usf's next opponent

smazza · October 24, 2006

Ã‚Â Wannstedt unhappy with officials

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

From local and wire dispatches

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt called out the officiating crew that worked the Pitt-Rutgers game Saturday night. Wannstedt first acknowledged in the weekly Big East coaches teleconference that the Scarlet Knights were the better team and deserved to win the game, then turned his attention to the officials.

Rutgers, which won the game, 20-10, was penalized only twice for 15 yards, and one of those was a block in the back on a punt return early in the first quarter, while the Panthers were penalized eight times for 53 yards.

"There were some real questionable [penalties]," Wannstedt said yesterday. "We had eight penalties Saturday, we had only two last week [in a win against Central Florida].

Of the eight, I think half of them were very questionable to be quite honest with you. We'll address them because we know how important penalties are, but sometimes things happen that are out of your control."

Wannstedt did not elaborate on which calls he disagreed with.

Pitt entered the game as the least penalized team in the Big East.

smazza · October 24, 2006

Football: Pitt looks ahead, not backward

Monday, October 23, 2006

By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

After being physically dominated by Rutgers Saturday night at Heinz Field, the Pitt Panthers will have a week off to recover from being manhandled on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

The Scarlet Knights rushed for 268 yards in their 20-10 victory against the Panthers and limited them to only 67 yards rushing on 26 carries. It was the kind of physical domination that the Panthers had not experienced since a 38-23 loss to Michigan State in mid-September.

"They played a great game and they really took it to us," said Pitt center Joe Villani. "They were faster than anyone we had faced, but I think we made a lot of mental mistakes that hurt us, too. I didn't feel like we were being physically overmatched, we just didn't execute, we didn't do things well enough. The good thing for us is we have some big games left and we still have a lot to play for."

Like Villani said, the loss hurt, but the Panthers' season is not over. In fact, they can still accomplish a number of the goals they set at the start of the season. Pitt is 6-2 (2-1 in the Big East Conference) and is in position to have a winning season and earn a trip to a bowl game.

The first step, however, is for the Panthers to forget about the loss and focus on their next two games because they will ultimately decide Pitt's fate this season. The first is Nov. 4 at South Florida; the second is Nov. 11 at Connecticut. If the Panthers win both, they will head into their final two games against West Virginia and Louisville at 8-2 and have an opportunity to play spoiler.

With the loss, however, the Panthers likely will have to settle for either the International Bowl in Toronto or the Birmingham Bowl as opposed to a more prestigious game. Both bowls are new this year and neither would pit the Panthers against a team from a BCS conference.

"We can't control what bowl we go to or any of that stuff," said cornerback Darrelle Revis.

"What can you do but move forward," said linebacker H.B. Blades. "We can't change what happened, so why dwell on it? Our focus has to be on getting back to work and getting back to doing the things we've done to be successful in the games we won. There are four games left, and we want to win them all, but there aren't any easy ones."

But first, the Panthers must correct uncharacteristic mistakes they made against Rutgers.

Pitt entered the game as one of the least-penalized teams in the conference, but had eight penalties for 53 yards. The Panthers also had executed well on offense recently, but dropped numerous passes and missed many blocking assignments against the Scarlet Knights.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said such mistakes were troublesome and they are the kind that prevents a team from winning.

"We can just try and win games, and that's what we have to do," said Revis.

"It is frustrating to lose a game like this, but we just have to start fresh and get things moving in the right direction again. That's what we intend to do."

smazza · October 24, 2006

Pitt Notebook: Scarlet Knights were able to play their game

Sunday, October 22, 2006

By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The formula for beating Rutgers seemed simple enough.

Executing it, however, proved to be far more difficult for Pitt last night.

The Panthers entered the game with the idea that if they could get a lead, they could force the Scarlet Knights out of their comfort zone and make quarterback Mike Teel, not the running backs, win the game.

But Pitt couldn't get any momentum on offense early, and as a result, Rutgers didn't have to take many chances. The Scarlet Knights were content to wage a field-position battle the entire first half and it led to a 20-10 win.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said the Panthers' lack of execution on offense early in the game was frustrating.

"I thought our defense hung in there for the most part," Wannstedt said. "And that's how you beat this team -- you punt the ball, you make them go the long way and you have to score some points early to make them throw it. If they don't have to throw the ball, you get into a game with Rutgers like we did -- let them run the ball and control the clock. We played right into their hands.

"Their quarterback did a nice job but he only threw the ball when he wanted to, not when he had to."

The Scarlet Knights were definitely able to play their style of football. Tailback Ray Rice rambled for 225 yards. Rutgers did not commit a turnover and was penalized just twice for 15 yards. The Rutgers' offensive line kept Pitt from registering a sack.

Official calls

The officiating crew made some controversial and confusing calls. On a couple occasions they announced a penalty against the wrong team.

A penalty was called on Pitt linebacker H.B. Blades for tackling fullback Brian Leonard out of bounds at the end of a 21-yard run. But replays seemed to show Blades hit Leonard in bounds and that momentum carried him and the ballcarrier to the sidelines.

"You can't really complain about those things because they sometimes go your way and other times they don't," Blades said.

"That's not an excuse as to why we lost. On that one, though, I didn't think he was out of bounds and even [Leonard] told me he wasn't out of bounds when I hit him.

"Leonard is a great back and he is hard to bring down so you have to make sure you get him down.

"But that's a part of the game and when the ref says what he saw, you have to live with it."

Quick hits

Rutgers improved to 7-0 for only the third time in school history and won for just the second time in Pittsburgh. ... Pitt's 46-yard field goal in the third quarter was the first points scored against Rutgers in the third quarter all season. ... Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko again threw no interceptions, meaning he has now gone 108 consecutive passes without throwing a pick. ... Blades had a game-high 19 tackles, which moved him into fifth place among Pitt's all-time career tackles leaders. Blades now has 383 tackles. ... Pitt did convert on its one red-zone opportunity, meaning the Panthers have scored 21 times in 25 trips into the red zone.

palmbeachbullsfan · October 24, 2006

From Smazza great post!!!!

Wannstedt unhappy with officials