Bostick faces impossible challenge in first start at QB

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Pitt quarterback Pat Bostick started his first collegiate game on… CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Pitt quarterback Pat Bostick started his first collegiate game on Saturday, becoming the third Pitt quarterback to start a game this season. The 6-foot-3-inch freshman didn’t attempt a pass in either of Pitt’s initial two drives.

His first attempt, a swing pass to running back LaRod Stephens-Howling, yielded 10 yards and a first down. At that point, Bostick already faced a 27-0 deficit.

“I thought Pat did well,” Wannstedt said. “For the most part, I thought he handled it well.”

But some of the snap counts created some problems for the offensive line.

There were a handful of false start and pre-snap penalties, and Wannstedt said the new quarterback and his linemen might have been flustered.

“Some of the snap-count things and the jumpiness were because we were doing silent count, and part of the game plan was we knew they were going to blitz, so we tried to get up there and go on the first sound,” Wannstedt said, describing Bostick’s approach to signal calling in his first start. “We were a little jumpy with the snap count. It’s inexperience.”

Part of the problem was the noise generated by the 60,888 screaming Virginia fans and the loud music constantly blaring from the loudspeakers throughout the game.

“You can’t hear [on the field],” Wannstedt said. “He’s back there, and he’s trying to get his footing and his silent count, all those little things that do add up.”

Bostick compiled 181 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He completed 18 of his 31 pass attempts.

Still no forced turnovers

Coach Dave Wannstedt and safety Eric Thatcher expressed their discontent over Pitt’s lack of forced turnovers on defense. Virginia lost a fumble on a punt, but the Pitt defense missed multiple opportunities to intercept errant passes by Virginia quarterback Jameel Sewell.

“I don’t know why we can’t come up with a turnover,” Wannstedt said. “We got our hands on some balls out there today but didn’t come up with any.”

“Maybe I didn’t get a pick that I could have gotten,” Thatcher said. “It’s nothing with our defense. It’s individuals not executing. All 11 of us out there on defense, we’ve got to step up, including me.”

McKill’em

Linebacker Scott McKillop continued his torrid tackling ways on Saturday, tallying 15 tackles. The junior has 57 in five games, which places him at the top of the Big East in tackling.

Creeping closer

Place kicker Conor Lee is now one extra point away from tying Pitt’s record for consecutive extra points without a miss. Lee has 59.

Carson Long made 60 extra points in a row over the 1974 and 1975 seasons.