By DALE GRDNIC
PITTSBURGH — The University of Pittsburgh football team had a bye week before getting back in action Monday to prepare for its final four games this season, and the time off allowed second-year coach Dave Wannstedt to do some soul-searching and self-evaluation.
After taking into account what the Panthers (6-2 overall, 2-1 in the Big East) have accomplished going into the Conference game against South Florida (5-3, 1-2) Saturday at noon at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Wannstedt offered the following assessment.
“When you look at the statistics, where we’re ranked in certain categories, you have to say that we’re a pretty good football team,” Wannstedt said. “To be nationally ranked in the top 15 and some other ones in the Big East, that gives us a chance to win. On the other hand, that’s what we didn’t do (against Rutgers), and that’s why we didn’t win.”
Wannstedt doesn’t watch much football on television and said he really wasn’t good at doing things around the house, either, but he was able to determine what Pitt needs to work on to be successful down the stretch.
“We need to get back to doing what we did earlier, why we won,” Wannstedt said. “But I’m not happy with where we’re at. Nobody is. You always see yourself as having an opportunity to get better, but we’ve got four games left, and we want to play our best football at the very end.
‘So, the key is to get back on track this week and pick up where we were when we started the season. ... We’ve got a (third) of the season left, two games on the road and two at home, and there’s a lot that can happen in a positive way if we get back to the mindset that we had for Virginia.
The Panthers are in the top three in 13 team categories in the Big East, and they lead in pass efficiency (183.2 rating), kickoff returns (29.0 yards per return), penalties (just 40.1 yards per game) and conversions (35-for-35 on extra points).
They also are in the top 15 in the nation in eight categories, including second in passing efficiency, third in kickoff returns and fourth with just three passes intercepted.
Fifth-year senior quarterback Tyler Palko has been efficient all season and has led the offense with nearly a 70-percent completion rate for more than 1,800 passing yards and 18 touchdowns with just three picks.
Senior H.B. Blades has been the top defensive player. From his middle linebacker spot, Blades has averaged 12.13 tackles per game to rank third nationally.
“We just have to get back to the basics, to get back to what got us six wins and what got us to play successful football,” Palko said. “And that’s just being sound, playing mistake-free football. It might not be flashy, but that’s what we need to get back to this week.”
Junior wideout Derek Kinder, Pitt's top pass-catcher with 33 for 596 yards and six touchdowns, agreed with his quarterback.
“This last week has helped us go back to the fundamentals, because these last four games are big,” Kinder said. “So, if we can go out and play the best games that we play, we can make a strong push down the stretch and go out this season with doing a good job.”
Notes: Kinder is among 14 semifinalists for the 2006 Biletnikoff Award, annually presented to the nation's top wideout. Former Panthers Larry Fitzgerald (2003) and Antonio Bryant (2000) won the award. ... Pitt’s offense regained redshirt freshman Craig Bokor as the backup at left guard, but the defensive line lost redshirt frosh Mick Williams to season-ending shoulder surgery. ... Wannstedt said that freshman Jason Pinkston and redshirt sophomore Chase Clowser are interchangeable as the backup offensive tackles, but Pinkston would be the first one off the bench. ... And even though Pitt is young at safety after starters Mike Phillips and Sam Bryant, talented frosh Elijah Fields is “a work in progress” and probably won't get much more playing time than he has to this point.
