It's all but certain that coach Wannstedt will be up in the booth for the 2nd straight week which I am all for. I really think that being upstairs and seeing how bad Mauk's first run went was catalyst for changing the defense up. This week will be a tougher test vs. a much better quarterback. In his weekly presser, Wanny said that he doesn't expect to blitz much. I'm going to call b.s. on this one. I think that we will be blitzing, but unlike the Cincy game we will do it much differently. Against Cincy, most of the blitzing came on 1st and 2nd down. This game I think we are going to blitz on the first 3 downs but you probably won't see us do it 3 times in a row.
The other key to the defense will be hiding the packages. To be more effective against Brian Brohm we need to show blitz then drop back into coverage. We also need to look like we are playing zone then throw in a surprise blitz. This will be the only effective way to get pressure on Brohm through the blitz. If we show blitz only on first and second down, then actually bring the pressure, we will absolutely get burned by it.
Wanny has also been pretty quiet about the offense which basically leads me to believe we won't see many changes. Louisville's defense is their weak spot and if we want to win the passing game and running game must be clicking. I hope shady get his 20-25, I hope Hot Rod is allowed to run in the situations that benefit him best, and I hope Conredge gets a change to put his helmet down and knock a few defenders around. Speaking of the offense, I really have had enough of Oderick Turner's costly mistakes. He dropped the pass against MSU that would have given us the win, he has had a ton of false start penalties, he is constantly breaking off his routes leading to incompletions or interceptions, and lastly he taunted the student section. There is no reason for this, go out there and do your job. If you want to break off a route, wait until the play has broken down and you need to give the qb a new option. Run a hot route on a blitz to protect the quarterback. If I was Wannstedt, I would let Turner play this week, but I wouldn't list him as the starter because of his actions last game. Sure you can say it was a b.s. call by the refs, but he should have never done anything that could potentially be flagged. I would start T.J. Porter and Moe Williams. They have been our best two receivers this year, plus Porter has turned it on recently and ever since the fumble against MSU, has started to live up to some of the hype we have heard about him.
Bring on the Cards.
~ The One and Only ~
Showing posts with label Cat Basket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cat Basket. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Y'all wanna hear what I have to say?
Want to know how I really feel??? Well let me tell ya.
PITT WILL BEAT NAVY!
Yeah, I said it, Pitt will beat Navy. I haven't done too much research on it and this isn't my "official" preview, but really, just looking on the surface, Pitt will win.
Navy is 3-2 with solid victories over Air Force and Temple. They barely squeaked out a win by 3 points over Pawr Haas (powerhouse) Duke. They lost to Rutgers and Ball State. Thats right, they lost to that little crummy school in Indiana. Granted we got destroyed by Uconn and UVa, but at least those two teams know what it's like to win a bowl game recently.
I also think that if Matt Cavanaugh is not lying, and can get Shady 25-30 carried and let Bostick take the reins and open up the playbook, this game should not be a problem. I really think the defense will be able to stop the crazy option that they run. If you want my advice, every time they run the option, make sure Dorin is out there and have him hit the quarterback every single play as hard as he can. Eventually he will get tired of being smashed by Dsquared and that option becomes a little less successful. Think about it, do you think a quarterback named Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada can take a pounding from Dorin all day long? I sure as hell don't think so.
Their fullback is their secret weapon and I really think that if we aren't going to blitz, let Dorin cover Kaheaku-Enhada and let McKillop Jr. shadow the fullback to prevent any surprises. That lets the rest of the defense free to fill their holes and keep the schemes somewhat similiar.
I really don't expect there to be a huge crowd given the past 2 disappointing games. We also have to compete with the Penguins that night (go pens) so that's more of a reason to not show up to the game. I have one request for the 15,000 that will be in attendance.
SHOW RESPECT TO NAVY!
Rutgers embarrassed themselves a few weeks ago when they traveled to New Jersey, lets not make the same mistake. When they come out of the tunnel, don't chant anything embarrassing. I'm not going to cheer for Navy either though. My sister is in the armed forces and I respect the men and women who choose that path in life. So when Navy comes out, I won't cheer for them, I won't boo them, I won't say I hope they win, I won't say any obscenities towards them. I'm merely going to ignore them. I'll chat with Jason Jones and my other friends who will be with me in the Cat Basket. I hope everyone that reads this blog, or knows of anyone who is going to the game can pass the word along to respect the opponent this week by not booing or cursing at them. Lets win this game with some class.
~ The One and Only ~
PITT WILL BEAT NAVY!
Yeah, I said it, Pitt will beat Navy. I haven't done too much research on it and this isn't my "official" preview, but really, just looking on the surface, Pitt will win.
Navy is 3-2 with solid victories over Air Force and Temple. They barely squeaked out a win by 3 points over Pawr Haas (powerhouse) Duke. They lost to Rutgers and Ball State. Thats right, they lost to that little crummy school in Indiana. Granted we got destroyed by Uconn and UVa, but at least those two teams know what it's like to win a bowl game recently.
I also think that if Matt Cavanaugh is not lying, and can get Shady 25-30 carried and let Bostick take the reins and open up the playbook, this game should not be a problem. I really think the defense will be able to stop the crazy option that they run. If you want my advice, every time they run the option, make sure Dorin is out there and have him hit the quarterback every single play as hard as he can. Eventually he will get tired of being smashed by Dsquared and that option becomes a little less successful. Think about it, do you think a quarterback named Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada can take a pounding from Dorin all day long? I sure as hell don't think so.
Their fullback is their secret weapon and I really think that if we aren't going to blitz, let Dorin cover Kaheaku-Enhada and let McKillop Jr. shadow the fullback to prevent any surprises. That lets the rest of the defense free to fill their holes and keep the schemes somewhat similiar.
