It looks like North Carolina is getting +4.5 points in the betting line today. That sounds about right to me.  The above website predicts a bigger 29 – 17 Pitt win though. The over/under is 48.5 points

That sounds about right also.

But this is the great thing about college football – things can change on a dime (or the cost of Retro Air Jordan 3s shoes at $2500 per pair).

Football aside, what type of idiot pays $2500 for a pair of sneakers? Honest to God, that right there is society’s problem today. That’s exactly why I refuse to wear any clothing with any advertising on it. I believe the business who is labelled on the apparel should pay us to be walking billboards for them.

But that’s just me.

Game time is listed at 12:20 but will probably be delayed for a bit for Pat Narduzzi to get his NSA contractors in place to steal the Tarheel’s signs.

Michaelangelo holds a degree in Travel Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a former staff writer for InPittsburgh Newsweekly, and currently resides near Atlanta, Georgia. He has been a Pitt fan since 1997 after he witnessed Pitt upset #22 Miami on Thursday night at Pitt Stadium.

871 thoughts on “North Carolina Game Day Thread 2018”

  1. Late prediction here, Pitt 34 NC 21, can’t wait to give these uniforms to the homeless people, ( if they’ll take them), and get some classic home and away unis.

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  2. Seriously these uniforms? Is PITT trying to use subterfuge to fool the public into not knowing who is playing? What ever happened to the front porch and identity? Always thought the idea was to be recognized?

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  3. Pitt 35-20. Great tailgate here at NC. Greg Sasser and Frank Nixon are great guys.
    POV flags flying
    Ike, wish you were here.

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  8. Don’t have a pic, but just got a glimpse. It’s the ALL-Whites with the UGLY Blue Helmets.

    Game streaming at ACC.com. Personally watching it on the tube using the ESPN College Sports Package.

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  18. UPitt,
    I’m watching it on ESPN Watch. The unis are so ugly I like you too much to have you get sick looking at them! :< (

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  19. This is two weeks in a row of my screen being jerky not smooth motion. Anyone else with the same problem?

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  22. Where is the TE? They need to keep the RB in for pass protection. Pickett will not have time today if they don’t adjust.

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  40. UNC is terrible if we were real program we win this game by 28 points. Not to mention they have players suspended.

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  51. This game is in the defense hands. They will have to stop UNC. Pickett and PITT do not have a downfield passing attack. It’s midget leauge type crap. UNC is not all that bad though.

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  62. Because our WRs aren’t that good Annie…hence the transfers in like Mack. Pitt fans are going crazy about him but he’s been average so far for us. He has 8 catches in 3 games which isn’t enough for a team’s leading receiver.

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    1. When you practice against this offense it’s easy to look good. Also it’s impossible to get better on either side when you practice against sub par talent

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  68. The pass D is probably technically better than last year.

    However, the unfortunate most notable improvement so far this season has been the increase in “forcing” more opponent drops.

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  74. How many games has Dane Jackson started? And he can’t knock that pass down? What are they teaching these guys?

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  79. Pickett may not be as good as Tino. He runs a little but that’s about it. WRs pretty much blow. And for everyone who bought into Narduzzi’s bs regarding this improved secondary…keep watching. They’re just as bad as the last 2 years. UNC owns us in every sport.

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  82. Can I reverse my prediction?

    I’m back on the fire Narduzzi bandwagon.

    I don’t think this team can beat any team with a passing game.

    Maybe two more wins the rest of year.

    Tex

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  86. Pitt comes out once again soft and conservative. NC is being given space, time and easy reads with Narduzzi’s defense. Pickett has to make plays faster and his recognition is so slow. Have to admit as unprepared as they were for PSU, this is really troubling. Have to accept the fact this staff is just not good enough.

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  102. I can’t say it enough. I’ve really liked Ollison since he got to Pitt. Really solid, underrated back at Pitt. Oh, and only 1 of 6 Panthers to ever have a 1,000 TD season at Pitt.

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  116. Hot knife thru butter no tackle D undisciplined just giving this game away. NC is kicking our asses!!

    I don’t think we can stop NC any time today. Embarrassing and disgraceful!! I too have had it with Narduzzi.

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  119. I said their receivers would be open. Some guru Narduzzi is. Third and 13 and space galore. Coaching staff is a joke!

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  122. Narduzzi will say the same shot at the press conference….out defensive mistakes are communication and are correctable but they never are corrected

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  131. The defensive coordinator should not be allowed on the plane home. PN should take over that position and if he can not improve the situation he should be gone as well.

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  135. We are getting blown out. Just not on the scoreboard yet. Just when u think it can’t get any worse we totally blow a coverage and have a holding penalty.

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  136. Total breakdowns on defense. Third and 13 and they give up the first down. Then the big plays. Pitt cannot win in a shootout. If they don’t start getting some stops it will be a long day.

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  139. Don’t mind watts defending his teamate there.

    The 300 lbs unc guy was sitting on our Pitt guy, who had a guy under his back, and was bending Pitt guys back into the player. Looked painful.
    Watts trying to break it up and save him.

    Pitt linebackers and safeties need to get their stuff together or its a long game.

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  166. Did anyone note the trivia question about 1,000 yard backs….Didn’t Ironhead run for 1,700 or so in ’87?

    I may have misread, I thought they missed a couple backs……

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  172. It’s now half time, go back and reread this game thread from the beginning and see how ridiculous many of you sound. me included….

    PITT will have to step up their second half scoring for sure.

    Halftime adjustment questions will be answered in the next 30 minutes of football…

    Like

    2. All warranted comments. UNC stinks Ike. Won 4 games last year. 0-2 this year. Narduzzi needs to win this convincing.

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  173. This is Narduzzi’s 42 game as head coach and his defense is still bad. Inexcusable but doing the same thing expecting different results is why he is the poster boy for Einstein. NC is terrible yet Pitt gives up 250 yards in one half.

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  177. Hoping we put together a 2nd half for the FIRST time all season.. but make no mistake.. this defense is BAD.

    21 points in the first half to UNC?! Uggh.

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  187. We adjusted nothing on that offensive series. UNC did.

    If we don’t adjust to their adjustments my head is going to explode.

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    1. Guys the reason we suck in the second half is because every coach we go against our screens out plans and out coaches nor doozy in the second half.

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  188. I disagree that it’s important to win by this many or that many points. Just win. And enjoy it without an asterisk if we do.

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  198. “I disagree that it’s important to win by this many or that many points. Just win. And enjoy it without an asterisk if we do.”…

    Says every fan of bad teams– or people who know nothing about sports.

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  203. Now time to watch us go three and out with the following three plays.

    Inside zone / counter – they will stop us for 1 yard with 9 in the box.
    Jet sweep – they will bring down the safety.
    Rollout – will now be expecting it

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  205. Referees need to be held accountable in football. Rarely is that the case. Those missed calls could cost Pitt the game.

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  206. Two holds on Carolina’s TD and nothing called. Big play was the smart senior OLB called for offsides.

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  208. And don’t tell me I’m negative.. I predicted UNC would score 28 all game– there’s still 22 minutes left.

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  222. As long as it’s not being called consistently I suppose we should not complain.

    With the way the d is playing they would have scored anyway

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  232. Problem with Canada is they you will get zero stability with him. The minute a better job opens up he is gone

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  234. Everyone STOP making negative comments. I don’t want to read the “optimists* point out the “disproportionate” number of posts in a Pitt loss… they hate the truth.

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  243. Now we see why Ford doesn’t play. He seems lost out there. First a 3rd and 13, now a 3rd and 17. Really? Now a fumble. Not feeling good about this game…

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  251. Lock The Gates – To Narduzzi’s House and keep
    Him there.

    Lock the Gates on Acid Pitt Fans take who think Narduzzi is good.

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  261. This is year 4 and the defense looks as bad as year 1. The head coach refuses to adapt HIS defense to the personnel. It was obvious in the Baylor bowl game (when he was at MSU) that the defense had holes, and that OC’s around the country had figured it out, yet he refuses to change.

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  270. 2106 Pitt had one of the best offenses in the country, and the worst secondary I have ever seen in football… any football. Not sure what they are being taught but it the secondary is still terrible. No progress year after year.

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  274. The tarholes are safely in for this win. Pitt does not know how to score in the 2nd half – no flags on unc yet today and the refs can throw flags on every play, so Pitt will see plenty of them.

    Sad…how bad this team really is.

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  276. Well guys, I started painting my son’s bedroom. Doing the trimwork right now. I can’t sit and waste 3 hours watching this team if they can’t play better than this. I can watch the replay if something good happens. I’m so disgusted.

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    1. 14!! He was so good at MSU and he wears that linebackers sleeve on his wrist to look cool. We may lose Gorill arms to West Allegheny or Baldwin.

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  283. Well, this is why I don’t bet. This NC team is one you absolutely have to beat. Well, torches and pitchforks. Not only are they losing to a team playing short handed, they look horrible in doing so. No excuses. No way they hit 5 wins now. I really wonder how Narduzzi survives this year?

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  285. Pitt hires a defensive guru. Four years later it’s defense is among the worst in football.

    Narduzzi has to go this year. Like after this game.

    This is on coaching. What second half adjustments?

    Always being out coached. Recruiting stinks. Player development non existent. Poor staff.

    Yet let’s continue paying him $3.5 Million.

    Fire him. Fire him now.

    Jackie

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  294. Even if something works in first half need to assume an adjustment and have a ready answer. Also I wonder about the conditioning since they seem to fall apart in the second half.

