SB Nation - Jason Hendricks

New York safety Jalen Williams picks Pitt

FloodCityPanther — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 21:58:42 -0000

Pitt received some good news this morning as three star prospect, Jalen Williams, verbally pledged to play for Pitt over Syracuse, Buffalo, and Temple. Williams is a 6-2 180 pound safety from Newburgh, New York. He is rated as a three star by both Rivals and Scout. Rivals lists him as the 6th best prospect in the state of New York, while Scout names Williams as the 68th best Safety in the country.

Williams is just the second player to commit to Paul Chryst for the 2014 recruiting class, and as we have mentioned before, the class is off to a slow start. Still, Williams fills a need, as you always need depth in the defensive backfield. New York is not typically a hot spot for recruiting, but it has given the Panthers Jahmahl Pardner and Alex Officer in recent recruiting classes.

Williams is not highly rated, but he will join a depleted Safety unit in 2014 after Jason Hendricks graduates. At this point, Pitt and their fans can not be too picky with who commits to the Panthers. This recruiting class is off to a slow start, but Williams could be a hidden gem. Welcome to Pitt, Jalen!

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics.

Pitt in the Lindy's college football preview

FloodCityPanther — Tue, 28 May 2013 20:00:04 -0000

If you're like me, you would purchase two or three college football previews and memorize them like the Bible over the course of the next three months. In all likelihood, not everyone likes to do that. With that said, here is a brief rundown of what the Lindy's annual college football magazine said about the Panthers.

Tom Savage is among ten players they list as "Comeback Players" for the 2013 season. Obviously his comeback is not injury related, but it has been a while since Savage has played college football. His play, whether good or bad will impact the season for the Panthers.

The most celebrated Panther in the magazine is without surprise, Aaron Donald. He is named to the second team preseason All American team, as well as being honored as the fourth best defensive tackle in the country. Donald is on first team all ACC. He is joined on the first team by safety, Jason Hendricks. Devin Street is the only other Panther with All ACC honors, as he is listed on the third team.

As a team, Pitt is not given much respect. They are ranked 58th in the country, fifth in the ACC Coastal Dixision, and eighth in the ACC overall. Pitt has many questions with a new quarterback, some depth issues, and a shaky offensive line. The defense appears to be one of the better ones in the ACC, but is that enough for Pitt to exceed the expectations? We'll have to wait and see.

Five reasons to be excited for Pitt Football in 2013...and five reasons why you should be worried

Pat O'Mahony — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:00:04 -0000

Football season is a little over five months away. It may seem like a long way away, but it will be here before you know it. We're deep into the doldrums of the dead season. No football. No basketball. We all have to pretend like we follow the baseball team. Dark times indeed. To hold you all over and to get a little conversation going about the 2013 season, I present five reasons to get excited for the 2013 campaign. And as a Pitt fan, it is also my job to also bring you five reasons to be fearful of next season, because let's face it, the first five things will never pan out.

Five reasons to be excited:

Year two under Paul Chryst: The anti-Graham, as I like to call him, will have another year to implement his system and mold his players. There has been roster cleansing this spring, and more may come, but Chryst is slowly getting "his" players. Another year should mean more progress.
A new quarterback: My money is on Tom Savage, the well-traveled Senior. Chad Voytik may make a push in the fall or see early playing time if Savage underperforms. In either case, it will be nice to see a new face under center.
The defense should be pretty good: The secondary, led by K'Waun Williams, Lafayette Pitts, and Jason Hendricks, should be physical and the strength of the defense. Aaron Donald and Ty Ezell will pack a punch in the middle of the line. The linebackers are always a question mark, but Todd Thomas is solid and Anthony Gonzalez has been getting some good reviews in spring for his athleticism.
New blood: Pitt had a pretty decent recruiting class, all things considered. It will be interesting to see if redshirt Freshman Adam Bisnowaty sees playing time. The same can be said for true freshman Tyler Boyd and Dorian Johnson.
ACC foes: The home schedule should excite the fan base. A few wins would help, too. Nothing would be better than on Labor Day when the Seminoles of Florida State come to Heinz Field.

