The most anticipated season in the Dave Wannstedt era of Pitt football is inching closer and closer by the day.

Training camp is over and the two-deep roster is set as the nationally ranked Panthers are preparing for a trip to Salt Lake City, Utah for a battle with Mountain West Conference heavyweight Utah. The Utes hammered Pitt in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl by a 35-7 count. Utah sacked then Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko nine times as Utes coach Urban Meyer put the finishing touches on an undefeated season before heading east to lead the Florida Gators to prominence.

Both squads are much different this year from New Year’s Night 2005. Wannstedt had accepted the Pitt job days before the game while Kyle Whittingham was getting ready to take over the reigns from Meyer.

This year, Pitt appears to have the slightly better roster and higher expectations. But question marks at several key spots along with an ambitious schedule could put a damper on what is thought to be a breakthrough year for the Panthers.

Pitt brings back many key performers from last year’s 10-3 squad that earned a tough victory over ACC heavyweight North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Sophomore running back Dion Lewis (1,799 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns) is believed to be a Heisman Trophy candidate while Jon Baldwin (57 receptions, 1,111 yards, eight scores) is the next great Pitt receiving threat.

Bookend defensive ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard lead a unit that garnered 47 sacks last year, tops in the nation. Safeties Dom DeCicco and Jared Holley are also expected to help solidify the secondary.

But personnel losses need to be addressed, spots such as right tackle, center and the all important quarterback position need to be filled on offense. Sophomore Tino Sunseri will start at quarterback. He has shown a strong arm and ability to escape, but has little experience. But if offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti can do with Sunseri as he did with last year’s starter; Bill Stull, the offense will move.

Senior Alex Karabin and junior Greg Gaskins are expected to start at center and right guard respectively. Chris Jacobson started the bowl game last December at left guard and acquitted himself nicely. No drop-off is expected at that position.

Replacing Gus Mustakas and Mick Williams at defensive tackle will be hard. But Myles Careagin and Chas Alecxih received valuable playing time as part of line coach Greg Gattuso’s rotation. They are expected to fill in nicely. Freshman Aaron Donald from Penn Hills could also be part of the rotation.

Fellow Penn Hills Indian Dan Mason will start at middle linebacker and is seen as an athletic upgrade over the graduated Adam Gunn, though the former Kiski Area Cavalier was a keen leader in the middle for the Panthers last year.

Rick Gary and Antwuan Reed will man the corners, taking over from the departed Aaron Berry and Jovanni Chappel. Both Gary and Reed had strong camps this summer.

The Panthers also face one of the more daunting schedules this season. After beginning the season at Utah, Pitt will face Miami at home and travel to Notre Dame. Big East foes Rutgers and West Virginia visit Heinz Field, while road tests at Connecticut and South Florida await.

A Big East title and BCS berth is there for the taking, whether or not these Panthers can cash in is yet to be seen.

• Decorated defensive end Greg Romeus tweaked an ankle in practice on Saturday afternoon while reserve safety Andrew Taglianetti is still battling stiffness in his surgically repaired left knee. Coach Dave Wannstedt said he believes both should be back on the field in the very near future.

• Romeus along with running back Dion Lewis and receiver Jonathan Baldwin were all selected as preseason candidates for several prestigious awards.

• Romeus was named a candidate for the Chuck Bednarik Award which is given annually to the nation’s top defensive player. Both Lewis and Baldwin were named candidates for the Maxwell Award which honors the most outstanding overall player in college football.

• Safety Dom DeCicco also got into the act by being named to the Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list. The award is given annually to the nation’s top defensive back.

• Pitt was rated no. 15 in the USA Today coaches’ poll, one spot behind former rival Penn State and nine spots ahead of conference arch-rival West Virginia.

• According to Wannstedt, one of the early preseason surprises has been the play of freshman defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Though juniors Myles Caragein and Chas Alexcih are penciled in as the starters, Donald should help give the unit some depth in the middle while Brandon Lindsey is expected to do the same on the edge.

And now comes the hard part.

Not since the early 1980s have the Pitt Panthers entered a college football season with this level of anticipation and expectation. Coach Dave Wannstedt greeted the media Thursday to kickoff fall practice for a squad that was overwhelmingly picked by the media to win the Big East conference for the first time since 2004.

“I think it is great recognition for our team and players,” said the coach. “As a coach, you want people talking about this in December. The recognition is not going to win any games for us. Our focus is now on training camp and preparing ourselves to have the chance to receive such an accolade.”