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  297. I wanna see a beat reporter grow a set and ask:

    Why have u failed to develop any semblance of a functional defense?
    Why did you go to Australia for a 33 yard punter?
    Why do you shut down the offense at halftime?
    Do you think this is an adequate performance?
    Do you think you are committing theft for accepting a paycheck?

    Liked by 1 person

  303. The process is getting thru the season. Heather better have that list in her FRONT pocket! This team is really, really bad. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen receivers so open. With exception of two guys this defense sucks. Now watch, they’ll quit like dogs.

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  307. Even if something works in first half need to assume an adjustment and have a ready answer. No strategic analysis or response. Also I wonder about the conditioning since they seem to fall apart in the second half.

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  308. Still rooting. Still hope we win. But any of you that have been defending this bafoon are MORONS. Yes, MORONS.

    I’m signing off. Can’t take this.

    And, I’m offering the rest of my tickets for the rest of the year to the optimists that still think Narduzzi needs more time.

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  314. One thing is obvious. We have very few if any, legitimate Power 5 conference starters on offense, defense or special teams. Weaver? Hamlin? Lower tier schools maybe. No WR has separated from others. I had hope for Mack and Jacques-Louis but French and Arizona Lopes and others get as much PT. Picket is running for his life but he is limited too. I had optimism Hall would have a big year but now he gets 7 carries a game. Kessman looks better but punter is awful. You just can’t punt 32 yards with no pressure. It is disappointing we cannot recruit better players. Why can’t we get better players?

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  325. You can almost see it in Narduzzi’s face. He knows this is a disaster and he doesn’t know how to fix it. He knows his days are numbered. Lyke isn’t going to put up with this too long, not with the money he’s making.

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  337. Lots of defensive substitutions…presumably because of the heat.
    Good thing there’s not a big drop in talent.

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  339. There is really no defense for this Jay. Some saw it coming earlier than others, sort of like Stallings. Attendance will tank. If they aren’t embarrassed by this, they have no shame. Just a total embarrassment.

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  353. Lyke has to see what’s happening, I hope she has an out in his contract or her hands could be tied for a few years. Pitt will be selling tickets to tumbleweeds in the meantime.

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  377. I hate that I was right in my game prediction. I am moving closer and closer to the dark side. I mean Jesus Christ, what the hell is this pass defense…against a back up qb. It’s embarassing, and defense is what we were supposed to hang our hat on in year 4 of PN. GTFOH!

    No game management whatsoever…and again, I called it. I knew Narduzzi wouldn’t have a good game plan against the unc offense. He never does. What a joke.

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  383. The fix is in, I have seen multiple non-calls today in the second half today. At least 5 obvious holds on unc not called. Home brewin’

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  384. I hate even with all the modifications on the definition of a catch anymore. It among other tinkering of rules is killing football for me

    But they made the right call lol

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  385. I love my Panthers. I really believe in these kids. I’m so bummed out. No excuse for giving a cobbled together team and so so quarterback a breakout game.

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  388. I know a guy who claims he’d make a good head coach. Claims He’s a guru. Never was a head coach but worked under a good one. He can come cheap.

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  399. Somebody posted this..

    “As bad as the D is, they get no help from the O.”

    We’ve scored 35 POINTS! How much help does the D need??????!!!!

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  402. So many failings in this game, but how many hidden yards have the special teams surrendered? Given up about 150 yards in field position which could easily be the difference in the game.

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  413. HCPN:
    “Well, I don’t know why we fall apart in the second half. We make adjustments at half time based on Madden ‘18 suggestions. I also text Mike Tomlin for his input. And of course, we have a ouiji board. So we’re gonna keep plugging along.”

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  428. It’s so obvious that Narduzzi is the most over paid coach in college football.

    Yet my tuition keeps going up every year.

    I guess Pitt places a greater value on losers.

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  437. I just want to go on record that when PN was hired, I wanted it to work…I was excited he seemed to fit in the mold of a Yinzer type of coach (strong on D). You can make fun of me about the Yinzer thing and that is fine. I just thought he was a great fit for the role.

    UPITT, vented as well as others about the not ready for primetime and this program needed to go bigger/better. I didn’t ignore it but I too did an eye roll (let’s give this guy a chance is what I said to myself).

    I was also a supporter of Chryst…still am given where we were with the Graham/Haywood fiasco…I think he did a fairly decent job. I won’t be one to denigrate him.

    But as I have read more/heard more/seen more it is now clear…this guy does not have it. I think calling him a MAC coach is an insult to all MAC head coaches.

    There will be no change I get it, but I won’t sit here and pretend because of a win last week or next week that all has been righted with the ship.

    This program has been in trouble for a decade now. Wanny had his limitations, but at least he gave us a team that was in contention. Since his purging this program has been a train wreck.

    I will continue to watch and root for my alma mater, but it will make very little difference until the BOT decide to commit to the program.

    Dave Dellett

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  442. Just saw the final score. My wife Suz caddying today. I told her we’re like abused husbands or wives, we just keep coming back for more.

    She says we should get a restraining order ! Anyone want to join me filing a Pitt fan restraining order to keep us from following Pitt Football.

    Save us all Lord, it just never stops.

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  443. I posted and admitted I was wrong last week against GT..

    Where were jrnpitt (who talks ALOT), VOR, ike, Tossing Thabeets and the rest of the guys that constantly call us (me, Reed, upitt, etc.) “negativos”?

    Well, gentlemen. Explain this one.

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    1. Still here. I never post much or read much in season. Work picks up and kids sports are in full swing. I said this is his make or break year … and it’s definitely breaking. There are really only two or three I’ve called negative.

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  445. Yes. Narduzzi needs his two stars to develop and prove to us all that he can win.

    We just have to wait and lose 20 more times.

    Pitt is a cross between the bungles, clowns and stillers. All their worst attributes.

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  447. I’m going to listen in our duties press conference and count how many times he blames someone other than himself and make excuses. I bet it’s 12 to 15

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  452. Dan72.

    I know a Dauphin County judge. Maybe I can get us a PFA.

    Make no mistake folks. This is a BAD team with BAD players and and AWFUL coach.

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  453. Why wait. Fire him now. Write off the season. Have a coach hired by years end.

    And never let Heather involved with football again.

    Her extension of the coach, marketing failures, inability to raise money for the program, hands off approach to staff hires, allowing closed practices and refusal to tarp shows me that she is in over her head.

    Blame the boss.

    Gallagher can you please pick up the phone and call tressell?

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  454. I’d like to say that I’m disappointed in this game but I’m not really. I figured we would lose even though I predicted them to win because that’s what I do, I go with my heart sometimes. But it is very evident now that this is not a good football team and I think that the problem is we have no real depth at all past the first string. And our first string isn’t that good either.

    This offensive line is not good, Pickett was under pressure every time he dropped back and we have to keep the TE on the line for extra blocking.

    It says something when your TEs have a total of 2 catches after 4 full games.

    I’m not impressed at all with DC Bates, he’s in way over his head and you can see why he was a career staff position coach.

    Our DBs coach should be fired this evening after we just gave up 313 yards on 71% passing to a QB who floated every pass he threw.

    NC is a bad team and they owned us in crunch time!

    We really do suck folks but Ill stick with my prediction of 5 wins, even though that might be hard to do.

    Liked by 1 person

  455. On the bright side, my nephew (a freshman LB at East Stroudsburg) is getting his first playing time in college and made a couple of tackles.

    Maybe I’ll go to his games instead of Pitt.. they don’t give up 40 points per game. But their coach isn’t a “defensive genious”, either.

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  456. Narduzzi was crying this week about UNC stealing signs. Hey Pat, stop it with the excuses losing to a bad team. What is he going to cry about now? Pathetic that Narduzzi has never beaten Fedora. Last 2 years UNC has sucked beyond belief.

    A little over 3 minutes to go in the game and your defense has sucked all day…..so you decide to bypass a onsides kick…..and then the kick goes out of bounds. Sigh. 3rd and 5, get a stop and you get the ball with a chance to win. The D falters again. This is now the 4th year.

    Another game, another horrible 2nd half performance.

    Narduzzi is a meathead.

    Like

  459. The air went out of the balloon after the PSU debacle. Narduzzi and his program was not close to a good program in his fourth year. But with a suspect NC I still gave him some benefit that even he couldn’t screw this up. I was so wrong to believe he understood where the program was heading and the urgency to address the issues. Now with that buyout any cosmetic changes are fruitless. He is not a head coach who can deliver.

    Liked by 1 person

  462. A good coach, speed and superior recruiting obviously beats a moronic coaching staff with slow players – even with 13 suspensions and a bad backup QB. The rest of the season is only for the tailgates. And for those still clinging to “we can’t have another coaching change, it will kill our continuity and recruiting”…..I say I don’t want any more of “this” continuity and our recruiting sucks, so make the change.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Tressel can be both AD and football coach
      Would do a far batter job and cost less than what Pitt is paying these bozos

      Remember Heather extended Narduzzi. Heather is the Fanta Queen.

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    2. Heather extended him. She will look bad by firing him. Plus, who will pay for the buyout.

      So she will ‘force’ Narduzzi to make staffing changes. She may even say something about recruiting.

      But thats all she will do folks. Its postponing the inevitable. Its rewarding mediocrity and a losing culture.

      Heinz will have 50k empty yellow seats at each game next year.

      Pitt football will lose money.

      Pitt will be looking at cutting some Olympic sports teams like tennis, gymnastics and cross country.

      Like

  465. ND’s new QB just went 25/34 for 325 yards and 2 TDs. He’s going to tear us up.

    UCF’s QB was 21/32, 306 and 3 TDs today…he’ll kill us next week also.

