in 2017 Season Predictions, Game Day, Pitt Football 320 Words

Pitt vs Duke Gameday Thread

Guys – if you are making late predictions please include them on yesterday’s prediction thread found here so that I have them all in one place.

OK – another Saturday and another chance for Pitt to vault into the rarified air where  the three win teams reside.  I think we can do it today.  Why not? But I’ll still stick with my prediction that we lose by 8 or 9 points because of so many serious question marks we have seen emerge in the first seven games.

My thought process with this prediction is like about a hundreds other Pitt fan’s I have read over the last few day… until we can mount a consistent and effective running games that produces way over our current 3.3 ypg & 113.7 yards per game.

That ineptitude will put a lot of pressure on any team’s passing game even if they have an established and experienced QB behind Center.  We don’t have that which makes this game even more shaky.  So – it adds up to another disappointing afternoon on paper…

But let’s prove Reed wrong this afternoon.

Here’s a tip of the beer mug to the POV’ers attending the game in Durham, NC today.  Get together, have fun, swap your best Pitt-life stories and bring us far away fans a win today!!  But above all be careful driving today.

Note: for our readers who haven’t received a POV shirt yet please email me at rkohberger@gmail.com with your size and address (and phone # if you would) with “T-Shirt” in the subject line and I’ll do what I can to get one out ASAP if I still have your size.

I’ll be putting a new order in with, I think, a new graphic done by my daughter if I can afford her prices… obviously 22 years of room & board, medical coverage, college tuition and a new car for her 21st B-day means nothing to an artist.

POV Shite WhitePOV Shirt Blue

438 thoughts on “Pitt vs Duke Gameday Thread”

  1. Have fun watching the game today friends… have another wave of house guests onboard the Good Ship Kohberger – these are my cousins up from Wilmington, NC… and they hate Duke (big NC fans). Would love to watch real-time as the game is actually on TV here in Maryland today but have to do the day-long Smithsonian museums gig with them.

    Post early and often and please remember that we pride ourselves in civil discussion toward one another.

    Comments directed at the coaching staff are a different matter of course.

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  3. Here’s a bit I just received via email – something to keep spirits up I suppose, but Pitt does have a great football history (long ago alas) to draw on…

    “In case you are curious, as I was – Pitt is in its 128th football season. It has had 75 winning seasons, 46 losing seasons, and 6 seasons in which their record was even.

    From 1913-1939 during the entire coaching careers of Joe Duff, Pop Warner and Jock Sutherland at Pitt, Pitt did not have a losing season. After Sutherland’s departure Pitt had 8 straight losing seasons from 1940-1947. In fact from 1940-1973 when Johnny Majors came, Pitt had only 9 winning seasons, and 22 losing seasons (with two even seasons).

    Under Majors and Sherrill Pitt had 11 straight winning seasons. During the last 33 seasons since Sherrill left, Pitt has had 16 winning seasons, 14 losing seasons, and 2 even seasons.

    One other little tidbit for you. Pitt’s 1910 team coached by Joe Thompson went 9-0 and was unscored on during the season. They outscored their nine opponents 282-0. The selectors at the time though chose Harvard (8-0-1) as the national champion (and Pitt does not claim the title) although the National Championship Foundation subsequently named Pitt as a national champion.

    Just something to think about in case Pitt doesn’t play very well against Duke tomorrow.”

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  4. Love the shirts Reed, the blue one the best. If you’re going with something a little new I would like to suggest a small PITT script on one shoulder sleeve or if you really want to get crazy, a PITT script before the POV in front.

    Have fun at the game guys and be safe.

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  7. make your own version… Anywho I’m off to the daughters for the day so you game thread guys have a blast. LET’S GO PITT!!

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  8. ike I posted a link later last night. A local micro brew used Pitt script on beer cans and H2P and Pitt sent them a cease and desist letter as the script is trademark.

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  9. If you want a laugh look at our posts after a game we win, you will swear we lost by 100 pis, haha
    ps I am a guilty as others on the in games posts. Really hoping we can put it together.
    HAIL TO PITT.

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  11. Fellow POVers… I have a request.
    At the end of today’s game no matter what the score will you answer this question?

    “Does Pitt appear to be a well coached team?

    Thank you.

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  12. Just saw 1990 team captain Eric Holzworth drowned in Florida this past week. Sympathies to both former Pitt players families.

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  15. 3rd and 5 around midfield and they run Hall off tackle for no gain?

    This is not a well coached team.

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    1. I’m as surprised as anyone about that run.

      Does he maintain a 5+ yards per carry average for the game?

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    2. Hey maybe we’re on to something here. Now somebody say Dinnucci hasn’t thrown a long TD pass since he was a sophomore in HS.

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  23. nice sack and recovery. paying attention to tackling and angles – not good so far on defense. have to clean that up but that’s been a fundamental problem all year.

