For the first time in his life, Tyler Palko was humbled on a football field. He didn't dominate, didn't make the big plays, didn't live up to the hype that made him one of the nation's top prep quarterbacks at West Allegheny.
The redshirt sophomore at Pitt finished 6 of 19 for 49 yards with a touchdown and an interception in a 24-3 victory over Ohio University last Saturday. Palko's totals were the worst at Pitt in more than a decade.
The question is: How will he handle the adversity⢠The answer comes today when the Panthers (1-0) play host to Nebraska (1-1) at Heinz Field.
"Obviously, when you don't play well, there's a level of frustration," said Palko, who faces arguably the best secondary in the nation. "But you have to look at the 'W' on the scoreboard. I would have loved to have gone 21 for 28 and thrown for three bills (300 yards)."
Palko conceded that he was "antsy" in his starting debut. Senior left tackle Rob Petitti said the young quarterback was nervous the entire game. That was evident when Palko continually raced out of the pocket instead of holding tight and going through his progressions.
Coach Walt Harris said earlier this week that Palko has a long way to go, which is daunting considering Nebraska's going to blitz him all afternoon. Palko must look to throw more to his backs today, be more patient. Pitt backs had two catches last week, the wideouts had three.
"Ohio did some things on defense that I wasn't prepared for and that was part of the problem," Palko said. "We're all young on offense (nine new starters), but that's not an excuse. I just have to do a better job of running things."
Note: The Gateway Clipper shuttle service from Station Square to Heinz Field will not be in service for today's game due to adverse weather conditions.