    Our pass defense is truly terrible (again).

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  466. another losing season
    another poor recruiting class
    another year of little player development
    another year of very bad defense
    another round of excuses
    another year of all hat and no cattle

    Football is setting up to look a lot like basketball.
    Fans lose hope and stop attending games

    Pitt deserves better

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  467. Chet..

    Some of us knew this long ago.. but your were busy with your snarky comments and personal attacks.

    Maybe try this.. “Listen more. Talk less.”

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    1. Agreed Jay. For a long time Chet was completely pounding the table on how Narduzzi was the right fit and had the program trending in the right direction.

      After the PSU loss, he’s all of a sudden singing a different tune.

      Like

  468. I invite all members of the “League of Optimists” to go into the bathroom… look into the mirror… and REALIZE you are the reason for SOP!

    You may not think it… but you do deserve BETTER!

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  469. Let’s take a look at who and how many comments made after the GT game and this UNC debacle. It really makes me more sad then the PITT loss today. Some of you somehow lost your abilities to type in negative comments on the POV when PITT won last week and many of you checked in absent. Seems many of you are back on your high horses today shooting down PITT. Not that there isn’t room for despair and criticism. I’m here all the time win or lose thick or thin. PITT lost today. I can take it.

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    1. Because the fans want this bum gone Ike. You and 3 guys from Carrick like him. That is it. Don’t you ever get mad and want us to be respectable?

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  470. Just an average defense…PLEASE..is there something in the water on the South Side? Both Pitt and Steelers cannot play defense. Defense was to be PN’s strongpoint. I will not watch games ubtil defense improves. 4 years of pathetic defensive play is enough!

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  471. TX… Funny.

    However, I think you know my comment was a play on a SERIOUSLY INTENDED comment posted by one of the “Optimists” earlier in the Season.

    Be careful what you preach.

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  472. Exactly, POD!

    In the addict community, they’d call them enablers. Those of you who “support Pitt no matter what” remove any reason for Pitt to do anything to fix this.

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  473. I’m really proud of the University of North Carolina. What a find institution that never cheats and fields a football team that doesn’t commit any penalties. PITT and PITT alone lost this game today but did you all watch the game?

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    1. You and Narduzzi keep
      Making Excuses. Pitt gave up 400+ yards to a backup qb and a team that had starters suspended. But yeah they cheat and steal
      Signs.

      Like

  475. Been lurking rather than commenting for the most part this year but oh my…..

    Went to my son’s high school football game last night in Delaware. He just started high school and is in the band…. The game was awful… The other team (a pretty good Catholic School from the Wilmington area) just manhandled us. They scored eight touchdowns in 24 minutes for a 55-0 halftime lead… On every level, watching was painful – defenders being pancaked, linebackers clueless and the secondary completely lost… And I wondered, how could the coaching allow this – such an embarrassment for these kids…

    Now, 12 hours later, it is like deja vu…. But in defense of the high school coaches, they are not making 3.5 Million. I was late to the Stallings firing party but POVers had that right almost from the beginning… I appear to be late but it looks like Narduzzi may end up with the same fate…. Last night I thought, these kids deserve better – the school should find some new coaching blood. Now I think – the long ignored Pitt fanbase deserves better – the school should find someone up to the task… Not sure if they can score like they did with Capel but the status quo is no longer acceptable…

    By the way, the band was fantastic – by far, the highlight of the night… In fact, it seems like the fanbase here is pretty knowledgeable – about half the home fans left after the half time show – lol…. Also, kudos to the other team’s head coach for not running up the score… He must of put in the third stringers as the final score ended up 55 -14….

    Like

  476. I’m here after a terrible PITT loss, where were some of you after the PITT win last week? It sickens me that I go on a PITT football blog and only hear PITT being dumped on constantly.

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    1. It sickens me you blame fans instead of the TURD making 3.5M a year. How about you hold someone acxountable and lose your yinzer crush on gorilla arms.

      Like

    2. Then be sick…

      Some of us are sick of watching crap performances by a lunatic who blames everyone but himself.

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      1. Who are you? Let me give you a handle since it seems you can’t figure out how to do that. I’ll call you “the coward so called pitt fan”. or barvo-2.. either one

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  478. so the question becomes:
    Who believes Narduzzi deserves at least another year to turn things around?

    I cant really come up with any legit reasons myself so I’m curious what could save his job because I really do think that after this game, Narduzzi is on the hot seat.

    So outside the fact that Heather just extended him and that the buyout could be a financial burden, why would you keep Narduzzi?

    Like

  480. Keep the snarky comments to ourselves please. Each of us know if we were right or wrong about the team and the program coming out of fall camp.

    And each of us have been correct and also incorrect about Pitt football…there are no glass houses on the POV.

    Of course we also have eight more games to play folks. Nothing says Pitt can’t win a bunch of them.

    I highly doubt they will but I’ve thought that since last season ended. I think Pitt fans get enamored with the ‘big’ wins like PSU in ’16, Clemson and Miami and forget we lose to crappy teams a lot more than we get those big wins.

    All this should come as no surprise. When fans were jumping up and down about how well our defense played against VT & Miami last season…and figured we’d build on that I kept reminding about giving up 34 points to a two win NC team just before that, and that in 2018 we’d have basically the exact same defensive players out on the field.

    And those defensive players were a large reason we only won 5 games last year.

    Its going to get worse before it gets better because every SYR is scoring 49 ppt this year. We may well be 2-5 going into the Duke game.

    Like

      1. I posted some then I did a MMQB.

        However I didn’t think you wanted to hear me say we beat a poor GT team which they are getting their asses handed to them by Clemson.

        GT BTW has 109 Rushing after 3 quarters of play so what we did wasn’t all great.

        Ike, this is what we have talked about all summer. Narduzzi cannot recruit and it has been killing us the last two years. That and our staff, that he built, cannot make any halftime adjustments at all and that is a real problem.

        Well win a couple more games but we are circling the drain with this H C and staff.

        Like

  481. What excuses am I making Mark? NONE! Quit speaking for me and making things up I don’t say. I’m not happy the way PITT played today and thought there was some bad decisions made and at the end MY team came up short. I can call them MY team, can you?

    Like

    1. I don’t support teams that don’t care and zero heart. You can have them just like the Stallings crew. When they get serious about committing to win and caring let me know. My favorite was kicking it out of bounds when they have no return men back to return a kick. Wow Narduzzi you are so smart. Bet we have statistically the worst defense in ACC. I don’t speak for you. If I did it would involve rainbows and puppies

      Like

      1. You kid no one friend. You do not support anything PITT. I’m going to build a nice fire outside as it’s gotten a bit chilly. You guys can carry on so Reed doesn’t close the comments

        Like

        1. Anytime you want to compare what I have given to Pitt personally and physically we can talk.

          Keep supporting the Dead man walking. Remember he makes 3.5M

          Like

  484. PoD, not sure why you think I’m a Narduzzi sycophant. If you read my previous posts, you will see that I have been all over Narduzzi about his recruiting, or lack thereof, and especially about the total absence of TEs. I have also railed over PN’s arrogance and pathetic sideline skills. Now that he has his own recruits on the field, it is clear that his defenses don’t even work with his own players.

    I truly admire ike for his steadfast support of Pitt (not necessarily Narduzzi) during the highs and lows. But after 35 years of this crap with Pitt sports I’m at the end of my rope with Narduzzi.

    Like

  486. Needed to gather my composure. Some thoughts. Made the mistake of thinking Pitt could beat a putrid North Carolina team. For the record Pitt will not make a bowl this year! They will be lucky to win more than one more game this season, Virginia you still have hope for an ACC win. Narduzzi has trouble defending this newly developed play called the forward pass.

    Heather Lyke has officially made her first blunder as our A.D. by renewing Narduzzi’s contract for seven years prior to this season. Because of this she is gong to have to face the music for the rest of this year and all of next season before she can show Narduzzi the door. We need to look for a head coach at a non P5 school that is offensive minded and has a good recruiting track record. No more coordinators with the need for building staffs and on the job training.

    I am very thankful that Pitt women’s volleyball season is concurrent with our football season. It is good to hear the words Pitt and powerhouse in the same sentence. Basketball season cannot come soon enough.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I was so bummed I did not check on Virginia. Louisvile finally getting what they deserve for hiring their current head coach. I guess Pitt goes win-less the rest of the season.

        One positive for firing someone after next season is that the ACC linear network money will start coming in after next season to help pay for cleaning up this mess of a football program. Feel sorry for the players on the team. They deserve better. After today our recruiting commitments will be flooding to the exits.

        Like

  488. In defense Pitt had QB issues last year but overall played Ok in most games even with that handicap. But I have never been snarky and never made any attacks on anyone. I gave Narduzzi the benefit of three years of coaching these players. My expectations were they were ready to take the next step. If all want to pound me for backing the hope Narduzzi was a coach who has shown he was capable so be it. But I did change my view after PSU due to the state of the program in all aspects. That was telling. From here facing the inability to beat NC hard to make any case that Pitt football is making the progress to be a good program.

    I just felt even Narduzzi couldn’t blow this gimme. Shame he couldn’t deliver and now Pitt football is stuck in a loop due to the buyout. But I make no apologies for my stance on Narduzzi. If all feel good over Narduzzi failing at this point good for you. As I stated before if he wins no one cares about his issues. But he isn’t winning and one has to face the results in any case. But with the erosion of PA football, and stiff competition for shelf space in the city, Pitt football has to be realistic. Narduzzi was their shot, so far it has not materialized into a winning program. But most programs are in this position every 4 to 5 years.

