Notebook: Notre Dame opener has Panthers focused

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Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said he has been impressed by how focused his team has been through training camp, and he believes there are several reasons for that.

Chief among them is that the Panthers open the season with a big-time opponent in Notre Dame.

In perfect world, Wannstedt said, the Panthers would have an exhibition game to get ready for the season. But because there is no preseason in college football, he'd much rather open against a tough opponent than a team that might be easily overlooked.

"My experience has been this, the media and fans have a tendency to talk about the biggest game you have on your schedule," Wannstedt said. "One year when I was at Miami, we played Florida like the third game of the year, and nobody cared about our first two opponents. We did as coaches, but all any one could talk about was Miami playing Florida.

"By opening up with Notre Dame, this has been a target for our guys all through the offseason, the national television and the whole bit, so I think it has been good.

"Would I like to have a warm-up game? Yes, because it is what I am used to in the NFL. But, under the circumstances, I like having a big game right off the bat because it does keep you focused."

FanFest a success

Pitt had its annual Fanfest at Heinz Field last night. Players and coaches got a chance to meet with fans and sign autographs, then the team ran through some light drills and went through their game-day routine. Thousands of fans showed up for the event, which Wannstedt said is another indication of the enthusiasm for this season.

"I thought it was important for us to get over there and walk through our routine just so everyone knows where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to do on game day," Wannstedt said yesterday. "There is going to be a lot going on on game day, and I just felt that if we went out to Heinz Field and did sort of a dry run, when we show up next Saturday we'll be able to eliminate those things and focus more on the game. Plus, it is good for our us to get out there and meet with the fans and give them an opportunity to meet our players and coaches. It is good for our fans to have a chance to be involved. So this is great for our program."

Two areas of emphasis were kicking and special teams in general. Heinz Field is notoriously a tough place to kick, so the kickers worked out there for the second time this week. Earlier this week, they were at Heinz Field while the rest of the team worked out at the South Side facility.

Quick outs

A number of players were rested yesterday. That included starting linebackers H.B. Blades and Derron Thomas. "They are banged up a little bit, but they are fine, nothing serious. We've just been doing a lot of hitting, and they needed a little rest," Wannstedt said. ... The Panthers practice today and tomorrow, then break camp. Coaches will use the practice tomorrow to begin to implement the game plan for Notre Dame. ... Wannstedt said the Panthers are physically ready for the season. but need to catch up mentally. "The closer we get to the game, the more our players need to understand coaches aren't going to be standing in the huddle with them. We've had a real physical training camp, we're in great shape, now we just need to start playing the game."