2009 Scouting Report - Pittsburgh

[BigEastBeasts]

Pitt Football: Wannstedt gets 4 more recruits

WR from Clairton commits at camp

Monday, June 29, 2009

By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A few weeks ago some were wondering if Dave Wannstedt had lost his touch as an ace recruiter because the Panthers had gotten off to a bit of a slow start in the recruiting process for the class of 2010.

Wannstedt's answer to his critics was a simple "nothing's changed, we're going to be fine."

He wasn't lying.

Pitt received four verbal commitments yesterday, including one from the WPIAL, bringing the total number of commitments to 10.

Wannstedt has received verbal commitments from seven players in the past six days and is hoping to get a couple more early this week.

The ball got rolling early yesterday morning when Clairton High School receiver Kevin Weatherspoon, who was competing in Pitt's 7-on-7 camp/competition with his teammates, told Wannstedt he was going to play for the Panthers. He chose the Panthers over offers from Maryland, Syracuse, Akron and Toledo.

"I'm a Pittsburgh guy, my family can come watch me play here and I always knew this is where I'd end up," said Weatherspoon, who is 5 feet 11, 175 pounds and caught 57 passes for 1,470 yards and 20 touchdowns last season for the Bears as well as seven interceptions as a cornerback.

"The coaching staff really made me feel like I was a big part of things, like they really wanted me and that made a difference. I felt comfortable with the coaches right away so there was no reason to keep delaying my decision.

"I'm a Panther."

The Panthers also got commitments from Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.) teammates Bryan Murphy and Brandon Sacco.

Murphy (6-2, 235) is a defensive lineman and chose the Panthers over offers from Louisville, Maryland, Boston College, Colorado and Michigan State. Sacco (6-3, 250) is an offensive lineman and chose the Panthers over offers from Rutgers, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Miami (Ohio).

The duo are the third and fourth players from New Jersey in the class of 2010, which continues the Panthers' trend of winning some recruiting battles in the Garden State ever since secondary coach Jeff Hafley was put in charge of that area in February 2008. Hafley signed five from the state in this year's class.

Pitt's final commitment yesterday came from Broad Run (Asburn, Va.) running back T.J. Peeler, who chose the Panthers over offers from North Carolina State and West Virginia. Peeler (6-1, 200) is a big back with a lot of speed as he runs the 40-yard dash in 4.59 seconds but benches 300 pounds and squats 465.

He committed to the Panthers during an unofficial visit.

Paul Zeise can be reached at pzeise@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1720.

First published on June 29, 2009 at 12:00 am

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09180/980553-233.stm

[BigEastBeasts]

BYHAM NAMED TO JOHN MACKEY AWARD WATCH LIST

The senior ranks among the country's top tight ends.

July 29, 2009

PITTSBURGH--Pitt's All-Big East tight end Nate Byham has been named to the watch list for the 2009 John Mackey Award, annually presented to the nation's top tight end by the Nassau County Sports Commission.

Thirty players were named to the watch list for the John Mackey Award, named after the Pro Football Hall-of-Famer who starred for the Baltimore Colts. The 2009 Mackey Award recipient will be announced on December 10.

Former Pitt tight end Kris Wilson, now a member of the San Diego Chargers, was a finalist for the John Mackey Award in 2003.

This is the second national award watch list to recognize Byham (Franklin, Pa./Franklin), who previously was named a preseason candidate for the 2009 Rotary Lombardi Award. Byham was one of only two tight ends on the Rotary Lombardi list.

Byham was a 2008 first-team All-Big East selection, an unprecedented achievement for a Pitt tight end. The 6-foot-4, 265-pounder had 20 catches for 260 yards (13.0 avg.) and one touchdown last year. He was also a major asset in the run game, helping Pitt produce a 1,000-yard rusher for the second consecutive year.

Pitt will open fall training camp on Tuesday, August 11, at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex. The Panthers kick off the 2009 season on Saturday, Sept. 5, against Youngstown State at Heinz Field.