    Like

  489. It’s so silly to blame fans.

    Of course there are more comments after a loss then after a win.

    Pitts been outscored 72-10 in the second half this year.

    I’m a fan of Pitt not Narduzzi and all of the things he does (poor recruiting, poor player development, poor sideline behavior) I don’t have any idea why people defend him.

    We are literally getting worse the more Chryst players graduate. Our best players are Chryst recruits.

    Like

    2. 72-10. Wowser. Let me guess, Narduzzi is going to watch the tape and clean some things up. Maybe narduzzi this week will say every team is stealing their signals.

      The forward pass is not kind to his defense.

      Like

    2. Yes, Jay91, it was St. Marks… What a blowout… If the band hadn’t been good, I would have really been bummed. I am grateful to the St. Mark’s coach for applying the handbrake in the second half. Our kids didn’t need to be completely humiliated.….

      Like

  491. I never thought after the Clemson game I’d be typing this, but I think it’s time to start looking for a new coach.
    1) Lane Kiffin

    Like

    1. need someone that knows how to recruit
      need someone who will hire young, aggressive assistants with high ceilings
      need someone familiar with the conference
      need someone with an offensive background
      need someone with proven head coaching experience
      need someone who can develop players

      I would have a fan committee pick the new coach

      Like

  493. Frankly it’s hard to watch Pitt try to win games when the big wigs at the ACC have the refs fixing the games when we play the blue bloods and when Pitt can’t score in the 2nd half.

    Like

  494. Unlike some, I don’t see a team that has quit or has no heart (yet). I see a team that has average-to-less talent and is poorly coached.

    Like

  495. Chet… It’s important to realize that Narduzzi was NEVER Pitt’s “shot.” Fact is… the Search Committee did not come up with Narduzzi. He called Pitt himself and asked for an interview.

    Narduzzi was Gallagher and Juhl’s BLUNDER!

    Like

  496. I don’t blame Heather Lyke for this yet…she was put in a bad spot. 8-5 1st 2 years and the program appeared to be righted and headed in the right direction, even though they were Chryst’s recruits.

    I say “appeared to be” because who knows what is actually happening with the “media black out”. I do btw blame Heather for not mandating that practices be more open to the press. It cracks me up when I read comments about how good a player is going to be when we have absolutely no evidence of his level of play until they actually play some games. The players are not improving at all.

    Worst defensive coaching I’ve ever seen at this level. I’ve never seen so many receivers run free in a secondary. Oh wait… it’s 3rd and 35… first down again. I don’t think it’s going to get better. I think it’s clear that Heather needs make a change. It’s already bad so one more change won’t make it worse. The next hire has to be a proven winner… not some coordinator guy with no head coaching experience. Don’t need a cheerleader or guy that talks a good game. Need a proven leader.

    The team always looks totally unprepared, and in the 2nd half they appear to get pushed around even more than they do in the 1st half. That amazing strength and conditioning coach is terrible. Clean house. Start over. As for me I checked out at game 4 last year, and I will check out again this year. See ya next training camp… maybe.

    Like

    1. Heather has presided over more bad football than good. Now granted its Gallaghers pick based on a clueless committee’s recommendation but she was the one that extended him after 1 season.

      As far as I know, she asked Narduzzi for no changes thus far. So next year, I would expect there to be changes if Narduzzi is allowed to hang around.

      I just dont see how Narduzzi rights this ship. And for those that say his boss at Michigan State took 6 years to finally turn things around, Narduzzi isnt his boss and Pitt should not have the patience because there is a good chance Pitt loses money with more seasons like this.

      Like

  497. Tomcat… totally agree.

    There was no “quit” in the Team today. They just lacked the Coaching to put them in a position to WIN.

    But it’s also important to keep in perspective the fact that Pitt lost to a BAD team playing without some KEY Players including its Starting Quarterback.

    Like

  498. Just posting so we can set the record for comments.
    I predicted a Pitt loss. I guess after watching Pitt football for 50+ years my optimism disappeared a
    Loooong time ago.

    Like

  500. Well, I for one am encouraged for next year as we only lose 15 starters and have another sterling recruiting class coming in. It could be worse, we could suck and be a school that actually cared about football.

    Like

  501. Looking at the schedule…who (besides Ike) sees another win anywhere? I don’t see one anywhere in all seriousness. Maybe one if another team gives up 3-5 turnovers, like maybe Virginia or Cuse.

    Like

  502. From a perspective that it was the Chancellor who hired him it was Pitts shot. The chancellor tied his building a good program to Narduzzi. So again an extension after a 5 win season reflects that the brass was all in on Narduzzi. Is Narduzzi that good a salesman? Or is Gallagher just that gullible. In any event, that contract is on the books and Pitt is not eating money to change. So they are thinking Narduzzi can deliver. But from my perspective, a good coach doesn’t lose this game. The program is close to sliding badly after UCF kills them.

    Like

  505. I think it’s time to play as many kids as possible. Let’s see if we have anyone who’s a gamer in the rough so to speak. That might at least keep kids interested if there’s ample playing time to go around.

    Won’t happen as coaches will at least try to win, I get that. But whatever we’re doing now just isn’t working. See who’s ready for next year.

    Like

  507. I’m not anti coordinator like some. In hindsight wouldn’t Franklin have been a great hire instead of Graham when he was the oc at Maryland? Tomlin was a coordinator. Difference is you could tell right away when Tomlin and Franklin talk they are head coaches. Narduzzi has no command presence whatsoever.

    Like

  508. To bad Heather and the bot’s will see this as a close game and will be encouraged. My guess they have no idea how bad NC really is.

    Like

  509. OK, in all seriousness, the freshman running back looked good running the jet sweep. He actually knew to cut it up and not jusr run wide. Other than losing another 50-50 (90-10) ball, I thought Jackson played well. Pickett is a sophomore qb, up and down. TAlso, in all honesty the Oline played better than I thought, but only because I thought they would be so very, very, very bad.

    I will say it again Narduzzi< DePasqua. He inherited Christ’s players, Carl got Dave Hart’s.

    Like

  510. One last thought …what P5 team has a sophomore walk on center start every game of his career?
    I watched NC blitz over/under and around Morrison like he wasn’t even there! Bad recruiting starts with the fact you can’t get even a 2 star center to attend Pitt. Pickett was brave in the face of a withering rush by NC and almost no pass protection help from his O line.

    4 years of this defense. A good thing we don’t play Gannon.

    I’ll be there at homecoming to see many old friends…but that is it. Actively selling my season tickets. I’m done with this fraud of a coach and team.

    Don’t see another win anywhere on the schedule.

    Like

    1. Dan – good comment on our WO center – I’ll add that his back-up is actually a 2 star.

      I decided not to sell my season tickets as it will cost me more than I will get in return. Instead I will write a letter to Ms. Lyke and inform her to contact me when she hires a HC for the FB team.

      The only good thing about this season, besides Fran’s Tailgating, is that my golf handicap has dropped 2 strokes. To think I rushed home from the course yesterday to watch that mess. Oy vey!

      Remember folks, it’s just a game. But it is a game the Pitt admin does not understand – go back to 1982 and review the history of blunderous decisions made.

      Like

  512. Dokish has now jumped off the bandwagon. Check out his Tweets.

    Bottomline – this is a game that good coaches win and is a game that Pitt really had to win

    There will be no division title this year or bowl game and next year’s team doesnt look any better and the incoming recruits are mediocre.

    So knowing this and Pitt knew this with Stallings, why not fire Narduzzi at years end?
    Why is football any different?

    Like

    1. and he was absolutely giddy about the hire. He said recruiting would take off. Thought he was the guy to take pitt to the next level, and he hated Chryst.

      I too was optimistic. Decent first class with Hamlin, etc. I liked the initial staff; thought Conklin & Harley were up and comers. Chaney was big league (and so was Canada after that). But now…..Harley seems to be invisible recruiting. Conklin a bust. Watson, Bates, Boberly….retreads. I think the carousel hurts more than helps, but we not have a choice but to jump back on.

      Like

      1. Yeah….and most of us actually thought SOP was dead his first year coaching, lol. I did argue that Pitt stinking in nationally televised game was still an ongoing curse, but figured we left the rest behind. Not in my lifetime…

        Like

  513. Ask yourself why give Narduzzi a 7 yr contract. In order to tell recruits he will be around for their college years he needs 4 yrs. So this means Pitt is giving PN 3 yrs. to produce. They just don’t want to begin a search for a while.

    Like

  514. so with that new contract, he uses it to recruit low 3 stars with offers from Bowling Green, Air Force and Holy Cross. That doesnt make sense. So what is he telling recruits?

    Any smart recruit will know now that Narduzzi’s job is on the hot seat. Contracts can be bought out.

    Pitt should send a strong message that they are serious about winning and are developing a culture to support it. The culture cant be built with mediocre coaches.

    The search for a new coach should begin now. To Hell with stability and continuity if results like today are in the future.

    Like

    1. Threats won’t make Narduzzi any smarter or a better recruiter though. Pitt is destined to be the Buttgers of the ACC if they keep Narduzzi.

      Like

  515. Ike…

    I posted some then I did a MMQB.

    However I didn’t think you wanted to hear me say we beat a poor GT team which they are getting their asses handed to them by Clemson.

    GT BTW has 109 Rushing after 3 quarters of play so what we did wasn’t all great.

    Ike, this is what we have talked about all summer. Narduzzi cannot recruit and it has been killing us the last two years. That and our staff, that he built, cannot make any halftime adjustments at all and that is a real problem.

    Well win a couple more games but we are circling the drain with this H C and staff.

