for the 4 (or 5 in nickel) positions in the defensive backfield, Florida State returns 6 guys who saw lots of action last season.

by Lilburn Nole for ChantRant.com

You know those coincidental illnesses that fell many of us right around the start of the NCAA Tournament? Yeah, I actually did get sick and it timed out horribly. It’s not a deathly illness. It’s a sinus infection that I tend to get around this time of year. If that was it, it would be annoying but tolerable as the antibiotics kick it out. It’s the sleep deprivation from continually waking up from the coughing and continual drainage issues. Just been trying to get through work.

This is by no means a gimme first round game. Not simply because this is an 8-9 match-up. Personally, I think Pitt is seeded a bit low and WSU a bit high. But a 6-11/7-10 meeting is not exactly an uncommon upset. And superficially, some similarities on the resume.

Pitt went 4-7 against RPI teams in the top 50 and 5-0 against teams ranked 51-100. Its best wins came at second-seeded Georgetown (73-45) and against fourth-seeded Syracuse (65-55).

WSU, No. 37 in the RPI, went 3-2 against the top 50 and 5-3 against teams ranked 51-100.

The teams played three common opponents, all victories. Pitt defeated Howard (70-46), Detroit (74-61) and DePaul (93-55 and 81-66). WSU defeated Howard (69-50), Detroit (94-79) and DePaul (75-62).

The Shockers best wins came at VCU (53-51) and versus Creighton (67-64) who they also lost to twice.

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Here is the 2013 Spring PITT Football Prospectus. Granted it is about as vanilla as it gets but it is interesting to read and keep on hand as we discuss spring training, which starts tomorrow by the way.

Note that Savage is battling Trey Anderson for the starting job…

“Anderson’s most experienced competition will come from senior Tom Savage, who was inactive last season as a transfer. Savage played two seasons at Rutgers (2009- 10) and was a Freshman All-American after throwing for 2,211 yards and 14 touchdowns in his initial collegiate campaign. He was a scholarship player at Arizona in 2011 but did not play in any contests.” 

Of course they have to take that party line that the guy on the roster the longest is the frontrunner but that was just a bit shocking to read.

For the sake of following and discussing after the practices here is the schedule:

Tuesday March 5 – 2-4:45 pm
Wedneday March 6 – Pitt Pro Day
Thursday March 7 – 2-4:45 pm
Friday March 8 – 2-4:45 pm

Tuesday March 19 – 2-4:45 pm
Thursday March 21 – 2-4:45 pm
Friday March 22 – 2-4:45 pm

Tuesday March 26 – 2-4:45 pm
Thursday March 28 – 2-4:45 pm
Friday March 29 – 2-4:45 pm

Tuesday April 2 – 2-4:45 pm
Thursday April 4 – 2-4:45 pm
Friday April 5 – 2-4:45 pm

Tuesday April 9 – 2-4:45 pm
Thursday April 11 – 2-4:45 pm
Friday April 12 – Pitt Spring Game 7 pm at Bethel Park High School

Notice the Spring Break between March 8th and March 19th.

We’ve all seen the schedule and it’s a good one.  I hold off on any two deep and won-loss predictions until at least after the Spring Game but I’ll say now that I think it will be an uphill battle for this 2013 team to get to a 7-5 regular season record.  My opinion might change if Savage comes out of the gate strong and wins the starting QB position early but until then I’m not overly hopeful.

And it already feels like Pitt has had its share of the latter.

Pitt got the job done. The front court continues to scuffle. James Robinson is finding out just how much tougher it is to go night-in-and-night-out in the Big East as opposed to getting up for a game or two in the non-con. Lamar Patterson had a bad night.

Thankfully Villanova was even worse. Some bad shooting by both teams made the defenses look even better. The thing is, as much as it was a defensive battle and both sides really did a good job of getting after it on that end. Coach Jamie Dixon felt compelled to play the offensive players.

