Football Notebook: Time for Fields to shine, defense to step up

Fields’ Time

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Pitt football team has been… Fields’ Time

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Pitt football team has been struggling to find consistent play from its secondary.

That task will only become more difficult now that starting free safety Andrew Taglianetti will miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL.

But the sophomore’s absence opens the door for a veteran, redshirt junior Elijah Fields, to finally live up to his potential.

“Elijah is looking forward to this opportunity,” head coach Dave Wannstedt said. “Opportunities come in different ways and at different times for individuals — his is now.”

Fields is a former Associated Press Class A Player of the Year and was a highly coveted recruit while at Duquesne High School.

Once at Pitt, discipline issues and off-the-field concerns created questions about Fields’ future with the team. In 2007, Fields was suspended the entire season for a violation of team policy.

Now, the Panthers need Fields to play up to his potential and solidify a secondary that is coming under fire.

After replacing Taglianetti on Saturday, Fields responded by returning a fourth quarter interception down to the Buffalo two-yard line.

“I thought [Fields] made a big play,” Wannstedt said. “For not getting all the first team reps, I thought he went in and he played well. I expect him to take the torch and move forward.”

Neon Dion

Through two games, Dion Lewis is the top freshman rusher in the nation. However, his numbers aren’t just “good for a freshman.” They put him near the top of the rankings among all FBS running backs.

With 44 attempts, Lewis has netted 319 yards and four rushing touchdowns. Only Purdue sophomore Ralph Bolden and Arizona junior Nic Grigsby have more yardage. Lewis has also gained 56 yards through the air and caught one receiving touchdown.

The 85-yard touchdown run that Lewis broke off in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game was tied for the fifth-longest run in Pitt history. David Priestly also had an 85-yard score in 2001.

Wannstedt noted how impressed he was with Lewis during his weekly press conference.

“Does he have talent? Yes. But this kid is ahead of his time, for sure, from a maturity standpoint,” he said. “He’s off to a good start, to say the least.”

Tackling Fuel

One point of concern for the Pitt defense has to be the number of big plays that were given up during the Buffalo game. In the second quarter, Buffalo receiver Naaman Roosevelt scored on pass plays of 54 and 67 yards.

Most of the success that Buffalo found in the secondary can be attributed to subpar tackling by the Panthers’ defense.

“We just didn’t look as fast as what we are out there. When the ball was thrown, we overran things. On the big plays, we lacked some of the fundamental football skills that we do week-in-and-week-out and work on daily,” Wannstedt said.

Fundamentals are always a major point of emphasis when preparing for Navy and its triple-option attack. Wannstedt told reporters that the defense is going to practice without a football during some drills to stress the importance of each defensive player’s assignment.

“On every play, everyone is responsible. On every single play someone has to be accountable for the fullback, quarterback and pitch,” Wannstedt said.

The Streak is Over

When Dan Hutchins missed a point-after-touchdown in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against Buffalo, it broke a streak of 120 successfully converted kicks since 2006.

The streak can be contributed to former Pitt placekicker, Conor Lee, who was flawless in PAT attempts during his career.

Hutchins responded by making his next two attempts before missing another PAT in the third quarter.

“We’ve got to make those,” Wannstedt said. “[Hutchins] just needs to be more consistent. He can make those, he knows he can, and he will.”