And now, if you weren't a naturally pessimistic Pitt fan (hah!), here are some reasons for concern:

A new quarterback: What's that you say? I just said that was a reason to be excited above, I know, but I guess things can always get worse. The fear of the unknown, etc. etc.
Offensive line: Quick. Name Pitt's possible starting o-line for next year. You can't. Depth will also be an issue, meaning the aforementioned Johnson and Bisnowaty may be forced into action before they're ready.
Running Back depth: I'm confident in Isaac Bennett and company, but I'm not confident in their ability to suddenly multiply. If one or two guys go down, this group will be even more thin than they are right now if that's even possible.
Special Teams: Pitt needs more out of its kicking and return games, plain and simple. Kicking cost them at South Bend where they could have spared the nation a blowout in the BCS title game. Freshman Chris Blewitt is a headline writers dream and will compete for the starting PK job. I don't see how this can end bad...
ACC foes: Again, another contradiction. The ACC schedule is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing for fans wanting to see quality opponents and surely for those selling tickets in the Athletic Department. It may be a curse for a team a year or two away from reaching its full potential. I have 2014 pegged as a year where Pitt can make some noise, but they may have to take their lumps in 2013.

So there you have it. Pitt is capable of having a solid introductory campaign in the ACC. They could also have a bumpy ride. As Pitt fans, we've learned to expect the worst and hope for the best.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics.

Pitt quarterback Tom Savage struggling in spring practices

CardiacHill — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:00:04 -0000

I preface this piece by saying that if you're not already reading the Post-Gazette's Sam Werner for spring football updates, you're missing out. He's got regular updates on every practice and the bulk of my links in this post are to his blog. Check it out.

It's virtually assumed that quarterback transfer Tom Savage is Pitt's quarterback for 2013. Redshirt freshman Chad Voytik could overtake him at some point, but when the Panthers open the season against Florida State, it would be a bit of an upset if Savage wasn't under center.

That doesn't mean he's impressing a ton in the spring. Savage has had some bright spots, but there have been plenty of signs to indicate he may struggle this season.

Savage looked pretty sharp in Thursday's practice according to the Post-Gazette's Sam Werner, but struggled mightily in Tuesday's session, tossing two interceptions. That was preceded by a miserable scrimmage where he completed only five of 18 passes earlier in the week.

Werner also has said that Savage has struggled with safety reads. And he's also had some passes that should have been interceptions.

For what it's worth, he played better in the first scrimmage (16-30 for 149 yards and two touchdowns), but it seems as if the bad performances have outweighed the good so far.

It's interesting to note that it seems that while Savage is getting the bulk of the first-team work, Voytik is getting his opportunities as well, as the Trib's Jerry DiPaola pointed out recently. That's a good thing in my opinion. Savage needs to work with them to get acclimated to the receivers, but head coach Paul Chryst also needs to get Voytik work with them as well. There's no guarantee that Savage makes it through the entire year as the starter.

The spotty play shouldn't surprise anyone at this point. Savage has not played competitively for a few years and even when he did at Rutgers, wasn't spectacular.

One thing I want to make clear, though, is that Pitt's secondary is expected to be good. Very good, actually. Lafayette Pitts will be a dominant player at some point in his Pitt career, I'm convinced. Jason Hendricks was the Big East leader in interceptions last season and K'Waun Williams returns as a starter last season. The secondary could be the best unit on the team.

That said, Savage's struggles aren't making me feel real good so far. And, oh yeah, the Rushel Shell loss doesn't help matters. We keep hearing about how strong his arm is, but if he's not accurate, that doesn't really matter. He's still got a while to get things figured out, but there's reason to be at least a little concerned about Pitt's passing game.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics.