The Panthers won 10 games last season, including a 19-16 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. But it could have been so much more. Pitt saw the Big East title slip from their grasp last December when Cincinnati came from behind and took the championship with a 45-44 win before a packed Heinz Field.

All off season, the Panthers stewed and prepared themselves for another run at the top spot in the conference and the prize it brings; a coveted BCS bowl berth and national recognition.

Now, this star-studded lineup that includes 2009 Big East offensive player of the year running back Dion Lewis, wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin and conference defensive player of the year defensive end Greg Romeus, is primed to take what eluded them last year.

“We have good guys that know what it takes to win and they don’t take anything for granted,” said Wannstedt. “It is a team game and we’re only as good as our team is.”

One of Pitt’s other key performers, starting defensive end Jabaal Sheard, did find himself in hot water as the off-season wound to c lose. Sheard was charged with assault along with other charges after he allegedly threw a man through a glass door during a fight on Pittsburgh’s South Side in late July. He was suspended indefinitely but reinstated after he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct.

Coach Wannstedt said the matter will now be handled internally.

“After gathering all the information and our legal system took its curse, we are very comfortable with the decision we have made concerning Jabaal,” said Wannstedt. “You all know that we have had players in the past, as every school does, whether they are reasons on or off the field where it has not worked out. However, my responsibility to this university and to these kids is to be consistent and fair with the facts and handle it accordingly.”

With the Sheard issue resolved, the Panthers staff now can focus on getting the squad ready, especially quarterback Tino Sunseri, who will take over for the graduated Bill Stull.

“This is Tino’s time,” said Wannstedt. “He has the arm to make all the throws that we need to make. He’s more athletic on his feet than what people give him credit for. He’s very intelligent. He understands the big picture of what we’re trying to do from an offensive standpoint and I think that is very important.”

Pitt officially opens fall practice Saturday August 7 at the UPMC South Side Complex.

Unfortunately for Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, one key member of his defense squarely placed himself in the police blotter after he allegedly assaulted a man outside a Pittsburgh art gallery.

Senior defensive end Jabaal Sheard was arrested earlier this week and faces a variety of criminal charges after he allegedly threw a 27-year –old man through a glass door. He faces a preliminary hearing July 28 on charges of felony aggravated assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief.

Authorities said several officers attempted to prevent the 6-foot-4 260 pound Florida native from continuing the Sunday morning assault, but their baton blows were rendered useless as he reportedly tossed the alleged victim through the door of La Fond Galleries located along East Carson Street in the city’s South Side neighborhood.

Pitt Sports Information Director E.J. Borghetti confirmed Sheard was suspended indefinitely from the team.

Even if Sheard can avoid jail time, Wannstedt faces the difficult task of either allowing the talented all-Big East performer back on the squad with a multiple game suspension or removing him from the roster altogether.

Wannstedt has shown a history of allowing bygones to be bygones. He kept then senior linebacker Adam Gunn on the squad after a run-in with city police last summer. The coach also gave safety Elijah Fields second and third chances to right his ship before giving the Duquesne native the boot this spring.

Even if Sheard is allowed back, he will most likely miss the season’s first two-to-three games. This means the defense will be missing one of its key components against Utah in the season-opener along with the week three game at home against the Miami Hurricanes.

If that is the case, talented back-ups such as Brandon Lindsey and Shayne Hale will need to contribute and do so early.

Even if they perform well, Sheard’s presence will surely be missed and present a hefty challenge for the Panthers as they embark on what they hope will be a run to the Big East title and a BCS berth in 2010.

The Pitt Panthers ended their spring football season with the annual Blue-Gold Game on a blustery Saturday afternoon before approximately 6,500 hearty souls at Heinz Field. Pitt’s defense, which comprised the Blue squad, had their way with the Gold side as they romped to a 62-24 win.

As was expected, the defense showed they were well ahead of the offense. But that is to be expected this time of the year, since the coaching staff did not install much of an offensive game plan for both quarterbacks Tino Sunseri and Pat Bostick.

Sunseri, a redshirt sophomore, appears to have a firm grip on the starting job heading into the fall. He finished the day with nine completions in 17 attempts for 82 yards and one rushing touchdown. The Pittsburgh Central Catholic product displayed a strong arm and escapability from the rush.

Bostick, a redshirt junior, completed six of 13 throws for 59 yards. He was sacked twice and threw one ugly interception to second team safety and former quarterback Kolby Gray. Bostick clearly is the team’s second option behind center but does have game experience with wins over West Virginia and Notre Dame in 2007 and 2008 respectively.

