Bleacher Report - Articles by Tyler Long

Pitt to Be Featured on InTheBleachers.net Podcast

Tyler Long — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:32:41 -0400

Make sure you tune into the latest edition of the InTheBleachers.net podcast on Thursday as host Brian Sakowaski will be chatting with me, Tyler Long (Pitt community leader here at BR) and two other Big East contributors.

I'll be on from 9:20 to 9:35 (p.m., all times EST) talking about the 2008 Panthers, "Shady" McCoy, Derek Kinder along with a preview of the Big East, sure to be one of the most exciting conferences in college football this year.

10 Things We Know About the 2008 Pitt Panthers — No. 5 Through No. 1

Tyler Long — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:07:27 -0400

5. Offensive line will once again be a concern.

It would not be Pitt football season without worries about the offensive line. Once again in 2008, Wannstedt and new offensive line coach Tony Wise will be tasked with finding five trees that are capable of anchoring the trenches.

It will start with JUCO transfer Robb Houser, as his development into a D-I quality lineman will be a big part of the offense's success or failure. Outside of Houser, not too many starters are known right now, and summer drills will provide the missing pieces.

With blue-chip recruits like Chris Jacobsen recovering from injury and Luke Nix still a year off from challenging for a job, the patch-work line will have to hold at least one more season until this area will be on stable ground.

Look for Jason Pinkston, coming off of shoulder surgery, to be the man to replace Jeff Otah at the left tackle spot.

4. The Panther defensive line will be one of the best units in the nation.

Don’t let anyone tell you the 2007 Backyard “Maul” was won because of Pat White’s injury or some wack-o conspiracy that Rich-Rod threw the game so he could jet for Big Blue — it was won by the Pitt defensive line.

The six-man rotation dominated the line of scrimmage every play in that game and featured several young stars. Mick Williams and Rashadd Duncan anchored the middle, and the emergence of Greg Romeus on the outside made the Panthers' defensive line difficult to deal with.

They are quick off the ball and get into the backfield almost at will, forcing opposing offenses to play with hungry defenders on their side of the ball. If you need more evidence: Pitt finished the season in the top 10 in several defensive categories and Scott McKillop led the nation in tackles per game (12.5) because of the defensive line stopping linemen from getting to the second level.

The return of Gus Mustakus from an ACL injury should bolster the line even more, giving Pitt seven starter-quality linemen to rotate all game long, keeping players fresh and pressure constant.

3. “Shady” McCoy will be the focus of the Pitt offense.

Maybe the biggest no-brainer heading into 2008. McCoy was arguably the best freshman running back in the nation last season but failed to get the publicity and attention due to the lackluster season that Pitt endured last year.

That being said, even with the stellar numbers he put up in 2007 — breaking Tony Dorsett’s freshman records at Pitt with 1,328 yards and 14 TDs — this season could be the coming out party for “Shady.” He won’t sneak up on anyone this year, but with a stable QB and better talent across the board on offense, McCoy will be the focus but won’t have to carry the team on his back.

The best thing for McCoy is that he put up great numbers without too much physical demand. He averaged 23 touches a game last season and if they can keep him at that level again this season, McCoy will be fresh all season and avoid the fatigue and hits that usually slow down running backs.

2. Bill Stull will enter 2008 as the starting quarterback.

And by all accounts, it’s the right call. Stull was far and away the most talented out of the bunch in last summer’s quarterback battle. Unfortunately for Pitt, the 2007 season became a game of “Who’s Start is It Anyway?” as Stull went down with a season-ending thumb injury against Eastern Michigan.

Kevin Smith and Pat Bostick each suffered as freshmen behind center and neither should start this season pending another injury. Stull was named the starter for 2008 by Wannstedt during spring drills, and it should give the team time to build continuity with their QB once more. Here’s hoping this season doesn’t become Groundhog’s Day.

1. Just or unjust, the 2008 season will make or break the Dave Wannstedt era of Pitt football.

Not many coaches would have the opportunity that Wannstedt has right now at Pitt. In most cases, after taking over a rising program and running it back into the ground with three straight losing and generally non-competitive seasons, he would have been on the chopping block after last year and looking for a job.