    Like

  516. ODU tied with VT. They have a better QB than us… or maybe just better coaches. And their WR Folgom, is better than any on the Pitt roster.

    How come ODU’s coaches out-recruit (or coach) ours?

    Like

  517. VT quarterback just got injured. Maybe if he’s out, we beat them…. Oh yeah, nevermind.. we just lost to UNC’s backup QB.

    Like

  518. I lost faith after PSU.
    Reed and Upitt have been correct.
    It is time for a new coach. They need to go get Kiffin.
    The only thing that can help Pitt is a buzz hire.
    Kiffin will be all over ESPN for 2 plus years.
    Another no name coach or coordinator will just come in and continue to rot along with the dead corpse.
    The pitt program is dead. The smell is just beginning and when it gets really bad then everyone will know.

    Like

  519. You can’t win throwing roll out passes all day.
    Plus no one is ever open.
    That means no athletic abilities by the players.

    Like

  520. Reed, I’m not quite so sure about that couple more wins after today. This was one they just had to get. They will lose all the road games, and I think Cuse will beat the badly. Let’s just hope my pessimism is as bad as my optimism for this game.

    Are the players good enough to win. If not, it’s on the coaches. Are the players not good enough to win, guess what, it’s still on the coaches.

    I will also harp on my favorite theme, that being the S&C coach has to go. These kids look no bigger or more muscular than they did as freshmen. Someone said they look soft and doughy, in comparison to the other guys. Could perhaps the second half failures be partially due to lack of stamina?? All kids love their S&C coach, but I’ve questioned this guy for awhile. Guess this is just nit picking with all the other issues.

    Remember Pitts new motto “ Stumble along”.

    Like

  521. ODU has TWO WR’s better than any on Pitt’s roster… and maybe better RB’s.

    Is anyone else watching this!?

    ODO would destroy us– and they’ve been playing football for 10 years.

    Game is on CBS SPORTS NETWORK if anybody cares.

    Like

  529. My favorite pitt joy of the week:

    Paranoid HCPN blocking the press and the fans from witnessing practices only to be so inept as to allow another team to steal signals.

    Beautiful irony!

    Liked by 1 person

  530. Old dominion kicking Virginia Techs ass… I am going to pencil them in as a W.

    I was there witnessing it in 95° heat and all I can say is this. Pitt football is in trouble.

    IMG_1981.jpeg

    Like

  531. Tried to post a picture from the game obviously don’t know how to do it…

    Time to start practicing for next years Georgia Tech game

    Like

  532. Upitt…

    The program is only TEN YEARS OLD! He started this program from scratch… and has been VERY successful.. first in FCS, now in FBS. He won his division of C-USA in 2016.He’scompeting for recruits against UVA, VT, UNC, NC State, Duke, etc… and getting some studs.

    Check out his QB, RB and 2 WR’s.

    Like

    1. I dont disagree but man he is still 0-3.

      She needs to go Big. I’d hire a Tressel or a Lane. Go Big or stay irrelevant.

      Like

  533. The ACC was so impressively bad as a whole today that Pitt arguably only had the third-worst loss. If Pitt can’t compete for a title against the dreck that is the Coastal competition in 2018, well, you have to wonder when (if) they will ever compete.

    Like

  537. In looking at other programs, PSU was no fluke or one off. WVU would be favored by 17 at Heinz and win by 4 TDS. PItt is so poor on every level you have to wonder what exactly is going on. His pressor was Fraud Graham like in that he continues to blame players for missing tackles, not being in position ect.

    Like

    1. His teams are poorly coached like Tomlins. When a team has elite talent, your coaching deficiencies can be hidden. His excuses are getting old real fast.

      Like

    2. Is he telling the truth? Coaches putting them in position to succeed but players unable. Hmmn, maybe I should watch it as I did DVR it.

      I’m really disappointed, better be good weather for the next few home games because THIS isn’t worth the drive and spend.

      Gotta change my avatar ala TX. Is there a Pitt isn’t it somewhere.

      Like

  539. The Coastal Division in the ACC is as weak as the Old Big East during its dying days. Pitt has failed to adapt to either situation.

    What does that tell me? Pitt hires the wrong coaches.

    Why do they do this? Because they leave the hires up to AD’s with no football experience or rely on a committee headed by Chancellors who know nothing about sports.

    Like

      1. Nice gravatar….always liked Mr. Yuk song. Pitt football needs added to the list of things that will make
        you sick.

        Like

        1. The way they play in the 2nd half they should replace Sweet Caroline with this song and put the logo on Pitt helmets and on the 50 for home games.

          Liked by 1 person

  541. You can’t win (see Pitt & VT ) in today’s NCAAF if you can’t pass for big yardage. Old Dominion was 0-3 before today, losing to Charlotte, got slaughtered by Liberty 10-52 and lost to Fiu as well but they threw for 500 yards today while VT threw for chump change, like Pitt.

    Passing and the Spread is the great equalizer. Pitt other than Canada & Graham(and he was in & out of town so quick Penny didn’t even have time to get a library card) has never recognized this.

    Liked by 1 person

  542. I’d take Penny over Narduzzi. Maybe even Penny’s Yorkie named Touchdown.

    Huepel was the hire to make. But we were to busy making excuses for King Pat.

    Like

    1. He would have worked…his first name started with the letter ‘J’.

      Has to be a pre-requisite of anyone than can con to come to Pitt.

      Like

  543. I sent this to Ms. Lyke in the 4th quarter. I recommend you all do the same– assuming you actually donate, buy season tickets and attend games, as i do.

    “I am a former Pitt student, 17-year season ticket holder and parent of a current Pitt student. This team is an embarrassment. I have watched with much respect as you’ve worked hard to elevate our other programs and purged coaches that do not meet your standard. It is my hope that you will do he same with Coach Narduzzi. If changes are not made, I will not be buying tickets next year.

    I spend hundreds of dollars EVERY week and travel hundreds of miles to travel to EVERY home game and 1-2 road games per year. That will change if the status quo is maintained.

    H2P”

    Only Pitt alumni, season ticket holders and donors have the power to push for change.

    Like

    2. Many letters such as yours were sent Heather’s way regarding Stallings last year. Those letters and a half empty Pete convinced Pitt that a change was needed. Pitt may be gun shy given Narduzzi’s contract but the money can be found. The cost of continuing along this path outweighs whatever the cost will be to buyout Narduzzi.

      If fans lose hope in the future, fans will stop donating and attending games. Fans will stop buying merchandise and saying nice things about the program (look at the blog and twitter implosion from today).

      School pride and spirit will suffer.

      Pitt’s brand will take a hit.

      Think about the message that Pitt can send its boosters and fans. What greater message than to fire a mediocre coach and find the right coach for the future.

      If Pitt wants a winning culture, it starts with elite coaches who know how to win.

      Outside of a few marquee wins (Penn State and Clemson), what has Narduzzi done?
      No Coastal titles
      No Bowl wins

      And this year Pitt experienced the worst loss to Penn State in 50 years.

      The recruiting and player development have been poor. Those are facts and written about and commented on frequently on this site.

      The defense has not substantially improved and in fact has gotten worse this year. How can this be with an acclaimed defensive guru as coach.

      A solid case can easily be made to rid Pitt of mediocrity and to hire a new coach that can put Pitt on the path to excellence.

      I dont think giving Narduzzi more time will solve matters. Nor do I think a change will hurt the stability of the program.

      But, I just dont trust Pitt to make the right hiring decision given their poor track record. There are no sure hires so thats why I know its important to also bring in a good staff with the ability to coach and recruit. I actually trust knowledgeable fans more than anyone in the athletic department with a selection.

      Can Pitt do better? I believe so. I think its worth finding out.

      Like

  544. Next 3 games are @ UCF, homecoming against 4-0 Syracuse (yea Dungy is still there) and @ Notre Dame

    We will not be favored in any of them. Keeping the games close will be an accomplishment.

    Like

  545. Fedora considered this a must win game and sold his players on it. Pitt came in with no sense of urgency and it showed on the defensive side. Narduzzi did not have this team ready to play.

    Like

    1. Once again, if we play anyone with a decent QB(even backups), we can’t stop their passing. Elliot was only completing like 50% of his passes before today. Today he hit on 71% of his passes, and set a career passing high.
      How many no name QB’s have set career passing games against this Defense ?

      It’s just ridiculous !

      Like

  546. Have we set the records on number of comments yet? If not I can draft a couple of pro- and anti- Narduzzi comments to get us over the top.

    Like

  547. Yards per pass (Pitt)5.3 (unc)10.1

    That’s with their backup QB folks, the Surrat kid would have thrown for 400 yards

    Like

  548. It takes effort to be this bad.
    Defense.
    Offense.
    Special teams.
    And, we can’t even get the coin flip right.

    Time to move on from Narduzzi.

    Like

      1. lol, over here I haven’t seen a mosquito all summer. The summer of 2017 either. Very strange, no House Flies either, not that I don’t mind, missing these pests.

        Like

  550. I see a coaching change coming… Today, PITT embarked on a 4 game losing streak and Narduzzi isn’t the guy to right this program… just ain’t happening…

    Watching another game on the tube.. cool how other teams have receivers who get wide open and behind people, TEs that catches passes and defenses that don’t blow lunch on 3rd and long… defensive guru my fat butt… he is not bringing us together …time to start looking…$3.5 mil… you gotta be kiddin

    Like

  551. Pitt will most likely get a teaser win toward the end of the year, maybe VT or Miami to give us all false hope, as with clemson and miami the past 2 years. If PN had produced an average Defense,Pitt would have won at least one coastal title and perhaps more. It was not wise for heather to extend PN’s contract.

