Pitt Preview

by Big Ute on Jul 14, 2010 8:02 AM MDT

I got this information from the U of Pitt website & Yahoo sports 2010 college football preview.

Offense:

QB: Tino Sunseri "or" Pat Bostick: Sunseri, a sophomore, has 17 career pass attempts and is the projected starter this season. Bostick, a junior, has played in 16 games and started 9 of those games in 2007 and 2008.

TB: Dion Lewis & Ray Graham: Lewis rushed for 1799 yds and 17 touchdowns last season. Graham is next on the depth chart and almost as good as Lewis.

FB: Henry Hynoski: This guy is very good at blocking, rushing, and receiving. He had 15 catches for 109 yds last season and rushed 4.5 yds per carry.

WR: Jonathan Baldwin will be their best guy at this position. He's 6'5'' and jumps a few feet vertically. Baldwin caught 57 passes for 1111 yards and 8 touchdowns last season. Mike Shanahan is a 6' 5'' sophomore. Last season he made a big catch on 3rd down which helped Pitt win their bowl game. Aaron Smith, Greg Cross, and Cameron Saddler may also see time at this position. (Pitt lost 2 of their starters from last season).

TE: Pitt lost both TE's from last season (i.e. Dickerson & Byham). Byham was all Big-East last season while Dickerson was a first team all-american & Mackey award finalist. Pitt will replace these two with 2 sophomores. This is considered Pitt's "youngest position on offense."

LT: Jason Pinkston: a 3rd year starter, 1st team all Big East and 2nd team all America last season

RT: Lucas Nix: started all 13 games last season.

Center, LG, RG: All 3 starters from last year are gone... this will be a weak spot for Pitt. Pitt lost an all Big East RG, a 4 yr starter LG, and Center Robb Houser.

Defense: ( Pitt lead country in QB sacks last season... 80% of sacks caused by their defense which had 37 QB sacks)

DE- Greg Romeus & J. Sheard combine for 13 sacks, 22 TFL's, and 23 QB hurries last season. Greg Romeus (along with Jonathan Baldwin & Dion Lewis) will be a candidate for several awards this season.

DT: Pitt lost both starters from last season, one of which was the Big East Defensive player of the year and the other was all Big East. The Nose tackle position will be replaced by Myles Caragin, a junior, who had 5 sacks and 7.5 TFL's last season and was the top back-up last season. The other tackle will be replaced by junior Chas Alecxih who had 4 sacks and 5 TFL's as a backup last season.

Will Linebacker: Max Gruder will return as starter. Last season he led the team with 91 tackles.

Sam Linebacker: Greg Williams will return as starter.

Middle Linebacker: Pitt lost their starter Adam Gunn at this position who was 1st team all Big East last season. They replace him with Dan Mason, who played in that position last season when Adam Gunn was injured. Last season, against Navy, Mason had 2 sacks and 11 tackles.

SS: DeCicco returns as starter. He had 88 tackles and 3 interceptions last season. He's considered one of the best safeties in the Big East.

FS: J. Holley: He returns as a starter. He had 3 interceptions last season and 48 tackles.

CB: Pitt lost both starting cornerbacks. They lost Aaron Berry who was 2 time all Big East, and J. Chappel who was a 4 yr starter. Pitt will replace them with: Ricky Gary who is a 3 yr letterman with 10 career starts and Antwuan Reed who was a top reserve the last 2 seasons. There is also a JC transfer (S. Imoru) that might see playing time.

Note: Pitt intercepted 15 passes last season, 9 of them were intercepted by the safeties (DeCicco & Holley combine for 6 of those).

Special Teams:

Place Kicker & Punter: Dan Hutchins returns with all Big East honors from last season (Luke Briggs, who was their kick off specialist last season, graduated).

Kick Return: Cameron Saddler (25.3 yds avg) and Ray Graham (22.5 yds avg). Saddler is considered one of the best returners in the Big East.

Punt Return: Aaron Smith (6.4 yds avg) is back again at that spot.

Note: "Pitt needs to improve its punt coverage after allowing 9.5 yards per return and 1 touchdown last season. The kickoff coverage wasn't that good either."

Analysis:

Offense:

I think that Pitt will be like Utah last season in that Cain either ran the ball or had Asiata, Wide, or Shak run the ball. Dion Lewis and Ray Graham will see a lot of carries, with FB Henry Hynoski helping to block for them. Pitt's O-line is not going to be what it was last season, since they are replacing their Center, RG, and LG with a new players.

