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Q: What do you think is the problem with Pitt's offense in third quarter this year? They execute really well in the first half but can't seem to get rolling again after the half.

John Crawford, McKinney, Texas

ZEISE: Great point. I think part of it is the play-calling and part of it is the execution. The head coach is an old school coach and that means, you protect a lead by running the ball, punting, kicking field goals and not taking many chances and risking turnovers. But I fear that it has been shut down a little too early in each of the last two games and the Panthers seem to lack a killer instinct. I mean, if you look at the Buffalo game the first series after the half was two screens and pass to Baldwin which was overthrown. The next series was two runs off tackle and then a short pass which was dropped by Oderick Turner. The next series was two runs and a 3-yard pass. That is three three-and-outs in a row and while there was a dropped pass and an overthrown pass, the play-calling wasn't exactly inspired or particularly aggressive. Now look at the first few series after the half of the Navy game -- the first series was a rush, a dropped pass and a screen pass (three-and-out). The next series was the field goal drive - but on first-and-ten from the 13, there were two runs off tackle and a little dink pass (which went for no yards) to Dickerson. So while it was a better drive, the Panthers didn't finish it strong and it seemed like they were content with a field goal. The next series was the puzzling Tino Sunseri series. So that is two three-and-outs and a drive in which it seemed like the offense settled for a field goal. That, to me, is going to be a problem in the future when the teams are better. You have to continue to be aggressive and keep scoring and put teams away and stop being so afraid to make mistakes or "put the ball on the ground" or throw interceptions. If you don't trust your players to make plays when you are ahead in a game, put players in the game you do trust.

Q: I liked the play calling until the fourth quarter field goal from the 1 yard-line. It really didn't benefit us at all. If they'd scored and recovered an onsides kick thay would have been forced to go for six and the win rather than three and a tie. Why not let Henry Hynoski run? The worst case scenario is that Navy gets ball on its own 1 yard-line.(Not good for their type offense.) Your thoughts?

Sheldon Leonard, Mount Union, Pa.

ZEISE: I couldn't agree more and made this point in my wrap up of the game (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly in the Redshirt Diaries each Monday). Kicking a field goal speaks to the things I just wrote about in the first question -- playing scared and playing not to lose. A touchdown there and the game is over. And with five minutes left, if you ask me, against a team like Navy, which needs a lot of plays to go a lot of yards because of their style of offense, I don't think you are better off with a 13-point lead and the Midshipmen taking over at the 25 after a kick-off than you are if you have a 10-point lead and Navy has a first-and-ten from its own 1. These are the kinds of playing-not-to-lose decisions that could hold this team back in the future.

Q: Paul, would you please tell the "marketing" team to get a new musical soundtrack? Do they know it's 2009?

Matt Hoffman, Pittsburgh

ZEISE: The soundtrack? What is this a movie? No, seriously, though, you are not a fan of Neil Diamond? Not a fan of standard Yinzer Pittsburgh songs from classic rock bands and groups like Styx and Journey? I'll say this -- if you are telling me the music is not acceptable because there isn't enough of today's music, I'm not sure I agree given the nonsense that passes off as music these days. And I think I've heard some modern music mixed in with some of the classic stuff, so it can't be all bad for you, can it? Consider this, however, your open letter to Chris Ferris and company.