I really don't expect there to be a huge crowd given the past 2 disappointing games. We also have to compete with the Penguins that night (go pens) so that's more of a reason to not show up to the game. I have one request for the 15,000 that will be in attendance.
SHOW RESPECT TO NAVY!
Rutgers embarrassed themselves a few weeks ago when they traveled to New Jersey, lets not make the same mistake. When they come out of the tunnel, don't chant anything embarrassing. I'm not going to cheer for Navy either though. My sister is in the armed forces and I respect the men and women who choose that path in life. So when Navy comes out, I won't cheer for them, I won't boo them, I won't say I hope they win, I won't say any obscenities towards them. I'm merely going to ignore them. I'll chat with Jason Jones and my other friends who will be with me in the Cat Basket. I hope everyone that reads this blog, or knows of anyone who is going to the game can pass the word along to respect the opponent this week by not booing or cursing at them. Lets win this game with some class.
~ The One and Only ~
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Sound familiar?
Just like any good Pitt fan, I like to read up on the opponent before we play. This "fan scouting" consists of looking at stats, projected lineups, and other on the field stuff. I also like to read the opponent's message boards. Today I was reading and came across this dandy.
http://connecticut.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1368&mid=101113301&sid=1039&tid=101113301&style=1
"Game of the year" "Attendance of 33,000" "Program on the rise"
Sure sounds like the way we spoke last week doesn't it? Uconn is a desperate team looking to prove something. They embarrassed us last year on the road and made our defense look completely incompetent.
We can't let this game become a trap game. We are 9 point favorites and we need to win by more than 9 points to prove a point. No matter how they did it, UConn is still 3-0 and beating any D1 3-0 team is an accomplishment. We dropped over 10 spots in last weeks cbs.sportsline.com's poll despite playing a solid game. If we play a superb game this week, we won't move up that much, but if we lose, all hell will break loose.
I don't think we will lose, I actually think we could run the ball every single down and still win. Lets just not take things for granted. This years panther team is very talented and we need to prove it to everyone.
p.s. I hope DJ Hernandez runs a route over the middle and Eric Thatcher sticks him.
http://connecticut.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1368&mid=101113301&sid=1039&tid=101113301&style=1
"Game of the year" "Attendance of 33,000" "Program on the rise"
Sure sounds like the way we spoke last week doesn't it? Uconn is a desperate team looking to prove something. They embarrassed us last year on the road and made our defense look completely incompetent.
We can't let this game become a trap game. We are 9 point favorites and we need to win by more than 9 points to prove a point. No matter how they did it, UConn is still 3-0 and beating any D1 3-0 team is an accomplishment. We dropped over 10 spots in last weeks cbs.sportsline.com's poll despite playing a solid game. If we play a superb game this week, we won't move up that much, but if we lose, all hell will break loose.
I don't think we will lose, I actually think we could run the ball every single down and still win. Lets just not take things for granted. This years panther team is very talented and we need to prove it to everyone.
p.s. I hope DJ Hernandez runs a route over the middle and Eric Thatcher sticks him.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Would the real Pitt fans please stand up.
I'll tell you what my friends, going to Michigan State was a real eye opener. I always knew our tradition lacked behind, but I had no idea how terrible it was. I don't think that Pitt should strive to "be like" another school in terms of fans and support. I believe that Pitt fans should go about it in a unique way. That's what real tradition is. I really think that Pitt (we the students and the athletics dept) may have the wrong approach to creating a better fan base and home atmosphere. Now I'm not criticizing anyone working in the A.D., but think about this. Every time we have had things forced down our throat, it hasn't worked.
The first thing that comes to mind for me is the Panther Zone. I was at some of the meetings where this was being planned out and to my knowledge it isn't as great of a success as it should be. I have never gone to the Panther Zone once, but that is only because I choose to wait at the gate to ensure a front row seat. I'm sure there are a variety of other reasons why other people don't go. The only time I have heard of the Panther Zone filling up was when Tony D and the 76 national championship team was there.
In addition to the Panther Zone, we've had Walt Harris telling us to make noise every time the Panther growls, we've been given tons of Panther Pitt towels, Code blue shirts are being sold at 5 bucks a pop to students, and yet none of this catches on.
This is where I blame myself. I am always trying to come up with ways to improve Pitt's tradition. When I started to push for the Cat Basket to become more recognizable I wanted to make sure everyone knew about it and thought that maybe it could be used for football. Now, my attitude is changed. We will be receiving our Cat Basket shirts on Monday Sept 24, and I will be giving them to people who have asked for them. I am not going to try and make Cat Basket the Oakland Zoo of football. Rather, what I am going to do is wear my shirt, cheer for Pitt, and continue to use this medium as a way to provide discussion, opinions, and news about The University of Pittsburgh football team.
I hate to keep mentioning Michigan State, but it is the freshest in my mind so I keep coming back to it. During their Alma mater everyone puts their arms around each other and sways back and forth. The visual effect of that is amazing. Right before kickoff, the student section passes down two huge banners from the top of the section to the bottom. One says Go Green, the other says Go White. They also have this tomahawk chop motion that it looks like they copied from FSU, but everyone in the student section is doing it. Also, their alumni clap, sing, and cheer along.
C'mon Pitt fans where are you? How many of you can sing Pitt's Alma mater? Do you know what the actual words are to the bridge in the fight song? Have you seen the students run on the field with the Hail to Pitt flag?
I really wish Pitt would find a way to boycott tailgating in all of the parking lots around the stadium. I'm sorry if it would take away from your game day experience, but I think that people do not understand how large the number is of students who come down to tailgate, get black out drunk and pass out in the parking lot or just end up heading home. Maybe even have just a season ticket holder or alumni section where tailgating (with alcohol) is allowed and ban adult beverages from every other section.