    Like

  552. Coaching D-
    Recruiting D+
    Likeability D
    Face of a Program D-

    So we pay him 3.5M

    UVA and Bronco will smoke us.

    Our own chance at a win will
    be Duke since they lost their Starting QB and Starting CB.

    Like

    1. Duke would probably beat us even with their backup QB. But even the backup got hurt today, don’t know the severity. So their backup to the backup will probably beat us.

      Extending Nardo was lyke the payoff of getting hired, me thinks.

      Pitt is run like a buffoon Gov’t agency.

      Like

  554. I feel like Charlie Brown and the team is Lucy. Every time I start to believe in them Lucy swipes the football away and I land on my butt. I feel bad for the players- the coaching they are receiving is not developing them as players. I’m glad to say I will miss the Syracuse game so I can watch my son run in his last cross country home meet. I’ll miss Fran’s tailgate, though. That’s been the best part of the home games this season. I WILL see a great home volleyball game next Friday night. The women’s team is on fire, and we should support them as much as possible. H2P.

    Like

  555. Add to that fact that Narduzzi is an arrogant ass who turns off fellow coaches and recruits and I don’t know why we don’t make a change Monday morning at 8am.

    “This team will win the Coastal Division says he” idiot!

    And yeah, this is now personal.

    Liked by 1 person

  556. Again.. I hope all of you frustrated Panther fans, alumni, donors, etc. are sending emails to Ms. Lyke. Only a STRONG response from stakeholders will move the needle.. see Stallings.

    I want Narduzzi fired as he walks off the field following the Miami game… if not before. This is NOT getting any better.

    Like

  557. Walt Harris still lives in town.
    Wanny would probably come back now that Smiley is gone.
    Fraud is working for free in Belicek land and would probably want to redeem himself, especially since Penny now has family in Wilkinsburg.

    And all would take less than 3.5M

    Like

  559. Check this out @ halftime Oklahoma 21 Army 14.

    We’d be blown out ala Okie State by the half vs Oklahoma. Cause we have no offensive system than can
    compete with teams with better talent than us. (which is most of them)

    Pro-Style Drop back passing with emphasis on the run is so so 1970’s.

    Like

    1. it worried Heather enough that she extended him
      So with this reward, Narduzzi goes out and recruits a bunch of 2 and 3 stars
      He goes out and gets retreads for assistants
      He continues to close practices and gets even snarkier with the media

      everyone at Pitt will look bad if they have to fire Narduzzi
      As a fan, I’m telling Pitt that they have to because I’m looking bad right now

      Like

  561. I am at a loss for words after the poor performance in the game followed up by press conference with Mr Arrogance’s blame to players. I have 8 season tickets for 15 years and if my sons were being recruited by him I wouldn’t allow them to be coached by the Man Little things make bigger problems.

    Homecoming you will have few people at the game I can’t give my tickets away. Pitt wants support and donors and buy tickets and in return after four years we get nothing but excuses.

    He says the QB is a freshman yet today alone how many freshman played and did well. Excuse and never has he taken the blame. Close when he says we coaches have to work harder. Never it’s my poor game plan second half adjustment s never made and terribly prepared for the games. Too many mistakes.

    We are doomed but after years of frustration who cares. Time to watch teams who are ready prepared and are exciting. 60 points next week50 followed by 50for our next four opponents. The defensive guru can hang his hat on that. I’m frustrated angry and tired of excuses

    Like

  562. It is no mystery that other teams make second half adjustments and we DO NOT.

    Are the kids getting the conditioning to play a full 4 quarters? A lot of breakdowns in the secondary in the second half as the opponent adjusts to our secondary play from the first half and our kids look tired and confused..

    Like

    1. On top of that Frank, it’s not been the coordinators. Only Canada made changes, every other offense and defense doesn’t make the correct adjustments and I think it’s because Canada is the only one with the gonads to go against the grain.

      Like

  564. Just watched his postgame presser… WHAT A JACKASS!!

    “We practiced it all week. We just didn’t do it today.”
    “We didn’t tackle today.”
    “North Carolina is a good football team.”
    “They have players on scholarship, too.”
    “We didn’t have focus for 60 minutes.”

    Not ONE thing directed toward him or his staff.

    Let’s assume it wasn’t the coaches.. HE RECRUITED THESE PLAYERS.

    Be a man.. Say “This is on me.” And then shut up. He’s a jerk.

    Liked by 1 person

  566. Saw this train wreck last winter.

    Emel
    February 26, 2018 at 6:01 pm
    That’s 3 or 4 wins in football. Bball will be less than 3 in the conf, if Luther comes back. If not, it could be zero again. (this was before they fired Otis)

    Like

  569. It’s amazing how quickly the wheels can come off. And it’s even more amazing what a bad ad can do to a program. Nebraska, once the pride of the Big 8, the leader of the pack, pretty much the gold standard. It has fallen further and landed harder than we ever will, and there is little relief in sight. New coach will need years to bring them back.

    Like it or not, the decision was made to step away from big time football and become a basketball school when the Pete was built. Weather we can even be a successful basketball school is in question. Heathers move with the Duzz goes down as one of the more puzzling things an ad has done at Pitt. There was simply no need to do that.

    I don’t see any light at the end of this tunnel. If the players who start are the best on the team, and the backups can’t beat them out, what in the heck is going to happen next year when 15, yes, 15 starters depart? There is no indication the recruiting class will provide any real help. There most likely will be kids that transfer out, and does it really matter if the schedule gets easier. This staff hasn’t shown the ability to beat cupcakes. Before anyone starts jumping up and down about The Duzz’s first two years, you have to look at the direction the program is trending.

    I honestly think everyone, yes, everyone on this blog will eventually come to the realization that the Duzz isn’t the answer. It just takes some longer than others. St. Thomas syndrome. I think all, if being honest, will admit things look bleak. Lack of talent eventually gets exposed. Speed, skill, and athletic ability or the lack thereof, also becomes evident.

    At this point, if, and I say if, they only win 3 or 4 games, I’ve seen enough. What will they lose? The recruiting class? It’s not very good anyhow. Our reputation? Guys, we don’t have a good one anyhow. Attendance, it always sucks and will only get worse if they tank and bring him back.

    Stay the course, believe in the process. OK, let’s do that, and let’s see how that works out. And when people wake up and realize a change needs to be made, and the coaches you want say thanks but no thanks, well, go to the Pete and watch what the administration has allowed us to become, an intercity basketball school.

    Like

    1. Frost is good. They will be okay. Riley is a even bigger idiot than narduzzi and ran the program into the ground

      Like

  570. Have to wonder what PN is thinking nowadays.

    He made it to a HC of a P5 school after being a highly touted and compensated coordinator. Good for him.

    Now the pressure must be so enormous and the doubts must be excruciating to his ego. He probably has enough money and has to be wondering if this is all worth it.

    Clearly he is struggling to develop any sense of an improvement plan. Things are spiraling and he has lost the support of most fans. He knows he isn’t getting the thoroughbreds necessary to be at the same level of his competition.

    My guess is the writing is on the wall and he knows it. Sure, he’ll keep doing his best and may even find a few good moments. But his time here is about all but passed and he won’t admit it to anyone but he is most likely looking for an out. Only ADHL can give that to him now as no other HC opportunity awaits him. Only she can make a decision that’s good for him that he can’t make himself.

    Once the inevitable happens, he’ll land back on his feet as a coordinator at a lower level, maybe even drop to high school, and you know what? He’ll be the happiest he’s been in several years.

    But, what do I know….

    Like

  573. Amazing that Wake did not sell out their game today with Notre Dame, with only a 31,500 capacity.

    You could see plenty of empty seats all over their stadium/

    Like

  574. It probably will be 100 degrees on the field in Orlando next week. Hopefully the staff gets the kids ready for that

    Like

  577. @TX Panther I copied your post below so I can add one additional crucial point I feel you left out……A Pitt Administration that will 100% backup every point you listed below. To fix 30+ years of “SOP” will take a big financial commitment. I’m not sure how much the Pitt Administration really wants to win. I’m not saying Pitt Elites don’t want to win, but I am saying they don’t want to pay for a consistent top 20 football program. Power 5 conference, 6 to 8 wins, and stay out of the news is the Mission Statement. It is why I’m not sold a new coach brings us anything more than Paul Chryst, Narduzzi, Fraud Graham, or Walt Harris 6 to 8 wins and more dust on the 1976 National Championship Trophy and memories. I hope I am wrong.

    “September 22, 2018 at 5:26 pm
    need someone that knows how to recruit
    need someone who will hire young, aggressive assistants with high ceilings
    need someone familiar with the conference
    need someone with an offensive background
    need someone with proven head coaching experience
    need someone who can develop players”

    Like

  578. Wow, Pitt had a chance when we first came in the ACC to wipe out all the mediocre or worse years of BigEast Football membership (save for the DW last 3 years).

    We had a chance to define a new Pitt, since many of these ACC peeps didn’t know much about Pitt football.
    But they figured they’re from Pittsburgh and Penna, so they might be good. A new Beginning if you like.

    Cause it was a New Beginning. And we were going to have unseen amount$ of Revenue Pitt had never seen before.

    Instead of hiring someone dynamic for this New Beginning. We got about the most blase, most boring person they could find. And they knew he was going to be a temp. All of this going on at the same time Psux was vulnerable. A Dynamic hire…. then……..could have changed everything.

    Anyone knows, opportunities like that only come along so often. And it was an Epic Fail by Pitt’s BoT’s.

