Pitt coach making bad calls

[Eric the Red]

Pitt coach making bad calls

 

Should have left offense alone

 

By Dustin Dow

The Cincinnati Enquirer

 

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Stubbornness can be an admirable quality for a college football coach, but in Dave Wannstedt's case, it's damaging his team's potential.

 

The first-year coach is doing a disservice to the Pitt players he inherited from coach Walt Harris by dramatically restructuring the team's offense without the personnel to complete the task.

 

Harris ran a West Coast style built on speed and precision. The former Miami Dolphins coach, Wannstedt is (pathetically) running a smash-mouth, up-the-middle system that is obviously failing with players who are better suited to spread out the ball.

 

Last week's embarrassing loss at Ohio University should have been enough evidence that Wannstedt is throwing away the season. Even if quarterback Tyler Palko adjusts, it will be too late to salvage the missed opportunities, one of which could be Saturday's game at Nebraska for which the Panthers are 9½-point underdogs.

 

Two games is too early to tell whether Wannstedt's hiring was the right move for Pitt. Even two years might be too soon for that evaluation. That shouldn't give Wannstedt a free pass, however, to run an offense that doesn't fit with this team.

 

The best coaches, the ones who aren't recycled through the system with a new team every three or four years, can adapt to new personnel they inherit. Those like Wannstedt are bound to endure seasons such as this because of inflexible attitudes.

 

EVEN WORSE: As bad as it's going for Wannstedt in Pittsburgh, he probably has a better team than the one Tyrone Willingham took over in Washington. It's true that few knowledgeable observers expected much competitiveness this season from the Washington. The same Huskie players that contributed to last season's 1-10 performance are returning this season but with a new system to learn under Willingham, who was fired from Notre Dame after last season.

 

Despite all that, it's all but unthinkable that Saturday's game against 0-2 Idaho would be considered a big game, one that might have far-reaching effects on Washington's season.

 

See, Washington (0-2), loser of its last eight games going back to last season, gave up 56 points - the most ever at home - in last week's defeat to Cal. Even though Willingham said the Cal loss wasn't frustrating, how reassuring can those words be when Idaho coach Nick Holt has stated his players are looking forward to the Washington game as a chance to get a win?

 

Washington hasn't hit rock bottom yet, but if the Huskies lose to Idaho, the program's crash landing will indeed be hard.

 

SNEAKING UP: Not much has been made of Clemson's 2-0 start, but a lot more will be mentioned if the No. 20 Tigers send Miami (Fla.) home with a second loss to begin the season.

 

Clemson senior Charlie Whitehurst is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country. So the magnitude of the game against the No. 13 Hurricanes shouldn't be a problem, not after Clemson won at Miami last season.

 

Miami's pass defense, however, could pose a threat.

 

The Hurricanes gave up just 74 passing yards in a season-opening loss to Florida State.

[TheKiD]

Hmm.. sound a bit like someone we know? Circumstances are a bit different.. but BC & co. did impliment an offense he knew the players couldn't handle last year. But, I think that's part of the rebuilding proccess (I am an optimist). You can't have your starters running one offense and your other players learning another.. that's not going to work. I think if you're going to revamp your system, you gotta get in there and put it all on the line.

[Huskrz65]

I think if you're going to revamp your system, you gotta get in there and put it all on the line.

As Bill Callahan is doing and has my approval as a HUSKER!

[nebr_bob]