Positions up for grabs on Pitt’s offense

Spring is the time of year when football coaches are supposed to figure out replacements for… Spring is the time of year when football coaches are supposed to figure out replacements for position players that have moved on from college. In Pitt’s case, four major offensive positions were up for grabs this spring — wide receiver, running back, quarterback and tight end.

At Saturday’s game, it wasn’t the players on the field stealing the spotlight; it was the players that weren’t on the field who were gaining all the attention.

Offensive linemen Justin Belarski (foot surgery), Rob Petitti (shoulder), Matt Maiers (knee) and Rob Frederick (foot) all sat out Saturday’s game and most of spring practice with their respective injuries. Without the offensive line in tact, Pitt’s offense as a whole was not able to function.

With all the injuries, younger linemen got a chance to play. Sophomore Mike McGlynn impressed onlookers Saturday, and is hoping to earn a starting spot next fall.

John Simonitis was one of the only returning offensive linemen healthy enough to play Saturday. He is a little worried about what is happening to his fellow linemen.

“Right now, we have no depth, which worries me,” Simonitis said. “We have to run-block better. Once we get back healthy we will be all right.”

Both the Blue and Gold squads combined for 58 carries for only 153 yards, however two of those rushes were reverses to wide receivers for 68 of the 153 yards.

“The problem is more in the offensive line then anywhere else,” head coach Walt Harris said. “The game is blocking and tackling. If you can’t block, you can’t run.”

The Blue squad got on the scoreboard first on one of the reverses, this one to Joe DelSardo for a 33-yard touchdown scamper. Quarterback Luke Getsy ran right and pitched to DelSardo, who was running left, for the score to put the Blue squad on top, 7-0.

Neither Getsy, nor Tyler Palko, who are competing for next year’s starting quarterback spot, were able to put up eye-popping numbers because of the decimated offensive line.

Getsy went seven-for-10 passing for 36 yards, with his longest completion being only nine yards. Despite the low numbers, he did show poise in the pocket, preventing potential sacks by throwing the ball away in the face of the oncoming rush.

“It’s frustrating,” Getsy said. “We can’t do what we want, but we have to play with what we’ve got.”

Palko completed six-of-13 passes for 49 yards, with one interception. His longest pass was a 16-yard strike downfield to tight end Steve Buches. Palko also tried a few option plays, most of which were unsuccessful. He ran six times for –15 yards.

“I’m not up to what I feel like I can play at,” Palko admitted Saturday. “I did not practice up to my expectations. No one has higher expectations for me than myself.”

Getsy also admitted that the fierce competition between the two quarterbacks is great for practice situations. Every practice now turns into a game between the two quarterbacks. Harris did not announce who will be the starter come the fall. He wants to give the two redshirt sophomores an equal chance to win the job.

“Both guys are competitive, and they are not going to make my decision easy,” Harris said. “Right now, I have not had a fair enough evaluation yet to make a decision.”

With the loss of Kris Wilson to graduation, Pitt is in need of a tight end. Both Buches and Erik Gill are competing for the spot, but Saturday wasn’t exactly the best showing for either of the two. Both tight ends had only one reception apiece and both went down with minor injuries that forced them out of the game.

Third-string quarterback Joe Flacco threw the lone touchdown pass. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, Flacco hit Terrell Allen in the left corner of the end zone at Heinz Field for a 34-yard touchdown to cut Blue’s lead to 13-7. Flacco went 10-of-18 passing for 91 yards, a touchdown and an interception.

After losing Brandon Miree to graduation, the Panthers are also looking for a starting running back. Raymond Kirkley redshirted the 2003 season and is the front-runner for the job, but Jawan Walker also tried to make a statement Saturday, hoping to earn the position. He ran nine times for 26 yards, while Kirkley ran seven times for 28 yards.

With the offensive line not in sync, it was hard for Pitt to run the ball in general. Therefore, the Panthers ran several screen plays. Walker had the most receptions for the Blue squad, finishing with four catches for 25 yards. Kirkley caught two passes, but both plays were stopped behind the line of scrimmage.

“[The offensive line] affects us,” Kirkley said. “But we understand a lot of guys are hurt. There are 11 people on offense and we have to work as one.”

After the game, Harris made it known that Marcus Furman, who also sat out Saturday with a hip injury, will be back at the running back position in the fall. He will provide Pitt with a third option at the position.

The offense will have to wait out the summer to see how well it will be in the fall. The offensive line and tight ends need to heal before Pitt’s offense can truly evaluate its quarterback, running back and wide receiver situation.