Instead, he was granted a contract extension before the WVU game last season and now has a second chance to rectify his Alma mater. What could save Wannstedt is his tireless recruiting — players gravitate to him because of his personality and belief in what he tells recruits.

So far, it’s paying off. Pitt has landed more blue-chip recruits and top-25 classes than they totaled in a decade before Wanny arrived.

But, now, it’s time to put up or shut up. The talent is there, the plan is there, it just has to be put into effective practice. Fans and the administration alike have been waiting a long time for Pitt to rise from the ashes and become a power again, and that goal is well within reach. It’s time for Wannstedt to prove his mettle and take Pitt back to a bowl (at the very least) and move forward to better things.

When he came to the school, Wannstedt preached that 2008 was the target season for the true arrival of the program and his plan — he now has less than two months to show what progress has been made.

Checkout 10-6 if you haven't already.

Pitt Football: 10 Things We Know About the 2008 Panthers—10 Through 6

Tyler Long — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:54:58 -0400

10. Expectations for Pitt haven’t been this high since the '80s.

It’s true. Even as the 2005 season loomed, with Pitt in the top 25 and ESPN College GameDay on site for an opening weekend battle vs. Notre Dame, expectations were met with cautious optimism as “Wanny” took the helm for departed coach Walt Harris.

Three bowl-less seasons later, the Panthers are loaded with talent and ready to get back to their winning ways. Pitt may be one of the few teams in the nation to finish with less than six wins and still be considered by many to be a conference contender.

Not since the days of Marino has such an emphasis been placed on winning now. That’s a tall task for a bunch of 20-somethings, but it comes with the territory in big time college football.

9. Pitt fans and students will continue to make excuses not to fill Heinz Field, even as the team rises to national prominence once more.

Only three things in life are certain in the ‘Burgh: death, taxes, and empty seats on Saturday home games.

Pittsburgh fans are known for their ability to make any and every excuse for not showing up on Saturdays to watch the Panthers. Even when Pitt was in its heyday during the '70s, Pitt Stadium was rarely filled to the brim with fans, so it’s not shocking that the attitude has carried over into the 2000s.

Pitt students have a penchant for showing up at games for one of two reasons: they try to get on TV, or West Virginia is in town.

Even with free shuttles to and from games and plenty of activities right up to kickoff, students would rather stay in Oakland then travel the 14 minutes to the North Shore.

Don’t ask me why.

With a state-of-the-art facility and home games against the best Big East teams—including the Backyard Brawl with WVU—the walls of the stadium should crumble under the weight of fans rushing to fill the seats.

With the team on the verge of possible greatness, the only thing that should stop fans from seeing the game is a lack of seating.

8. Phil Bennett will continue to raise the bar for the Pitt defense.

Following the departure of Paul Rhoads to Auburn, the Panthers were left wondering who would fill the hole left by their charismatic defensive coordinator. Not the most effective in his days at Pitt, players gravitated to Rhoads because of his enthusiasm and hard-nosed approach to the game.

The mauling of WVU still fresh in their minds, this year’s Pitt defense was and is still looking toward a promising future.

Bennett may be the coordinator, but people around the program know that Dave Wannstedt is the man behind the machine and will still have a hand in the overall gameplan.

Early returns seem to support that players have adapted to Bennett, who still uses most of the terminology implemented by Rhoads during his tenure, so Scott McKillop and the Panther defense will take another huge leap forward and not back.

Although his term as head coach at SMU was generally a losing campaign, Bennett has a pedigree of coaching top defenses at LSU, Kansas St., and Texas A&M.

7. Derek Kinder will be the heart and soul of the Panthers.

Maybe the most absolute of all the things known about Pitt this year is this—Kinder is a flat-out gamer. Pitt is almost lucky Kinder is back for another season—he should be in the NFL.