It really is sad that when the Michigan State gates opened there were about 2000 students waiting to get in. Here at Pitt, we have about 11 and I can name all 11 of them who are there.
So what will it take for Pitt to become a school with a good atmosphere and tradition? Well first off, these fair weather fans need to become everyday fans. Against Miami, WVU, VaTech, and Louisville, Pitt has had some of the greatest crowds I have ever seen. I really hate fair weather fans and their attitude of coming to games just to see the opponent or to try and get on tv, but at least they bring great enthusiasm. We really need those fans to turn into full time diehards. My guess is that there is about 10k - 15k of die hard fans in the stadium who aren't afraid to stand up, clap, and make noise. It's just a shame when you have the idiots around you telling you to sit down and be quiet. I don't want to sound like a dick......wait......yes I do. When I finally graduate from Pitt after 10 great years, I will be a season ticket holder for Mens and Womens BBall and for Football. If at anytime someone tells me to be quiet or to sit down, I'll tell them to go home and watch it on TV that way I won't be there to bother them. If people are so offended by those around them, STOP COMING TO GAMES! No one is forcing you to be there, and if you do show up, you obviously have an interest in the team, so SUPPORT THEM!
What I really think needs to happen is more students need to get creative. We need something to organize the student section. Something we can all get behind to have our own unique traditions. Think about what we have, Lets Go Pitt, PI-TT (for bball only), and that's about it. We stole the Hail To Pitt flag idea. The drum major touching his hat down to the the ground is not unique to us. We lost the bridge to the fight song. The hey song isn't played anymore. Our intro video is eerily similar to MSU's (I was hurt). And we have nothing to unite us. I love coming to games and seeing people wear steelers jersey's or just regular clothes with out any blue, gold, or Pitt stuff on it.
This is my challenge to you fans. Create some tradition. Lets have a chant that we can do that is unique to us. Come up with an idea for a video that we can rally behind like the "Spartan's what is your profession?" clip, find a way to get everyone to just at least clap along with the fight song. Panther fans, I will continue to my party to try to create and inspire better tradition for Pitt, however it won't work if it is just one person coming up with everything. We need to work together and unite. Make Pitt football the most exciting thing in the fall. Make it so that if you are not at the game you feel left out. Make it that people want to come to games and want to cheer for their school just because they love it.
The first thing that comes to mind for me is the Panther Zone. I was at some of the meetings where this was being planned out and to my knowledge it isn't as great of a success as it should be. I have never gone to the Panther Zone once, but that is only because I choose to wait at the gate to ensure a front row seat. I'm sure there are a variety of other reasons why other people don't go. The only time I have heard of the Panther Zone filling up was when Tony D and the 76 national championship team was there.
In addition to the Panther Zone, we've had Walt Harris telling us to make noise every time the Panther growls, we've been given tons of Panther Pitt towels, Code blue shirts are being sold at 5 bucks a pop to students, and yet none of this catches on.
This is where I blame myself. I am always trying to come up with ways to improve Pitt's tradition. When I started to push for the Cat Basket to become more recognizable I wanted to make sure everyone knew about it and thought that maybe it could be used for football. Now, my attitude is changed. We will be receiving our Cat Basket shirts on Monday Sept 24, and I will be giving them to people who have asked for them. I am not going to try and make Cat Basket the Oakland Zoo of football. Rather, what I am going to do is wear my shirt, cheer for Pitt, and continue to use this medium as a way to provide discussion, opinions, and news about The University of Pittsburgh football team.
I hate to keep mentioning Michigan State, but it is the freshest in my mind so I keep coming back to it. During their Alma mater everyone puts their arms around each other and sways back and forth. The visual effect of that is amazing. Right before kickoff, the student section passes down two huge banners from the top of the section to the bottom. One says Go Green, the other says Go White. They also have this tomahawk chop motion that it looks like they copied from FSU, but everyone in the student section is doing it. Also, their alumni clap, sing, and cheer along.
C'mon Pitt fans where are you? How many of you can sing Pitt's Alma mater? Do you know what the actual words are to the bridge in the fight song? Have you seen the students run on the field with the Hail to Pitt flag?
I really wish Pitt would find a way to boycott tailgating in all of the parking lots around the stadium. I'm sorry if it would take away from your game day experience, but I think that people do not understand how large the number is of students who come down to tailgate, get black out drunk and pass out in the parking lot or just end up heading home. Maybe even have just a season ticket holder or alumni section where tailgating (with alcohol) is allowed and ban adult beverages from every other section.
It really is sad that when the Michigan State gates opened there were about 2000 students waiting to get in. Here at Pitt, we have about 11 and I can name all 11 of them who are there.
So what will it take for Pitt to become a school with a good atmosphere and tradition? Well first off, these fair weather fans need to become everyday fans. Against Miami, WVU, VaTech, and Louisville, Pitt has had some of the greatest crowds I have ever seen. I really hate fair weather fans and their attitude of coming to games just to see the opponent or to try and get on tv, but at least they bring great enthusiasm. We really need those fans to turn into full time diehards. My guess is that there is about 10k - 15k of die hard fans in the stadium who aren't afraid to stand up, clap, and make noise. It's just a shame when you have the idiots around you telling you to sit down and be quiet. I don't want to sound like a dick......wait......yes I do. When I finally graduate from Pitt after 10 great years, I will be a season ticket holder for Mens and Womens BBall and for Football. If at anytime someone tells me to be quiet or to sit down, I'll tell them to go home and watch it on TV that way I won't be there to bother them. If people are so offended by those around them, STOP COMING TO GAMES! No one is forcing you to be there, and if you do show up, you obviously have an interest in the team, so SUPPORT THEM!
