Saturday, August 31, 2002
Pitt doesn't open against the Steelers, but it might have been smart for the Panthers to peek at the pro team's practices and do a little scouting.
(The waiting is over. Rod Rutherford makes his first start as quarterback at Pitt tonight. )
The Ohio Bobcats, like the Steelers, use a 3-4 defense. It's something Pitt rarely sees but will face tonight at Heinz Field in the 2001 debut for both college squads.
The office of Pitt Coach Walt Harris at the UPMC sports complex on the South Side affords a view of the Steelers' practice field, but he said he didn't take advantage of the view.
"I don't have enough time to watch the Steelers," Harris said, then smiled. "I'm hoping Ohio U. doesn't have some of those players that the Steelers have."
Probably not. The Bobcats were 1-10 last season, are a decided underdog and will be playing their first game with new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter. They have just one senior in the front seven, nose guard Lamar Marten, and three of the four linebackers are sophomores.
Still, Pitt is concerned about adjusting to a defense that strays from the trendy "eight men in the box," especially with redshirt junior quarterback Rod Rutherford set to make his first college start and no returning starters among the receivers.
"It's a difficult defense," Rutherford said. "They can come from anywhere. It's not like you have a set eight-man front and you just read a certain part of the defense. In a 3-4, a lot of things could be thrown at you. You've just got to be prepared for everything."
That's what the Panthers tried to do.
"We probably overprepared our players and gave them a lot of information that won't happen during a game in the hopes that the things that they do get, they will be able to execute," Harris said.
"What we're worried about is, a confused football player is not an aggressive football player. If we're not sure of our assignment because they're doing something completely different from what we prepared, that's what makes it difficult. Early in this game, it will be very critical that we get a feel for our opponent and that we get going.
"We know that they will be stunting a lot and doing some things that will make it difficult for us."
Rutherford figures Ohio will try everything it can to try to rattle him.
"Definitely, especially with it my first year starting," he said. "They're going to probably throw some blitzes at me, do some things that they feel are going to get to me."
Rutherford won't be the only quarterback who will go up against the Bobcats' 3-4. Harris said Tyler Palko will make his college debut sometime in the second quarter and will play for an undetermined amount of time. Palko, a freshman from West Allegheny High School, was named Rutherford's backup Wednesday.
Things shouldn't be as confusing for Pitt's defense. The Bobcats are expected to run a lot of option with senior quarterback Dontrell Jackson.
The Panthers are familiar with defending against the option because it's one of the things their offense does with Rutherford. With Jackson, though, it could be Ohio's bread and butter. He has rushed for 1,864 yards in his career, slightly more than his 1,833 career passing yards.
"We're expecting their quarterback to keep the ball a lot," Pitt linebacker Gerald Hayes said. "Looking on film, he's a so-so passer, but he's a real good runner, so I'm looking for him to keep the ball 80 percent of the time."
That could end up being a good strategy for Ohio to try to keep Hayes away from its ballcarriers.
Option plays take the ball to the outside. Hayes, the Panthers' top returning tackler, is the middle linebacker and might not be in the line of fire much.
"Basically, I guess I just stay inside-out, look for the cutback," Hayes said.
Which is not to say he is complacent.
"We've gotten so much hype for this season, you want to set a good example for the rest of the season," he said.
Pitt never has lost to a team from the Mid-American Conference and doesn't want to take anything for granted.
"I think there's a natural tendency," Harris said. "But, boy, the good football teams don't fall in that trap."
The Panthers learned a difficult lesson last season when they lost to South Florida in the second game, an upset that spawned a five-game losing streak. Pitt then won five games in a row and beat North Carolina State in the Tangerine Bowl.
"Last year, I believe that happened," Harris said of underestimating an opponent. "I'm praying that our players are on top of that part of the game. And I can sense it -- when you watch the tape [of practice], you see them playing tough."
Pitt doesn't open against the Steelers, but it might have been smart for the Panthers to peek at the pro team's practices and do a little scouting.
(The waiting is over. Rod Rutherford makes his first start as quarterback at Pitt tonight. )
The Ohio Bobcats, like the Steelers, use a 3-4 defense. It's something Pitt rarely sees but will face tonight at Heinz Field in the 2001 debut for both college squads.
The office of Pitt Coach Walt Harris at the UPMC sports complex on the South Side affords a view of the Steelers' practice field, but he said he didn't take advantage of the view.
"I don't have enough time to watch the Steelers," Harris said, then smiled. "I'm hoping Ohio U. doesn't have some of those players that the Steelers have."
Probably not. The Bobcats were 1-10 last season, are a decided underdog and will be playing their first game with new defensive coordinator Tim DeRuyter. They have just one senior in the front seven, nose guard Lamar Marten, and three of the four linebackers are sophomores.
Still, Pitt is concerned about adjusting to a defense that strays from the trendy "eight men in the box," especially with redshirt junior quarterback Rod Rutherford set to make his first college start and no returning starters among the receivers.
"It's a difficult defense," Rutherford said. "They can come from anywhere. It's not like you have a set eight-man front and you just read a certain part of the defense. In a 3-4, a lot of things could be thrown at you. You've just got to be prepared for everything."
That's what the Panthers tried to do.
"We probably overprepared our players and gave them a lot of information that won't happen during a game in the hopes that the things that they do get, they will be able to execute," Harris said.
"What we're worried about is, a confused football player is not an aggressive football player. If we're not sure of our assignment because they're doing something completely different from what we prepared, that's what makes it difficult. Early in this game, it will be very critical that we get a feel for our opponent and that we get going.
"We know that they will be stunting a lot and doing some things that will make it difficult for us."
Rutherford figures Ohio will try everything it can to try to rattle him.
"Definitely, especially with it my first year starting," he said. "They're going to probably throw some blitzes at me, do some things that they feel are going to get to me."
Rutherford won't be the only quarterback who will go up against the Bobcats' 3-4. Harris said Tyler Palko will make his college debut sometime in the second quarter and will play for an undetermined amount of time. Palko, a freshman from West Allegheny High School, was named Rutherford's backup Wednesday.
Things shouldn't be as confusing for Pitt's defense. The Bobcats are expected to run a lot of option with senior quarterback Dontrell Jackson.
The Panthers are familiar with defending against the option because it's one of the things their offense does with Rutherford. With Jackson, though, it could be Ohio's bread and butter. He has rushed for 1,864 yards in his career, slightly more than his 1,833 career passing yards.
"We're expecting their quarterback to keep the ball a lot," Pitt linebacker Gerald Hayes said. "Looking on film, he's a so-so passer, but he's a real good runner, so I'm looking for him to keep the ball 80 percent of the time."
That could end up being a good strategy for Ohio to try to keep Hayes away from its ballcarriers.
Option plays take the ball to the outside. Hayes, the Panthers' top returning tackler, is the middle linebacker and might not be in the line of fire much.
"Basically, I guess I just stay inside-out, look for the cutback," Hayes said.
Which is not to say he is complacent.
"We've gotten so much hype for this season, you want to set a good example for the rest of the season," he said.
Pitt never has lost to a team from the Mid-American Conference and doesn't want to take anything for granted.
"I think there's a natural tendency," Harris said. "But, boy, the good football teams don't fall in that trap."
The Panthers learned a difficult lesson last season when they lost to South Florida in the second game, an upset that spawned a five-game losing streak. Pitt then won five games in a row and beat North Carolina State in the Tangerine Bowl.
"Last year, I believe that happened," Harris said of underestimating an opponent. "I'm praying that our players are on top of that part of the game. And I can sense it -- when you watch the tape [of practice], you see them playing tough."