Had it not been for an ACL injury during summer practices last year, the wideout would have enjoyed his senior year last year. Instead he is on campus for one final go-round in the Big East.

Kinder may be most known for the devastating block he put on two WVU players during Darrell Revis’ punt return in the 2006 Backyard Brawl in Pittsburgh, but that hardly tells the tale for him.

Kinder is an all-around force on the field—he is the most polished receiver on the Pitt roster and shows guts every play, blocking and doing whatever is asked of him without objection.

It’s the grit and determination he has that will do wonders for the young team, not just his stat production. If there was ever a player that “led by example,” it would be Kinder.

6. Jonathan Baldwin will be the best freshman from this year’s recruiting class.

Larry who?

Although hyperbole, Baldwin seems to have the talent to make people at least utter the phrase, even in jest.

A tight end in high school, Baldwin was the gem of Pitt’s recruiting class this year, and with good reason. He looked like a man amongst boys during the Army High School All-American game and even made Terrelle Pryor look better by making catches in traffic.

A little raw when it comes to route running, Baldwin may not have time to learn the ropes. Mo Williams, expected to fill the other receiver spot aside Kinder, was ruled academically ineligible and may transfer.

That leaves the door wide open for Baldwin to step in from day one and make plays. With his 6’6” size and 4.5 speed, he will give any Pitt quarterback a big target and can take pressure off the running game.

A Big To-Do About Nothing

Tyler Long — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:50:48 -0400

What a shocker.

Yesterday, ESPN football commentator Tom Jackson said that he was tired of trying to keep up with the comments that Dom Imus makes.

Well, Tom, that makes two of us.

I'm tired of it, too. Tired of the fact that I have to sit through another day of the news and sports world blowing up a story that, in reality, will never have merit in my book.

We live in an age now where you have to watch what you say. Not because you will say something offensive, but that your words will be manipulated to be deemed offensive. We walk on eggshells that exist only on the razor's edge.

Welcome people, to PC America.

No longer are people allowed to speak freely for fear of offending the person next to them. One problem—that person, the listener, never actually had the right to be free from being offended. Catch that, Tom?

See, the fact is, Imus wasn't offensive, even if he wasn't allowed to be. He made a comment, a comment that I would be willing to bet the majority of people agree with: African-Americans are profiled in certain ways, most of them negative and generally untrue.

“There you go. Now we know”

Those six words are what could possibly land Imus in trouble again...this is a joke right?

Any second now I’m going to wake up from this surreal reality. If you heard or read this and automatically though “racist comment,” I do feel sorry for you. There is simply nothing there but words.

So, for people to get up in arms about a non-directive sarcastic comment just doesn't add up to me. But then it hits you; the very people that think they have a right to not be offended always seem to be.

People are always self important, we all like to think we matter. The problem is, we don’t, and because of that, the groups that are upset by this need to realize that their opinion on the matter should have no bearing on what happens to Imus.

Imus is a radio jock, reaching millions on the airwaves with a daily dose of talk. I highly doubt that he is a racist. I think it’s a joke that he was forced out of his job for months, and may have to be again because of what he says on the radio.

Free speech in this country is dead.

It’s alright for people to come down on Imus, question his values and intentions, and make sure we all know what a horrid man he is for the “words of hate” he throws out. However, he is not allowed to speak freely because he is a personality and, my goodness, lets pray he doesn’t slip up and say something vague that people take punches at.

The solution?

It’s called changing the channel. You don’t like it? Flip that dial, turn the page, or walk away. Imus, or any other writer, jock, pundit, etc. needs you to pay attention to them to stay on the air. So, don’t listen if you don’t like the message.

Plenty of people do like the message, or they don’t interpret every phrase as racist. There are far more of these people than those willing to resign themselves to a world where words have a hyperbolic tendency to be misused.

WVIAC Tournament Coverage

Tyler Long — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 16:53:47 -0500

I will be down in Charleston, West Virginia from Thursday until Saturday covering the Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cats at the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) tournament.

The winner gets an automatic bid in the NCAA Division II tournament.