Were Panthers lacking in talent in 2012?

CardiacHill — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 13:00:03 -0000

ESPN is wound down its top 25 players in the Big East for 2012. No. 1 was revealed this week and to little surprise, it was Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater. So with that said, here's the final tally of top 25 players for each team in 2012:

Louisville - 5

Syracuse - 5

Rutgers -3

Cincinnati - 3

UConn - 3

Temple - 3

Pitt - 3

South Florida - 0

I've got Pitt slotted in next to last place even though technically they tied for third with several other teams. The problem for Pitt, though, was that they ranked last among that group in terms of their highest ranked player. Pitt's Ray Graham was their highest player at No. 15 - everyone else had at least one player in the top ten.

Were the Panthers actually a bit light on talent this year? I'd say so. You could make an argument that Tino Sunseri or Mike Shanahan should have made this list, but their omissions aren't shocking. Only two quarterbacks got on the list and both of those, Teddy Bridgewater and Ryan Nassib, rightfully should have been listed above Sunseri. Another that I'd maybe make a case for is Jason Hendricks, who led the conference in interceptions. But, you just can't fit everyone in.

Pitt just didn't have a lot of playmakers this season and it's hard to argue they should have had more players listed. The good news is that Pitt has a boatload of talent ahead of them. I've said it before, but I don't think Pitt will take a significant step ahead next season. But in 2014, the Panthers should be ready to rock and roll.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics.

Pitt football: 6 players win Big East honors

Matt Brigidi — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:45:59 -0000

Six members of the Pittsburgh Panthers were named to the All-Big East team on Thursday morning, according to an official announcement by the league.

Senior running back Ray Graham and junior defensive lineman Aaron Donald were included on the first team, while red-shirted seniors Mike Shanahan and Ryan Turnley, as well as red-shirted juniors Devin Street and Jason Hendricks were named to the second team.

This is the second consecutive year that Graham has been named to the first team. He earned this year's honor thanks to 1,042 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 222 attempts, in addition to 36 receptions for 340 yards and two touchdowns.

Donald was a member of the second team last year and managed to jump to the first team by leading the league in tackles for a loss (18.5) and registering 63 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and a team-leading 11 hurries.

For Hendricks, Shanahan, Street and Turnley, this was their first All-Big East honors.

2012 Heisman Watch: Some season-ending silliness from Geno Smith

Bill C. — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:51:51 -0000

I always try to take a unique approach to the weekly Heisman column. Otherwise it's just no fun -- you're going to deliver the same names as everybody else, and you're going to basically be writing the same column from week to week. The goal of the Heisman Horse Race was to basically award a Heisman each week, and giving out points for a Top 10 performance (10 points for first place, nine for second, et cetera) and keeping a running, cumulative point total each week. I had no idea what this approach was going to tell us, but it turns out our Horse Race winner is almost certainly going to be the real winner, too: Texas A&M's Johnny Manziel.

We did learn two things with this approach, however. First of all, September performances really don't count for much. It's how you do when the real games start that seems to matter. Second, in the real Heisman race, you can be penalized. In the Horse Race, you cannot. The primary example for each of these lessons: Geno Smith.

The Top 10 from Week 14

1. Geno Smith, West Virginia

Entering October, Geno Smith had built more of a Heisman case than anybody had ever done in just a month of action. Smith put up absolutely silly statistics against mostly bad defenses, and West Virginia reached 5-0 and fifth in the AP poll without any semblance of a defense whatsoever. But then October happened. Smith was rendered inefficient by actually decent defenses, and, more importantly, West Virginia lost five games in a row. Smith was completely eliminated from the actual Heisman race, but because of his gaudy early point totals, he remained atop the Horse Race standings into November.

