Solich, Wannstedt look for first wins

One game into the season, questions still loom for Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt.

The… One game into the season, questions still loom for Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt.

The defensive line play, which struggled in its debut against Charlie Weis’ Notre Dame offense, sits atop the list.

Nine different players, five of which had never played the position, saw time on the line in the opener against Notre Dame, but none were productive. The Irish totaled 502 yards of offense, including 275 on the ground.

“I think it should be pretty obvious to everyone that we know where we need to improve,” Wannstedt said. “That’s not a secret to anyone. I think we will improve, but it’s going to take a lot of work.”

Providing a boost to the Panther defense will be the return of linebacker Clint Session and more playing time for defensive lineman Thomas Smith. Both suffered from injuries in practice and look to be healthy for this week, Wannstedt said.

Wannstedt expects Smith to start on the defensive line, but as for who will line up along with him, he’s still waiting for someone to step up his play.

“I’m not sure who’s going to start with him,” Wannstedt said. “We’re going to keep working the guys until we see who the best combination is and until somebody separates himself from the pack.”

As the Panthers regroup and head to Athens, Ohio, for a matchup with the Ohio Bobcats, its defense must prepare again for the run.

Former Nebraska coach Frank Solich, in his first year as Ohio head coach, brings his Cornhusker offense that featured the option run during their Big 12 Championship seasons.

The Ohio offense, however, struggled through its first game as well. In a 38-14 loss to Northwestern, the Bobcats gained just 239 yards of offense, with only 62 coming on the ground.

Sophomore running back Kalvin McRae led the rushing attack with 34 yards on 10 carries, while junior quarterback Austin Everson added 11 yards of his own on 10 carries.

Everson did most of his work in the passing game, completing 10-of-26 passes for 157 yards and one interception, including four receptions made by top receiver Scott Mayle for 100 yards.

Despite the lack of offensive production, Solich blamed none of it on his offensive line.

“I thought our offensive line played really well,” Solich said. “We didn’t get a chance to establish any kind of a running game, but I felt good about the protection. We gave up two sacks, but there were reasons for those.”

Defensively for the Bobcats, just like the Panthers, many problems existed, which led to more than 500 yards gained for the opposition.

With the majority of those yards (356) coming from the Northwestern passing game, Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko will have a shot to exploit the Bobcat secondary just as Northwestern’s Brett Basanez did.

Palko threw for 220 yards against the Notre Dame defense, connecting with seven different receivers in the process. With the passing game of Pitt coming in, Solich knows mistakes on the defense need to be corrected, and soon.

“We just had too many openings in the secondary that we have to get corrected,” Solich said. “With their [Pitt’s] quarterback, they’re going to be able to select when they want to throw and give him time.”

He added, “With the good receivers that they have, they can be a complete offense. I think that’s what they’re attempting to put together there.”

Both teams, still with questions unanswered, find themselves in the same position, looking for that first victory to put them over the hump.

And for the second-straight week, the Pitt Panthers will be on national television — tonight’s game will be aired on ESPN 2 — with a shot to provide Wannstedt his first victory, while their opponents also look for their new coach’s first win.

Wannstedt noted the team’s state of mind sits directly on Ohio, and that Notre Dame hasn’t been mentioned since they watched the tapes on Sunday.

“Right now the feeling in our stomachs is not good, and the only way to make it feel good again is to win,” Wannstedt said. “And that’s what we’ve got to do. Somehow find a way to win a football game. Win a football game, and then we’ll go from there.”