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  24. And Duke may not need to throw a pass the rest of the day. Why bother?

    We cannot tackle. sorry I brought it up. No reason to pay special attention.

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  26. Was at Duke in 76 for Dorset. A day like today. Frat houses are castles and a mist beautiful campus.

    Someone needs to teach Pitt how to tackle!

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  27. I think we need to score on every possession because they can just run it in every time,

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  28. Is it just me or is Conklin dumber than a box of rocks? Everytime it’s a short down and distance they go down the freaking middle and he just spreads us out. It’s frustrating.

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  31. The TV broadcast is poor. They just came back late from commercial break and missed the kickoff. Also missed a couple of replays on penalties.

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  42. What crappy teams do. Blow opportunities.
    Duke is eventually going to figure out that DiNucci is no threat to throw the ball more than 7 yards downfield.

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  44. There is a lot of positive in this game. If you expect this team to look like a it’s 6-2, you will be bitter and sorely disappointed. It’s not a great team or even good. I see improvement. There is good stuff happening here so far

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  45. Dan dont worry pickett will get in and lead us to 50 unanswered points.
    Dane Jackson most improved defensive player!

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  49. just get Ben out of there. He will not get any better. it’s not just his arm, it’s his eyes and his head. He can’t play or process at this level. He may have a good series here or there because hes a great athlete – and we nees him to – but hes just not going to scare a defense or get better with more snaps.

    Liked by 1 person

  50. A Pitt tailgate wins the weekly Bojangles Tailgate of the Week award. Any POVers involved?

    The kids need to cut down on the mistakes. We can win this game.

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  54. Lopes and Whitehead (in a limited role)are the only players to consistently perform well on offense.

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  56. On a somewhat serious note, what we are seeing with Nooch and Pickett is what Noll faced with Hanratty and Bradshaw and for you old farts like me it took some games before Bradshaw naturally took over even though in raw talent there was no comparison . Pickett will start in due time, Nard is getting 2 QBs ready for next year – our bounce back year. pickett starts second half – deja vu all over againl

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    1. Fully agree Dan. I think they should give up on the 20+ yard throws until Ben can show he can hit the 10’yarders on both sides of the field.

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  58. Ben cannot start the 2nd half. He absolutely sucks. Even idiot Watson can see that.

    tons of blown opportunities in the 1st half. Duke coaches will definitely come out in the 2nd half with adjustments. Will we?

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  59. Ben throwing up too many prayers….he looks uncomfortable throwing the ball…hope PN give #8 a chance…lots of mistakes…should be up by at least 10 by now…and if I see another helmet come off one of our guys!

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  60. Come on Kessman !
    0 for 2 today. Although we’re not helping him much.
    Personally, I’ve seen enough of Little Ben. Pickett is our future:
    PLAY HIM NOW!!!!!
    7 points in the half. That does not cut it gentlemen!!!!

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  65. Ben’s mechanics are not helping him. Footwork has been bad – off balance throws. It appears he is actually throwing a better ball when going left – a little unusual for a rightie.

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  68. You can see and make the yard line. Why run out short? As Ricky Jackson said last week. “Never seen a team so afraid to hit and be hit!!”

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  84. DiNucci needs to learn when and when he shouldn’t throw it away. He thinks he is faster than he is.

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  87. DiNucci’s running is not an asset. I’d rather have a QB with the sense to throw the ball away, instead of scrambling around with it and then going out-of-bounds for a four-yard loss.

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  88. Pickett should be in on the next series! Dinucci looking so inadequate! Ivy League!! Hey coach!! It’s time!!! Play Pickett now!!

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  96. I second some of the other observations about the players being contact-shy (and not just DiNucci). We’ve left yard on the field after several plays when our players have prematurely ducked out of bounds, or (in DiNucci’s case) slid without a defender nearby.

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  97. Just came off the golf course. I see Duke made halftime adjustments and Pitt did not.

    So what is new…?

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  103. Just imagine how frustrating it would be to be on a team and watch your QB with no arm be afraid to be hit. And….he’s back out there.

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  113. Has Pickett played yet? With 7 points on the board, it seems the O has been ineffective and OC Watson has no rythem in the 2nd half playcalling I’ve seen.

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  116. Get Dinucci out of there. Even on the first down the receiver caught it 7 yards short of the first down marker.

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  119. Seriously, I have hesitated to comment too much on DiNucci but if you cannot see how unsound he is fundamentally and how bad his footwork is well………..
    We’d get as much running out of the wildcat. And yes, this falls on Nard as he hired Watson. Brilliant!,

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  121. DiNucci looks like a kid playing one division higher than he belongs. He should have taken Ivy League offers. His “athletic” ability to make plays is totally overrated, and when he throws deep I don’t believe he can read the coverage.
    Time for a change.

