in Pitt Football 845 Words

POV’s Know The Enemy: Clemson

Here are the all important Game Notes to have when watching the game this week.

Pitt’s season has been one of opposites it seems.  We’ve had a stout run defense that is currently 13th nationally with only 111.6 ypg allowed the opposition.  Yet we have watched the coaching staff field a possible all-time worse passing defense that now sits at 126th and gives up 317 ypg.

Pitt scores a lot of points with 37 ppg production on offense… then we give up an average of 34.4.  Our running game has been executing well yet our passing game is so hot and cold, mostly cold, that it can’t be reasonably relied on to keep us in games where we are behind and have to get quick scores to keep up.

All in all we are a team that in some ways can be viewed as better than it’s 5-4 record, especially if you add in the fact that we lost very close games to strong teams in OK state and NC, both who are currently residing in the Top 25 polls. pitt-sked-clem But overall we are doing just what Pitt teams in the past seem to have done in that we are winning games we are figured to win and losing to teams that are more highly regarded that we are.

Both our ACC losses, VT and Miami, looked winnable when looking at the schedule over the off-season and they they weren’t surprise losses as the season unfolded.  The Miami game last week was surprisingly one-sided though as we dropped the match by 23 point margin when almost everyone felt that would be a closer game.

One trend that has really hurt us though has been our scoring in the 2nd half of games; we have put up 130 points and have allowed 158.  To wins games we need to hold teams close going into the 4th quarter and that’s been hard to do in our losses.

VT held a 29-21 lead at the end of the 3rd quarter and Miami was up 34-21…both times we fell short at the end.

Clemson, who is our opponent this week, is #2 or #3 in the nation depending on what poll you look at and has strengths on both sides of the ball.  They score at almost the same clip we do in putting up 38 ppg on average but the difference ends there as Clemson’s defense gives up only 15.7 ppg.  We are really poor this year in scoring defense giving up 34.4 ppg.

Compare Clemson’s 15.7 scoring defense to Miami’s at 18.8 ppg the held when going into the Pitt game and it looks like pretty scary Saturday is ahead.  Here is how Clemson stacks up nationally going into the Pitt game:

clemson-national

You can’t help but be impressed, if not a bit daunted, when looking at those numbers and especially the defensive ones… Top 12 in four major defensive categories isn’t what you want to see when your offense had a hard time putting up points on drives just the week before. 

Maybe, if our running game gets hot, we can capaialize on that Time of Possion defict and keep Clemson’s strong offense off the field.  But our defense has to do its part with that.

When putting the teams head to head we see this as a comparison:

clemson-head

If our cobbled-together defensive line can come together and play above expectations we can take advantage of their less-than-stellar running game. RB Gallman has had a decent season and runs at a 5.3 ypc clip and their 2nd leading rusher, QB Watson only has a 3.9 ypc average – so if we can keep that big and unexpected QB run from happening that will help our cause immensely.

What kills my enthusiasm for a possible upset is that Clemson passing yards per game, already they throw the ball all over the field for 320 ypg so one just wonders what we have happen in Death Valley once the dust settles after the game.

As in all games so far that poor (terrible) passing defense has been our Achilles’s heel and I don’t see it magically getting better before Saturday.

Deshawn Watson, their QB, has already thrown for 28 TDs.  But here is a crack in that part of Clemson’s game – he has thrown 10 INTs also which, if we can jump some routes and risk big plays ( which sounds funny to write that because we give up big plays anyway) and get a couple INTs we’ll have a good chance at keep their scoring within our striking distance.

Actually that my be our only hope when you look at just how good Clemson is overall. But Pitt as gone into other team’s stadiums and come out with surprising wins before – who is to say it can’t happen again.

It sure can and while it may be a far thing to make happen – the chance of an upset is the beauty of college football.  Especially as a lot of team’s our built around one or two players.  If Watson has to sit for any reason our chances go up dramatically.

Predictions Thread tomorrow…

 

 

 

104 thoughts on “POV’s Know The Enemy: Clemson”

  1. Reed, thanks again for another great article!
    Upsets are always possible and man can we use one!!!!
    Scary thing is your article says a good chance of getting the upset is thru interceptions. I’m not sure Conklin’s D knows what that is this year.

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  2. If Pitt played zone rather than man to man interceptions would be more likely. Our DBs though, if actions on the field reflect what they are taught, is to follow the receiver closely and when they sense the pass is coming try to interfere with the hands and thus the catch. Not turning around on the ball makes the interception of the ball on long passes, which is what we mostly see, almost impossible. Rooting anyway.

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  3. PG Pitt FB beat writer, Jenn Mendendez, lasted all of 2 1/2 months on the beat, and is leaving town.

    Here’s your chance Reed …. we need a Pitt alum on the job.

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  4. Thanks to you all for well wishing for my family and especially Mom.

    The article I posted said Heinze Field has the ambience of a Golden Coral down the street. He said a lot of silly and funny things but that is spot on.

    Reed – Nice article. I took a pic of a license plate down here Reed. You sure you dont have 5 kids here in Fort Worth. Trying to post it.