    Now we’re just SOP again.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. College football coaches last on average 5 years. So it wouldnt be unusual for Pitt to replace Narduzzi after year 4. It would also give Pitt a chance to get the hire right. I view it as an opportunity…a new beginning for football.

      Whats the point of continuity and stability if it results in stagnation.

      But Pitt has to first realize that the program is off track and not heading in the right direction. Pitt has to realize that Narduzzi’s ceiling is probably 8-9 wins.

      We’ll see how serious Pitt is about football based on whether they make a change or not and who they hire if anyone.

      The goal every year should be a Coastal title. Right now we arent competitive and wont be next year given lack of player development and any elite players. Right now, there is little hope for the future.

      Remember when ticket holders dont renew, Pitt takes notice since Pitt barely has enough now for the football program to make money.

      Like

      1. Pitt isn’t a blue blood now, and we weren’t in bball either. Actually Pitt had very little bball tradition compared to football, where at one time we were a Football blueblood.

        How Pitt became a ‘player’ in bball was, they bought their way in.

        Much like a line in the movie Wall Street, Gekko says even though he had gone to NYU or City College, he was able to
        buy his way in, among all the Ivy League schmucks

        If Pitt wants to become a football blueblood again, they’re going to have to ‘buy their way in’.

        Like

      2. Narduzzi’s ceiling is 6-7 wins with his own players who he has been coaching and developing….especially in his sub-moronic system.

        Like

  580. And they followed up that… ‘easiest thing to do’ hire, ….that was done for them by Godfather Barry, with another guy who had NO Head Coaching experience.

    So if guy #1 with NO Head Coaching experience wasn’t bad enough, at such a crucial time in Pitt Football, they follow it up with guy #2 with NO Head Coaching experience. Who didn’t bring one asst coach with him.

    I mean you’d be hard pressed to write this stuff up in a fiction book.

    Like

  581. I think the truly disturbing part was in the second half when Narduzzi subbed-out those superstars Briggs, Motley, Jackson and Zeise w/ Garner, Mathis, Pinnock and Bright… they were making the same mistakes in coverage and reads. The 3rd and 17 – that was Pinnock losing his man while the floater was in the air.

    This is all on a serious lack of talent. Not just recruiting but talent evaluation. These guys in their 2nd and 3rd years in the program are NOT ready to play.

    Lyke extended after a 5-win season which tells me it is loaded w/ incentives and a friendly buyout. Just something an ego-maniac like Narduzzi would jump on. This will be over quick.

    Liked by 1 person

  582. You would think the financial commitment is there given both Heather and Narduzzi just got big extensions after proving very little.

    In the past, Pitt did care very little about winning, about how Pitt’s brand is impacted through athletics. It would do the bare minimum to breakeven financially.

    However, the ACC is forcing Pitt to spend and improve their level of overall competitiveness. ACC membership is a privilege and the conference brand is only as good as its weakest school.

    Pitt has hired something like 13 new coaches in the past 2 years. The athletic department has grown with more assistants and staffers. Recruiting budgets have increased. There is the Victory Heights initiative. Pitt is spending the money more than ever before on sports.

    Now whether its being spent efficiently and effectively on Pitt’s 19 programs is another argument. I would argue that the money spent on a program like football is not generating a sufficient enough return.

    The $27M annual check from the ACC helps. The new network will provide $5-$7M more each year (Pitt had to pay $12M to get ready).

    But Pitt is having trouble with revenues that offset these expenses and pay for needed investments. Attendance (ticket sales) being the primary revenue driver. Remember, the football program is supposed to help pay for Pitt’s Olympic sports programs. It really needs to generate a profit.

    At this juncture, Pitt is very close to having season ticket holders not renew for next season. Pitt will also find it harder to make new fans or attract more casual fans to attend games because of the poor record, lack of exciting football, lack of marque players, lack of hope. Hope being the most critical.

    I think it really comes down to making the right hiring decisions and ensuring the head coach has everything needed to be successful. And Narduzzi has everything he can ask for. Previous coaches weren’t so lucky.

    The athletic department has a very poor track record at picking football coaches and these search committees are used as cover. 5 random commenters on this blog could do a better job at finding Pitt’s next new coach than anyone in Pitt’s athletic department.

    If Pitt gets the coaching hire right, there is no reason to think that Pitt cant compete and win ACC championships.

    Like

    1. All of that is pretty accurate Tex, but only the pick of Jeff Capel to lead the bball program gives us any hope at all, that they might possibly get it right with the football hire. Nothing in Pitt’s past 35 years of football hires, other than Wanny says they will get it right. And the one time they got it right, they even managed to screw that up.

      Also remember Capel wasn’t their choice. It was Hurley. So maybe we’ll stumble into another good hire that way.

      Like

      1. The new baseball hire has been great. Why Penn State was playing West Virginia at PNC Park every year because the old coach never wanted to go off campus was asinine.

        Like

  584. This from the Tarheelblog

    Nathan Elliott, who has not looked the part of a Division I quarterback to this point in the season was boosted by an effective ground game that allowed him to do a little less in order to lead his team to victory. Elliott finished the game with 313 yards through the air on 22-of-31 passing.

    Leave it to a Pitt Defense to make almost every QB look like Peyton Manning.

    Like

  585. And this seems to be a common theme with all colleges, who want their teams to win.

    Nice win!
    Almost a must win. If the Heels had lost there would be over twice as many comments. I guess that’s just the way it goes.

    Posted by LCS70 on Sep 22, 2018 | 6:08 PM

    Like

  586. It just gets old. It really does. This game really upset me. I want to support my team, but it’s almost to the point if I wanna see a game live I’ll buy a ticket, not ready to drop season tickets yet, but man I’m getting close. I know this was a road game, but I am so sick of walking 5 levels down, saying this program is a joke, and that is exactly what it is. This was not a good team we played and really a must win, complete and utter failure…way to go “Duzz”….

    Like

  587. The funny thing is that the offense is actually better than expected while the defense is the dregs, a combination of lackluster recruiting and inferior coaching. They literally had no answer, I believe had one three and out all day. Can not stop the run or pass. Very sad.

    Like

  588. Honest question for those that would like to see a coaching change, I myself would like one but sat down after this game and decided it would be better to sit through another season. Who would you like to see us bring in? Ryan Day will most likely be named Head Coach in Waiting and Pitt doesn’t pay enough for him to leave for us. What are some options that would make you happy like we all were when Narduzzi was brought in?

    Like

    1. Do you try to go back to the well and grab Canada before they give him the full time job title at Maryland and whatever restrictions they are given by the NCAA?

      Like

  589. Wow over 750 comments! Crazy. Pitt fans sure have passion.

    Two comments. I really, really, really hate when people on this blog attack the optimists and claim they are the reason for all of this. Seen it before. Really? I mean, REALLY? Lets take a step back of the ledge. PittPOVers have absolutely nothing to do with this. I mean wow if we have so much power then someone start thinking about curing cancer…it might just happen if POVers put their minds to it. We are little, puny fans lets not have delusions of grandeur of the power we have. Sure, the more people who express dissatisfaction to the admin directly might be a cherry on top but admins decide on action based on their own desires of what program they want, what the big boosters want, and of course, $$$.

    Second: My boss is a UNC fan. So COMPLETELY sick and tired of losing to them specifically you have no idea. UGH!!!!!! (translation for ugh: every swear word in the book Reed wont let me post here!). So yes I am on the bandwagon now, officially. It is time to look for a new head coach.

    Oh and third, Reed, I would love an article that talks about what it takes to be good again. Specifically, there are programs whose recruiting rankings are the same as ours, or perhaps only marginally better, and yet the results are different. Why are the results different? Because I assume Pitt’s recruiting can only ever get marginally better. Maybe I am wrong about that.

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  590. Look what we do in second half’s. Always flat. Bad coaching. Good coaches make adjustments. Not Frauduzzi. Outcosched every game and personality of Saban even though he never did a thing if not for a Chryst s players. Next year will be even worse.

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  591. Good nights sleep and morning coffee. Then I read the PG. Third and final installment of Pitt into the ACC was good. And then I read The Duzz s post game comments. Potty training dogs? I think someone slipped something into his pasta. This guy is nuts! Delusional. Every old cliche is trotted out. Clueless on how to fix anything.
    I see we lost another recruit, this time to East Carolina. Not sure how good he is, but we apparently wanted him. We keep losing kids to some really poor programs. Recruiting isn’t going well. But I think the biggest problem is the staffs ability to recognize talent. Some of the kids they go after leave me scratching my head. My buddies and I see these kids play and wonder what they see in them? I’ve heard the diamond in the rough, and believe in the process thrown about. Well, waiting for diamonds from this process will take about as long as coal becoming a diamond.

    Like

  592. Also, the ACC is really bad this year. And we may finish near the bottom of this dumpster fire. That, my friends, should speak volumes.

    Like

  593. Narduzzi is going to get a fifth season no doubt. The extension saves him from being canned and since I’ve read on here numerous times that athletics cannot dip into the endowment fund, Pat and his awful staff will be back in 2019. Who in their right mind with money will give a huge check to Lyke to pay off Naduzzi? I’d tell her to take a hike.

    The school has no leadership when it comes to football, so who do you trust to finally make the right hire? Lyke? She gave this clown an extension to show continuity with recruits and the staff has gone out and signed a bunch of three-star players.

    Face it, the only hope is after getting pummeled by UCF, Pitt beats Cuse, Duke, Virginia and Wake to get to six wins. Maybe upset Virginia Tech to get to six wins.