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  128. I almost never post while I’m watching the game, but I feel compelled to do so today. Duke is very beatable. Yet the coaching staff is doing it’s best to clutch defeat from the jaws of victory. If Watson calls one more sweep, I’m going to throw my phone through the TV. We have ZERO downfield passing game. I have counted four times where an offensive player could have got a first down by stretching for the sticks but came up a yard short. DiNucci has done it twice. I don’t know if Pickett is the answer, but it’s clear that DiNucci is not. Also, while the defense is playing fairly well overall, we still don’t have any pressure from the D line. And once again a linebacker missed an assignment that resulted in the Duke touchdown. Pathetic.

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  135. Forgot to mention that the offensive line is horrible. But that’s not a news flash for any of you.

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  137. To answer my question, today Pitt gives the appearance of a horribly coached team.

    Cannot watch anymore! Off to golf.

    So sorry for the rest of you who have to watch this pathetic mess.

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  146. Duke offense makes quick work of a short field.

    Again, Duke coaches make halftime adjustments, none by Pitt coaches. Check their fingernails for cheese curls.

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  149. I’m actually watching this game – not because I think Pitt is going to win – but I’m just curious to see just how stupid Narduzzi and Watson are. The entire planet knows you pull DiNucci. But Narduzzi is so damn stubborn he just won’t do it.

    It’s comical. It’s actually entertaining.

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  160. Nice run by Hall! 92 yards. He must be opening his eyes today because for the first time all year he has seen the hole twice!

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  162. So frustrated. The game is not available in the ville. Watching gamecast which sucks. Why the heck isn’t Pickett in NiDucci (not sue why I pronounced his name like that in the podcast) is doing nothing from the stats I can see.

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  166. My money is on DiNuch finishing the game and Hall getting zero carries in the 4th qtr.

    Watson is on another planet.

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  169. This Duke team was definitely beatable, Has anybody heard if Pickett is injured, suspended?. This is bizarre on Pickett, he needs to play every week.
    Dane Jackson!!!!!! my defensive hero.

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  188. I was ready to run to NC and throttle Watson early in the 3rd….looks like he heard my rants and adjusted. Just run it up the middle. Go Pitt!

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  213. Narduzzi wasting timeouts again. And then we get a PI on 4th and 23. Horrible, Just horrible. Need to be in a zone there, not man.

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  217. Zeise is like the old story of the woman who had two sons one a sailor who was lost at sea and one became VP, neither was ever heard from again. I havent even heard his name.

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  220. That’s too bad, Jackson does his best L. Pitts imitation. But I really like him and think he is going to be a really nice player.

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  221. Now Duke misses a FG!
    Come on guys, this game is sitting here for the taking! Win #3 is a win, is a win, is a win…….

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  248. Wow – we got lucky the ref missed that grab by our LB – .I think that was his 1st tackle of the game -lol.

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  256. Unsure of the rule here —- since Zeise’s grab of the tight end was within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, is it allowable?

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  262. Nice win. I’ll take it – Duke is our 1st Power 5 win in 2017 and the dukies beat Northwestern from the B1G Joke conference.

    HTP!

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  267. Good win. The defense is looking much better. Hope Maddox is o.k. I’m really starting to like our defensive backs. Darren Hall is the man. He hits the line much quicker and has a good sense on how to shift to find the openings. Di Nucci played well. Actually, I like his game. Does not force the issue. The coaching staff needs to have more faith in his ability as a passer. Watson, needs to quit being so obvious in his play calling. Sweeps are old hat, now. It is obvious to the opposing defense how Whitehead is nearly always going to get the ball when he comes it. All in all, a good day!

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  272. maybe the only thing we can all agree on is that Arajelu Lopes was a heck of a pick up, especially from a Cal JUCO. I think he has 2 more years

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  273. Because of Hall and the O-line, we won that game in spite of Dinucci — he was really bad and should have had 2-3 interceptions. That was a really lucky — bad — call on the deep ball to Weah, as the DB clearly had it first. Bad throws all day, but Hall was a beast…major speed. Flip the page and give Pickett the rest of the starts until he screws up. Dinucci is game and fairly athletic, but his throwing is poor, and decision making really suspect. At least our D is showing life and it looks like we got a runner.

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  274. Had the Dukies made that chip shot FG, the final would have been 24-20. same score as the 1981 Sugar Bowl.

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  275. There’s a reason nobody recruited Dinucci except Penn…not Penn State, Penn. And not to put all the blame on him, as Watson again called a hugely predictable, stupid game…and if not for the individual excellence of Hall and some decent O-line blocking, we lose that game in a boring and shameful manner. Let Pickett loose and at least present a reasonable downfield throwing threat so teams don’t put 10 guys in the box on first and second down on us?!

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  277. H2P!!! finally a win…should have been much easier than it was…but you don’t get extra credit or points for style…Agree…A Win is a Win is a Win. A Hall of a win for the Panthers!