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  6. Hope things continue to get a little better for you UPitt.

    About this coming game, I feel a lot less anxious heading into the game this week for obvious reasons. Low expectations. I know I will watch the game a lot more loose and here’s hoping the players play a lot more loose. Just not with the ball in their hands. I never in my life have picked PITT to loose a game, I just don’t pick any teams when the odds are this great. So tomorrow I’ll see if I even participate in the prediction thread?

    Clemson is head banger team, they hit you and take numbers. It will take a keen eye to see what exactly transpires in the game concerning PITT. I’ll hope for the best and keep a low profile no doubt………..ike

    H2P

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  7. Ike – I’d bet the farm we cover and play them decently close.

    Line was Pitt +20.5

    And thanks Ike for the kind words.

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  8. I will be one of three Pitt fans at the Game. If Pitt scores a touchdown look for me in the upper, upper, upper deck. I’ll be the only one getting pelted by soda bottles and who knows what else. Wish me luck.

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  10. Long time reader but first time poster. Heading down to Clemson tomorrow from Connecticut so I’ll be joining you in the upper deck, Atlanta Panther. Got tix through Pitt so at least I should be with some Pitt fans haha. Always wanted to see the atmosphere at Death Valley in person, pretty pumped for the game. H2P

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  11. A Mike in CT and Atlanta…BigB and Dr Tom will be there too,,so that’s at least 4 of us not counting our wives..Let’s get LOUD, kick ass and take numbers….Let’s Go PITT!!!

    P.S. Bring a friend cause I have an extra ticket that won’t be used.

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  13. Atlanta – that is a great link and unfortunately too close to the truth on some issues.

    Here is what jumped out at me because i have been writing about it all season…

    “Pat “Nard Dawg” Narduzzi: Pat Narduzzi had a good run at Michigan St. He put together a stifling defense, capable of holding even the most efficient 3-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust Big 10 team to 2.5 yards.

    This earned him the opportunity to coach a team in a conference that actually believes in the forward pass, and it’s been quite the adjustment. Narduzzi constantly locks up his beleaguered defensive backs on the other team’s outside receivers in order to stack the box, Big 10 style. It hasn’t worked well for the Nard Dawg”

    As I have said before I believe Narduzzi is a Big 10 coach thru and thru and wants to be back there. It may not be Purdue this year but two things will drive his decision making in the future – salary $$$ and the Big 10. IMO he’ll accept a not-too-much bigger salary to get into the top half of the Big 10 schools and a bigger salary to get into the lower half of that conference (Purdue??) – but he wants to be back in that conference.. I strongly believe this.

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  14. We can win this game if we cut down on untimely penalties. It seems like every time we get a good offensive gain it comes back and every time we get a good defense going we blow it on flags.

    That, a consistently strong running game and winning the TO battle and we might keep it close going into the 4th quarter.

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  15. Reed,
    I hope after a couple of years here we wouldn’t want him there also! (Hence, the Duzz will experience success here and not leave). We can hope things turn good here, right?

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  16. Pitt injury report:
    QUESTIONABLE – Rori Blair, Tyrique Jarrett.
    OUT – Zach Challingsworth, Phillipie Motley, Tre Tipton, Elijah Zeise.

    don’t see anything on Soto

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  17. Heading down from the Burgh tomorrow. Also sitting in the Pitt section. Hope to meet some of you. Met Reed at Annapolis bar crawl. Good dude.

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  18. Awesome, sounds like we have a small crew! I am in section TDK I believe (my cousin who went to Clemson will be sitting with us as well, hopefully her orange won’t be too bright!)

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  19. Personally I’d like for Narduzzi to stay at Pitt and win. But that has to be a two-sided deal. Pitt and fans have to want him here and then he has to want to stay here.

    it doesn’t always happen that way. If we don’t win Saturday that is two straight years without a big conference win – which he was hired to do. The best we can do after Saturday (if we lose) is a 7-5 regular season with no chance at a ‘progressive’ season from last year.

    If that happens a 3rd straight year then Pitt natives will grow restless… especially if we have to keep bumping his salary to keep him here. Pitt already did that once with the Rutgers talk. if Pitt feels pressured to do it again without a great record, and big wins to point to, then Pitt will wave goodbye.

    Best he can do is win 8 or more next year but beat some harder ACC teams to stay into the Coastal hunt into December… that would keep Pitt happy.

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  21. Reed I am far from an insider, and I’m sure that Clemson post was written with tongue firmly planted in cheek. So that being said, I hope that Narduzzi truly is “home” and that isn’t just smoke being blown in our direction. If he is using us as a stepping stone to the Big 10 then so be it, but of course I think a lot of us hope it isn’t true.

    I also have to remind everybody that while we aren’t technically in a rebuild, this defense was not built to “Win Now” with the style Narduzzi likes to play. That much is obvious. Next year isn’t going to be much better. There is going to be a lot of learning on the job. Also on offense bc we will be breaking in a new QB. I wouldn’t be surprised if we finished 5-7 in 2017.