Pitt will not have the depth at WR, having lost 2 starters... one of which is in the top 10 for carrier receiving yards at Pitt. However, they do have Jonathan Baldwin, who (along with Dion Lewis & Greg Romeus) is a candidate for several awards this season. Both Baldwin and Shanahan are 6'5'' which can be a problem trying to cover them. I doubt that QB Tino Sunseri will be throwing all over the field in his first big game, so I think that Pitt will stick to their run game... however, Baldwin is good enough to catch even crappy passes.

At tight end, Pitt lost both starters, both of which were very good. They are replaced Mike Cruz, who gained some experience as a reserve last season, and had a 2 yard touchdown. Andrew Devlin is a transfer from Virginia that was on their team in 2007 & 2008, but "sat out last year under NCAA transfer rules." However, neither of these guys will be nearly as good as the starters that were lost.

The Offense tackles will be some of the best in the Big East this year and will be a strong point for Pitt.

Defense:

Pitts defensive ends will probably be one of the best duos in the country this season. In the yahoo college football preview, it says: "This season, opposing offensive lineman could pay even more attention to Romeus with the departure of DT Mick Williams in the interior." Pitts replacements at DT will not be as good as their starters from last season, so the Utes can put a little more focus on Romeus and Sheard.

Pitt has a new MLB, Dan Mason, who has some experience from last season when the starter was injured. Will Linebacker Max Gruner (led the team with tackles last season) & Sam Linebacker Greg Williams will return as starters, but yahoo sports said that these two guys "have room to improve." It seems like the best of the bunch is Gruner with 91 tackles last season.

Pitt will be solid at safety position, but they take a hit in the CB position having lost their starters. It seems like that will be another weakness for Pitt.

Tweet Comment 27 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

What I meant was....

When Pitt plays Utah, Tino Sunseri will be starting in his first big game as QB. So, Pitt will probably have him handing off the ball to the running backs more often than throwing the ball. Similar to what T. Cain was doing at Utah at the beginning of last season. If Sunseri does throw, it will probably not be down field, but probably short passes.

by Big Ute on Jul 14, 2010 8:36 AM MDT reply actions

if i was coach whitt i would blitz alot and not just from lb. from safeties and cb's as well

i would also have a player on the defense just watch pitts best player in lewis. sort of like their assignments when you play air force . we need to make this guy throw and get as much pressure as we can on him . it’s a night game too which will make it even harder for him. i say we get to him a few times in the first half and he will be rattled. might see two pittt qb’s for this game. (on purpose) i see utah winning 31 -24.

I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. I still will always follow the Mountain West Conference. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez and face the winner of Junior Dos Santos vs Roy Nelson where he will defeat JDS and stake his claim as pound for pound champion. Womens MMA, the next big thing in sports. 50 days and counting to the first game of college football. UTAH vs Pitt. September 2nd 2010.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jul 14, 2010 3:58 PM MDT up reply actions

Agree

I think Utah will win this game, but it will be a long night if Utah cannot contain Lewis & Graham or find a way to cover WR’s Baldwin & Shanahan (both 6’5’’). I think Pitt has the same game plan with blitzing Wynn. Finding a way to protect Wynn from Romeus and Sheard is a must. Pitt will be weak in the CB position, so if Wynn throws downfield, we might be putting up big points.

by Big Ute on Jul 14, 2010 5:56 PM MDT reply actions

Pitt probably has the same plan

but they don’t have the same personnel. Their interior OL (C and both OGs) is all new players. Our OL is all multi-year starters except one tackle spot that will be filled by the top JUCO OL in the country (with offers from Oklahoma, USC, Texas, Tennessee, etc).

Now, our LBs will have to work their tails off (I think we’ll see Williams, King and Hale because they’re fast instead of the slower but bigger hitting guys like VJ)

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Jul 14, 2010 6:05 PM MDT up reply actions

Agree

Our O-line is stacked and should give Wynn good protection. On defense we lost a lot, but most of the guys who are starting have seen plenty of game time in the past.

I think that Bergstrom has plenty of experience blocking Jerry Hughes last season which will help him against Romeus. Schlauderhoff has been starting forever and should be able to stop Sheard.