Season-ticket packages are currently on sale for as low as $82 and can be purchased online (PittsburghPanthers.com), by phone (800/643-PITT) or in person at the Petersen Events Center ticket office.

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072909aaa.html

[BigEastBeasts]

PITT TO PLAY HOME-AND-HOME SERIES WITH UTAH

The Panthers and Utes will play in 2010 and 2011.

July 30, 2009

PITTSBURGH—Pitt and Utah have agreed to a home-and-home football series beginning with the 2010 season, University of Pittsburgh athletic director Steve Pederson announced.

                                             

Pitt will play at Utah on Sept. 11, 2010. The Panthers will host the Utes the following season on Oct. 15, 2011. 

The 2010 encounter will mark the first-ever regular-season game between the two schools. The only prior meeting occurred during the postseason when the Utes capped a 12-0 season with a 35-7 victory over the Big East champion Panthers in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.

 

Utah finished 13-0 last year, including a 31-17 victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl, and was ranked No. 2 in the final Associated Press poll. Over the last six seasons the Utes have compiled a 59-16 mark (.787).

“Pitt-Utah is one of those rarely played intersectional matchups that should be very appealing for our fans and national television,†Pederson said. “Utah has been one of college football’s biggest winners over the past several years, giving us a challenging and compelling opponent.†

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/073009aab.html

[BigEastBeasts]

Big East countdown: No. 1 Pittsburgh

Posted Jul 31, 2009 at 01:33 PM

Updated Jul 31, 2009 at 01:37 PM

Here’s the final team in my Big East ballot. Now, it’s time to finalize my Associated Press Top 25 ballot.

No. 1 Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh instant analysis: Since Dave Wannstedt returned to coach his alma mater in 2005, the Panthers have been stockpiling some of the nation’s top recruiting classes. After three fairly unspectacular seasons, Pittsburgh finally broke through last season with a 9-4 record and a tie for second in the Big East (OK, so they are still trying to find the end zone at the Sun Bowl). Anyway this fall, the Panthers return 15 starters – the most of any Big East team – and hope the addition of new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, Jr., a Pittsburgh native whose offense at California averaged 32.6 points a game last season, can spark the offense and offset the loss of RB LeSean McCoy. QB Bill Stull returns after a so-so junior season, but welcomes back WR Jonathan Baldwin (22.4 yards per catch). The biggest reason I’m picking the Panthers to win the league is because of their defense. They ranked third in the league in total defense last season. DEs Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard (who combined for 13 sacks) and DT Mick Williams give the Panthers arguably the Big East’s top defensive line (USF might dispute that). Tackling machine Scott McKillop will be tough to replace at linebacker, but the Panthers have a talented secondary, with three returning starters in CBs Aaron Berry and Javani Cahppel and SS Dom DeCicco. Pitt’s special teams have improved (remember its special team debacles against USF a few years ago?) and last year the Panthers led the country with 10 blocked kicks. Pitt must win at Rutgers and West Virginia (not easy by any means), but gets USF and Cincinnati at home.

Flashback: Last year I predicted Pittsburgh would finish second in the league. The Panthers finished in a three-way tie for second.

Fun with numbers: Under Wannstedt, the Panthers are 3-7 against Associated Press ranked opponents.

If you happen to be in Vegas: In the past two years, Pittsburgh is 7-2 against the pointspread as a road underdog. The Panthers also have won four of their last five games as a road underdog.

Pittsburgh will finish worse than first if: Stull stinks. If he doesn’t show improvement from last season, the Panthers will be hard-pressed to win the league title. Last season, Stull could manage the game and rely on the talents of McCoy and LaRod Stephens-Howling. If Pitt doesn’t establish a solid running attack, the Panthers will shuffle down the league standings.

My Twitter post on the Panthers (in 140 characters of less): Pitt: We’ve lost to Bowling Green, Ohio & Toledo last few years. Since ’91 we’ve never gone unbeaten in non-league play. Is this the year?

The entire media poll will be revealed at the Big East media days in Newport, R.I., on Tuesday.