    BUT…if Narduzzi can stick around until 2018, and we can stick around with him, I think we will be in for a very nice season. Tough to take the long view with so much mediocrity over the last several years, but it’s the one i’m taking.

    Lastrow, Mike, Big B, SC I’ll be in the Pitt section as well. Row LL seats 21 – 25. Looking forward to meeting up.

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  22. Offensive production has slowed down as the teams with tougher defenses came on the schedule. The schedule early on was loaded with teams who had below avg. or weak defenses, sans Pedo State,

    Keep in mind when viewing these rankings, Pitt’s pathetic defense is ranked #86 in TOTAL Defense
    1) Villanova (D2)(no explanation needed even though the offense struggled thoroughly)
    2) Okla. State ( #98)
    3) UNC (#72)
    4) Marshall (#114)
    5) GA Tech (#64)
    6) Virginia (#100)

    I skipped over Pedo State, as I think that game was sort of an outlier. Pedo State fumbled the ball like 4 times, one fumble was on their 10 yd leading to a Pitt TD and the other one was on their 30 yard line leading to another Pitt TD on a shortened field. And then Pitt’s final TD was a 10 yd. drive after the 84 yard Kick Return by Little Q. So 21 of Pitt’s 42 points were on 2 Pitt scoring drives of 10 yards each and another of 30 yards.

    7) Miami (#28) Offense really only scored 21 points as Little Q had a 100 yd Kick Return TD. Another Pitt TD was on a busted Miami pass coverage. So as far as TD drives, Pitt only had 2 TD drives.

    So it will be interesting to see if this trend continues against Clemson (#12 Total Defense)

    And then I would expect the Offensive Production to go back up against Duke (#57) and Syracuse (#110).

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  23. I think that article is a regurgitation of what they read from UPitt, Emel and some others.

    I didn’t see anything new, that I haven’t read here or on Pitt Blather.

    Hope they posted it on the bulletin board over on the South Side.

    We are a football team that never look like we play angry.

    Just Narduzzi at the refs.

    See that Tipton is out, that was a big hit he took last week, hope he comes back soon.

    Two years in a row for him, starting to look like Cam Saddler, maybe to slight to play with the big boys.

    I hope not.

    It took Narduzzi a long time to take a head coaching job. Although I still think he needs to be able to adjust his D schemes. I hope he is loyal to Pitt and stays. I think Purdue is a lateral move or worse.

    But I don’t know anyone that would not take 100% increase in salary if it is offered now or in the future.

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  25. Nothing new but tells us that others from the outside see what we see from within. Its often more difficult to see when inside the bottle. It validates what many have said here before. So opinion is shared by those with no agenda. We are mocked and rightfully so for our coaching carousel, our off campus stadium, our attendance, our Big 10 coach, Fitz pumping U of Phoenix, our early tourney exits…the list goes on. What the hell are we going to do about it? Create a culture of winning and sustained success. Are we on that path? Look at our leadership and actions.

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  26. Clemscum is the WVCC of the ACC, so naturally they would have some visceral regarding Pitt.
    They act like they’ve always been an elite team now. Comical.

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  27. I was going to remind those fools that the last time Pitt and Clemscum met on the football field, Clemscum didn’t even score a TD….. in a Pitt rout. But I didn’t want to bothered registering for an account.

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  28. UPitt and Emel are one of a kind. But we are all part of the Pitt fraternity and entitled to our own opinions.

    It is sad that others point out the same things that we see. Most schools would do something about it. Pitt lets the cancer continue. Not saying we fire Nard Dog.

    Am saying why should we give the guy a pass on this year?
    Am saying that we should consider a feasibility study for an OCS.
    Am saying that we need to find a way to engage boosters, alumni and students who quite frankly have been shit on for the past 30 years.
    Am saying we need to bring back more successful athletes and show our young student athletes the Pitt way.
    Am saying we should create an identity.
    Am saying we should pony up the money and commit to excelling in sports.
    Am saying we need to find leaders who share a vision and have the means to execute the plan to achieve it.

    I still think we are SOP. Gallagher and Barnes are wolves in sheeps clothing.

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  29. Ditto Tex

    These University bureaucrats are very similar to Gov’t bureaucrats. You get a lot of noise. In fact I believe Gallagher came from a Gov’t job didn’t he ?

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  30. If we don’t win at least one of those last two games we most probably won’t get a bowl bid and it will be a 6-6 season. On the other hand we could wins the last two and be 7-5 looking at a mid-sized bowl.

    The bottom line is, I believe, Pitt’s willingness to spend a LOT more money if Narduzzi is being woo’ed away from Pitt.

    College football is a business and unless the HC is an alumni to that school (as with DC) there really is no loyalty involved. He’ll go where the money is.

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  31. I have read lately where Clemson fan writings have belittled Pitt football. I doubt Clemson has ever won a NC although they had undefeated teams and John Heisman was there for 3 years. If anyone from Clemson doubts our 9 titles then ask if Clemson was playing football during those years.

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  33. Emel, the article mentioned by Atlanta Panther at 1:26 pm. Also noted by UPitt sometime earlier.

