ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

	Tim Steadman/Icon SMI
	Pitt's defensive struggles are a pressing concern for coach Dave Wannstedt.

It's as if someone donned a fake mustache and is impersonating Dave Wannstedt.

What on earth has happened to Pitt? The twin hallmarks of Wannstedt's program have always been discipline and defense, with offense sometimes as an afterthought.

Instead, this year's Panthers are averaging a robust 37.5 points a game while their cornerstones are crumbling. Pitt is seventh in the Big East in total defense, ahead of only Syracuse, and ranks 115th nationally in penalty yardage.

"That's not what Pitt football is about," senior cornerback Aaron Berry said.

The latest sign of a possible identity theft came on Saturday. The Panthers led NC State 31-17 late in the third quarter, with the lights on the Cathedral of Learning ready to burn. Then the Wolfpack scored 21 straight points while shredding the increasingly shaky Pitt pass defense. NC State racked up 530 yards of offense, just two games after Buffalo piled up 500 yards.

Wannstedt's team ranks 87th nationally in pass defense, which would probably be worse if the schedule hadn't included an FCS team (Youngstown State) and heavily run-oriented Navy.

"Nobody is really beating us deep, if you watch the tape," Berry said. "We're missing tackles on screens and dump-offs to the backs.

"We're actually covering well. There are times when I've been around the ball and I've left a couple things on the field. I feel like a player of my capability should be out there making those plays, and if I do, the team will follow."

Missing tackles has been a problem, and Wannstedt blames some of that on inexperience at linebacker. Dan Mason and Max Gruder are in their first years of playing that position. Wannstedt hopes the return of senior middle linebacker Adam Gunn, who missed the previous two games with an injured ankle, could help shore up that area.

The defensive line, which has the talent to be one of the best in the country, is getting penetration. But against NC State, it allowed Russell Wilson to scramble free and make plays, including a first-down run on a key fourth-and-12 late.

"We played Pat White, who I consider to be the best option athletic quarterback maybe of all time, and we handled him when we knew he was going to run the ball," Wannstedt said. "We at least slowed him down. All of Wilson's runs, and he had 100 yards rushing, they were all on his own. They were not designed runs. He tucked the ball and outran us. Obviously, we didn't do a good job of coaching and didn't do enough executing to contain him."

Then there are the penalties, which have come in all three phases of the game. Pitt was one of the least penalized teams in the country last season but is averaging 84.5 yards of flags this year. What's strange is that the nucleus of last year's team returned.

"I wish that I had an easy answer," Wannstedt said. "The solution obviously is that you emphasize it, and if it continues then you've got to make a change. Penalties and turnovers, that's the only way to deal with them. You try to correct it, coach them up, emphasize it, and if they continue, the guy can't play."

Wannstedt harped on the mistakes in a team meeting Sunday, during which Berry said the Panthers "cleared the air on some things." He's bringing officials to every practice session this week in hopes of reducing the penalties.

If those problems aren't solved by Friday night, Pitt could be 0-1 in the Big East. Louisville has playmaking receivers like Scott Long, Trent Guy and Doug Beaumont who can exploit the Panthers' holes in pass coverage. Although quarterback Justin Burke is not nearly as swift as NC State's Wilson, he has shown an ability to run for positive yards when a play breaks down.

It's time to rip the fake mustache off that Wannstedt impersonator, or fix whatever else has led to the Panthers' identity crisis.

"With us being on national TV, it's important to show the country what Pitt football is really about," Berry said.