Another weekend and, well, a second win.

The Pitt football team finally worked its way out… Another weekend and, well, a second win.

The Pitt football team finally worked its way out of an offensive rut Saturday with a 38-20 win over Cincinnati.

Dave Wannstedt and his coaches used the pass a little more this time, with Tyler Palko attempting 32 passes, though he only completed 14 of them.

But the offense can thank Rashad Jennings for a possible balanced offense in the weeks to come.

Jennings registered the first 100-yard rushing game of the season for the Pitt offense, totaling 102 yards on 11 carries.

That being said, let’s take a look at this week’s questions.

Q: Why in the world do Wannstedt and Matt Cavanaugh not make appropriate adjustments? It’s obvious to everyone that Pitt doesn’t have the players to simply roll over defenses, so get creative. Does the staff at The Pitt News truly believe better things lie ahead for the Panthers under Wannstedt?

A:

I think it’s a must for them to enter every game with the plan of trying to run the ball. That is what he’s trying to install – a run game – and it takes time to get that across to a group of players.

So he shouldn’t abandon the run altogether, but I agree in a sense that at some point in the game if the run isn’t there, then you need to switch it up a bit.

However, by the time they realize the run isn’t working, their defense has them in a nicely sized hole. Against Notre Dame and Rutgers, they were down so much that all they could do was throw.

Everything went wrong in Ohio, and the offense, playing as badly as they did, put the team in position to win over Nebraska, but Josh Cummings’ knee started to act up, and you know what happened after that.

Also, at times, we’ve seen plays called that have worked really well, but simply end in disaster, such as Erik Gill fumbling on the goal line against Youngstown State or receivers simply not coming up with catches.

For the rest of the year, you’ll see the offensive line get a little better, you’ll see the run continue to pick up its pieces of yardage, but you’ll also see the pass used a bit more.

When you’ve got Tyler Palko, it only seems right to throw – let’s just hope Greg Lee catches it. Give Wannstedt some time, and then we’ll re- examine him after a while.

Q: So who is the true running back of this team? Rashad Jennings has started, and then been hurt. Raymond Kirkley hasn’t produced much and we’ve seen flashes of LaRod Stephens-Howling.

A:

The staff is high on Jennings, and they should be.

He’s got the size of a power back at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, but also possesses the speed to break off long runs, just like he did against Cincinnati.

He is the clear starter. He started game one against Notre Dame, and when finally healthy this weekend, he started again. In his press conference, Wannstedt said he expects Jennings to start this weekend.

Stephens-Howling is a nice, change-of-pace type of back. He’s quick, and could be used on third down situations, as well as special teams for returning. The fact that they are both freshmen offers a nice duo for Wannstedt in the next few years.

Kirkley is just on his way out. He started a few games while the others were hurt, and heoffers a lot of experience should injuries arise again.

Q: If Pitt beats South Florida on Saturday, is that considered a legitimate win?

A:

Yes, it would be, but I’m not totally sure they will walk away victorious.

South Florida’s two losses have come against two teams in the top 10, Penn State and Miami, and they weren’t blown out in either game besides a first-quarter breakdown against the Hurricanes.

When faced with supposedly the top competition the Big East has to offer – Louisville – they blew them out of the water with a 31-point upset win.

If Pitt wins, perhaps things are turning around. If they lose, it will be tough to swallow, but this South Florida team is on the rise.

Have a question for Alan? Send it to [email protected] and it may appear in next Thursday’s edition of “Q+A with Alan Smodic.”