Pitt line, receivers need to step up

After a strong start and a 14-0 lead, it was the Pitt offense that stumbled Saturday afternoon… After a strong start and a 14-0 lead, it was the Pitt offense that stumbled Saturday afternoon against Bowling Green. And heading into this weekend, it can’t afford to do the same ‘- especially against a Buffalo team that scored an impressive 42 points last weekend against Texas El-Paso. During Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt’s post-game press conference Saturday, he said the offense needed to find a way to eliminate turnovers and score some more points. But in order to score those points, the offensive line needs to step up and make some plays. It needs to block for Bill Stull and give him time to air out the ball and keep the defense honest. And it needs to keep defenders from breaking through into the backfield and stuffing running backs LeSean McCoy and LaRod Stephens-Howling before they have a chance to do anything. We learned Saturday that the offensive line is going to be the key to the Pitt offense this year. People can blame offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh all they want for poor play-calling, but if the line doesn’t protect the players behind it and give them a chance to make plays, Cavanaugh’s conservative calling has to turn even more conservative, meaning nothing but short passes, screens and less scoring. If the line can pick it up this weekend and control the line of scrimmage, there are a few things Pitt can do to open up the offense and score some points. Enter the play-action pass. The play-action pass could become the Pitt offense’s best friend if the line holds up. As every team knows, McCoy is going to get the ball. And he’s going to get it a lot. Pitt often saw the Bowling Green safeties creeping up and loading the box Saturday. It showed no respect for the Pitt passing game and worried only about stopping the run. If this happens again against Buffalo, Pitt absolutely needs to make some passing plays down the field. By faking a run with McCoy and keeping the safeties looking to stop the run, Pitt’s receivers can beat the cornerbacks, covering them one-on-one and finding some open space down the field. Let’s run through how the play could pan out [see figure on left]. After establishing the run, Pitt, in a two-back set, can fake the run to McCoy or Stephens-Howling, forcing the linebackers and safeties, already creeping up to stop the run, even more toward the line of scrimmage. With the linebackers and safeties up and bringing pressure into the pocket, the quarterback has little time to make the reads and decide on a pass. If the offensive line stands strong and gives Stull a few seconds, his receivers should have enough room to operate and find the open space. Pitt’s receivers have favorable size over most corners and can take advantage of the coverage. The play-action pass could help Pitt reach shorter gains as well, as it has more options than just the deep-ball. And even a short pass has the chance to develop into something big if the majority of the defense’s secondary is behind the receiver. This play is similar to what we saw during Pitt’s goal-line situation in the second quarter Saturday. Against Bowling Green, Derek Kinder and Oderick Turner lined up on the right side, with 6-foot-5-inch freshman Jonathan Baldwin serving as an option on the left side. Baldwin acted as a mismatch against a shorter, smaller defensive back. He took a route to the left corner of the end zone, attracting the attention of the Falcons’ safety, which means only a perfect pass could find him. But it also means good news: The right side opens up. As we saw, when the safety bites one way and the run is still a threat, the opposite side of the field or the middle of the field can become wide open. On the touchdown play, Kinder made a few quick steps straight ahead parallel to Turner. Turner stopped on a dime and turned back toward Stull, while Kinder made a cut left toward the back of the end zone. The defense, due to bad communication or simply bad coverage, couldn’t stay with the route and had no safety help. Stull looked up and found Kinder wide open in the back-middle of the end zone ‘- the same spot a safety usually controls. When operated correctly, as it was by Pitt Saturday for the touchdown, this play has options all over. If the line holds up, it can be utilized even more in the future. Nate Byham, a tight end who’s one of Pitt’s most useful weapons, can also be a focus on plays like this. He can act as a receiver in the slot or line up on the offensive line to block. He can catch and block with the best of them and can make plays with his feet. It might help Pitt to use Byham in this situation, as he could create even more of a mismatch for the defense. And since Pitt runs the ball out of this formation so frequently, the defense won’t be sure exactly what’s about to hit them. And as soon as it starts loading the box and assuming the run, Pitt can strike.