    I don’t recall you arguing with UPitt over anything. LOL

    I do agree you aren’t in his league as far as negativity and vitriol go.

    And you know I have agreed with both of you on various issues.

    Read the article and tell me that you couldn’t have written it.

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  34. If we’re 6-6 I hope we don’t get a bowl game. A waste of time…..it would probably be played on a Tuesday night up against NCIS on ESPNU.

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  36. lol rkb.

    Victory Bell flap for tonite’s game between the Tarholes and the Dookies.

    Seems the current madness infecting society and especially college campuses, has even infested awards and trophies for Rival Games. Seems they wanted to make it a ‘Participation Award’.

    “Duke and North Carolina will play Thursday night for the coveted Victory Bell, the trophy that has gone to the winner of their rivalry game since 1948.

    But in the year since the teams last played, the Bell has undergone a radical makeover. Half the pedestal features the Duke colors and logo; the other half features the North Carolina colors and logo. Reaction has predictably been apoplectic.”

    http://www.espn.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/96334/change-to-duke-north-carolina-victory-bell-has-sparked-outrage

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  37. ~ gc….yea I found it, upitt posted that yesterday. I thought maybe there was some other article you were referring to. Nope….. I took umbrage to that pos article. (see my comments at 4:50 & 4:52)

    What I say here on occasion is among the Pitt Family, and like conversations among blood related family members, it stays here on this board, among our family. And as we all know, family members don’t always agree and there is sometimes a little friction.

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  39. Reed posted “College football is a business and unless the HC is an alumni to that school (as with DC) there really is no loyalty involved. He’ll go where the money is”.

    Now I know your stance and your documented stance by the then administration on discipline but this statement seems to me to be bass ackwards. I suspect you know where I’m going with this.

    Yes it’s Wanny time. Remind me again who was the alumni between Dave and the AD? I know the drill, you’ll say that the decision came from higher up. I’ve nevered believed that. steve had a big hard on for DW because he was more popular than he was. I cannot be convinced that PITT would NOT be a perennial top ten team by now if steve had been fired at the time instead of HCDW. steve pederson was poison for the PITT football program and intentionally tried to sabotage it. imo. Hopefully the new administration stays the course and pays the money to navigate PITT out of the stagnant football woods.

    I know this is controversial and all but it felt good to get that off my chest. I didn’t hold back after-all

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  41. Whatever happened to Terryl Austin. I agree with ike, had Wanny been retained, he could have coached as long as he wanted, and then be bumped upstairs in a role similar to what JM was given, but he would have been a much better representative of Pitt in that role. And he would have had someone on his staff groomed to takeover the football program so you have then that continuity that most winning programs have.

    Cornhole & Nerdy really dicked us on that one, as Pitt will always be a ‘stepping stone’ HC position, until we get a Pitt man(hello Terryl Austin, AVP), who feels Pitt is his destination job.

    And then you don’t have to go thru this annual coaching dance with possible suitors as well.

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  42. I researched my own question. 🙂 Terryl is doing a fantastic job as the Detroit Lions DC.

    Teryl Austin joined the Detroit Lions as the team’s defensive coordinator in 2014 after spending the previous three seasons as the Baltimore Ravens defensive backs coach. In his first season at the helm of the Lions’ defense in 2014, Austin led one of the NFL’s most dominant units as Detroit finished the season ranked No. 2 in total defense (300.9 yards per game) and No. 1 in rushing defense (69.3 yards per game). Austin continued his success into 2015, as the Lions defense led the NFL is tackles for loss (98) and finished in tied for seventh in sacks (43.0).

    http://www.detroitlions.com/team/coaches/teryl-austin/c1f399df-75c7-411c-b288-baa5f5f2a43c

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  43. Duke +10.5
    GSU -8.5
    Cleveland +10.5
    Utah -5.5

    Take all these tonight say’s UPitt.

    Emel – Anytime you are lunped in with old Upitt it is a good thing!! Haha.

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  44. Pitt NEEDS to beat Syracuse AND Duke to finish-out this season . Pitt goes 7-5 this year and gets a decent Bowl Trip, and taking off the “Blue and Gold/Yellow” glasses that is a-okay and I won’t even heed any counter to that. 7-5 overall this season — let’s finish this season 2-1 — is fine for this year, period. We got Teased by this team, but these Horses on defense (LB’s and DB’s) were always gonna finish the race lame lol.

    😦 😦 There were a lot of things that played-out on the Downtrend which could have made a different season.

    These are the **Real Disappointments* which were apparent (loud and clear) early in the season that made it clear in-retrospect that this year’s Pitt team talent-wise was a 7-5 team:

    1) LOL — goodbye Reggie Mitchell, Terrish Webb, Ryan Lewis — the Senior D-backs embarrassed themselves this season unfortunately. Even Avonte Maddox showed that he’s a Nickel Corner / 3rd Corner ‘At BEST’ and he hit a total ceiling. 😦 Maddox was the One Guy many Pitt fans hoped could evolve into a real NFL type-talent back there potentially (lol bad bet) —- Naaa : He dropped a gifted pick-6 that would have Buried pswho and he dropped another GIFTED BRAD KAAYA throw right into his hands at Miami in zone that would have put Pitt right in the game to take a lead and Maddox stone-hands / flails on all the plays in crunch-time and only makes plays in garbage time — Good Riddance to ALL CHRYST + regime Defensive backs.