Check out my blog: http://tylerlong71.blogspot.com for coverage live from the tournament, and give me some feedback! This is my first tournament coverage and my first shot at beat writing.

2008 NFL Draft: Pittsburgh Steelers Mock Draft

Tyler Long — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 12:12:49 -0500

The 2008 NFL draft is rapidly approaching, and the Pittsburgh Steelers have plenty to focus on heading into that critical weekend in April.

The draft always represents a time when teams focus on needs and replace older players or those who leave during free agency.

The Steelers have made their name in the draft—the Cower era was paramount as an example of what teams can accomplish by evaluating talent and picking players that fit a system rather than blowing millions on superstar players that may or may not pan out for a new team.

The Steelers have a major focus for the 2008 draft: offensive line.

The 2007 edition was a porus group that failed to live up to expectations, and were part of the reason the team was sent to the offseason with a first-round playoff loss to Jacksonville.

All-Pro guard Alan Faneca was not given the "Franchise Tag" and will not re-sign with the team, and that leaves a huge hole on a line that already had plenty of questions. After the line the Steelers also have to address the corps of linebackers and corners on the team in terms of both age and ability.

This being said, this is a "mock" draft of sorts for the Steelers in the 2008 draft...

1st Round: OT Jeff Otah (6’6” 341 lbs.)
University of Pittsburgh

The first-round pick for the Steelers in 2008 is a no-brainer—Go big.

Pittsburgh’s offensive line was far from elite last season, and with Alan Faneca’s bags packed it goes without saying that the team needs offensive linemen to protect Big Ben and effectively run the football.

Otah was a two-year standout at Pitt despite not playing football in high school and having limited Division I experience. Teams love his size as a tackle prospect, but Otah has a long way to go to prove he can play left tackle and protect the blindside of a franchise quarterback.

Drafting Otah also gives the Steelers flexibility on the line. Moved to tackle last season, Willie Colon could move back inside to his more natural guard position, and if he plays well it could make the loss of Faneca less catastrophic than it seems at the moment.

Furthermore, with Max Starks’ future with the team in limbo, the team could be looking at two holes to fill on the depth chart before the April draft. Monday morning quarterbacks were quick to tab the Steelers line as one of the worst in the league after last season, but with a great first round addition of Otah at pick No. 23, the Black and Gold could be on their way to creating a dominant offensive line once again.

2nd Round: CB Charles Godfrey (6’, 207 lbs.)
University of Iowa

With all the attention being paid to holes on the offensive line, the Steelers would be remiss to not take steps to improve their aging secondary. Godfrey is a solid second-round pick and physically he is a first-round pick—rare height for a corner, track-star speed—but he made the switch from safety to corner before his junior season, so his full potential at either position has yet to be realized.

His versatility makes him a valuable selection for the Steelers. He can contribute at free safety to push or replace Anthony Smith or eventually work back to the corner spot where the Steelers currently have a 33-year-old Deshea Townsend, a perennial underachiever in Ike Taylor, and a still unproven Bryant McFadden and William Gay.

Godfrey is excellent in zone coverage, which immediately puts him on the short list for the Steelers 3-4 zone scheme, and is aggressive in run support with great open-field tackling ability. Godfrey is a hard-worker and team leader, just the type of player the Steelers have been drafting for years now, and he would be a huge asset for Mike Tomlin to pick up in the early rounds.

3rd Round: WR Adarius Bowman (6’4” 220 lbs.)
Oklahoma State University

A hidden gem in this years draft class may be the answer to Big Ben’s cries for a tall receiver. With a large amount of receivers going in the early rounds, the Steelers may have the chance to grab Bowman in the third round.

Bowman transferred to Oklahoma St. after an off-field incident led to his dismissal from North Carolina and a late-season knee injury cost prevented him from putting up bigger numbers (67 rec., 1,006 yds., 8 TDs) and getting a larger pay-day on draft weekend.

By all accounts, Bowman has learned from his early indiscretions and has become a physical specimen because of tireless off-field workouts. He is a quick learner and someone who can handle Tomlin getting in his mug every once and a while.