What I really think needs to happen is more students need to get creative. We need something to organize the student section. Something we can all get behind to have our own unique traditions. Think about what we have, Lets Go Pitt, PI-TT (for bball only), and that's about it. We stole the Hail To Pitt flag idea. The drum major touching his hat down to the the ground is not unique to us. We lost the bridge to the fight song. The hey song isn't played anymore. Our intro video is eerily similar to MSU's (I was hurt). And we have nothing to unite us. I love coming to games and seeing people wear steelers jersey's or just regular clothes with out any blue, gold, or Pitt stuff on it.
This is my challenge to you fans. Create some tradition. Lets have a chant that we can do that is unique to us. Come up with an idea for a video that we can rally behind like the "Spartan's what is your profession?" clip, find a way to get everyone to just at least clap along with the fight song. Panther fans, I will continue to my party to try to create and inspire better tradition for Pitt, however it won't work if it is just one person coming up with everything. We need to work together and unite. Make Pitt football the most exciting thing in the fall. Make it so that if you are not at the game you feel left out. Make it that people want to come to games and want to cheer for their school just because they love it.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Pointing the finger
Well, I promised Jason Jones, myself, and the Cat Basket faithful that I will not post directly after a loss to ensure that I don't come off too angry. This also gives some time to collect my thoughts. So here's what I think after a great weekend.
First off, Michigan State has the nicest fans in the nation. They were very courteous, they treated us with respect, and I can only hope that one day Pitt fans can become more like Spartan Fans. Also, thanks to the MSU Kappa Sig fraternity for letting us hang out with you friday night.
I will write more about the game tomorrow, but I feel certain things should be mentioned right now. Pitt should have won Saturday's game, but specific mistakes and players prevented that from happening. Pitt had control of the game and should have been able to put more points on the board, but here is what stopped us.
Kevan Smith. All he needed to do was let the running game carry him and make a few passes to sustain drives. Instead he under-threw and over-threw passes to the intended receivers. His over-throw on the screen pass led to a pick 6. Without that over throw, Pitt wins the game. We did not convert any 3rd downs. When you can't move the chains, you don't win games. Smith was so bad that we had to let Shady take snaps in order to get the offense going. I will give credit to smith on one play. He had Oderick Turner wide open and got the ball to him in the end zone however,
Oderick Turner - The big drop in the endzone killed us. If he catches that ball, we would have won the game. I understand that he isn't Bryant, Lee, Fitzgerald, or Kinder but that ball needed to be caught. Don't worry though Oderick, you weren't the only receiver who messed up.
TJ Porter - ..........Momentum gone....... We have MSU stopped on 4th and short and then one play later a fumble kills us. We may not have scored on that drive but needing a field goal instead of a touchdown is huge. On our last drive we were very close to being in field goal range but we needed 6, not 3. Turnovers killed us this game and that fumble pretty much took away our momentum and any chance for a comeback.
Chris Vangas - I was at the game so I didn't see if you actually grabbed the facemask. BUT, you're an offensive lineman. Your hands should not be near the helmet at any time. When you're learning how to block you get low and hit the chest. That 15 yard penalty ended any chance we had for a TD. That TD would have been able to tie the game.
Mike Phillips - Please hold on to that interception. We needed that and I believe it would have turned the tables.
Basically what we have figured out is that Shady is incredible, Jason Pinkston is much more valuable than McGlynn at tackle, the DLine is playing solid. We also learned that WE NEED STULL BACK NOW! If we can't have Stull and you are so against playing Bostick, why not put Mo Williams in there? That wildcat option would be much more efficient with Williams in there instead of Smith. Guess what? Mo can throw too. How can a team defend against that? They can't!
I really hope we see someone new under center. I hope Pinkston is ok. I hope that the receivers show up for the next game.
First off, Michigan State has the nicest fans in the nation. They were very courteous, they treated us with respect, and I can only hope that one day Pitt fans can become more like Spartan Fans. Also, thanks to the MSU Kappa Sig fraternity for letting us hang out with you friday night.
I will write more about the game tomorrow, but I feel certain things should be mentioned right now. Pitt should have won Saturday's game, but specific mistakes and players prevented that from happening. Pitt had control of the game and should have been able to put more points on the board, but here is what stopped us.
Kevan Smith. All he needed to do was let the running game carry him and make a few passes to sustain drives. Instead he under-threw and over-threw passes to the intended receivers. His over-throw on the screen pass led to a pick 6. Without that over throw, Pitt wins the game. We did not convert any 3rd downs. When you can't move the chains, you don't win games. Smith was so bad that we had to let Shady take snaps in order to get the offense going. I will give credit to smith on one play. He had Oderick Turner wide open and got the ball to him in the end zone however,
Oderick Turner - The big drop in the endzone killed us. If he catches that ball, we would have won the game. I understand that he isn't Bryant, Lee, Fitzgerald, or Kinder but that ball needed to be caught. Don't worry though Oderick, you weren't the only receiver who messed up.
TJ Porter - ..........Momentum gone....... We have MSU stopped on 4th and short and then one play later a fumble kills us. We may not have scored on that drive but needing a field goal instead of a touchdown is huge. On our last drive we were very close to being in field goal range but we needed 6, not 3. Turnovers killed us this game and that fumble pretty much took away our momentum and any chance for a comeback.
Chris Vangas - I was at the game so I didn't see if you actually grabbed the facemask. BUT, you're an offensive lineman. Your hands should not be near the helmet at any time. When you're learning how to block you get low and hit the chest. That 15 yard penalty ended any chance we had for a TD. That TD would have been able to tie the game.
Mike Phillips - Please hold on to that interception. We needed that and I believe it would have turned the tables.