    1A) #LinebackersSOBAD — goodbye, just, goodbye Seniors. Bye. Nope, please just go, Exit is over there…don’t look back please. Saleem Brightwell, Quintin Wirginis, Kazeon Pugh, Chase Pine — a lot of young guys who *at least have “TALENT AND SPEED” are at the wings at least.

    —> Ayeeeee How ironic that Chryst SABOTAGES Pitt’s defensive talent, yet inherits a Defensive JUGGERNAUT at Wiscy and then looks ‘sooo-competent’ lol.

    2) Super, Super 😦 Face : Pitt’s Offensive line (minus Brian O’Neill scoring TD’s lol) — has been a MASSIVE DISAPPOINTMENT overall . It was maybe Totally-Unfair in retrospect considering ALL-HYPE Bisnowatty and D. Johnson looked soft all last year —– but Pitt has faced many only Average Defenses with only mediocre sized D-lines, but the gun game was 75% huge gashing, long Jet Sweep gains, yet only very mediocre power running, with often zero-Push for the running backs on hard-hitters and counters — i.e. ‘Bread n’ Butter’ power running . It was so bad this year that Canada didn’t even run traditional run plays almost at all this entire year behind “Pre-Season All ACC” Adam Bisnowatty and Dorian Johnson 😦 — anyone notice that ALL SEASON???** 😦 huge let-down from them in their final season at Pitt. Oh well.

    3) —- Nathan Peterman just never got better . Pretty self-explanatory there. Biggest thing was that he never ran the ball + Scrambled anymore — which if anyone remembers last year, was what ended up getting him the #1 job in the first place: those well-timed huge Scrambles to move the chains.

    Nate Peterman was (totally appropriate hyperbole) was in the Driver’s Seat to win @Okie State, and obviously North Carolina and he just couldn’t do it. He sat in the pocket like a statue and made inaccurate throws. That interception in the end zone — with zero pressure, all-day (and Night) to throw, a wide open James Conner right in front of him as well as tons of ‘real estate’ to run it himself, broke his own team’s back in their effort to win.

    Positives :

    ALL THE EXCITING PLAYERS ARE THE YOUNG PLAYERS!! FINISH THIS RECRUITING CLASS STRONG @NARDDAWG, AND NEXT YEAR THOMAS MACVITTIE #TheTakeover Begins 🙂 🙂 !!!

    HailToPitt

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  48. Learn little grasshopper:

    From the Foge Fazio archive, a great defensive coordinator does not necessarily a great head coach make.

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  49. ^^^^https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dabo_Swinney Coach Dabo Swinney’s first 3 years Building Clemson
    — *I am really in agreement with getting on Pat Narduzzi about game-time decisions, and well as what I feel has been horrendous mis-handling of personnel this year in relying on what we all know were incapable players on defense at LB especially from pre-season but those who **don’t quite seem to comprehend (at all in some cases) — that Pat Narduzzi inherited extreme “Talent Holes” in many spots and needs to Build-Up Pitt are not being Aware of Reality.*

    So I do get my Tush-Chapped when people don’t comprehend that Pitt Football, as “Presently Constituted”, is still Severely “Talent Deficient”, and “Not -Deep Enough”and needs to be Built-Up (By Pat Narduzzi who whoever else is Head Ball Coach at Pitt)

    Dabo Swinney’s first 3 seasons at Clemson — won 10 games every single year after his 3rd year (i.e. *Didn’t just come into a Mediocre Program and BOOM 10-2 with no-talent lol):

    2008 Clemson 4–3 3–2 T–3rd (Atlantic) L Gator Bowl
    2009 Clemson 9–5 6–2 1st (Atlantic) W Music City Bowl
    2010 Clemson 6–7 4–4 T–4th (Atlantic) L Meineke Car Care Bowl

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  50. I don’t see Narduzzi going anywhere soon. He wants to win a conference championship and Pitt is the most opportunistic option. I don’t believe he’d go to a middle of the pack B10 team. MSU is a possibility if Dantonio left, but chances of a B10 crown there are minimal with UM and OSU in the same division.

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  51. Watching Duke who has massively improved. Remember when we used to hope Pitt would improve as the season wore on? Pitt will not win again this season. Stop worrying about bowls.

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  54. Duke and Jones Freshman QB are legit and will smoke us. He is a future Sunday player. All while our QB’s are local kids with little talent.

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  55. Peterman is from Jacksonville, MacVittie is from Cincy, Schneider is from Dallas, & next years commit Pickett is from NJ. Only Stocker & DiNucci are local, but will never play.

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  56. Pitt will have an easier schedule next year. The main issue is that at least three qb’s on their schedule next year got a lot of significant playing time this year as underclassmen (Dairy college qb, VTech qb, Duke QB). Pitt DB’s will be better. UNC, Miami will have a new qb, so will Pitt. GT, Syr, no clue.