How I voted:

No. 1 Pittsburgh

No. 2 Rutgers

No. 3 West Virginia

No. 4 South Florida

No. 5 Cincinnati

No. 6 UConn

No. 7 Louisville

No. 8 Syracuse

http://www.tboblogs.com/index.php/tools/comments/big-east-countdown-no.-1-pittsburgh/

[BigEastBeasts]

Pittsburgh Opens Season With Win Over Youngstown St., 38-3

Freshman Dion Lewis rushed for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Sept. 5, 2009

PITTSBURGH --During Pitt's first game of the 2009 football season, the Panthers put on a show in front of 48,497 at Heinz Field on Saturday afternoon.

Picked by Big East coaches to win the conference, Pitt used a balanced effort on both sides of the ball to beat the Youngstown State Penguins, 38-3.

"What I really liked about this football game was how our players approached it," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. "How they approached it this week, getting ready for the opening game of the season, they took nothing for granted."

Someone who certainly took nothing for granted was Pitt freshman tailback Dion Lewis. The star of the first half, Lewis rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the first two quarters of play. He also caught a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Bill Stull that shot the Panthers into a 21-3 lead. Lewis' 129 total yards on the ground gives him the most of any Pitt player in a season opener since Curtis Martin totaled 251 against Texas in 1994 and the most ever by a freshman in a season-opening game.

"I thought Dion really made a lot of plays," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. "I was really pleased."

In his first collegiate game, Lewis showed his combination of speed and strength on several runs, breaking runs as long as 28 yards and finishing with an average of 6.4 yards per carry. Lewis and Wannstedt both credited Pitt's offseason strength and conditioning program with helping Lewis start on such a positive note. But it was more than just Lewis who made the offense go.

Senior starting quarterback Bill Stull went 11-of-16 with 123 yards and two touchdowns, while Tino Sunseri completed five of his eight attempts for 80 yards, including his first-career touchdown pass. Sunseri, a freshman, entered the game during the third quarter.

"I thought overall they both went in and made some plays," Wannstedt said.

One thing giving the Pitt offense some help was the solid play of the Panthers' defense, which held Youngstown State to 159 total yards and only 1.3 yards per carry, while the Panthers finished with 390 total yards and 5.7 yards per carry.

Adam Gunn led Pitt defensively, finishing with eight tackles and two sacks. His two sacks were also a game-high.

"Pitt's defense was tremendous," said Youngstown State coach John Heacock. "Their defense is one of the best in the nation...I told Coach (Wannstedt) that his front-seven are awfully good."

The Panthers finished with a total of six sacks, resulting in -38 yards for the Penguin offense. Pitt also intercepted one ball when junior Dom DeCicco stepped in front of an errant pass in the second half.

"An opening game gives you an opportunity to get a little bit of confidence," Wannstedt said.

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090509aaa.html

[BigEastBeasts]

Pitt Launches GoPittFootball.com

Panthers football highlighted in new website

Sept. 3, 2009

PITTSBURGH -

With the season-opener against Youngstown State fast approaching, Pitt football has launched a new and exciting website, www.GoPittFootball.com, which offers insight into Panthers football, both past and present.

Within the site, fans will experience a behind-the-scenes look at Pitt football. Take a video tour of the UPMC Sports Performance Complex with Head Coach Dave Wannstedt, or see various other features that reflect the rich tradition that is Pitt football. It’s all available on GoPittFootball.com.

Pitt has partnered with Pittsburgh-based Songwhale for numerous new initiatives this season through the Pitt Mobile Network, including GoPittFootball.com, in-venue entertainment, score updates, Panther alerts and Panther prizes. Text “PITT†to WHALE (94253) to sign up. Standard text message rates apply.

For updated news and information on Pitt football and all Pitt athletics, please continue to visit pittsburghpanthers.com.

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/090309aaa.html

[BigEastBeasts]

Nationally Ranked Pitt Hosts USF in Key Big East Encounter

The Panthers and Bulls will kick off at noon at Heinz Field.