Smith's slump lasted long enough that Johnny Manziel was able to eventually pass him, but wow, did he finish the regular season on a high note. Yes, West Virginia had the luxury of playing against Kansas' defense in the season finale, but as I've said many times, you can still prove yourself against bad opponents. And I would say that Smith proved himself: 23-for-24 passing, three touchdowns, one interception, and a ridiculous 16.0 yards per pass attempt. Anybody can average 8.0 yards per pass attempt versus Kansas. Not just anybody can double that. Smith had one of the oddest years in recent memory, but wow, did he know how to punish bad defenses. Despite the fact that these two teams really weren't actually playing for anything, a 96-percent completion rate earns you the top spot on the list.

2. Johnathan Franklin, UCLA

A week after being rendered moot against Stanford, Franklin exploded in the rematch. He carried 19 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns and caught three more passes for 22 yards. Stanford just doesn't allow those types of yards, but UCLA figured out ways to free up Franklin, and it almost won them the Pac-12 title.

3. Eddie Lacy, Alabama

Eddie Lacy runs strong and mean, and his performance in the SEC title game was probably the strongest and meanest of his life. Alabama faced a double-digit deficit in the second half and couldn't really throw the ball very well, so they just handed to Lacy, and then T.J. Yeldon, and Lacy, and Yeldon. Yeldon's 153 yards earned him Honorable Mention status on this list, but Lacy gained 181 on just 20 carries and set a tone that Georgia could not counter.

(Side note, you could probably more accurately give the No. 3 spot to center Barrett Jones, or make it a five-way tie among Alabama's offensive linemen. But Lacy still earned quite a few of those yards even if the Alabama line was dominant.)

4. Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin

When your third-string running back rushes for 200 yards, it is safe to say that you probably won big. And when you earn the No. 4 spot on this list with just nine touches, it is safe to say you did something special.

That Melvin Gordon's coming-out party came in the Big Ten title game was both unique and impressive, but it was indeed a coming-out party. Gordon carried the ball nine times and gained 216 yards. That's a per-carry average of 24 yards. That's also ridiculous. And I already linked to it yesterday, but I can't help but do it again. This run was simply spectacular.

5. Stedman Bailey, West Virginia

One other interesting aspect to the Horse Race: Stedman Bailey's three or four incredible games were big enough to get him all the way to fourth place in the final standings. It is worth noting that, while Smith indeed struggled against better defenses, and while WVU's defense was still the primary culprit in the Mountaineers' slide, a nagging injury to Bailey probably made as big an impact as anything else. When healthy, he is outstanding. He caught 11 of 11 passes on Saturday for 159 yards and two scores. And yes, he is the second of three WVU offensive players on this list. Again, it's one thing to dominate a bad defense; it's another to decimate it.

6. Jarvis Jones, Georgia

Manti Te'o is the real Heisman finalist, but Jones produced the best stats in 2012. He finished the regular season by doing Jarvis Jones Things™ versus Alabama, logging 4.5 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble and serving as, probably, the primary reason why Georgia almost built a big enough lead to hold off the Tide and reach the national title game. He almost single-handedly won a couple of games for Georgia this season, and he was incredible again on Saturday.

7. Collin Klein, Kansas State

Klein threw just 14 passes and rushed 15 times in a grind-it-out-then-explode win over Texas, but on a per-play basis he was his old Klein self. In his final game in Manhattan, he completed eight of 14 passes for 184 yards, a touchdown and a pick, averaged 12.1 yards per pass attempt, and ground out 105 rushing yards and two scores. He should just patent that stat line. It feels like he pulled that one off a few different times this season.

8. Tavon Austin, West Virginia

From Tuesday's Numerical:

515. Rushing yards gained by West Virginia's Tavon Austin in three games since his move to running back, or at least a running back-like position. Against Oklahoma, Iowa State and Kansas, Austin rushed 47 times for 495 yards and three touchdowns. He also still caught 14 passes for 291 yards and a touchdown (he had 77 rushing yards and 110 receiving yards in Saturday's 59-10 win over Kansas). Not that he could have maintained this pace for a full 12 games, but if he had … that's a pace for 1,980 rushing yards, 1,164 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. That's also a pace for a free trip to New York City for the Heisman ceremony. Alas. (Call this West Virginia Heisman What-If No. 2.)