Basically what we have figured out is that Shady is incredible, Jason Pinkston is much more valuable than McGlynn at tackle, the DLine is playing solid. We also learned that WE NEED STULL BACK NOW! If we can't have Stull and you are so against playing Bostick, why not put Mo Williams in there? That wildcat option would be much more efficient with Williams in there instead of Smith. Guess what? Mo can throw too. How can a team defend against that? They can't!
I really hope we see someone new under center. I hope Pinkston is ok. I hope that the receivers show up for the next game.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Good Morning East Lansing
Well, I was surprised as anyone to see that this morning, a Michigan State Spartan fan named Steve had some questions about the Cat Basket and about the upcoming game on saturday. So, while I responded to Steve, I figured I would share the same information with our readers. This isn't really a preview, but more of a what Pitt is and what Pitt needs to be for saturday.
I'll use some of Steve's questions and i'll throw in some tidbits of my own.
How are you today?
Well, I can't speak for Jason Jones, but DPJ is fine and dandy thank you for asking.
What do you believe Pitt's biggest strength's and weaknesses are at this point?
I think this answer is best suited looking at the offense and defense. Offensively, Pitt's new found rushing game is by far our biggest strength. Pitt has a full compliment of running backs that can be very effective on saturday. Everyone is finally realizing that Shady is all we expected him to be and then some. Hot-Rod, LSH, is a quick back who is dangerous on sweeps and screen passes, he is a great side to side runner and plays very well in the open field. Conredge Collins and Shane Brooks are the fullbacks who are both above average blockers (at least I believe so) and they both can run the ball very well. Pitt has needed this type of rushing attack, and it is hard to fathom that in one year, we have turned a weakness into our biggest
strength.
Our biggest offensive weakness is Qb experience. Billy Stull was the opening day starter but was forced out against Eastern Michigan with a hand injury and will be out 4-6 weeks. Kevan Smith right now is the starter, but he only has a total of 13 career starts at the high school and college level combined. He played well enough to move the offense against EMU and had a very nice 50 yard touchdown pass to Pitt's big tight end Nate Byham. Behind Smith is true freshman Pat Bostick who many fans criticized for throwing an interception on his very first pass. Dan Marino did the same thing in his first game at Pitt, but I don't expect to see Bostick much this week just because he is a true freshman.
On the defensive side, our secondary is our biggest strength. Kennard Cox, Mike Phillips, Eric Thatcher, Aaron Berry, and Ricky Gary make up one of the Big East's finest secondary's. Cox and Gary have seen the majority of time at CB this season due to a leg injury suffered in camp by Aaron Berry. Thatcher is a ranger over the middle who will always make the big hit. Phillips is a solid player who is technically sound and plays the position very well. Most people remember him from a very bad injury a couple seasons ago.
Our weakness is the linebackers. Most of the linebackers were converted from other positions (WR and Safety). To this point they have played well, but have not really been tested. They have allowed very few rushing plays to break into the secondary, but then again, it was only GSU and EMU.
Do you expect many Pitt fans to make the trip to East Lansing?
I don't expect many Pitt fans to be there. We do not travel well, and even our home attendance is poor. I personally know many people going to the game, but that is only because they are die hard fans. The Cat Basket will also be there. We'll have our standard Cat Basket sign over in section 27.
What is your opinion of Dave Wannstedt?
I think Dave Wannstedt thus far has been average. Now don't get me wrong, I think he is a good coach and I do believe he will have Pitt atop the big east very shortly, but he did have some trouble early on. When he came in, he brought a completely new mentality to this team. Instead of relying on the pass and a crazy offense, Dave wanted to adapt a run first offense. When he arrived, our offensive line was in terrible shape. Dave has recruited some great OLinemen and it takes a few years for them to develop. This season we are starting to see the team become what Coach Wannstedt wanted them to be since he arrived. Adding Shady to the mix only helped us reach this goal faster than planned.
Any predictions for this weeks game?
Well I do have a prediction, but i'm going to save that for a later post. I don't want to show my hand too early and my opinion could change between now and saturday. I do hope one thing happens. I hope that neither team has any injuries. We have been plagued by injuries since the beginning of camp. Pitt can not afford to lose another player at this point. Another important factor is that these kids are more than just football players, they are also students. It isn't easy balancing life and school, but adding football into the mix makes it even more difficult.
I hope you enjoy the game and if you do come up, make sure you enjoy the pregame atmosphere.
I'm guessing you mean tailgating. I'm sure we will hook up with some friends of Pitt's program and hang out some where, but plans aren't set in stone yet. I do look forward to seeing how your pre-game festivities compare to the Pitt's lack of tailgating. Jason Jones and I aren't really into it that much, but then again we're usually waiting for our seats 2 hours before kick off so I'll use that as our excuse.
Thanks to Steve for the email. Hopefully everything will be alright this weekend. When MSU played at Pitt last year I met some of the nicest people. Hopefully those who I have met from MSU are just as cordial as the rest of the 70 some thousand that should be at the game on saturday. This is my first big ten road game and we will be bringing you pictures and updates lives from the road, so keep checking back.
~ The One and Only ~
I'll use some of Steve's questions and i'll throw in some tidbits of my own.
How are you today?
Well, I can't speak for Jason Jones, but DPJ is fine and dandy thank you for asking.
What do you believe Pitt's biggest strength's and weaknesses are at this point?
I think this answer is best suited looking at the offense and defense. Offensively, Pitt's new found rushing game is by far our biggest strength. Pitt has a full compliment of running backs that can be very effective on saturday. Everyone is finally realizing that Shady is all we expected him to be and then some. Hot-Rod, LSH, is a quick back who is dangerous on sweeps and screen passes, he is a great side to side runner and plays very well in the open field. Conredge Collins and Shane Brooks are the fullbacks who are both above average blockers (at least I believe so) and they both can run the ball very well. Pitt has needed this type of rushing attack, and it is hard to fathom that in one year, we have turned a weakness into our biggest
strength.