Oct. 19, 2009

#20/19 Pitt (6-1, 3-0 Big East)

vs. USF (5-1, 1-1 Big East)

Oct. 24, 2009  •  Noon, EDT  •  Heinz Field (65,050) • Pittsburgh, Pa.

GAME STORYLINES                   

Pitt looks to stay atop the Big East standings when it hosts USF. The Panthers are ranked No. 19 in this week's USA Today coaches poll and No. 20 by The Associated Press. Pitt is 20th in the initial BCS rankings.

A victory over USF would give Pitt a 7-1 record, which would be its best mark after eight games since the 1982 edition, led by quarterback Dan Marino, won seven of eight games to begin the year.

Dion Lewis is the nation's No. 3 rusher this week (131.14 yards/game), while Bill Stull ranks seventh nationally in pass efficiency (159.39 rating). Tight end Dorin Dickerson is tied for the national lead with eight touchdown catches.

Pitt has won 16 of its last 21 games dating back to the 2007 season. It is the Panthers' winningest stretch since the 2001-03 seasons when they went 17-4 over a 21-game period.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

TV: The Pitt-USF game will be an ESPN Regional "Big East Network Game of the Week" telecast. Mike Gleason (play-by-play), former Pitt quarterback John Congemi (color) and Quint Kessenich (sideline) will call the action. 

PITT RADIO: 3WS 94.5 (WWSW-FM), Fox Sports Radio 970 (WBGG-AM) and the Pittsburgh ISP Sports Network. Bill Hillgrove calls the action, while three-time Pitt All-American Bill Fralic and former Panther head coach Serafino "Foge" Fazio provide color analysis.

SATELLITE RADIO: The Pitt-USF game will be aired on SIRIUS satellite radio channel 123 and XM channel 144.

INTERNET: "Panthers All-Access" at PittsburghPanthers.com.

SERIES HISTORY

This is the seventh meeting between Pitt and South Florida in a series that dates back to 2001...the Panthers evened the series at three wins apiece following last year's 26-21 victory in Tampa in front of a national ESPN Thursday night television audience...in the last game played in Pittsburgh, the Bulls triumphed, 48-37, in 2007...USF holds a 2-1 advantage in games played at Heinz Field...the Panthers' lone home victory came in the 2005 encounter, 31-17...the '05 season marked USF's first as a Big East member...in 2004, the Panthers clinched an invite to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl with a 43-14 victory in the regular-season finale for both teams at Raymond James Stadium...that game was played on Dec. 4, 2004, a switch from its original Labor Day date (Sept. 6) due to Hurricane Frances...in the initial meeting between the two teams, the Bulls defeated host Pitt, 35-26,  in 2001.

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/101909aab.html

[BigEastBeasts]

Link to a.pdf of the Game Notes

http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/pitt/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/Pitt-USFNotes2009.pdf

[BigEastBeasts]

Meet the Press: USF Week

You can read each press conference transcript on PittsburghPanthers.com

Oct. 19, 2009

Coach Wannstedt Press Conference

October 19, 2009         

USF Week

Opening Statement:

“Wrapping up the game from last week, it really played out pretty much how we anticipated from the beginning. It was a really physical game on both sides. As I mentioned after the game, the encouraging thing was obviously, number one, the win. I think our players and coaches did a great job the last three weeks with two of those weeks being short weeks, Friday road games, and getting regrouped to go up and perform and find a way to win the game. After looking at the film, the interesting thing was we had very good performances from guys that we expect and that we need to perform on a high level on a week to week basis for us to win, but it was neat to see Ray Graham, a freshman, making a play on a kick return, particularly since he was back home in the New Jersey area. It was really exciting to see how Mike Shanahan is coming on. Oderick Turner tweaked his ankle early in the game. We put Mike Shanahan in, he had an opportunity and he made some plays. Jarred Holley made some plays, on the defensive side. So you’ve got your mainstay players coming through, your seniors, on a week to week basis. It’s also great to be mixing some of these younger players in and getting them opportunities in that type of environment, to have a chance to line up and play. They did a great job on Jonathan Baldwin. I mean one time they had three guys covering him. He didn’t have many opportunities, but when his number was called he came through, obviously with a huge play.  So it was a good win for us. Now we regroup and get ready for South Florida. When you look at this football team, the one word that describes them would be explosive. They are explosive, not just at the quarterback position, or receiver. I mean, they are explosive at the defensive line. They are explosive at the running back position. They’ve probably got as good of talent man for man across the board as anyone in our conference. They were the team when the season started that I picked to be, because of their experience coming back, they would be at the top of the list as a candidate to win the Big East. They’re a talented football team. We know what to expect. This is always a fun game because we have players from Florida. It’s the one game where they get an opportunity to play against a lot of guys that they see once a year that they’ve grown up with. It’s a neat game that way. Our kids are excited. With it being Homecoming, now we have to just keep our focus,  keep our feet on the ground and get ready for the challenge come Saturday.â€

