Football can think about next season

You could say incomplete, maybe even dreadful.

Better yet, how about unbelievable?

Can you… You could say incomplete, maybe even dreadful.

Better yet, how about unbelievable?

Can you think of one word to sum up Pitt’s 2005 football season – coach Dave Wannstedt’s first year on the job?

He couldn’t.

Just before leaving the post-game press conference within a curtained-off room inside Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W.Va., Wannstedt was asked that very question.

His one word, you ask? Well, he didn’t have one.

An obviously frustrated coach – wouldn’t you be after witnessing your defense give up more yards on the ground than your offense put up total? – said, “One word-I don’t have that one word right now,” as he walked away.

That last sentence ended his year-long honeymoon with his alma mater on the sourest of notes – a 45-13 shellacking at the hands of the Mountaineers, resulting in a sub .500 record and no bowl game.

A season built on limitless expectations, because of the hype of a brand new “Pittsburgh guy” coach and the return of a number of starters from last year’s Fiesta Bowl team turned out to be everything but successful.

A giant bust, you could say. And it’s amazing how quickly it all happened.

Pitt’s preseason ranking in numerous top-25s disappeared instantly when Notre Dame’s new coach Charlie Weis showed off his pro-style offense in each team’s opening game.

Then, faster than you could think “we’ll get it turned around, it’s just one game,” Pitt lost at Ohio and Nebraska, scoring a total of 16 points in the two games.

Top 25 seemed like years away, and the 0-3 start put the Panthers in the bottom 10 in Division I-A of many analysts’ minds. It got so bad that Pitt’s first win didn’t even come against a Division I-A opponent.

Even in the team’s wins, things just didn’t look right. Those little mistakes all got exposed against good teams in Louisville and West Virginia.

But does this season reflect what lies ahead for Wannstedt and the Panthers?

The recruits are on their way, Wannstedt made sure to note that during his questioning. “Help is on the way,” he said.

What’s most important for Pitt at this point, though, is the improvement of the young players already listed on the roster – LaRod Stephens-Howling, Rashad Jennings and the inexperienced lines, to name a few.

The talent is there, and it’s now time to mold the team together.

Also, it helps knowing that next season’s games against Louisville and West Virginia will be played at home, in Heinz Field.

Whatever lies first on Wannstedt’s off-season to-do list, you know he’ll get right on it. Not one person would love to get past this season as soon as possible more than him.

It’ll be hard to get over this year, especially while watching West Virginia and Penn State compete in BCS Bowl games, but the team is looking forward to next year, just as everyone should be.

Nothing can be done about what just happened.

And as much as Wannstedt’s final words summed up the majority of the team’s thoughts and feelings, no one – as usual – said it better than the team’s emotional leader, Tyler Palko.

“They beat us,” Palko said. “As much as I hate to say it, they beat us up and down the field.

“Everybody needs to take a good look at themselves and come back and have a great off-season.”

As for that one word, let’s just say disappointing, and leave it at that.

E-mail him at ams85@pitt.edu.