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  278. Our DBs are really playing now and its such a shame to keep going 3 and out so damn often that we wear our defense out. A good team would have crushed us today with all the offensive failure for 3 1/2 quarters…we never would have had a chance to come back. I really hope the coaches aren’t taken in by this fool’s gold of a win today…we sucked on O except for two great runs, and they dropped/got cheated out of 2-3 interceptions….sorry to play Debbie Downer, but better QB play can put us back up to pretty good.

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    1. here who’s left I know it wasn’t Flynn

      Tom Flynn* DB
      Tim Lewis* DB
      Dan Short* DB
      Pappy Thomas* DB
      Melvin Dean DB
      Troy Hill DB

      Wayne DiBartola RB 158 Att, 716 Yds, 4.5 Avg
      Marc Bailey RB 14 Att, 71 Yds, 5.1 Avg
      Bill Beach RB 12 Att, 52 Yds, 4.3 Avg
      Marlon McIntyre RB 10 Att, 47 Yds, 4.7 Avg
      Gary Tammaro RB

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  280. Should also beat UNC, but I don’t see another win on the schedule with Dinucci at QB. Maybe the O-line is finally getting it together.

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  281. I listened to the game on the radio. Came home. Read the blog. Man what a bunch of nay Sayers. This is a really young team. They won by the way.

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  282. That was a little too fun at the end.
    My prediction was 31-24 Pitt, so I was hoping Duke tied it so we could score a TD in OT to go ahead by 7 and then stop them to win. Yeah I was hoping for that like I would hope for another hole in my head.

    Now let’s get a little mo with a win next week vs UVA who got beaten up by BC today.

    H2P!!!

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  283. 254 yards puts Darrin Hall….. Number 10 all-time in Pitt single game rushing history, tied with Ironhead.
    Ironhead is also Number 9 at 259 yards.

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    2. Only number 10…damn. I guess Tony D. has about 5 of the top ten, and maybe McCoy, Martin, and Barlow share the rest?

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  284. My pre-game prediction-

    “I’ll take Pitt and the upset, 20-14. Defense leading the way. Pitt somehow finds a way to stop Duke’s rushing game and the D makes 2 picks off of Duke’s QB. Kessman with two FGs.”

    Any body beat that?

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  286. http://www.nytimes.com/1982/10/10/sports/pitt-defense-holding-team-together.html?pagewanted=all

    “This season, Troy Hill inspires the defense with the more delicate call of a tropical bird. His bird calls have been recorded and are played when he is introduced before the game or when he makes an interception. ”I do it on the field sometimes to let Flynn know that I don’t know the coverage,” Hill said.

    ”And I always know the coverage,” Flynn said. Because the defense often performs a thankless task – some fans think its purpose is merely to give Marino a rest – Fazio encourages the players to let their minds wander during off hours and contemplate flights of fancy on the football field.”

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  287. That performance certainly came Out of the Blue . ‘and there’s more to the picture than meets the eye’

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    1. Yep, and take away that pretty obvious int. that we got a break on to Weah, and he’s 7-18 for about 100 yards, which sucks bad.

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      1. Yes, but he had little time to throw. How many times was he flushed out of the pocket? The offensive line improved with regards to the running game. But when it came to the passing game it wasn’t as if DiNucci had much time to follow his progressions. I cringed every time I saw the rush come at him.

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    1. Not that I’m aware. He was a DB coach for San Francisco two years ago.

      Need more info on this…

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      1. No Tim is still alive, someone told him he died. My bad, Troy did back up Tim though and played on special teams.

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  291. Not saying he can’t play better, but it seems clear Dinucci is limited and ain’t gonna be taking us to the ACC championship…even if we had FSU or Clemson talent surrounding him. We need a playmaker, high talent QB to get us to 8-9 win seasons with our limited depth, and Pickett may not be that either, but let’s find out…or MacVittie.

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  292. Good to get a (deep breath) THIRD win on the season. But boy are we bad at EVERYTHING. Just plain bad.

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  296. Quote by Duzz post game –

    On success in the run game: “Darrin Hall made some plays. The offensive line, credit Brian O’Neill, for really sticking together. He’s leading that offensive line and wanting to run certain plays. Brian spearheaded an attitude, he’s not a captain, but he’s a big time leader in there. I give him credit for being vocal and speaking his mind and being a leader.”

    Dr. Tom – this Pitt team has another leader after today’s game. Brian O’Neill was in the ear of the coaches asking to run certain plays. And they apparently listened…

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  298. Missed entire game to watch granddaughter in competition 40 miles away.

    Good win.

    Hall’s 254 yards is leading all rushers in FBS football (as of now).

    I had PITT 24 – Duke 20 in yesterday’s prediction.

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    1. Nice call cocks. I’m even with you at 21-17. I hope you’re doing well. Sorry for your loss

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  299. When PITT loses they suck
    When PITT wins they suck………..

