An appropriate title for the 2008 Pittsburgh football season would have been “Full Speed Ahead.” How else to encapsulate a campaign that featured the most regular-season wins (nine) since 1982, a bowl appearance for the first time in three years, significant road victories at South Florida, Notre Dame and Connecticut and five fourth quarter comebacks?

It was a breakthrough year for coach Dave Wannstedt, who failed to reach a bowl or produce a record better than .500 in his first three seasons. However, he is far from satisfied.

“We have a long way to go,” says Wannstedt, who returns 14 starters from his nine-win Sun Bowl team, which ended its resurgent season on a sour note by getting blanked 3–0 by Oregon State in the bowl game. “Getting to nine wins was nice, but it’s not a championship. We’re all here to win a championship.”

Reaching that championship goal will be challenging in 2009, considering that the Panthers lost two stalwarts in All-America linebacker Scott McKillop and record-setting tailback LeSean McCoy, who amassed 2,816 rushing yards and 36 touchdowns in only two seasons.

The Panthers are hoping that new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr., a Pittsburgh native whose offense at the University of California averaged nearly 33 points per game and had a running back (Jahvid Best) rush for nearly 1,600 yards, will provide an instant jolt. He replaced the oft-criticized Matt Cavanaugh. 

Wannstedt is also looking for his highly regarded recruiting classes from the past four seasons and his swarming defense to live up to expectations.

Quarterbacks

While Wannstedt has brought in high-end talent at numerous positions, he has failed to do so at quarterback. The result has been subpar play at the position, which has been held of late by senior incumbent Bill Stull and junior Pat Bostick, who replaced Stull in 2007 after the latter injured his thumb in the opener. They’ve combined to throw 27 interceptions and only 19 touchdowns the past two seasons. Stull is expected to open this season as the starter but could be replaced quickly by Bostick or redshirt freshman Tino Sunseri. Stull possesses good leadership skills and a toughness that befits his Pittsburgh roots, but he lacks the deep-ball threat. Bostick owns a strong arm, and Sunseri provides a run-pass option. Bottom line: It’s scary to go into the season with uncertainty at such a crucial spot, but this is Pittsburgh’s predicament.

Running backs

The Panthers lost their top three rushers in McCoy, LaRod Stephens-Howling and fullback Conredge Collins. Had McCoy returned, he’d have been a Heisman Trophy candidate after producing 1,488 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns in 2008. No such hope for his replacements. Freshmen Chris Burns and Dion Lewis, an early enrollee, are talented yet untested. Lewis (5'8", 190 pounds) opened eyes in spring drills with a blend of speed and shiftiness reminiscent of Maurice Jones-Drew. A first-team all-state selection in New Jersey, he must prove he can stand up to the rigors of a 12- or 13-game college season. Burns (5'11", 190) offers game-breaking ability with the strength to fight for yards between the tackles. Sophomore Shariff Harris is versatile enough to play fullback and tailback.

Receivers

Sophomore Jonathan Baldwin could be the next in a line of Pittsburgh’s great ones at this spot, following Biletnikoff Award winners Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald. The towering Baldwin (6'5", 220) averaged 22.4 yards on only 18 catches, while also inducing numerous interference penalties. With Baldwin often requiring double-coverage, flanker Cedric McGee could build on a 23-catch season, and senior Oderick Turner, who’s started 30 of 37 career games, could prosper. Keep an eye on speedy Aundre Wright, who appears ready for a breakthrough. Two of Pittsburgh’s better receiving threats come from the tight end spot with first-team All-Big East pick Nate Byham and the dynamic Dorin Dickerson, a duo that accounted for 33 catches and three scores last season.

Offensive linemen

Wannstedt landed two of Pittsburgh’s top line recruits in a decade in sophomores Lucas Nix and Chris Jacobson. And now, it is time for the duo to live up to the hype. Both are moving into starting roles for the first time, with Nix taking over at right tackle and Jacobson at left guard. These two will be crucial pieces of an offense that is inexperienced at running back and uncertain at quarterback. The other three starters return from last season in left tackle Jason Pinkston, center Robb Houser, who is coming off a serious ankle injury, and right guard John Malecki, a brawler up front who was devastating at times in the run game.

Defensive linemen

This unit is the best at Pittsburgh in years. Junior ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard combined for 13 sacks and 26 tackles for a loss. Long, strong and athletic, Romeus added three blocked extra points, while Sheard deflected seven passes. Romeus could push for Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors. Inside, the Panthers are nearly as potent with senior Mick Williams, who often appeared unblockable en route to 4.5 sacks, and sophomore Myles Caragein. There is so much talent along this front wall that Wannstedt must find opportunities to use ascending players such as ends Shayne Hale and Tony Tucker and tackles Craig Bokor and Gus Mustakas. Pittsburgh allowed an average of only 12.6 points per game in the final five contests thanks in large part to this unit.

Linebackers

The departed McKillop helped the Panthers defense rank in the top 30 overall and against the run, so filling that void at middle linebacker will not be easy. The player designated to give it a shot is sixth-year senior Adam Gunn, a former starter on the outside who suffered a severe neck injury in the ’08 opener and was lost for the season. He received clearance from the NCAA for a sixth season and provides a blend of quickness and smarts. If the neck injury proves to be an issue, senior Steve Dell will step in. The most dynamic member of this unit is converted running back Greg Williams, who replaced Gunn last season and had 47 tackles and 6.5 tackles for a loss. On the other side, bulky Max Gruder looks to parlay his special teams skills into quality play on this unit. A wild card is former starter Shane Murray, a senior
who must prove he is 100 percent after knee surgery.

Defensive backs

Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, a former head coach at SMU, said last season that he preferred an attacking, ball-hawking unit — and he got his wish. The Panthers intercepted 16 passes to post their second-highest total in 12 years. Most of the key pieces return, led by All-Big East performer Aaron Berry (three interceptions, 10 pass breakups) and senior Jovani Chappel. The latter had a game-changing interception against West Virginia that led to back-to-back touchdowns en route to a 19–15 win in the Backyard Brawl. Bennett will need more consistency from this spot, however, given that Rutgers threw for 371 yards and six scores and Cincinnati threw for 309 and three touchdowns. At free safety, junior Elijah Fields is one of the more gifted Panthers, but focus is sometimes an issue. Junior Dom DeCicco returns at strong safety, where he led the team with four picks.

Specialists

The term “unproven” would best describe this group. Either junior Dan Hutchins or freshman Kevin Harper will try to replace Conor Lee, the most accurate placekicker in Pitt history. Hutchins also takes over for the departed Dave Brytus at punter. Returner T.J. Porter averaged a Big East-best 11.5 yards per punt return, and the speedy Wright averaged 21 yards on kickoffs. A player to watch is electric redshirt freshman Cameron Saddler, who returned seven kickoffs for touchdowns in his final two prep seasons, one shy of a national record.

This preview appears in the 2009 Athlon Sports Big East Magazine. Click here to order yours today.

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