Pitt needs to keep momentum going

Pitt dominated USF last week. Now how do the Panthers keep their momentum?

That is the big question facing the team this week, as it prepares to play at Rutgers on Saturday. But the task is not so much about backing up what they did in a 44-17 win over the Bulls Thursday night. The challenge is about building on the success; realizing what can happen when the system in place is executed properly.

[+] Enlarge AP Photo/Keith SrakocicTino Sunseri's ability to run was one of the reasons why Pitt was able to dominate South Florida.Players gained a great deal of confidence last week, something that was missing after its two heartbreaking losses to Iowa and Notre Dame. Coach Todd Graham brought wildly different offensive and defensive schemes for his players to learn, and they faltered at understanding them.

But everything came together last week, and Pitt had its most complete performance. That in itself is a confidence booster moving forward.

"We're coming together," Graham said. "The guys are really committed to one another. We are a close-knit team and you had to face a little adversity for that to happen. When you face adversity you realize that at the end of the day you have to be arm-in-arm and to depend on each other. When you face great adversity like we did at the Iowa game and losing two close games then that helps.

"The thing we're facing is time. We're trying to develop relationships with this team but relationships and building a team takes time. We wanted it to happen early on so I think those two losses helped us. We have not faced the entire adversity we will this season, but this team has the makings of a championship team. It is going to be about us getting better every single day from me as a coach to the very last player to take the field. These guys are coming together and transforming."

Two of the starkest transformations from the USF game: the play of quarterback Tino Sunseri, and the overall performance of the defense. Sunseri executed more run options than he had all season, in part because he had to start believing he could be a runner and a passer. That is something he never had to do in the old offense.

"I felt I could only run if certain things opened up very clearly," Sunseri said.

He had to completely change his mind-set. He had 12 carries for 35 yards, and USF coach Skip Holtz said his designed runs "discombobulated" his team and caught his players off guard. Teams will be more prepared for that now that they have seen him do it.

But having that option makes Pitt much more difficult to prepare for because of what the Panthers have in Ray Graham. Talk about a workhorse. Graham has 126 carries and leads the team with 25 catches. If Sunseri can get the deep passing game going -- something Pitt has yet to do -- you will see an offense that can reach its full potential.

"We just have to keep on staying hungry, keep on learning, keep on going back to the film, learning as much as we can, trying to make sure we can get our mistakes fixed, and keep on trying to play as hard as we can for 60 minutes each and every week," Sunseri said.

As for the defense, the Panthers had surrendered a whopping 49 points in the fourth quarter in their first four games. Many of those came on big plays in the pass game. But they shut the Bulls out in the second half.

"We finally learned how to execute the fundamentals," defensive tackle Myles Caragein said.

Pitt is trying to get to 2-0 in the Big East for the seventh time since round-robin play in the conference began in 1993. The Panthers have won the last two games against Rutgers, but have dropped two of their last three games at Rutgers.

"Our philosophy is to stay in the left lane, put the hammer down and to try and get better each week," Graham said. "I have been pretty consistent in what my beliefs are in this team and the system we have in place. Our deal is we have to go out and face a unique and different challenge. Just like South Florida was very unique in what they did, Rutgers is very unique in what they do. The bottom line is if we execute this system, take care of the ball and play Pitt football the way we know how then were are going to be successful."

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Big Ten recruiting needs: Legends division

National Signing Day is just about a week away, so let's take a look at the recruiting needs for each Big Ten team.

In compiling these lists, I tried to look at positions that have depth issues for 2011 and/or 2012.

Let's start off with the Legends division.

IOWA

Running back: Marcus Coker's breakout performance in the Insight Bowl got Iowa fans excited for the future, but there's still a significant depth issue here. If Adam Robinson can't get reinstated, the Hawkeyes will be looking for No. 2 and No. 3 options behind Coker. As we've seen the past two seasons, freshmen backs will see the field at Iowa.