    PITT played some really tough teams this year, Duke not being one of them. Winning on the road in the ACC is not easy though and I give them credit. Duke was 16th in the nation in run defense……… so much for stats.

    A big win next week at home and PITT will have a chance for a semi respectable season considering it’s youth, problems and injuries.

    We should all celebrate tonight. … .. .ike

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  301. Ike has told us to be more upbeat about the future and he may be on to something. Not that Pitt did everything great today but they are showing some grit and, more importantly, improvement almost every week. Thinking ahead to next year, nearly everyone who matters (except for Whitehead) comes back. And they will have huge amounts of hard won experience. And even with Whitehead probably jumping to the NFL, we have Paris Ford to plug in… Also, Aston and Tipton who were going to be huge factors this year (but aren’t because of injuries) will be back. And maybe Wirginis??

    The loss at Syracuse which some think was caused by one or two bone-headed penalties looms large. If that L had been a W, we would be having a fit of irrational exuberance right now and be thinking about bowl eligibility (as two more wins seems at least theoretically possible – i.e., Virginia and North Carolina)… What a shame….

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    1. What, no chance in your mind that we beat VTech or miami? The cuse hanging tough with miami on ESPN.

      VTech beating the tar holes 42-0 with a blocked punt just now. Another score coming and only in the 3rd qtr.

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  302. Pitt can still go to a bowl with 5 wins…if not enough 6 win teams. Just need to beat UVA and NC. Both beatable. And Pitt always plays VA Tech close. And Miami is over-rated this year and game in cold Pittsburgh.

    Defense is getting better
    Ben is just a game manager. Need the deep threat (or just some decent passes) or this offense goes nowhere since one dimensional.
    Pitts O wont ever score above 30 without a better QB
    That means Pitts D must continue to keep opponents under 24 points…tough task to ask.
    Pitts special teams has been absent. A punt or kickoff return would help
    Coaching still sucks with this team. It has gotten worse while players have improved

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    1. My sincere hope would be declining an invitation to a bowl if Pitt ends up @ 5-7.

      As they say in Wayne’s World, “We’re not Worthy”!

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    3. Last thing I want to see is a 5-win Pitt team going to a bowl..

      As Beano would say, haven’t we suffered enough…

      Go Pitt

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  303. Ike most of us are celebrating. What I do not get is the hatred of the Nooch. No he is not a great D1 QB and he had overall a lousy first half. He is a quality backup and what we got. However the throw to Weah was a well thrown deep ball yet some say ‘it should of been an interception’ Maybe so but it was not, it was a key pass well thrown and battled for by Weah. Give credit when it is due. Nooch played on a day that Pickett was apparently not feeling well and Pitt won. Get over your hate of the kid Poverts,We all can see why Reed gets a woodie talking of him. Pickett will eventually win out and start next year but we won with Nooch today. Get over it. How many of us could see nothing in Hall? I didn’t and admit it. He had a great game, tip of the hat. Nooch QBd and won. Dane played great. Heal quick Avonte. you small but you a battler.
    HAIL TO PITT AND NICE WIN GUYS

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    1. 8-18 for 149 yards while on the field for 40 minutes. Oh, he also ran (and slid) for 22 yards on 11 caries. Yipeeee…..

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    3. I don’t think anyone hates him — I certainly don’t, and don’t hate anyone in fact. Many of us just see him as pretty limited, which is okay, but when you combine that with more than occasional bad decision making, its a bad combo. He’s clearly trying and no one knocks him for that, but many of us see he’s not super-talented and we’d like to see Pickett or MacVittie get a full game to check them out.

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  304. No, we still suck and that’s a true statement. They just sucked more than us. 🙂 That game was painful to watch if you were a fan of either team. I feel good for the kids on the team to get the win because they work their tails off all year for it. And the young kids are getting some great experience this year – except for one that I wish would get a little more….KP.

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  306. Pitt Grad I get your point but did you want KP to play with the flu? He will play next week and every week after.

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  309. I guess Pitt isnt a good enough draw if only 22k fans showed. But Duke is a small school and that stadium is 35-40k max. And without the yellow seats and more intimate with college character. But still good they invested in their stadium.

    Obviously their board sees the value in the investment and its return via lifetime university donations. Its not necessarily wins and losses, competitive advantage or actual attendance that is the reason behind an OCS. Its the on campus experience particularly the atmosphere and feel outside the stadium.

    Thats how loyalty, pride, spirit and connection to alma mater is made. A shame that most visiting fans dont have a chance to visit Oakland. I think they would love the campus. Pitt loses a great way to market the school. We’re associated with a ketchup bottle instead of the Cathedral.

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  310. RKB, I agree. What is to be expected and what would PITT have done today without Dinucci?

    I’ve been touting Hall and Lopes for a good while now. Yeah, chest thumping a bit but a young team is a work in progress.