On injury updates:

“Everything is going to be day to day, but I’m encouraged. Yesterday Cameron Saddler was out there for the first time working. Aaron Berry was out there working. Obviously Elijah Fields is back. Oderick Turner will be fine. He will definitely play. I can tell you that now.â€

On South Florida quarterback B.J. Daniels:

“You better keep an eye on him, because he’s fast. It’s kind of interesting. I did a little bit of research on him. He’s from Tallahassee, Lincoln High School. He had a lot of schools recruiting him as a receiver/defensive back, as an athlete. He didn’t have a ton of schools recruiting him as a quarterback, for whatever reason. South Florida did, that’s how he ended up there. He was an outstanding player in high school. They really have not changed anything. Generally, when your back-up quarterback comes in you’ll see a lot of changes to what you are doing on offense. They have not done that.  He’s responsible for about half of their big plays, run and pass. They put a lot of pressure on the defense from the quarterback position. You’re going to end up in a lot of one-on-one situations. It comes down to athleticism versus athleticism. That’s what that spread offense is all about. So we’ve got to be very, very, disciplined this week on defense. That will be the key.â€

On South Florida’s offense being similar to any previous opponents:

“You would have to go back to Buffalo. Buffalo’s a spread with the quarterback run game. Now last week, Rutgers ran three different wildcat packages. When they jumped in there with Jabu Lovelace at quarterback, and then when they put the receiver at quarterback, they were running the quarterback run game. In essence, that’s what this offense is. Other teams substitute a quarterback for a running back or a skill position. They obviously don’t have to with his ability. So we’ve seen a version of it every week. It’s just been sometimes a running back or a receiver at that quarterback position.â€

On Elijah Fields starting:

“We’ll see how he practices this week. We’ve got to see him. Last week he was really limited. He was working about one third of the practice reps. If he can jump in there tomorrow and go, then we’ll be more confident with him playing more.â€

On Jarred Holley:

“Jarred’s played very well. He really has. He’s got a lot of natural instincts. He’s got good ball skills. The only thing Jarred Holley needs is to get in the weight room with Buddy Morris and get a little bit bigger and stronger. He’s a good tackler. He’s a smart guy, very instinctive. I’m very pleased with the way Jarred has played.â€

On starting 6-1 during the 2006 season:

“If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have remembered to be quite honest with you. We hadn’t beaten Louisville since 1983 on the road. We hadn’t beaten Rutgers in five years. And we did it. So this is a different football team. It’s a different year. Those things really have no bearing on what we’re doing. We need to just continue, as I tell the players, with the process of preparing every week. It’s no different this week than what we did last week, or the week before that.â€

On South Florida’s pass defense:

“Number one, they’ve got a very good pass rush. They put on a lot of pressure, so you aren’t going to hold the ball long. I think the second thing is, they have a new defensive coordinator. The guy that’s the defensive coordinator was at Cincinnati last year. They’ll mix in the man coverage and the zone coverage. So, they give you a nice mix of coverage. They aren’t a big blitz team. They are very similar to what we are. They get good pressure up front. They’ve got very good athletes back there. They’ve got guys that are covering that you’re not going to run away from. You’ve got to be precise in your routes, you’ve got to have protection, and the quarterback needs to make good throws against them. There’s not a whole lot of easy throws, because of the athleticism.â€