    Duke looks like they will beat UNC. Their LB’s played big,fast and they pressured the qb. Everyone agreed that db pass interference was missed often in the first half.

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  57. Interesting point about Teryl Austin who always seems to get a mention at a new FB opening but never much interest here from the hiring people for a guy who has had success where he has gone.
    Gotta run – I hear they may be giving out hot choc at the Forbes Quad for those too upset to take exams. (sarcasm) Geez they’d never survive here. haha.

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  58. The Over/Under for tomorrow is 65. I’m thinking Clemson will go over 65 by themselves if nothing has changed on our defense. If nothing changes and Clemson comes out and it is fade left, fade right, fade left, fade right, fade all day long, this will be really ugly fast.

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  59. Austin is a pro coach, not interested in the college game. Why would anyone want to recruit teenagers, especially at Pitt instead of just Drafting.

    Now that the honeymoon is over, it will be interesting to see what happens with recruiting, Kids have the internet and can read what is being said. The Clemson article is what other coaches are telling kids about Pitt. Narduzzi does have an uphill battle to get elite players to come here.

    Especially with a half empty stadium and Pitt Fans bashing him already. Wait till the media turns on him.

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  60. OT: it is tip-off night for college hoops. Double treat on ESPN: Duke vs. Mich State, Kansas vs. Indiana.

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  61. PetePitt73,
    I fear you will probably be right :<(
    However, I have heard Duzz has a plan! Remember the enfamous “Deflategate” scandal? Duzz is going to do the opposite! The balls will be filled with helium!!!!
    Hence, every time the Clemson QB throws the Pitt killer fade, the ball will never come down but will just float away! It’s a brilliant strategy and that’s how WE WIN THE GAME!!!!!!!
    #H2P

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  62. This will be Narduzzi’s second game vs a highly ranked team away in a packed house with crazy fans (ND last year was the first). Clemson is everything we aspire to be. A highly ranked team, year after year, with a great coach and raucous fans. Great offense and defense, team maybe not as good as last year’s but still ranked #3. The pride of the ACC.

    Speaking of ND, funny how they have just imploded this year, couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch. Kharma for getting all these WPIAL kids?

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  63. Ike – you seem to think I have been saying that SP didn’t want to have DW gone. That is wrong as I have consistently said the SP didn’t want DW to coach any longer.

    My whole point with that is SP didn’t have singular authority to fire Wannstedt – only the Chancellor had that and Nordenberg was the one who pulled the trigger.

    Six of one half dozen of the other really.

    As to a perennial Top 10 team? you can believe that if you want. I don’t.

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  64. That’s understood Reed and my point was more towards the undermining that steve was up too. I don’t think the administration wanted to get rid of Dave and when that one report came out in sports illustrated I think that was the straw that steve needed to have his way. Sorry I didn’t mean it the way I printed it out. Yes steve did not have the authority to fire DW, but he did get his way and if the administration just told steve to hit the bricks, imo the problems with the arrests could have been corrected without sacrificing the football program.

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  65. Speaking of ex-Pitt coaches …. In 2015 ASU was highly ranked pre-season and Todd Graham got a $200k raise to a total of $3M. Since then, ASU is 11 and 12 …. 6 and 10 in Pac 12 with a current conference record of 2 and 5. (and next game at #4 UWash). And the last I checked, they were dead last in pass defense.

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  66. I think it was apparent that with the raise he got right before Nordy retired (despite all of the maladies), SP had Nordy wrapped around his finger

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  67. C’mon Wanny? Probably be as bad as back to the future with Johnny Majors.

    The adrenaline rush of no more Steve, Paul or Jamie is obviously over. Like it or not it is up to the new guys to right the ship.

    Recruiting to Pitt has always been the problem. Even the local guys are turning their backs on us. Narduzzi has a tough job this year to get some more talent here. Even Wanny never got enough to win the Big East.

    Jamie got very few elite players, so Stallings has his work cut out for him as well. Duke brought in four of the top 12 guys in the country and other ACC teams bring in talent every year.

    Louisville, UNC, Syracuse and many others all willing to live with scandals and break the rules to have great sports teams. Nordy was not. If Wanny would have beat Cinci it would have been a lot harder to fire him, but it was the SI article that finished him. Pitt not willing to look the other way like so many others we could name.

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  68. I don’t see Narduzzi going anywhere any time soon. He will get at least 5 years to prove himself as a head coach from the Pitt administration. And Pitt will match any competing offers from the low end of the Big 10 for his services even with a losing season in front of us.

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  69. Just to be clear I am in now way promoting the return of the stache. Saying the PITT football program would have been much further ahead right now. The other reason I keep going back there is, I think HCPN is growing through some of the same growing pains that DW and Paul Chyrst did and we can’t afford to lose two years of on the job training again. Although I was happy to see Lumpy leave PITT

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  70. @gc I disagree with your Wannstedt recruiting dassessment —->

    If Pitt in 2011 and beyond (immediately after Bill Stull (i.e. “effective” for Pitt but threw the football like the beautiful White Feather falling down into Forest Gump’s hand lol) — if Wannstedt had had just found a Quality Quarterback to lead his Built-Up team, I truly feel Pitt would have Absolutely DOMIANTED the Big East and really made National Noise.