    Lots of posters have said that this team will get better and better as the season went on, the schedule became a little easier and the young guys gained experienced.

    Impatience and being unreasonable are not listed as virtues… imo

    Being logical is I believe? . . .ike

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  312. You know last nite, after I made my prediction, I saw rkb’s post(which was a couple above mine) about John Brown dying. And I sat in front of my computer for more than several minutes, cause I was just in shock. And I was looking at the pic of John and Danny post Sugar Bowl win, caused it almost seemed like yesterday to me . And I was also trying to remember who #22 was.

    Then I wanted to go back and change my prediction to a Pitt win. You know, win one for John.
    Didn’t tune into today’s game until late 3rd quarter and I gotta say the 4th quarter was magical.

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  313. Great shot in the IU vs MSU game of the crowd in Sparty gear except one guy rockin a script Pitt hat, lol. We are everywhere.

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  314. Duke liked to run the ball and stop the run. They didn’t do all that well today in both. shoulder shrug.

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    1. Duzz watch Pitt win today. And Nooch was the QB. The eye test didn’t look great, but he made some key throws late in the game and he handed the ball off well…

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    1. The Pitt D “held” on for the win today – literally.

      The Nooch hand offs were key to Pitt’s win today. No fumbles and lots of positive yards, with 3 HUGE TD’s.

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  318. Didn’t know Pickett had the flu. If he did what was he doing around the team? Nobody else to play? That would explain sticking with the Nooch. Under pressure what limited form he has just folds.

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  319. Next week, start Pickett. This defense is learning game by game what it takes to win. Hopefully Maddox can play next week, if not he’ll be coaching from the sidelines from here on out simply because of the young guys waiting in the wings for their chance.

    This win was ugly but just like scoring when you were in college, as long as she’s gone by the time you wake up on Saturday morning, there are no such things as an ugly win.

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    1. I heard rumors that the team doesn’t like seeing Nooch getting pulled for any reason. More friends on the team I guess. They will learn to like Pickett and his hustle and leadership soon enough though.

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  320. Great outcome, but a pretty hard game to watch.

    Gotta love the big plays, but so much incompetence in one game.

    Funny, the difference was Weah stealing a catch.

    When does Pitt ever get a break like that?

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  322. As painful as our game was, try watching a BiG game. Talk about watching paint dry. Not sure if there are two teams in that conference who can score on a decent team!

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    1. Remember, tOSU was shut out in the playoffs last year by clemscum 31-0

      The B1G Ten is a B1G Joke!

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  323. I have been a skeptic of Hall for sometime.

    It felt great watching him have a game to remember.

    Happy for him and the rest of the team.

    Like

  324. Ben did a good job today. Hey he won the game but did not impress me. Don’t know if it was the game plan for him not to lose the game but the short throws are making me weary. I really disapprove of him rolling out on passing plays. His arm is just strong enough.

    Loved Ben running and using his legs, I believe this is what helped out the O-Line and the running game over-all.

    Want to see Pickett more next week but the flu has set him back another week with a team that is beatable for PITT. You guys think PITT should still be experimenting after this win? I ask for real not rhetorically.

    I stick with Ben and get him the first team reps and grow the playbook for him. <<< and include Weah and Lopes. How bout some tight end shots?

    Does PITT really have a running game now?

    It’s a work in progress and I see progress. ….. . .ike

    H2P!

    Like

    1. ike— found DiNooch really frustrating today. Many weak passes thrown off his back foot – and guys were open. He was getting pressure, but still, I mean Lopes had no one within 10 yards of him on a 3rd down in the first half and DiNooch’s pass comes in 5 yards short.

      And on the run plays, I really thought DiNooch had the chance for some big gainers, but he showed no quickness or elusiveness today and the slides were just lame…

      The offense is just a mess. If Hall doesn’t have the speed to take those two plays all the way, Pitt loses this game.

      Delighted by the win though…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  326. Anyone know why Aaron Mathews did not play today? He had a few good games in a row recently.

    No catches today and his name is absent from the participation report.

    Like

  327. Say what you will about DiNucci, but he did lead the team to a comeback victory, something we have rarely seen at Pitt over the last ten years, maybe more. Yes he benefited from Hall’s big run, but he completed two important passes to Weah on a winning drive and threw one more first down completion to Lopes to help seal the deal. Also give Weah credit, it has been a tough year for him but he really came through today.

    I will bet very few of us saw a victory after Dukes last TD pass. Hats off to Pitt for not giving up.

    Good question Ike, where were the tight ends today?

    We are off the schneid in the ACC.

    Like

  328. ^^EE, Sherlock himself couln’t get to the bottom of that question concerning Matthews. In Narduzzi’s next life he will be the Chief of Staff at Fort Knox

    Like

  329. Northwestern beat Iowa today 17-10 in OT.

    Duke beat Northwestern and psu barely beat Iowa on a last second TD.

    Is Pitt improving?