Our biggest offensive weakness is Qb experience. Billy Stull was the opening day starter but was forced out against Eastern Michigan with a hand injury and will be out 4-6 weeks. Kevan Smith right now is the starter, but he only has a total of 13 career starts at the high school and college level combined. He played well enough to move the offense against EMU and had a very nice 50 yard touchdown pass to Pitt's big tight end Nate Byham. Behind Smith is true freshman Pat Bostick who many fans criticized for throwing an interception on his very first pass. Dan Marino did the same thing in his first game at Pitt, but I don't expect to see Bostick much this week just because he is a true freshman.
On the defensive side, our secondary is our biggest strength. Kennard Cox, Mike Phillips, Eric Thatcher, Aaron Berry, and Ricky Gary make up one of the Big East's finest secondary's. Cox and Gary have seen the majority of time at CB this season due to a leg injury suffered in camp by Aaron Berry. Thatcher is a ranger over the middle who will always make the big hit. Phillips is a solid player who is technically sound and plays the position very well. Most people remember him from a very bad injury a couple seasons ago.
Our weakness is the linebackers. Most of the linebackers were converted from other positions (WR and Safety). To this point they have played well, but have not really been tested. They have allowed very few rushing plays to break into the secondary, but then again, it was only GSU and EMU.
Do you expect many Pitt fans to make the trip to East Lansing?
I don't expect many Pitt fans to be there. We do not travel well, and even our home attendance is poor. I personally know many people going to the game, but that is only because they are die hard fans. The Cat Basket will also be there. We'll have our standard Cat Basket sign over in section 27.
What is your opinion of Dave Wannstedt?
I think Dave Wannstedt thus far has been average. Now don't get me wrong, I think he is a good coach and I do believe he will have Pitt atop the big east very shortly, but he did have some trouble early on. When he came in, he brought a completely new mentality to this team. Instead of relying on the pass and a crazy offense, Dave wanted to adapt a run first offense. When he arrived, our offensive line was in terrible shape. Dave has recruited some great OLinemen and it takes a few years for them to develop. This season we are starting to see the team become what Coach Wannstedt wanted them to be since he arrived. Adding Shady to the mix only helped us reach this goal faster than planned.
Any predictions for this weeks game?
Well I do have a prediction, but i'm going to save that for a later post. I don't want to show my hand too early and my opinion could change between now and saturday. I do hope one thing happens. I hope that neither team has any injuries. We have been plagued by injuries since the beginning of camp. Pitt can not afford to lose another player at this point. Another important factor is that these kids are more than just football players, they are also students. It isn't easy balancing life and school, but adding football into the mix makes it even more difficult.
I hope you enjoy the game and if you do come up, make sure you enjoy the pregame atmosphere.
I'm guessing you mean tailgating. I'm sure we will hook up with some friends of Pitt's program and hang out some where, but plans aren't set in stone yet. I do look forward to seeing how your pre-game festivities compare to the Pitt's lack of tailgating. Jason Jones and I aren't really into it that much, but then again we're usually waiting for our seats 2 hours before kick off so I'll use that as our excuse.
Thanks to Steve for the email. Hopefully everything will be alright this weekend. When MSU played at Pitt last year I met some of the nicest people. Hopefully those who I have met from MSU are just as cordial as the rest of the 70 some thousand that should be at the game on saturday. This is my first big ten road game and we will be bringing you pictures and updates lives from the road, so keep checking back.
~ The One and Only ~
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Thank you Athletics Department
While I'm sure my post about what I had hoped to see with the pre-game intro did not provide ample time for the athletics department to make my suggested changes, they more than pleasantly surprised me with our new intro. If you recall, in my earlier post I had asked for two things, the Panther statue "coming to life" and to play some Ac/Dc to satisfy our rock needs as native Pittsburghers.
When the intro started and it showed the Panther coming to life, I was sold immediately. I really wanted this new intro to be special and that it was. I had to yell at my friends around me to STFU and watch the intro because I knew we had something special. We were able to see the main Panther statues (the pete, the union, and heinz field) come to life and prowl around campus and the north shore. Seeing the Panthers climb the steps of the Cathedral is something I believe should be in our video package FOREVER!!!! I don't want to steal too much thunder from it if you haven't seen it, but just seeing the Panther knock down the opposing team's logo at midfield was great.
To top that off, when Wanny led the team onto the field, they played HELLS BELLS!!! I don't want to say it too early, but I think this intro should be kept only as long as the Panthers play football. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect intro.
Kudos to you athletics dept. Jeff Long, Chris Ferris, Nora Duncan, E.J. Borghetti, Greg Hodgekiss, Tom Reineke, Aaron Coldron, and everyone else. Give yourself a pat on the back because that was by far the best football intro I have ever seen in my entire life. Great Job!
When the intro started and it showed the Panther coming to life, I was sold immediately. I really wanted this new intro to be special and that it was. I had to yell at my friends around me to STFU and watch the intro because I knew we had something special. We were able to see the main Panther statues (the pete, the union, and heinz field) come to life and prowl around campus and the north shore. Seeing the Panthers climb the steps of the Cathedral is something I believe should be in our video package FOREVER!!!! I don't want to steal too much thunder from it if you haven't seen it, but just seeing the Panther knock down the opposing team's logo at midfield was great.
To top that off, when Wanny led the team onto the field, they played HELLS BELLS!!! I don't want to say it too early, but I think this intro should be kept only as long as the Panthers play football. I couldn't have imagined a more perfect intro.