Really, players No. 4-8 on this list were entirely interchangeable, and Austin's performance was just as deserving of the No. 4 spot as Gordon's.

9. Montee Ball, Wisconsin

Wisconsin and West Virginia dominated this week's list (five of the top nine, with two other offensive players garnering Honorable Mention), and for obvious reasons. Neither team could be stopped. Ball logged a nearly effortless, 202-yard, three-touchdown performance against Nebraska, and while I'm still a little miffed that he was named a Doak Walker Award finalist over Arizona's Ka'Deem Carey, the two finished with the same number of points in the Horse Race, so I guess I cannot complain anymore.

10. Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State
Joplo Bartu, Texas State
Akeem Daniels, Northern Illinois
Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh
Lache Seastrunk, Baylor

For the third straight week, I couldn't decide who most deserved the No. 10 spot, so I gave it to a lot of people. Aplin completed 19 of 21 passes, averaged 11.3 yards per pass attempt, and gained 64 rushing yards in six carries in a Sun Belt title-winning performance against MTSU. Bartu logged eight tackles for loss, which is amazing even against New Mexico State. Daniels dominated Kent State, gaining 195 yards in 22 touches in the MAC title game win that earned NIU an Orange Bowl bid. Donald destroyed USF's offense (with plenty of help from USF itself) and, basically, got Skip Holtz fired with four tackles for loss and a pass break-up. And Seastrunk did this.

I'm going to enjoy a full year of Seastrunk as Baylor's No. 1 back next fall. Stay healthy, Lache.

2012 Heisman Horse Race Totals (Through 14 Weeks)

38 points: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (HEISMAN FINALIST)
36 points: Geno Smith, West Virginia
30 points: Marqise Lee, USC
27 points: Stedman Bailey, West Virginia
26 points: Collin Klein, Kansas State (HEISMAN FINALIST)
24 points: Jarvis Jones, Georgia
20 points: Aaron Murray, Georgia
19 points: Marcus Mariota, Oregon
18 points: Tavon Austin, West Virginia; Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State; Giovani Bernard, North Carolina; Johnathan Franklin, UCLA; Braxton Miller, Ohio State
16 points: Eddie Lacy, Alabama
15 points: Kenjon Barner, Oregon
14 points: David Ash, Texas; Denard Robinson, Michigan
13 points: Connor Shaw, South Carolina
12 points: Manti Te'o, Notre Dame (HEISMAN FINALIST)
11 points: Montee Ball, Wisconsin; Ka'Deem Carey, Arizona
10 points: Andrew Buie, West Virginia; Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina; Jeff Driskel, Florida; E.J. Manuel, Florida State; John Simon, Ohio State
9 points: Matt Barkley, USC; Tajh Boyd, Clemson; Seth Doege, Texas Tech; Zach Mettenberger, LSU; Stephen Morris, Miami
8 points: Morgan Breslin, USC; Montel Harris, Temple; Robert Marve, Purdue; A.J. McCarron, Alabama; Damontre Moore, Texas A&M
7 points: Kasey Carrier, New Mexico; Stefphon Jefferson, Nevada; Duke Johnson, Miami; Taylor Martinez, Nebraska; Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech; Prince Shembo, Notre Dame; De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon; Terrance Williams, Baylor
6 points: Kolton Browning, UL-Monroe; Ray Graham, Pittsburgh; Cobi Hamilton, Arkansas; Damien Holmes, UCLA; Alec Lemon, Syracuse; Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee; Theo Riddick, Notre Dame; Lache Seastrunk, Baylor
5 points: Tyler Bray, Tennessee; Allen Chapman, Kansas State; Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Oregon; Nick Florence, Baylor; Khaseem Greene, Rutgers; Stanley Jean-Baptiste, Nebraska; Bacarri Rambo, Georgia; Brandon Sharpe, Syracuse; Kyle Van Noy, BYU
4 points: Arthur Brown, Kansas State; Derek Carr, Fresno State; Mike Gillislee, Florida; Austin Hill, Arizona; Chris Thompson, Florida State; J.W. Walsh, Oklahoma State; Bjoern Werner, Florida State; Damien Williams, Oklahoma
3 points: Michael Carter, Minnesota; Kain Colter, Northwestern; Brandin Cooks, Oregon State; Deandre Hopkins, Clemson; Brett Hundley, UCLA; Dee Milliner, Alabama; Stepfan Taylor, Stanford; Robert Woods, USC
2 points: Andre Ellington, Clemson; Jordan Lynch, Northern Illinois; Sam Montgomery, LSU; Adam Muema, San Diego State; Jordan Poyer, Oregon State; Jalen Saunders, Oklahoma; Josh Stewart, Oklahoma State
1 point: Joplo Bartu, Texas State; Bene Benwikere, San Jose State; Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest; Akeem Daniels, Northern Illinois; Aaron Donald, Pittsburgh; Devin Gardner, Michigan; Everett Golson, Notre Dame; Marion Grice, Arizona State; Cody Hoffman, BYU; Stephen Houston, Indiana; Landry Jones, Oklahoma; Eddie Lackey, Baylor; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Matt McGloin, Penn State; Akeem Shavers, Purdue; Kerwynn Williams, Utah State