On comparing South Florida’s defense to Cincinnati’s defense last year:

“We’ve done that. You can see Cincinnati on tape. It wasn’t a complete change when he came in. There were some changes, but the core of their defense is pretty much the same.â€

On the 4th quarter mistakes being a concern, despite the win:

“I will say this. I’m never going to be happy, there’s always the next game. You enjoy it, but you turn the page and you’ve got to get refocused. The encouraging thing was when I saw in the paper what Bill Stull, Dorin Dickerson, and the rest of players said after the game, that we can still get a lot better, that’s what excited me, because we can. Then I go home and I’m sitting there watching the USC-Notre Dame game and after watching the end of that game, I felt a lot better about our team. They had, what, five personal fouls in the last four minutes and found a way to win the game. I think that’s the key. I don’t think you’d find a coach in the country that would say ‘we’ve arrived.’ We’ve got a good football team. A good enough football team that you find a way to overcome those mistakes. The difference between good football teams and great football teams are cleaning those little things up. That’s the difference.â€

On the blocked punt:

“I’ll take responsibility for that. The operation time was good. We knew we were going to turn a guy loose with the protection. It was going to be one of the two outside guys and we turned the guy loose to the kicker’s foot. I should have anticipated that they were going to be coming with the block and then we would have had a different call on.â€

On the punt that hit Dom DeCicco:

“It should have been caught. The ball hit at the 12-yard line, we were standing at the ten. You’ve got to catch that ball. Dom was trying to get out of bounds. That was no fault of his. He couldn’t have done anything.â€

On the Big East having three teams ranked this week, including Pitt:

“It’s great to be recognized when you win some games, but trust me, that will not be a discussion in this locker room and with our players. Our guys could care less. I think it’s great for our conference. I’d love to see someone in our conference win a national championship. I think it’s great for the Big East Conference and people now are looking and they know the quality of football that we play. That’s the good part. You see that Sunday, and that’s the end of it.â€

On Dion Lewis:

“The consistency that Dion has demonstrated has been unbelievable, on the field and off the field. I walked down to the training room about 7:30 this morning and there was one guy in there getting some treatment and doing a little rehab. It’s Dion Lewis. I bring that example up just to let you know that he’s approaching everything with the same mentality that he is on Saturdays.  He’s doing everything right. He’s such a great kid. Very few freshmen can make that transition and maintain it. They can all do it for a week, two weeks maybe. When your name’s being thrown around maybe as a Heisman Trophy candidate and you go back home to play, as close to home as he’s going to get, and you show up and play like he did…there are some really special qualities about him as a person, in addition to his talent.â€

On the possibility of going 7-1 for the first time since 1982 serving as motivation:

“Human nature, you want to accomplish something that has never been done or something that hasn’t been done in a long time. So, I think those things are all healthy things to talk about. Last week with our seniors not having beaten Rutgers, we didn’t put our heads down. Our guys took it the other way. We’re going to get this done. We’re going to find a way to beat these guys before we leave here. I think those past facts are facts, but I think it’s all how you approach it. That was great motivation for us last week. Did we need it? I don’t know. It sure as heck didn’t hurt. You’re always looking for extra carrots out there to chase and to go after. So that’s all part of the experience of trying to accomplish things that haven’t been done in a while.â€

On Bill Stull making great throws under pressure:

“I didn’t realize how many times Bill got hit until I watched the tape. He got hit way too many times. Rutgers did a great job. A lot of it was pressure, a lot of it wasn’t. It was just guys coming off of blocks. He handled it well. He made some great throws under pressure. He just kept coming back. He was beat up the next day, there’s no question about that.â€

On South Florida’s front four:

“They’re very similar to us. The style that they play, the talent they have, the athleticism. You can look at the four guys and compare them to our four. They turn those guys loose. They play aggressive like we do with their front four.â€

http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/101909aag.html

[SRQ]

this may be a tougher game for Bulls than Cincy when consider match-ups, road game in cool, rainy temps