Kudos to you athletics dept. Jeff Long, Chris Ferris, Nora Duncan, E.J. Borghetti, Greg Hodgekiss, Tom Reineke, Aaron Coldron, and everyone else. Give yourself a pat on the back because that was by far the best football intro I have ever seen in my entire life. Great Job!
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Pep rally and bonfire
So this is the first pep rally we have had since Wanny's first year. Being a 7th year student and this being my 6th rally, it's nice to see that nothing has changed. The cheerleaders lead everyone through the quad, we all wait for the band to show up, the band comes and plays for an hour, then the team comes. But right before the team comes out, the most exciting 15 minutes of the school year happens. 37 people who we don't give a (bad word) about come and give speeches (poorly). There is nothing I like seeing more than supposed "Campus leaders" who never even go to football games get up on stage and tell us we should be better fans. I think there were actually 7 student speakers, who all gave very poor speeches. Props to the guy from the greeks who didn't prepare anything and froze like a deer in headlights. Of everyone who spoke tonight, the only ones who were actually involved with Pitt athletics were Wanny and our 2 star defensive seniors Kennard Cox (who should never be able to speak publicly again) and Scott McKillop, who is crazier than I expected him to be.
Listen "leaders" we appreciate everything you pretend you do for us but I don't want to hear you say, "Yeah, this 1-11 EMU team is tough, we can't over look them". Listen, just get up there say go Pitt and stop wasting my time. Pitt Program Council, you suck, get over yourself, I hope Tom Miseraca gets fired.
On the important side I can give you some important observations. Here they are listed numerically.
1. Don't ever mess with Conredge Collins, he will kill you........seriously.
2. Aaron Berry screaming into the mic "where the hoes at?" was the highlight of the night.
3. Our secondary is the scariest group of players at Pitt.
4. Where was Pat Bostick. We saw Billy Stull looking like he needs to shave, but no Cat Basket.
5. Gus Mustakas looks like Ba Ba Booey.
6. Fire that guy from ESPN radio and bring back Andrew Stockey.
7. To the dance team and Cheerleaders......thanks for never changing, except you P10 (a.k.a. P9.5).
Thats all I got for now. JJones, keep the position break downs coming. We'll see you on Saturday.
Listen "leaders" we appreciate everything you pretend you do for us but I don't want to hear you say, "Yeah, this 1-11 EMU team is tough, we can't over look them". Listen, just get up there say go Pitt and stop wasting my time. Pitt Program Council, you suck, get over yourself, I hope Tom Miseraca gets fired.
On the important side I can give you some important observations. Here they are listed numerically.
1. Don't ever mess with Conredge Collins, he will kill you........seriously.
2. Aaron Berry screaming into the mic "where the hoes at?" was the highlight of the night.
3. Our secondary is the scariest group of players at Pitt.
4. Where was Pat Bostick. We saw Billy Stull looking like he needs to shave, but no Cat Basket.
5. Gus Mustakas looks like Ba Ba Booey.
6. Fire that guy from ESPN radio and bring back Andrew Stockey.
7. To the dance team and Cheerleaders......thanks for never changing, except you P10 (a.k.a. P9.5).
Thats all I got for now. JJones, keep the position break downs coming. We'll see you on Saturday.
Gameday Experience 2007
With start of the season only being 2 days, 3 hours and 20 some odd minutes away, I bring to you what I hope will be the pre-game experience.
Gone are the days of what was once a great intro. Nothing like a football dropping in from outer space headed directly towards the U.S. It fell from the skies and reached the Allegheny river where it cruised by the bridges towards Heinz Field. On it's way to the stadium the classic bronze panther statue changed to magnificient gold, turned to the camera and ROARED like no other. In addition to that we saw Roc extinguish the torch of our opponent Survivor style. Outrun, Outtackle, Outplay: Survivor: Pittsburgh.
Over the last couple of years since the Wanny era began, we have seen a change in the pre-game both years. Last year was the highlight package showing our "Tradition" and a Panther in the Cathedral. While I thought it was cool to see the Panther in the Cathedral, I don't think it really got anyone pumped up. Granted I doubt we will ever be able to catch the magic of a highlight video showing current and the last season's highlights while playing "Hangman" in the background like the other team that shares Heinz field, but we can do better.
So here is what I will give you today. This folks, is what I hope to see from the Panther Pre-game this season, and as a bonus, the 5 most likely songs the team will come out to.
Now call me a sucker, but I really liked getting Roc involved with a pregame package before the team comes out. They probably wont do that again for a long time, but it's wishful thinking that they might bring something like that back again. Also, last year, at a meeting with the powers that be at the Pitt Athletics Dept. we suggested having people wear the opposing teams gear and be near the river walk. As they are walking along, Roc comes out of nowhere and spears them into the river. We thought it was great, Jeff Long apparently did not. So here is my suggestion, while lighting the opposing team's jersey on fire would be best suited for WVU, why not get a football with the opposing teams logo on it or something, and have Roc punt it into the river. Its cheap, its easy, and it's fun. The only negative I could see from this would be a possible little citation from Little Luke Ravenstahl, but here at Pitt, we're mad rich and can afford that. Other than that, bring back the old stuff (just not script).
Now I bring to you my suggested 5 songs for the team intro. The last on I really liked was called Sirius and it's the same one the Chicago Bulls enter to. We used it when WaHa (walt harris) was here and showed him leading the team to the field. So without further delay here are my 5 suggested intro songs.
1. Crazy (as performed by Seal) - Well the new logo looks like an otter which is a partially aquatic animal like a seal, so it fits that Seal would be the new intro. Probably not the most inspiring song, but hey lets have a commonality among things here people.