Adding Bowman to the Steelers roster would pay huge dividends in the end for the team. His large frame would make him a great target for Ben and his ability to get downfield on defenders makes him the deep target that could bring a dynamic element to an offense.

All signs show that he is great out of breaks and uses good leverage and center of gravity to break on routes and find cushions in a defense. His frame enables him to break press and get up field and he is also a good blocker in the running game—something the Steelers will need to replace when Hines Ward calls it a career.

The addition of a tall receiver will also take pressure off of Ward and Santonio Holmes. They will see less double teams and defenses will have to be careful when they stack the box to stop the running game with a weapon like Bowman on the field.

4th Round: OLB Marcus Howard (6’2”, 245 lbs.)
University of Georgia

The Steelers are quickly aging in the linebacker position. In 2007 the team drafted Lawrence Timmons, and LaMarr Woodley in the first and second rounds respectively. Timmons’ progress was slowed by a nagging groin injury, but Woodley came on strong at the end of the season and looks like a player who will push for a starting role in 2008.

Following that trend, Marcus Howard is an ideal pick for the Steelers in round four. The long-time policy for the Steelers has been to replace free-agent veterans with fresh legs in the draft, and this case is no exception. Clark Haggans’ contract is up, and with the influx of new talent on the team and the emergence of James Harrison, the Steelers would be best fit to move in a new direction.

Howard, not unlike Godfrey, is a bit of a project. Originally recruited to play linebacker for the Bulldogs, he was switched to defensive end in 2005 and did not start until this past season. He did put up good numbers: 41 tackles, team-leading 10.5 sacks.

Dominant as he was this season, his size won’t allow him to stay on the line in the NFL. He has been tabbed as a player with the tendency to follow fakes and misdirection.

That aside, Howard’s upside is represented by his ability to move quickly up the field, and he possesses good size for an NFL-caliber player at his position. The thing that would work out best for the Steelers is that with players capable of starting now ahead of him, Howard could be used as a pass rusher early in his career while making the transition to linebacker for the Steelers.

5th Round: C/OG Kory Lichtensteiger (6’2”, 305 lbs.)
Bowling Green State University

Lichtensteiger has flown under the radar because he plays in a mid-major conference, but he is a solid linemen prospect for the Steelers. A four-year starter at Bowling Green, Lichtensteiger initially played guard, but was switched to center before his junior season.

His career blocking percentage (85.45 percent) is the highest mark of any active NCAA center. He was incredibly consistent during his years at Bowling Green, only being flagged three times and logging one quarterback pressure against him.

The main concern for scouts looking at Lichtensteiger is his quickness after the snap. Bowling Green ran a spread offense and most of his snaps came out of the shotgun. He may be best served to play guard at the start of his career and his familiarity with both positions would give him the flexibility to do that.

With Faneca departing Pittsburgh, Lichtensteiger would immediately be a solid back-up for the team and could push for playing time if he was impressive enough in camp. If the concern over his quickness after the snap was proved wrong, Lichtensteiger could once again find himself at center for the team, possibly a starter but more likely a back-up.

6th Round: DT Carlton Powell (6’3”, 300 lbs.)
Virginia Tech

The Steelers last projected selection in the 2008 draft should be Carlton Powell. For years, Casey Hampton has been the anchor of the Steelers 3-4 defense, taking up blockers to free up linebackers to make plays at the line, rather than the play coming to them.

Powell already has the frame to fit the Steelers nose tackle model and played in a similar system at Virginia Tech. Playing in the shadows of more high-profile players on his defense, Powell was dominant at his position. His tackles resulted in minus-13 yards for the opposition over his career, the only active D-I player to reach such a feat.

Powell would add depth behind Hampton and would have the chance to learn from one of the best at their position in the game. He would add another stable body to the rotation of Hampton and Chris Hoke.

Powell can still improve in areas like pad level and getting off cut blocks, but as a late round selection he represents value in terms of ability and depth—something that every team looks for in rounds four through seven.