Pitt’s win over the Citadel still leaves questions

Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt summarized last week’s win against The Citadel appropriately…. Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt summarized last week’s win against The Citadel appropriately.

“This is a game we should have won,” the second-year head coach said.

He’s right. The Panthers, not unlike many other major Division I-A programs, got a rebound victory after Michigan State had its way with them. Tyler Palko looked nearly flawless; four separate receivers scored touchdowns for the Panthers and countless players saw game action for the first time this season.

The Citadel was an opponent on which the Panthers could test their skills — brush up on things — reaffirm themselves. Now, the Panthers have two players at the top of the nation’s statistical leaders.

Palko is the country’s highest-rated quarterback with a rating of just more than 187, and Derek Kinder leads the nation in receiving yards with 480. Together, the pair makes one lethal pass-catch combination.

However, don’t forget to mention receivers Oderick Turner and Marcel Pestano as well. Turner has steadily improved throughout the year and Pestano caught his first touchdown pass last week.

When tight end Darrell Strong holds on to the ball, Palko has a dangerous receiving corps at his hands. He’ll need it as the Panthers begin Big East play next week.

Q: Will Pitt be criticized at all for playing The Citadel?

A: No. Scheduling Division I-AA opponents is something major Division I-A programs do every year. Two weeks ago, Penn State beat up on Youngstown State. Last week, Rutgers absolutely demolished Howard.

Playing a I-AA opponent is like a tune-up game. It’s like Pitt’s basketball team playing smaller programs in the first couple games of the season. A lot of teams do it. It’s no big deal.

Also, Division I-AA programs like The Citadel want to play I-A teams. It gives them some national exposure as well as considerable funding. Pitt paid The Citadel $350,000 to play Saturday’s game, and Pitt is just one in the list of many. The Citadel has a plan to play a team from every BCS conference by 2010, which they will accomplish with a game against Arizona in the 2010 season.

Q: Tyler Palko looks great so far. What’s the difference from last year?

A: Tyler Palko has said numerous times that the entire Pitt team had some trouble adjusting from head coach Walt Harris in 2004, to Wannstedt last season. Palko was no exception. While Palko’s talent has remained static, the system under which plays are run hasn’t. It took a lot of adjusting to a new offense last year, and it showed across the board.

This year, Palko has a solid grasp on the offense, and it shows. He has more pocket time from his linemen, he’s not unwilling to check down to a smaller route or make plays with his feet.

As I mentioned above, the receivers he has this year are a big improvement from last year. Both Kinder and Turner have shown that they are dependable and able to hit the home run play anytime during the game. That kind of production can only bolster Palko’s confidence and performance.

Q: A few freshmen, like Dorin Dickerson, haven’t played yet. Why?

A: Wannstedt said after The Citadel game that he didn’t want to put a young player in a game without the chance to be successful. However, his reasoning as to why guys like Dickerson, who moved from receiver to running back, and newly converted offensive lineman Jason Pinkston won’t be successful is known only by him.

What I don’t understand, however, is how other freshmen like Nate Byham, T.J. Porter and Kevin Collier have seen significant playing time while Dickerson hasn’t. People have been throwing around the idea that Wannstedt wants to redshirt Dickerson, but the head coach has skirted the issue whenever it’s been raised.

It’s a little frustrating now because we all want to see what each of these kids can do, but remember the whole freshman class has at least two more years after this one, so there’s plenty of time to find out.