    The eye test says, “a little bit of improvement”.

    Like

  331. Great win. Virginia, NC seems possible. Have to pull out VT or Miami. On another note, very sad to hear about John Brown’s passing. Having watched him in person at the Superdome in the 1982 Sugar Bowl, I will always be grateful for experiencing what was probably the most exciting Pitt football night of my life. God bless you, Touchdown John Brown. Thanks for the great Pitt memories.

    Like

  333. Finally got one right as I picked Pitt 35 – Duke 28. Hopefully beat Va and UNC to get to 5 -5 and pray for one against VT and Miami..

    Like

  334. Nice to see some POVers at the game today. Beautiful day in Durham. I liked Duke’s stadium — very basic, but nice IMHO.

    We sure tried hard to give this game to Duke but they just would not take it.

    More head-scratching plays and play-calls by Pitt. How we won, I have no idea. But Whitehead’s interception at the end was right in front of the Pitt section and was a thing of beauty!!

    After the game, the wife and I headed to Virginia Beach to celebrate for a couple days…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  335. Have fun at the beach MM. I think Maddox may be hurt fairly bad.. Hate to see that. PITT didn’t look lost out there to this team imo.

    How do you think the Duke fans feel tonight. Are the Duke fans keeping their eyes on Duke like we do here at the POV? …………… .. .ike

    H2P!

    Like

  337. A song for Upitt and stop being so pig headed and get back here. Of course all the geriatric POVer’s are sound asleep and will never see this or care anyway.

    Couldn’t find a decent Bob Dylan video. So this is a cover asking Upitt where in the hell are you tonight?

    Like

  338. I posted the other week that they are indeed setting up the Creepsters for a NC game. In this the Golden Age of the Pedophile (see hollywood).

    Like

    1. I think Suburban Urban has a worthy plan on how to defeat the creepsters. His athletes can match Franklinstein’s, whereas Michigan’s athletes were too young.

      The psu vs tOSU game will come down to coaching. Morehead vs Meyers – lol.

      Like

    2. Within the top 4 right now, psu is the weakest – Alabama, TCU and Georgia are better.

      How far does nd jump in the polls after trouncing USC? The team that beat the pedos in the Rose Bowl. That’s a one loss team that will be coddled and charmed into the playoffs, but at who’s expense.

      Like

        1. Some thoughts. Georgia beat ND at ND. Bama and Georgia are in different divisions and will meet in SEC title. A one loss Georgia team should have more cachet than any other 1-loss team except for ND because head-to-head.

          Like

  339. I looked at the Trib this am and a headline “Derailment in Knoxville Sends Car into Building” …. and my initial thought was that it was a streetcar in South Hills.

    I need to retire

    Like

  340. Reed, do you still think Whitehead should be our running back?

    The sad thing for Pitt is that Whitehead is going pro after this season just when the defense looks to be pretty strong next year.

    Like

    1. gc – The D will need to be pretty strong without JW. He will go to the NFL.

      Now, if Wirginis returns from his injury, he could fill the void of JW being the leading tackler every game he plays. Must stay off the suspension list though…

      Paris Ford will also make an appearance next year, I think.

      Like

      1. By the way, two ex-Pitt RB’s had little to no effect on Wisconsin’s B1G Joke win yesterday –

        R. Ibrahim with 1 carry for 12 yards.
        C. James with no carries and no catches for no yards.

        Like

  341. Finally watched a full game rather than bits and pieces from internet feeds or dvr’d game with no desire to “see/watch” every horrible play.

    First thought for me is that the offense still stinks but something HAS started to click with Hall’s vision where he is hitting holes better and also adjusting to what is available sooner.

    Secondly, I really think Watson game planning for Browne or Dinucci was a monumental task and probably hurt the offense in many ways from game prep to in-game adjustments because of how vastly different their games are. Good thing is going forward, Pickett and Dinucci are much the same, just hope that they both improve in accuracy and in seeing the field/going through progressions.
    On top of that, this offensive line is still suspect yet maybe improving, but as others have stated, the switching of positions has to have hurt and I have to question the coaches decision to do that while having to work with our QB’s as mentioned above and our “stable” of RB’s of which finally we may be seeing the lead horse.

    Any word on Maddox? If he is gone, as much as others have criticized, we lose a leader and IMO, solid corner/athlete on defense.

    Like

    1. That’s two captains down with injuries. Leaves Briggs and Weah as the two leaders on the field. That explains why both continue to start even though others may have passed them talent wise.

      Like

  342. Haven’t posted in a while, have been away, other factors, but I finally decided to check in after yesterday’s game, win or loss, and summarize things, at least from my perspective. Glad to do so after a win.