    And if Dave Wannstedt has the guts to start a 6’6”, Younng, rocket-armed kid with that Special “Something” by the name Joe Flacco…. — yeah, say water under the bridge and whatnot, FINE — but Pitt might have become something Special … Something NATIONAL with Flacco .

    In the End — QUARTERBACKS are the ones who Elevate the Program and every real football Lover KNOWS THIS —- i.e. — why I am SO DANG HYPE for ya’ll to get a load of Thomas (The Samurai) MacVittie (nick-name pending lol — but Pitt’s Marcus Mariota 2.0)

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  71. If Pitt goes to bowl game, would the redshirt/transfer players be able to play in the bowl game?

    I’m thinking about QB, mostly. Would be good for MacVittie and Schneider to get some reps if that is allowed without loosing MacVittie’s redshirt or violated Schneider’s transfer…

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  72. Shocker that Duke beat the Tarholes. Tarholes were up 14-0 and looked like they were cruising.
    Duke now has 1 ACC win and is 4-6 overall. So they HAVE to win their last 2 games to be Toilet Bowl eligible. So if they would have lost last nite, they would have had NO CHANCE for TB eligibility. Interesting.

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  74. DK, you just gave up your anonymity.

    So you are saying he wasn’t smart enough to use Flacco, and couldn’t recruit a QB better than Tino.

    So I guess my statement that he couldn’t recruit enough players to win the Big East is correct?

    Since QB is the most important position in football, by a large margin.

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  76. Wanny recruited 5 star Pat Bostick. He was just used improperly at first and then not used at all, when the legacy arrived on campus

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  77. Emel, I stopped watching pro football (including the Stillers) when it became obvious I was spending an afternoon watching commercials with an occasional football play thrown in.

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  78. ^^^@gc —- lol —- *Honestly I have this crazy-feeling I there might be “A New Dark Knight” for Pitt Football coming so my “Name” is totally In-Flux!! 🙂 lol

    Purdue….lol…West Lafayette — “no offense” — is an Indiana Truck-Stop of a college town right-off a highway…but, Michigan State is DESPERATE RIGHT NOW and who knows what kind of Insane $$$-offer they might make for Narduzzi should they decide to lure him back.

    I think Pat Narduzzi stays, and really BUILDS-UP Pitt — AND I think Thomas MacVittie is a STAR and Narduzzi will keep finding Stud Qb’s —– but that’s just my, “Upittbaseball” bet right there lol.

    —–> @ emel c’mon though we actually saw Pat Bostick play as a Freshman (lol — *REMINDER — everyone was SHOCKED in the bad-way — short-hitch throwing motion and Arm Strength that made Bill Stull look like Aaron Rodgers) — and even Pat Bostick joked that it was INSANE that he was ever somehow ranked a 5 star recruit by the often DELUDED “experts”

    Marcus Mariota was a super-skinny, 6’3”, 185 pound kid outta Hawaii and Chip Kelly just had a feeling about him ——— I think Pat Narduzzi is THROWING ALL OF HIS EGGS + JEWELRY + LIFE-SAVINGS in the “Thomas MacVitte Basket” — and I think Thomas MacVittie not only meets — but exceeds all of those expectations. 🙂 🙂

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  79. ~ PetePitt73. Likewise I did too several years ago. Also don’t watch much college football anymore either, other than Pitt games. I will listen to it on the radio, where you can do other things while it’s on like last nite I had the Duke/UNC game on the radio. Tired of watching all the celebrations after every tackle, the taunting, etc. etc. Can’t see any of that crap on the radio. 🙂

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  80. ~ Dk….well that’s what I meant that Bostick was used ‘improperly’ at first. He was ‘thrown to the wolves’ as a true freshman, when he wasn’t ready to play. He had even missed most if not all of August camp his freshman year. And as far as his arm, his arm was much stronger than Stull’s, as anyone could clearly see, when they finally put him into the windy Sun Bowl Game of 2008. He had almost as much yardage throwing in a couple throws than Stull had the WHOLE GAME. LOL

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  81. We could have won that game had they made a QB switch at halftime, as I was imploring them to do. Stull’s featherthrows floated here and there in the wind of El Paso. Crime that Pitt lost that game 0-3.

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  82. Lol @emel just curious, why do you bracket you comments now?

    It totally throws me off. haha

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  83. But then that would have caused a QB controversy had Bostick led Pitt to the win. And Wanny liked his home grown QB’s and Bostick had to much eligibility left, for Tino Time was on the Horizon.

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  85. Pat Bostick was/is a good ‘company man’. Which is why they took care of him. I’m glad he got something out of that raw deal.