Linebacker: Iowa felt the losses of Pat Angerer and A.J. Edds this season, and it must continue to rebuild the depth at the three linebacker spots. Multiyear starter Jeremiha Hunter departs along with players like Jeff Tarpinian and Troy Johnson. Iowa needs to build around rising star James Morris.

Wide receiver/tight end: Iowa loses Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, Allen Reisner and Colin Sandeman this year. Also, receiver Marvin McNutt and tight end Brad Herman depart after the 2011 season. Although the Hawkeyes boast young talent at both positions, they need to build depth with this class.

MICHIGAN

Secondary: The Wolverines couldn't find many answers here in 2010, and though the return of players like cornerbacks Troy Woolfolk and J.T. Floyd will help, there are opportunities for freshmen to make an immediate impact. Michigan simply needs more options at both secondary spots in 2011.

Defensive line: It's crucial for coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison to begin building depth up front. Future NFL player Mike Martin departs after 2011 along with Ryan Van Bergen, so Michigan needs to solidify both line positions.

Kicker: Field goals were an adventure in 2010, and Michigan simply can't have so much uncertainty at kicker going forward. The Wolverines need a reliable leg here ASAP.

MICHIGAN STATE

Linebacker: I like some of the young linebackers the Spartans bring back in 2011, but you can't overlook the losses of multiyear starters Greg Jones and Eric Gordon, not to mention reserve Jon Misch. Michigan State should have a decent group of first-string 'backers, but wants to build depth in the defensive midsection.

Offensive line: Not only do the Spartans lose three starters from the 2010 line, but they're still not where they need to be depth-wise up front to become a consistent top-tier Big Ten program. Michigan State wants to become like Iowa and Wisconsin. The big step is to keep fortifying both lines, especially on the offensive side.

MINNESOTA

Pass rusher: Minnesota finished last in the Big Ten in sacks last season (9) and hasn't had an intimidating pass rusher since Willie VanDeSteeg in 2008. The recent departure of defensive tackle Jewhan Edwards, who led the team in both sacks and tackles for loss in 2009, underscores this need.

Offensive line: The Gophers lose three starters up front, and while they boast some promising young linemen like tackle Ed Olson, the depth just isn't there yet. Minnesota's best teams had powerful offensive lines, and new coach Jerry Kill must continue to create competition up front.

NEBRASKA

Running back: The Huskers lose standout Roy Helu Jr., and while Rex Burkhead quickly will become one of my favorite Big Ten players, he might not be an every-down back for Nebraska going forward. You always want options in the backfield, and Nebraska must continue to address its run game with the 2011 class.

Wide receiver: Nebraska loses Niles Paul and wants to identify playmakers to surround Taylor Martinez or whomever starts at quarterback. Brandon Kinnie departs after the 2011 season, and while Burkhead helps in the receiving department, Nebraska needs others to emerge.

NORTHWESTERN

Running back: Although Mike Trumpy and Adonis Smith emerged as possible answers late in the 2010 season, Northwestern needs to create real competition here. The Wildcats have lacked a dominant back during the Pat Fitzgerald era and need a dangerous rushing option to complement Dan Persa.

Defensive line: The Wildcats lose only one starter (Corbin Bryant) from the 2010 squad, but four more rotation players (Vince Browne, Jack DiNardo, Kevin Watt and Niko Mafuli) depart after 2011. Fortifying the pass rush is a major priority going forward.