Week 14 Honorable Mention

Ken Bishop, Northern Illinois (6.0 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hurry versus Kent State)
Terrance Broadway, UL-Lafayette (13-for-20 passing, 168 yards, one touchdown; 15 carries for 123 yards and one touchdown versus FAU)
Andrew Buie, West Virginia (14 touches for 157 yards and one touchdown versus Kansas)
Marcus Cromartie, Wisconsin (6.0 tackles, one interception returned for touchdown, two passes broken up versus Nebraska)
Xzavier Dickson, Alabama (4.0 tackles, two tackles for loss, two sacks versus Georgia)
William Dukes, FAU (13 targets, nine catches, 204 yards, two touchdowns versus UL-Lafayette)
Todd Gurley, Georgia (26 touches for 125 yards and two touchdowns versus Alabama)
Nathan Herrold, Arkansas State (7.5 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception returned 45 yards, one pass broken up versus MTSU)
Ben Heeney, Kansas (6.0 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack versus West Virginia)
Jason Hendricks, Pittsburgh (3.5 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception, one pass broken up versus USF)
Karl Joseph, West Virginia (5.5 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one interception returned 22 yards, one pass broken up versus Kansas)
Brendan Kelly, Wisconsin (4.0 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks versus Nebraska)
Tavarres King, Georgia (six targets, five catches, 142 yards versus Alabama; all other Georgia passes: 14-for-28 for 139 yards)
Eddie Lackey, Baylor (13.5 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception returned for touchdown)
Sean Mannion, Oregon State (20-for-23 passing 211 yards, two touchdowns versus Nicholls State)
Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State (29 touches for 162 yards versus Baylor)
Albert Rosette, Nevada (11.5 tackles, two tackles for loss, one pass broken up versus Boise State)
Jared St. John, Tulsa (3.5 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, one quarterback hurry versus UCF)
Nick Temple, Cincinnati (5.5 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one pass broken up versus UConn)
Scott Vallone, Rutgers (3.0 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack versus Louisville)
Lorenzo Waters, Rutgers (four solo tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception returned 29 yards, one pass broken up versus Louisville)
Markus Wheaton, Oregon State (13 targets, 12 catches, 123 yards, one touchdown versus Nicholls State)
James White, Wisconsin (16 touches for 131 yards and four touchdowns; 1-for-1 passing for three yards and a touchdown versus Nebraska)
Damien Williams, Oklahoma (22 touches, 154 yards, two touchdowns versus TCU)
Karlos Williams, Florida State (9.5 tackles, one game-clinching interception versus Georgia Tech)
T.J. Yeldon, Alabama (25 carries for 153 yards, one touchdown versus Georgia)