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  86. ^^^@emel1981 — (ps — could you share the Meaning /+ Significance of the 1981 is that when you graduated?) — It was *WEIRD AND ALSO OBVIOUS — that for some inexcusable reason Dave Wannstedt just gave the *TOTAL AND UTTER Key’s to the whole Program to both What’s his name (no bowl wins Local “Pitt Legend” Guy) and then the Tiny guy (one Bowl win with a team with 6+ NFL draft picks) to two guys who could not even Dream* to cut-it in the NFL** …

    Dave Wannstedt at Pitt — and if he ever reads this, it’s important because it’s fact — will always, always, always be remembered for the (his name is PALKO I REMEMBER!!) b$ and the 😦 😦 😦 😦 TINO SUNSERI TRAVESTY, WASTING A TOP-10 TALENTED TEAM WITH A PLAYER WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN D-2 AT BEST 😦

    **This is why Pitt Football is the shape it’s in — the true DEFINITION OF ‘LOST OPPORTUNITY’.

    🙂 🙂 @emel1981 (what is the 1981??!! lol) — Come With Me — BELIEVE…in young Thomas MacVittie!!! haha

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  87. MacVittie, must be a Scotsman. So we have Scotsman(part) in the WH now. So maybe they will both be ‘Braveheart’ for both Pitt and America.

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  88. DK has outed himself. Bostick for all his flaws was a winner, Who beat #1 WVU. I remember one big least game, maybe Rutgers where he threw several ints then got hosed on a game winning throw interference . Once the Walk on Water Wanny got in he played the 2 star joke of a son of a buddy – the cursed Sunseri family who never gave a dime to Pitt but kept taking and taking and still have some people go weak in the knees at the mention of the name. Bostick got hosed bc he got homesick his freshman year, left camp then returned and the Great Clunkhead Wanny never forgave him – though Bostick did come through is FR year to save Wanny’s ass. Bostick, great kid, loved by teamates, class act, working his way up through the ranks toward AD. Overrated by services yeah, so what. Tiny, classless jerk to coaches, team mates, student body, etc , a real chip off the block as anyone who knew Sal as I did in the day – JERK. I wanna build a wall around Oakland to keep them out.
    Yeah wbb third yardage – big deal, pass happy times, no competition, stupid decisions in games.
    I’m going off to my safe space. Ooops already here. HAIL TO PITT..

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  89. Before going further, Thank you to the Veterans on this site and all of their families. THANK YOU!

    Reed, we will disagree on Wanny firing. Look, I may not be able to fire a couple of people in my workplace, but I guarantee you that if I go to the President and say this EVP has to go, he will be gone. I have done this on one occasion, whilst at GS. Operationally, I wouldn’t fire him, the CEO/President would. So indicating Peterson couldn’t fire Wanny on his own is true operationally, but false in all other respects. It’s the politics of high wage earners and higher ego’s.

    If Pitt wants to have an immediate rivalry with Clempson, I would suggest that we run up the ramp after Clempson enters the field and we reverse whammy on the howards rock. Drape him in a terrible towel or something. Okay, if that isn’t feasible, when we win by a point, our guys then run up the ramp and rub the rock! That would start immediate hatred between the schools and start a fight for sure!! Kind of like spray painting a blue “M” at OSU stadium midfield.

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  90. That was the year(1981) another part Scot took office, Ronald Wilson Reagan. He too was mocked by the media and hated by the communists. For they knew their days were limited when a Scot/Irishman took office ! 🙂

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  92. I always rely on a coaches experience to know what to do is best but they do make mistakes like all of us. Right now we need to help what we have to win. Duke last night showed how to beat a team that had more talent. They were smart and knew how to use their lesser talent to negate UNC.

    The Clemson fan base is riding high because of their winning and talent. As long as we play hard and use the coaches smarts we might at least keep the nation from tuning out.

    H2P in FB AND BB.

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  94. lol emel. Huff you are on to something. Anyone remember when some Pitt students painted the Nittany Lion blue and gold? I know one of the artists, his identity goes to the grave with me but I worked and am friends with him Good idea Huff, I’ll get the paint. haha

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  95. If we beat the WVCC of the ACC, and knock them out of playoff contention. They will immediately despise us, almost on the level of the Hillbillies.

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  100. — @Upittbaseball —–

    You never put-forth your betting for who would win the Presidential Election!!!

    Well, *My-Money is that Michelle Obama (the Stronger-Wristed one, lol) is who runs on the “Left” in 2020, and Wins — *what’s your prediction @Upittbaseball?* lol

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  101. ps #HailToPitt —— I Have a feeling @Reed is not happy with the election results lol but it wall all be A-Okay I personally promise Reed and you will get to see Pitt Football become Top-Tier again 🙂 .

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  102. Emel – I didn’t ask my question correctly. I have heard that a kid who is redshirted for the regular season can play in a bowl game and not jeopardize the redshirt. Sort of like the bowl game being a new season. So, if this were true, MacVittie could play in the bowl and not lose his scholarship. Do you know if that’s correct?

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  103. No problemo rocky. No I don’t know, but never heard of that in the 40+ years i’ve been watching Bowl games.

    Unless it’s a new rule.

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