2. Thunderstruck (as performed by AC/DC) - Jason Jones and I talk about this all the time. Yinzer nation loves AC/DC and Styx. So since the steelers use Styx as their intro, Pitt can claim dibbs on Thunderstruck. Steeler fans would come to the game to hear the song and the Pitt students from Pittsburgh should like it as well. Also, if we're worried about selling tickets to games like EMU, Grambling, and Navy, then why not have AC/DC do a post-game concert. Guaranteed standing room only crowd.
3. Rock You Like a Hurricane (as performed by the Berlin Sympharmonic Orchestra featuring the Scorpions) - We used it last year, and it was ok. It just wasn't loud enough. I think it can stay for another year, just crack that s*** up!!!
4. Hustlin (as performed by Rick Ross) - Ok I know, this song is way outdated in terms of hip hop standards, and I thought it should have been used for basketball last year (not the other rick ross song about selling illegal substances). Since the arrival of Buddy Morris our team has been Hustlin and would fit perfectly.
5. Boom (as performed by POD) - The used to play this song to introduce the Panther Pitt (I dont even know if it still exists or was replaced by code blue?). The song was so bad it became funny. After many discussions with the Queen of Pitt Athletics (miss Nora D. herself) we decided to embrace the song. To our surprise, it actually grew on us. Jason Jones and I would provide the music at a social function each and every friday night at his old house and Boom was always on the playlist, even 4 or 5 times. Picture this, a good highlight video package from last season (especially the Kinder block) while BOOM HERE COMES THE BOOM is playing in the back. Sends chills down my back, I dont know about you.
So basically if you skipped to this part of the article here is what you missed. Bring back some of the old intro stuff from the days of WaHa. Involve Roc more. Have AC/DC play a show at Heinz Field following the game, and play more POD!
Gone are the days of what was once a great intro. Nothing like a football dropping in from outer space headed directly towards the U.S. It fell from the skies and reached the Allegheny river where it cruised by the bridges towards Heinz Field. On it's way to the stadium the classic bronze panther statue changed to magnificient gold, turned to the camera and ROARED like no other. In addition to that we saw Roc extinguish the torch of our opponent Survivor style. Outrun, Outtackle, Outplay: Survivor: Pittsburgh.
Over the last couple of years since the Wanny era began, we have seen a change in the pre-game both years. Last year was the highlight package showing our "Tradition" and a Panther in the Cathedral. While I thought it was cool to see the Panther in the Cathedral, I don't think it really got anyone pumped up. Granted I doubt we will ever be able to catch the magic of a highlight video showing current and the last season's highlights while playing "Hangman" in the background like the other team that shares Heinz field, but we can do better.
So here is what I will give you today. This folks, is what I hope to see from the Panther Pre-game this season, and as a bonus, the 5 most likely songs the team will come out to.
Now call me a sucker, but I really liked getting Roc involved with a pregame package before the team comes out. They probably wont do that again for a long time, but it's wishful thinking that they might bring something like that back again. Also, last year, at a meeting with the powers that be at the Pitt Athletics Dept. we suggested having people wear the opposing teams gear and be near the river walk. As they are walking along, Roc comes out of nowhere and spears them into the river. We thought it was great, Jeff Long apparently did not. So here is my suggestion, while lighting the opposing team's jersey on fire would be best suited for WVU, why not get a football with the opposing teams logo on it or something, and have Roc punt it into the river. Its cheap, its easy, and it's fun. The only negative I could see from this would be a possible little citation from Little Luke Ravenstahl, but here at Pitt, we're mad rich and can afford that. Other than that, bring back the old stuff (just not script).
Now I bring to you my suggested 5 songs for the team intro. The last on I really liked was called Sirius and it's the same one the Chicago Bulls enter to. We used it when WaHa (walt harris) was here and showed him leading the team to the field. So without further delay here are my 5 suggested intro songs.
1. Crazy (as performed by Seal) - Well the new logo looks like an otter which is a partially aquatic animal like a seal, so it fits that Seal would be the new intro. Probably not the most inspiring song, but hey lets have a commonality among things here people.
2. Thunderstruck (as performed by AC/DC) - Jason Jones and I talk about this all the time. Yinzer nation loves AC/DC and Styx. So since the steelers use Styx as their intro, Pitt can claim dibbs on Thunderstruck. Steeler fans would come to the game to hear the song and the Pitt students from Pittsburgh should like it as well. Also, if we're worried about selling tickets to games like EMU, Grambling, and Navy, then why not have AC/DC do a post-game concert. Guaranteed standing room only crowd.
3. Rock You Like a Hurricane (as performed by the Berlin Sympharmonic Orchestra featuring the Scorpions) - We used it last year, and it was ok. It just wasn't loud enough. I think it can stay for another year, just crack that s*** up!!!
4. Hustlin (as performed by Rick Ross) - Ok I know, this song is way outdated in terms of hip hop standards, and I thought it should have been used for basketball last year (not the other rick ross song about selling illegal substances). Since the arrival of Buddy Morris our team has been Hustlin and would fit perfectly.
5. Boom (as performed by POD) - The used to play this song to introduce the Panther Pitt (I dont even know if it still exists or was replaced by code blue?). The song was so bad it became funny. After many discussions with the Queen of Pitt Athletics (miss Nora D. herself) we decided to embrace the song. To our surprise, it actually grew on us. Jason Jones and I would provide the music at a social function each and every friday night at his old house and Boom was always on the playlist, even 4 or 5 times. Picture this, a good highlight video package from last season (especially the Kinder block) while BOOM HERE COMES THE BOOM is playing in the back. Sends chills down my back, I dont know about you.
So basically if you skipped to this part of the article here is what you missed. Bring back some of the old intro stuff from the days of WaHa. Involve Roc more. Have AC/DC play a show at Heinz Field following the game, and play more POD!
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