Panthers running ahead of last year

To possess a power rushing attack and to stop an opponent’s – that’s the philosophy Pitt head… To possess a power rushing attack and to stop an opponent’s – that’s the philosophy Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt is still placing in his program.

It’s what the second-year coach believes is the backbone of a winning team.

He cites the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the West Virginia Mountaineers, a 2007 national champion candidate, as teams that do both – and do them exceptionally well.

But after a 5-6 first season on the job, many wonder exactly what the identity of the Pitt Panthers is, and to an extent, so does Wannstedt.

“It’s a work in progress,” he said Monday at his weekly press conference. “We have a real good picture of where we are going and what we are going to become. Every player knows, and that’s a beginning for us.”

With only a few days left before Wannstedt begins his sophomore year as Pitt’s head coach, he reminds everyone that he likes where his team is and assures them that they are moving in the right direction.

“We’re farther ahead today than we were a year ago,” he said, “but you don’t know how far that will take us.

“We’re where we need to be mentally, and pretty good physically.”