Tags:

Big Ten Conference, Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan State Spartans, Michigan Wolverines, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Northwestern Wildcats, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Vince Browne, A.J. Edds, Jeremiha Hunter, Marvin McNutt, Taylor Martinez, Willie VanDeSteeg, Dan Persa, Jewhan Edwards, Brady Hoke, Colin Sandeman, Ryan Van Bergen, Roy Helu Jr., Pat Fitzgerald, Niles Paul, Mike Martin, Pat Angerer, Jerry Kill, Greg Jones, Adam Robinson, Rex Burkhead, Corbin Bryant, Allen Reisner, J.T. Floyd, Eric Gordon, Troy Woolfolk, Troy Johnson, Brandon Kinnie, Marcus Coker, Adonis Smith, Jeff Tarpinian, Mike Trumpy, Ed Olson, James Morris, Jon Misch, Brad Herman, Jack DiNardo, Greg Mattison, 2011 recruiting needs, Kevin Watt, Niko Mafuli

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It’s been nice, but Orton needs to be benched

Published: December 16th, 2010 | Tags: Eric Studesville, Kyle Orton, Tim Tebow

Kyle Orton had been one of the most pleasant surprises in fantasy football. Undrafted in most leagues, the veteran went on to be a top-five quarterback earlier in the season.

Unfortunately, it appears the Orton’s carriage has turned back into a pumpkin.

In his last two games, he’s scored a combined 1.82 fantasy points on NFL.com. Now comes word that he’s not even guaranteed to be under center for the Broncos in Week 14.

According to the Denver Post, Orton was officially listed as a “limited” participant in practice due to injured ribs. Interim coach Eric Studesville did say that he would stick with Orton as his starter earlier in the week, but that’s, of course, if he’s at 100 percent.

Regardless, fantasy owners just can’t trust Orton right now. Aside from his ailment, he’s also in danger of being pulled in favor of Tim Tebow if he continues to struggle this week against the Raiders.

With a chance at a fantasy league championship berth at stake, that’s something that you simply can’t risk.

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Vick needs to protect himself to help Eagles

The magic that makes Michael Vick so special, and maybe the MVP of the entire league this season, is exactly what could also lead to his demise. It’s the classic double-edged sword.

It’s going to be a problem that Vick really doesn’t know how to protect himself on the field. He doesn’t make people miss, he doesn’t slide and he doesn’t go out of bounds. I think it’s going to be an issue for the Eagles, because their offense all but stops without him.

Vick just can’t get out of harm’s way sometimes, leading to unnecessary hits. I don’t think there’s any way he survives the season the way he’s playing.

Teams can’t stop Vick, but he can stop himself.

In a way I feel like I’m criticizing Vick, taking him aside and giving him an earful. But he  needs to understand how valuable he is to the entire franchise. By taking these hits, he’s putting the Eagles’ entire season in jeopardy. There’s no question that Andy Reid could win his first Super Bowl this year. The Eagles have all the tools to do it, and Vick is the key ingredient.

Part of Vick’s magic, though, is the unpredictability of what he does. Nobody really knows where’s he’s going to go next. It’s like squeezing Jello. You just don’t know where he’s going to come out from.

It’s almost comical the amount of attention Vick and DeSean Jackson get from defenses because of their speed. But that will all fall apart without Vick. It’s not an indictment on Kevin Kolb, either, but he can’t make defenses do what Vick makes them do. The Giants showed their concern for Vick in everything they did, using schemes against the Eagles they hadn’t used all season. We’re going to see that from teams every week.

There’s a certain arrogance about Vick, who has a Superman tattoo on his hand. But that’s what he is, and he knows it. But he literally has to take it down just a notch. He can still make all the plays and still be the MVP and win a Super Bowl. But he doesn’t need to take on safeties, dive head-first between players and avoid going out of bounds. He needs to be his own safety net.

I don’t even think this year’s MVP is really about statistics. It’s about exciting your team and your fan base. Vick has Jason Peters, a classic underachiever, playing the best football of his life. Everyone wants to be out there and be a part of it. He’s energized the entire franchise. That’s what special players can do.

You don’t want to take away what makes Vick the special player he is, but I would love to explain to him that he can’t continue to let guys get their shots in. He’s done that in the past, but now he’s playing at a totally different level. He needs to be a little bit more like Peyton Manning.

Live to play another play.

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