Wannstedt, team gaining confidence

The Pitt football team is gaining confidence, and it shows.

After a dismal first quarter… The Pitt football team is gaining confidence, and it shows.

After a dismal first quarter that left them staring at a 10-0 deficit, the Panthers were able to battle back and defeat South Florida without trouble, 31-17, Saturday at Heinz Field.

“We did fall behind early,” head coach Dave Wannstedt acknowledged following the game. “A blocked punt, a turnover early and our football team was able to mentally not come apart, not come unglued, and find a way to make enough plays to overcome that. I really don’t know if we would have been able to do that five, six weeks ago.”

Pitt had a similar first quarter against Rutgers two weeks ago. A touchdown drive and a punt-return touchdown by the Scarlet Knights, as well as a fumbled kick return by the Panthers left Pitt in a 17-0 hole following the first quarter, a hole they were unable to climb out of.

For the final three quarters on Saturday, however, Pitt looked like a different team.

The offensive line protected quarterback Tyler Palko. Palko was sacked only once in the final three quarters. On the season, Palko has been sacked 15 times and has been forced to hurry throws or scramble numerous other times.

“In defense of the [offensive] tackles, which I haven’t done maybe all year,” Wannstedt said, “there was the one sack where the guy came around the edge. Really, for the most part, our offensive line did a good job of protecting the passer. There was time to throw the ball, more maybe than what we’ve seen in weeks past.”

On the other side of the ball, Pitt’s defensive line was able to put pressure on South Florida quarterback Pat Julmiste, sacking him five times for a total loss of 20 yards.

“They had given up five sacks coming into our game,” Wannstedt said, “and for our guys to come up with five themselves, that was big.”

Wannstedt also pointed out that the teams South Florida had held to only five sacks were quality opponents.

“That’s playing Penn State, Louisville and Miami,” he said, “three pretty good teams that can rush the passer. We’re making some progress there, and I think we are on the offensive line, too.”

Pitt was able to turn that added pressure into turnovers, something that until two weeks ago they had done little of. In their first five games, Pitt forced only four turnovers, all on interceptions. The Panthers generated three turnovers against South Florida, two fumble recoveries and one interception.

“Clint Session came in there and hit that kid as hard as anybody’s been hit all year and the ball came out,” Wannstedt said of South Florida’s first fumble. “A lot of it has to do with the aggressiveness of players, but also being confident in what they’re doing, too. They’re going in there with the confidence of making the play.”

Over the last two weeks Pitt’s defense has generated five turnovers, three fumbles and two interceptions.

“Confidence and anticipation,” Wannstedt said when asked what has made the difference. “You pressure the passer, and the team’s quarterback is watching the tape, and he knows that you’re going to get a real pass rush, and he’s going to have to get rid of the ball under pressure. That’s how you come up with turnovers with the quarterback. That’s how you come up with interceptions. No pressure and it’s tough.”

But if they don’t translate to points on offense, turnovers mean little.

“We created three turnovers,” Wannstedt said regarding the South Florida game. “And then on the other side of the coin, offensively we were able to turn those three turnovers into touchdowns.”

With Pitt trailing 14-7 early in the second quarter corner Darrelle Revis forced a South Florida fumble. On the next play, Palko connected with receiver Greg Lee on a 41-yard strike to the South Florida three-yard line. Three plays later Pitt took the lead for good on a Palko touchdown pass to Tim Murphy.

“Think of the game that Tyler Palko had – 15 of 21 for three touchdowns and no interceptions,” Wannstedt said. “That’s a quarterback in my mind. That’s what Ben [Roethlisberger] did for probably 13 games last year.”

Earlier, Lee turned a screen pass from Palko into a foot race, weaving through the South Florida secondary to start the second quarter. It was the longest touchdown pass for Pitt since Palko hooked up with tight end Eric Gill for 80 yards last season against South Florida.

“The difference in the way we’re playing is that now we have confidence, the whole team,” linebacker H.B. Blades said. “Everyone else can get down on us and count us out, but we cannot get down on ourselves.”

And they haven’t.