USF Football First Look: Bulls vs. Pittsburgh Panthers

Jamie DeVriend — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 18:00:51 -0000

Our prayers are finally being answered, because as of this Saturday night around 10:30, we won't have to watch the 2012 Bulls play football anymore. We just have to get through that pesky last game of the season, and then we can sit back and see who gets fired.

------------

GAME: South Florida Bulls (3-8, 1-4 Big East) vs. Pittsburgh Panthers (5-6, 2-4 Big East)
WHERE: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa
DATE/TIME: Saturday, December 1, 7:00pm Eastern
TV/RADIO: ESPN2, 98.7 FM The Fan
TICKETS: Check for free tickets under windshields in the parking lots. There is no reason to pay money to see this game.

USF is 3-6 all-time against Pittsburgh. They won the famous first meeting in 2001, and back-to-back games in 2006 and 2007. The Panthers won in 2004-05, and have won the last four meetings, including a 44-17 punking last year that started the Bulls on the nosedive that they are still in.

CONFERENCE: Big East (22nd year). This is Pittsburgh's last Big East football game. They join the ACC next year along with Syracuse, and eventually most of the current Big East. Basically everyone except us, I assume.
WEB SITE: PittsburghPanthers.com
2012 SEASON: Pittsburgh's season has been wildly inconsistent, to say the least. They lost to FCS Youngstown State by two touchdowns and got scorched by Cincinnati to start the season, setting an all-time record for coach embattlement. Then they stomped Virginia Tech, lost to Syracuse by 1, hung tight with Louisville, and crushed Buffalo and Temple to regain some dignity. After a valiant effort against Notre Dame, a game they eventually lost in triple overtime, the Panthers had completely righted the ship. And then they went and lost to UConn, followed by a convincing win over Rutgers. The Panthers need to beat USF to gain bowl eligibility and set up a potential New York-style Backyard Brawl with West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl.
SB NATION SITE: Cardiac Hill has you covered for Pittsburgh news.
OTHER NEWS SOURCES: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PantherLair.com. Sadly, Beano Cook is no longer with us to serve as an additional source of Pitt news.

KEY OFFENSIVE PLAYERS: Tino Sunseri's numbers have been quietly spectacular -- close to 3000 yards passing, 18 TDs, and only two interceptions. Ray Graham is up near the 1000-yard mark running the ball, and Devin Street and Mike Shanahan are both dangerous receivers. The Bulls' defense will have their hands full, although they've had their hands full with much lesser talents.

KEY DEFENSIVE PLAYERS: Safety Jason Hendricks leads the team in both tackles (69) and interceptions (four). Defensive lineman Aaron Donald has 14.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, leading Pittsburgh in both marks. Injuries have hit the Panthers defense pretty hard, but they still have playmakers that USF needs to account for.

Pitt vs. Syracuse: Breaking down the two-deep

oaklandzoo12 — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:00:25 -0000

Dear ESPN: You suck. On to the depth chart.

QB: Tino Sunseri, Trey Anderson

Tino hasn't had the greatest performances following a bye week in the past and the Cuse seem to play their best on a Friday night. But he has had two great performances the past two games and in his last trip to the Dome he threw for four TDs, including one on Pitt's first offensive play.

RB: Ray Graham, Isaac Bennett, Rushel Shell

The running backs didn't have their best performance against Gardner-Webb, but I put more of that on the offensive line rather than the backs. Graham appears to be rounding into form, but we'll see on Friday how much more progress he has to make.