Cam Wright saw a minute of action in the first half, and nothing more. Durand Johnson and Trey Zeigler were each out there for 13 minutes in the second half. Woodall played 17 minutes in the second half. James Robinson only played 10 second half minutes. At one point in the second half it was Woodall, Zeigler, Johnson, Moore and Adams on the court together. That’s a line-up I don’t think Coach Dixon ever envisioned using.

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Really how does this happen? Right behind your own bench?

Be proud Wildcats. You have people who pay big money for those seats selling them to Pitt fans. It makes the tantrum they threw a couple years ago about Pitt alum in Philly trying to meet before a game, that much more ridiculous. Protect that house. Or not. Just sell it.

[UPDATE: Fixed. Sorry, threw it up and went to bed. Didn't check to make sure it loaded right.]

Obviously I did not see that coming. I’m pretty sure no one did. Not like that.

The Panthers came up with a victory they desperately needed Tuesday night when the knocked off No. 19 Georgetown, 73-45, at the Verizon Center. The win came on the heels of two losses to Cincinnati and Rutgers to open Big East play.

Pitt (13-3, 1-2) beat Georgetown for the 12th time in the past 18 meetings. The Panthers won seven of their final nine games against the Hoyas at the Verizon Center. This was the final scheduled game in the series because Pitt is moving to the ACC next season.

The 28-point margin of victory was the second-largest for Pitt in a Big East game. The largest was a 30-point victory at DePaul in 2011.

“We were clicking today,” Pitt senior Tray Woodall said. “We came out and fought hard.”

It was the most-lopsided home loss for Georgetown since a 40-point loss to St. John’s in the 1971-72 season.

“It’s embarrassing,” Georgetown coach John Thompson III said. “It was very disappointing. I know this isn’t who we are, but tonight was very disappointing.”

It was Pitt’s most complete game this year. They played hard in both halfs. They played defense. They took care of the ball. They worked it around on offense.

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And it’s even worse when you have to go on the road and play a top-15 team coming off their own loss.

I was probably more upset by the loss to Rutgers in basketball than the BBVA Bowl game. I was conditioned to expect bad things in Birmingham. Just did not expect to see that mess in Piscataway.

Unlike the other two losses, Pitt didn’t blow it in the second half. No, they made it happen in the first half. Did Rutgers come out extremely hot shooting? Yes. Was Pitt cold? Yes. That still doesn’t explain the horrid first half. About the only explanation that made sense was this:

One cannot expect any Pitt student to perform before noon on a Saturday. Panthers Basketball included.

— Souf Oaklin fo’ Life (@Souf_Oaklin) January 5, 2013

Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.

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Thank goodness Tyler Boyd verballed to Pitt on Saturday. Otherwise I don’t want to think about how angst-ridden we Pitt fans would have been Saturday night. As it was, it wasn’t pretty.

Starting with some football. Because, at least it means the season is officially finished.

Let’s face it, the signs and portents were there from the start. Doakes being suspended to make an already weak link spot on a weak O-line that much worse. With Ray Graham and a couple others unable to go, it was even less promising. I know Graham would never have done it, but if I were Graham and watching the O-line during the week. I might have been grabbing my hamstring and gimping up to avoid any stupid chances in this game.

And on the fifth play, the interception-free streak of Sunseri came to an end to at least try and snuff out hope early.

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Go figure, Pitt puts forth one of its more lackluster efforts and a day later Pitt is ranked. How lackluster? It was the first game this season where Pitt failed to score more than 60 points. Yet, they still beat Kennesaw State by 16.

While the Owls hit a bunch of 3s to keep it tight early, Pitt put the game out of reach before the first half was complete. The constantly hitting 3s does give the guards something to improve.

“They played hard the whole game and hit open jump shots,” Pitt guard James Robinson said. “They were on. We didn‘t have one of our best defensive performances, and that‘s something we‘re going to have to work on heading into Big East play.”

Pitt held Kennesaw St. to sub-40% shooting overall. The problem was they let KSU go 9-15 on 3s (7-27 on 2FGs). So, yeah, that’s something to improve.

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