On defense, we will probably focus first on shutting down the run game. Sunseri will be forced to pass and 80 percent of the time he will be looking to pass to Baldwin.

by Big Ute on Jul 14, 2010 7:01 PM MDT up reply actions

actually when the other team blitzes you throw slants(quick routes over the middle) like we did vs california in poinsettia bowl

once we score a few td’s with that i think they won’t blitz as much. i really expect a big dose of running by pitt but if they get behind early they will have to throw. plus we have an experienced offensive line.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jul 14, 2010 6:44 PM MDT up reply actions

Shutting down the run will be hard...

there’s a reason why Dion Lewis rushed for 1799 yds last season. That’s like 800 yds more than Eddie Wide. He probably got so many yards because Pitt relies heavily on rushing. If we can stop Lewis, Pitt is screwed because they will have to rely on a new QB to make big time passes. Tino Sunseri has a strong arm and can throw downfield. I don’t doubt that he could be like Wynn and throw downfield, so we will need be able to cover the WR’s. It would not surprise me either if Pitt used both of their QB’s.

by Big Ute on Jul 14, 2010 7:09 PM MDT reply actions

Check out my post on utefans.net

I have a bunch of links that will give you more preview on the pitt panthers
http://www.utefans.net/archive.php?id=5767&action=View

by Big Ute on Jul 14, 2010 7:31 PM MDT reply actions

Video clips from Youtube of some of the Pitt players from last season

Greg Romeus (DE)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=andFy1JJZFw

Jabaal Sheard (DE)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka7wpg2TnzY

Jonathan Baldwin (WR)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sPxeIzAzTo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LE2jhSG3bEs&feature=PlayList&p=466AE3D11AA3066A&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=64

Dion Lewis (TB)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCMGvFoNwLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKhXJdo9Cow

Ray Graham (TB)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4oXdB13edA&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oQQwa2D60U

Tino Sunseri (QB)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQhsOGvV4V8

by Big Ute on Jul 15, 2010 2:48 AM MDT reply actions

You really never know...

what’s going to happen the first couple weeks of the season.

This game could go either way.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Jul 15, 2010 9:45 AM MDT reply actions

but it's at our homefield at night, at 4700 feet with a qb with 17 throws in career.

that is four negatives right out of the box. i like our chances.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jul 15, 2010 2:41 PM MDT up reply actions

Here's what Phil Steele said on his facebook page

“Pitt at Utah Sept 2nd – Utah won in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl 35-7 (only prev meeting). Pitt is #107 in my Experience Chart (page 311) while Utah is #57. Utah’s altitude edge is expanded because they have been home all month. Pitt has a young QB and Oline making their first road starts at night in front of a loud and enthusiastic crowd. Utah is 17-1 at home the last 3 years and will be fired up for this one. Utah 27-24.”

by Big Ute on Jul 16, 2010 2:22 AM MDT reply actions

Utah's First Game

Always scary that first one.

They have a QB with 9 starts on their team? OK, so they have a capable backup QB.

They spread the field with two 6’5" wideouts that can jump making matchups on both sides of the field tough—against our depleted secondary. We play lots of man but do we have enough talent to cover two guys like that? Against ’Bama we had one decent receiver to cover, Pitt will likely field three guys they can go to becuase . . . they also love to toss to their tight end—something we see a lot of but not against teams with stud talent in other positions. They have two good backs in the backfield at FB and HB so they can pound it.

Essentially, it will be far worse than defending against BYU because the level of talent will be superior to BYUs. The question is do they coach that offense as well as BYU coaches theirs? Luckily, Defense is always ahead of O in a first game which helps immensely.

They should have a good D this year as that is their specialty—if we get off on their D that would be great, especially in a first game where Utah is often hit and miss.

Come on altitude, hamper them!

by Aardvark on Jul 18, 2010 8:40 AM MDT reply actions

Pitt lost its top 2 TE's from last season...

so they should be a little weaker in that position. I agree that the height of their wide receivers will be a problem, especially since Baldwin is one of the best WR’s in the country. Pitt lost 2 WR’s from last year, one of which (Turner) finished in the top 10 for career receptions and receiving yards at Pitt. Mike Shanahan, a sophomore, had 15 catches for 211 yards last season (14.1 avg). Also, Aaron Smith, Cameron Saddler, and Greg Cross may see some playing time at WR. Since Pitt is starting a new QB, I think they will focus more on handing the ball to Dion Lewis and Ray Graham than passing to Baldwin or Shanahan. Although, I have read that the new QB Sunseri has a strong arm and can throw down field if he needs to.

by Big Ute on Jul 19, 2010 3:44 AM MDT up reply actions

one of their defensive ends got in a fight and is suspended indefintiely. probably means he will miss at least one game.