Jonathan Baldwin made one highlight reel catch, an 11-yard one-handed grab of a poorly thrown Susneri pass in the first quarter. He led all receivers with four catches for 37 yards. The junior also took advantage of some coaching from former Panther and current Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who returned to Heinz Field to take in some of the action.

Fitzgerald was one of many former Panthers on hand Saturday afternoon. He stayed all day and chatted with several recruits in the hallway next to the Panthers locker room.

Offensive tackle Jason Pinkston had a solid afternoon, walling off all-Big East defensive end Greg Romeus much of the day. Pinkston could take comfort in his performance, knowing if he could handle Romeus, he should overpower all other defensive ends he will face this year.

Pitt’s linebackers showed they have big play capability. Sophomores Manny Williams and Dan Mason were all over the field. Williams made five tackles and one interception while Mason spent much of the day in the offensive backfield.

Converted quarterback Greg Cross and tight end Mike Cruz showed they could add to the receiving weapons for Sunseri this season. Cross seems to have gained confidence playing the position as was evidenced by a nice 15-yard grab of a Bostick floater in the second period while Cruz hauled in a 20-yard bullet from Sunseri in the third.

Sophomore running back Dion Lewis broke off a 52-yard run in the first quarter, showing he is ready to make a run at 2,000 yards this season. He finished with 74 yards on five totes.

But the day belonged to the defense. Pitt’s defensive line garnered five sacks and controlled play all day, putting a large smile on defensive line coach Greg Gattuso’s face much of the afternoon.

Notes: Romeus was named to the watch list for the 2010 Lott Trophy, which is presented annually to the best defensive player in college football. Last season, he garnered 8 sacks and 43 tackles, 11.5 of which were for a loss. He was named Big East co-Defensive Player of the Year along with teammate Mick Williams.

Pitt’s season opening contest at Utah will take place at 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 2. It will be broadcast nationally on Versus.

It has taken nearly five years, but Pitt Coach Dave Wannstedt has established a program that is more than capable of contending for Big East championships and berths in BCS bowl games.

For that hard work that just two-plus years ago, was bearing no fruit; the Pitt administration bestowed a two-year contract extension to Wannstedt. The extension was announced during a Tuesday afternoon press conference. It will also ensure Wannstedt will roam the sidelines at Heinz Field through at least 2014.

“I greatly appreciate the confidence that Chancellor Mark Nordenberg, (Athletic Director) Steve Peterson and the entire administration have in what we are building and accomplishing,” the coach said Tuesday. “While we are all proud of the strides we have made, we look forward to even greater accomplishments in the future.”

Those strides include 19 wins in two years. Last season saw the Panthers achieve heights they have not reached since the early 1980s. The Panthers finished 10-3 and capped the season with a hard-fought 19-16 win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.

With several retuning starters such as running back Dion Lewis, fullback Henry Hynoski; receivers Jonathan Baldwin and Mike Shanahan; defensive ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard; and offensive tackles Lucas Nix and Jason Pinkston; the Panthers are expected to field a deep squad that should be favored to win the Big East.

This is all heady stuff that seemed light-years away in mid-2007.

The Panthers were foundering along and sputtering towards their third consecutive non-winning season under Wannstedt. Although plenty of young talented players populated the roster at the time, wins were hard to come by.

Then came December 1, 2007. The seemingly undermanned Panthers marched into Morgantown, W.Va. and outhit West Virginia beat the Mountaineers and knocked them out of a spot in the National Championship Game.

Since then, the Panthers have knocked off the likes of South Florida, Notre Dame, West Virginia and Iowa. Pitt now boasts a devastating ground game thanks to the likes of Lewis and the departed LeSean McCoy along with a defense that has feature the likes of Romeus, Sheard, and former players Scott McKillop, Mick Williams, Aaron Berry and Adam Gunn.

Pitt appears poised to make the next step and earn that coveted BCS berth and a chance against a true college football heavyweight. The administration has done the right thing and will allow Wannstedt to have the security of an extended contract, giving him the opportunity to build the program even stronger.

“We have always believed that when you have the right person, you should give them the time and support to accomplish all the goals they have for our program,” said Pederson. “Dave has done an outstanding job leading our football program.”

December 6, 2008

Pitt 34, UCONN 10

November 1, 2008 | Pitt 36, Notre Dame 33

Former Pitt Panther Larry Fitzgerald makes an insane catch in the Insight.com Bowl against OSU

Pitt Panther Highlights throughout the years set to Rage Against the Machine’s “Renegades of Funk.”