FB: Mark Giubilato, Adam Lazenga

One of the possible reasons that the ground game struggled was the absence of Giubilato, who sat out last week. We'll see this week if his return helps the running game.

WR: Mike Shanahan*, Devin Street*, Cameron Saddler, Joshua Brinson

Shanahan continues to have an outstanding season, catching five passes for 144 yards and two TDs against Gardner-Webb. Shanahan, Street, and Saddler all caught five passes in the last game, but they'll face a tough test in the Orange who rank in the top 25 in pass defense. Of course, Stony Brook and Minnesota aren't exactly known for their air attack.

TE: Hubie Graham, Drew Carswell, J.P. Holtz

It remains to be seen if Graham will see the field on Friday after injuring his clavicle against Cincinnati, but even if he doesn't, Carswell and Holtz have done well in his absence.

LT: Cory King, Adam Bisnowaty

LG: Chris Jacobson, Arthur Doakes

C: Ryan Turnley, Artie Rowell

RG: Ryan Schlieper, Shane Johnson

RT: Matt Rotheram, Zenel Demhasaj

The line didn't have their strongest performance against Gardner-Webb, but they did a good enough job that Tino was only sacked once. Syracuse is averaging just over two sacks a game, so this should be a tougher test for the Pitt line than the last game.

DE: T.J. Clemmings*, Bryan Murphy*, Shayne Hale, Devin Cook

A slight change in the two deep as Hale replaces Jack Lippert behind Clemmings after Hale had a strong game against the Runnin' Bulldogs, recording a sack and three tackles. Cook has been playing extremely well and looks to continue to build on a strong redshirt freshman season.

DT: Aaron Donald, Darryl Render

After missing last week due to an injury, Donald is back in the starting lineup. Render did a serviceable job in his place, recording three tackles and made his presence felt in Gardner Webb's backfield.

NT: Tyrone Ezell, Khaynin Mosley-Smith

Ezell and Mosley-Smith both had quiet games against Gardner-Webb, but Ezell has looked impressive thus far. Ryan Nassib is one of the top QB's in the Big East, so the line will have to get to him early and often to get him out of rhythm.

OLB: Eric Williams*, Manny Williams*, Emanuel Rackard, Nicholas Grigsby

The linebackers did a good job against an overmatched opponent, limiting Gardner-Webb to just 95 yards passing. Again, Syracuse has one of the better offenses Pitt will face this season, so they'll have to step their game up. Todd Thomas returned to practice a few weeks ago, so it's possible that he will see some playing time against the Orange.

MLB: Shane Gordon, Joe Trebitz

It was great to see Dan Mason get onto the field late against Gardner-Webb. Could he see playing time against the Orange? Possible, but I wouldn't expect many snaps.

CB: Lafayette Pitts*, K'Waun Williams*, Cullen Christian

With the injury to Pardner, Christian is listed as the backup to both Pitts and Williams. After a lackluster showing in the first two games, the cornerbacks played up close on the line of scrimmage and look what happens. I'm pretty sure I wrote this last time, but only because I'm still amazed that it took until the 3rd week for the coaching staff to realize this.

Safety: Jarred Holley*, Jason Hendricks*, Andrew Taglianetti, Ray Vinopal

Hendricks continues to haunt opposing QB's after grabbing his 3rd interception of the season and is well on his way to all-conference status. The defensive backs really did a good job shutting down Gardner-Webb's receivers, but will have a tougher assignment this week against Syracuse.

Special Teams: Matt Yoklic (punter and holder), Kevin Harper (kicker), Kevin Barthelemy (long snapper), Cameron Saddler, Ronald Jones, Lafayette Pitts (returners)

The one weakness in this Pitt football resurgence has been special teams. From the poor tackling on returns to missed field goals, this is the one aspect that hasn't seen improved play from the first two weeks to the second. One of these days, it's going to come back to bite Pitt.

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