I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. Glory favors the bold. Chance favors the prepared mind. Luck, well i have that too. University of Utah goes to the Pac-12 conference in 2011. I expect them to compete immediately for the conference CG. I still will always follow the Mountain West Conference. Brock Lesnar will defeat Cain Velasquez and face the winner of Junior Dos Santos vs Roy Nelson where he will defeat JDS and stake his claim as pound for pound champion. Womens MMA, the next big thing in sports. 45 days and counting to the first game of college football. UTAH vs Pitt. September 2nd 2010.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jul 19, 2010 11:03 AM MDT up reply actions

It amounts to a bowl game at the beginning of the year. What a great way to start the year! If the Ute D can stop the the run and hit their QB early and often this game could get ugly quick for the Panthers. I see Utah winning in stride and style then catapulting up in the rankings replacing PITT in the top 20. UTAH 31 PITT 10

by Ute95 on Jul 18, 2010 2:03 PM MDT reply actions

Pitt is solid in the offensive tackle position with both starters returning...

but they are weak in the middle where they lost both guards and their center. Unless their center is a fast learner, it is going to be a long night for Pitt’s O-line.

by Big Ute on Jul 19, 2010 3:51 AM MDT up reply actions

New starting center and QB playing their first game on the road, equals false starts and a fumbled exchange or two. Utah replaces all starting LBs. If they are any good, the Utes fill gaps and missed assignments by Pitt’s new interior linemen equaling the beginning of Dion Lewis’ sophomore Jinx. If they are bad, Utah will struggle all year defensively.

Aside from seeing how the LBs will hold up, I’m curious about the match up between Romeus and Cullen. We all know Cullen was a highly rated LT out of JC last year, but Cain was the National JC Player of the Year and got replaced by a true freshman halfway through the year. We’ll see how Cullen protects Wynn’s blindside in his first game against one of the top DEs in the country. Pitt led the country in sacks last year and is solid against the run. But they did lose to the two best passing teams they faced all year and now replace both starting corners. If they can protect Wynn, I like Utah’s chance of putting up big yards in the air.

The Utes offense should be sharper in the first game of the season because almost all of their key guys return, while Pitt replaces three linemen, including center, not to mention new QB and TE.

Utah uses a short, quick passing game to offset QB pressure and build an early lead. Pitt breaks off some big plays though to keep the score close. Utah’s WR by committee starts to break down Pitt’s cornerbacks. Utah’s deep D line starts getting into the Pitt backfield with ease.

The altitude and crowd wears them down by the fourth quarter and Utah gets a timely turnover as the Panthers are trying to play catch up, but throw a pick. I think it’ll be close. Pitt lost 3 games last year by a combined 11 points. They’re not going to lose by 3 touchdowns in one game. Utes run out the clock out of Asiata formation for a 31-24 final score.

by UteinBrooklyn on Jul 18, 2010 3:51 PM MDT reply actions

I remember when I first moved to Utah and went on a run...

breathing was difficult. I think altitude will play a role in this game.

by Big Ute on Jul 19, 2010 3:53 AM MDT up reply actions

Big difference between Cullen and Cain.

Cullen had offers from all over, including some huge names like Oklahoma, Texas, USC, Oregon, Tennessee, Florida, etc.
Cain had one offer other than Utah: Houston. He’s a good kid and fits our system, but he wasn’t exactly on fire in the recruit world, despite his huge numbers.

Everyone hates a pink-shirt-wearing communist.

by displacedute on Jul 19, 2010 3:54 PM MDT up reply actions

With the news that Jabaal Sheard is suspended...

Pitt has lost both DT starters from last season and now they are losing a key DE. If J. Sheard is not playing against the Utes, then we can give that much more attention to stopping Romeus. Backups for Sheard with experience could be Brandon Lindsey, Shayne Hale, or Nate Nix.

by Big Ute on Jul 19, 2010 3:25 AM MDT reply actions

I found this link on Utefans.net... here's a good preview of the game

http://cfn.scout.com/2/984602.html

by Big Ute on Jul 19, 2010 4:16 AM MDT reply actions

Sheard suspended

This is significant. Sheard along with Romeus were rated as the best DE tandem in the country by some accounts. The Ute’s offense should be further along anyway simply because they return so many starters. Now, with one less all-conference-type to contend with in the backfield, I look for the Utes to put up big numbers through the air.

by UteinBrooklyn on Jul 19, 2010 12:24 PM MDT reply actions