    Coaching – I think most people evaluate coaches, past and present, the wrong way. Too much emphasis on the HC, not enough on the Assistants. In hindsight, Chryst is proving to be a good coach, but I think a large part of that is he is surrounded by a better staff at Wisconsin, especially due to upgrading his defensive coordinator. And Narduzzi suddenly doesn’t look as smart, after downgrading his offensive coordinator position (yeah I know, lost a few key players, most importantly the QB). In my opinion, this makes it really hard to evaluate Narduzzi at this point. I personally still suspect he’s the right guy, and I’m impressed with the obvious improvement in the defense over last year despite a weak DL, however if the offense doesn’t get going, and if Watson is the wrong guy, then Watson could be Narduzzi’s version of Chryst’s House.

    Stats – I believe most people have it wrong here too, people seem to compare “last year” to “this year”, but this year is far from over (statistically) and year-to-date stats prior to yesterday were misleading as a result, Let’s wait until we get closer to year end and see what things look like. Regardless, the improvement in our pass defense this year is far greater than I would’ve ever imagined. In fact, despite a huge drop off in our DL, the overall defense is considerably better as a result. And specifically, Dane Jackson has been very good (Maddox’s improvement prior to the injury yesterday was impressive too).

    Defense – As I said, nice, obvious, and unexpected improvement on this side of the ball, season ending stats should bear this out.

    Offense – Generally sucks of course, but I struggle evaluating this unit, how much is on the QB and how much the OC??? Of course their inability to run has been problem #1, but even when we did run well yesterday, our passing overall was pretty poor. Would love to hear thoughts on this…

    QB – Yesterday told me a lot. Of course my opinion is very open to change, but DiNucci is underwhelming. I think it’s time to put Pickett in in doses each game and see if he can grab the position. Burning Pickett’s redshirt though and not giving him the opportunity would be unethical in my opinion. What do we have to lose, given DiNucci’s lack of ability???

    So if we’re going to make a jump next year, here are my concerns: OC, QB, front 7, and I’m afraid that may be too much to overcome, especially since the OC situation will likely remain unchanged. Then again, hopefully I’m wrong about Watson.

    Like

  343. Head coaches are only as good as their assistants. Head coaches create the culture and overall strategy, but their assistants make or break them.

    Ben is just a game manager. Which is fine if you have a running game and good D.

    Our O line just isnt tough. How difficult is it to get 1 yard on the ground when you need it?

    Our D is a young unit but gaining confidence.

    Most puzzling is play calling, the handling of the QB, the decline in an experienced O line, and lack of a running game despite yesterday.

    I havent seen the players quit. They seem to be motivated. But they are either too inexperienced or less talented than the teams we play. Experience comes with playing time but the coaches need to coach (develop players) and run the right schemes so their talents fit with the system. Talent is recruiting and recruiting has been sub-par with many misses.

    Like

  344. Could not agree more on the coaching. JM1 assembled one of the greatest coaching staffs in college football history, and that’s no exaggeration. Who on the current staff will be a head coach??
    Being a HC requires an eye for talent, both with players and assistants. The current crop is mostly old retreads, with one or so exceptions. Again, the HC doesn’t have to be the sharpest x&o guy, but the lack of high quality assistants falls on him. And you don’t need high paid guys, you need an eye for talent.

    Like

  345. Charlie Partridge is a former head coach. not a great one but he was. but this is no Majors 1 like coaching staff.

    Like

  346. Good point tvax1 about trying to work with Browne and the other QBs, when their games are so dissimilar. Shows why it was such a disastrous decision to bring in Browne and not find someone with some run potential, or go with the guys you have…

    Investing all that time in Browne gained us nothing and lost us a lot of development from the other QBs…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  348. … and just to drive a few of you nuts, I’ll throw in Conklin’s name as a future head coach after he turns the PITT defense into a national powerhouse D……. 🙂

    Like

  349. Frankly, DiNooch has started to bother me a bit. Yesterday he makes a first down in the 1st half and does a pose… Are you kidding me, with the way he played that half???

    And after last week’s game he said he was caught off guard by Pickett coming into the game? What planet has DiNooch been on?

    Confidence and even a bit of swagger is good — IF you have the game to go with it. I think DiNooch should humble up a bit – at least until he plays better than he’s played to date, which has been nothing to crow about…

    I know, I’m a cranky old geezer…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. Totally agree, I want a leader, not a showboat poser! Act like you have done it before and then do it again…..IIRC, they punted 4 plays later.

      Like

  350. I hear you MM, Twice Dinucci slid a yard before the sticks. << I don’t go for play like that. Narduzzi said that won’t happen again.

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  352. I think the Nitters run the table in an extremely weak BiG. Other than them I do not think there is another really good team in that league. Most offensively challenged conference in the country.
    Not sure what the line is but I love then vs the Suckeyes. And one more that I have a tough time with, they will be ranked no. 1 before the year is over.

    Like

  353. At worst, the awful nitters win the national championship

    At best, PITT played a playoff team tough at their erector set of a crap stadium.

    Like

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