    Like

  594. Lyke IMO thus far has made 100% the right moves…yes, 100%. In every sport.

    Except in football HOWEVER.

    But that does not mean she can’t or won’t. It is easy for us to say just fire the bum. But of course there are probably 50 other important considerations at play here. I agree it is really hard to see Nards not being our coach next year. Of course I said that on here about Stallings 1/3 into the Bball season and look what happened. Well, actually, what happened is a 0-for in the ACC which made the decision much clearer!!

    So I will give Lyke the benefit of the doubt and place a LITTLE faith she will start doing some of the right things in Pitt football and unfortunately it might take time.

    That said, I hope she is starting the process. Just like it seemed she did in hiring Capel…starting to put out feelers, working the network behind the scenes. Would love nothing more than for her to talk to Tressel and pre-arrange his commitment to come here before firing Nards. We can dream, at least!

    Like

    1. Pitt should have hired Tressel after Graham left, but typical Pitt not touching a guy with some baggage with a 10-foot pole.

      Like

    2. Pitt needs a football guy to make the call. I know that sounds sexist but you really need a guy that knows the sport and has connections. Someone like Tressel or Spurrier does. Pay them to consult.

      Heather never played football or coached.
      Barnes was a basketball guy
      Gallagher is just some nerd that probably cant even throw a football

      The process should be started now

      Like

  595. Oh, Nate, I can’t see them beating more than one of those teams. Anyone, I mean anyone who can throw will beat this team. It’s year 4 and not only can’t they stop the pass, the qbs they face set records against them!! We have gone 3+ years and 2nd and 3rd stringers are setting records. These kids have career days against us. I, in all seriousness, ask do you see improvement? It’s everyones fault except the scheme. Really? If after this length of time Duzz can’t see this is there any hope it will change.
    We are becoming everyone’s homecoming game. “Stumble along”

    Like

  596. I’m on board with a change though I don’t see it happening for fiscal reasons. Not defending HCPN but there were many missed tackles and assignments. KP needs to learn to get rid of the ball, it seemed that on the rare occasions he had time the receivers weren’t open, still throw it away. Now all this could be due to bad coaching and a lack of talent but it did happen. Good thing I suffered through the 70-72 seasons, it set the bar low ( enjoy the winning years when you get them).

    Like

  597. 3rd and 17.
    Stand on the first down line and keep everything in front of you.
    That is coaching…and we didn’t do it.
    Blame the players, the bus driver, the guy who sells cotton candy.
    But it is on the head coach and he isn’t getting it done.

    The hallmark of good leadership is analyzing trends.
    This trend is apparent:
    Less wins; poor recruiting; unhappy fan base.

    Make a change. Take out a loan if you must. But this has all the makings of Stallings 2.0

    Like

  598. Suggestion for the UCF game…Go with the all white unis.. gonna be really hot like it was yesterday and white reflects the heat but take it a step further and add a white helmet with a blue stripe…at least you will look like a winner!!!(you impassioned fans will immediately recognize you as the Pitt Panthers because the numbers represent the arches in the Catherdral)

    Like

  599. OK Duzz, the players in the secondary have changed over the past 3+ years. The results haven’t. Maybe, I mean maybe, those couple of years at MSU when you had two high caliber NF
    L players back there are the outliers? You keep recruiting a bunch of dbs, but you keep getting torched. It’s crazy. You have a staff that can’t coach or recruit and even if they could coach you have a head guy that insists that what is not working is the right way to go about it!! Nuts!

    Like

  600. If Pitt cant have Tressel as the next coach, at least bring him in as a consultant in the search. And bring Spurrier in to consult as well. I dont trust Heather, Gallagher or any committee.

    But I think the criteria should be:
    proven head coach (record, ability to recruit and develop)
    familiarity with the ACC
    offensive mind

    Like

  601. Fifteen years as a season ticket holder. I have watched Pitt since 1967 and started with three 1-9 seasons.

    Pitt will keep narduzzi due to lack of money and donors to change this mess. I pay over five grand a year for eight season tickets and parking. Try to sell them and I get nothing. Why go Thur another year or even finish this season.

    I love college football and drive four hours to see the games go to away games but tough to support this staff lead by narduzzi. I feel he lacks all the ingredients to be a GOOD head coach. Blames others arrogant but a loser Tough to accept his reasoning. I do feel for the players who I feel care but are out coached every week. It all starts with fundamentals blocking tackling. Which we are poor in. Our administration has to be embarrassed by his coaching antics on the field offf the field and how he puts an ill prepared team on the field every week. My son the most die hard defender of the bye one win Does that help no but who will care but us fans.

    We have what we have and are stuck. coach has finally reached his end with this debacle I hope we win but I see one victory at most in the future. Reed research most points given up in three games for our next three opponents. Hang in there. H2P and we have to be one of the most embarrassing teams in college football with a clown as the pilot

    Like

  602. Every team has some breakdowns, blown assignments, missed tackles. Ask yourselves, are these isolated incidents or do you see this almost every week. If you can say they are isolated OK. If not, what you are doing to,correct it is not working. You recruited these kids, oh wait, your recruits can’t even beat out the kids that are screwing up!! Think about that for awhile!

    Like

  603. Gasman right on…3rd and 17. My WatchESPN froze right as he threw it. It looked like he was throwing up a prayer when my screen froze and I thought, yes! Bring in the punting team. Then the screen unfroze, announcers yelling joyously…and I thought…

    SOP.

    Like

  604. One spot I was really down on yesterday: the middle of the defense. Roy, Watts/Camp and Wirginis getting gashed up the middle. How do four players not come to play? A shame the seniors took no pride in never defeating Carolina in their careers before yesterday and now leave school 0-4 against the Heels.

    Like

  605. Meanwhile… PITT’s Former Coach who could NOT speak and dress let alone coach or recruit… guides his Team to a Win against a VERY GOOD Iowa Team by showcasing SOLIDLY-Coached football in every facet of the Game.

    Point is… confusing anything Chryst with everything Narduzzi is LAUGHABLE!

    Chryst NEVER blamed Players, always took responsibility and always showed CLASS… even when wearing a XXXL Sweatshirt that hadn’t seen the washer in weeks.

    When Narduzzi is finally forced out at PITT… and it’s coming rather than later… very easy to GUARANTEE that you are NOT going to see Narduzzi Head-Coaching anything.

    Like

    1. Chryst is a jerk because he left without coaching his kids he recruited in their bowl game here at Pitt. His unemployed assistant coach had compassion on them though and coached the game, so I forever root against that jerk.

      Like

  607. avg tenure of Pitt coaches in the modern era
    Majors 1 – 3
    Sherrill – 5
    Foge – 3
    Gottfried – 4
    Hackett – 3
    Majors 2 – 4
    Harris – 8
    Wanny – 6
    Graham – 1
    Chryst – 3
    Narduzzi – 4

    The avg tenure is 4 years

    So I would think one would be inclined to keep Narduzzi if:
    one believes in continuity which may lead to stability
    one believes the buyout is cost prohibitive
    one believes that Narduzzis recruiting classes are good
    one believes that Narduzzi will be able to turn things around
    one believes in having patience
    one is embarrassed by having to fire the coach

    I for one believe:
    What is the value in continuity if it leads to mediocrity and program stagnation

    Nobody but Heather knows the cost of the buyout but I would think it would be similar to Stallings in the final amount ($10M). There are boosters out there who will pay it.

    Narduzzis classes have been higher ranked than Chryst (avg 40 compared to 60 in ranking); But the trendline is down. This years class ranks in the high 50’s based on star ratings. Pitt needs to be getting around five 4 stars each year and to have the avg star of its class around 3.3 to compete in the Division. Our recruits should be getting offers from Va Tech, Maryland and Kentucky…not Elon, Holy Cross and Bowling Green

    Does anyone really think Narduzzi can turn things around after seeing the results over the past 1.5 years? Year 4 is the year when its all supposed to start coming together. How much more time is needed for this defensive genius to install the Michigan State system?

    If Pitt is fine with a half empty Heinz and is willing to lose money, then patience is a virtue. If its concerned about revenues and its brand, patience is a vice

    One should have no shame in firing someone who is not a good fit and who has under-performed. Pitt is paying HCPN $3.5M to win Coastal titles and recruit 4 stars. Pitt is throwing money away at this point.

    Like

  608. Sadly I will insert my “Good, Bad & Ugly” comments now as I have a busy work week ahead. Gladly, I have a fun day planned with my grandkids. Maddeningly, I am still a Pitt fan.

    GOOD: 1. Houdini in the game for 3 plays and averaged 11.1 yard per carry.
    2. Completed my yard work while Pitt scored (7) second half points (the yard work is the good).
    3. My golf handicap has improved by 2 strokes during this “not so good” Pitt FB season.
    4. My grandkids are visiting my house today.

    BAD: 1. Houdini with only 3 touches and then disappears.
    2. D with only 2 QB hurries and 1 sack.
    3. Special Teams play/execution/coaching.
    4. The Pitt secondary (again and again and again and again…)

    UGLY: 1. 1st Pitt offensive series – set the tone for the day (2nd and 2 at UNC’s 45, QB takes a 14 yard sack) – pound the ball on the ground for a first down. A good QB doesn’t take that sack (THROW THE BALL AWAY) and the OC needs to call a better play in that situation.
    2. Uniforms
    3. ACC refs (by no means an excuse for the loss)
    4. Pitt FB in general

    Liked by 1 person

  609. UNC’s backup QB had his first ever 300 yard passing day.
    UNC’s RB yesterday had his first ever 100 yard rushing day.

    For 4 years straight players from opposing teams have had career days against Narduzzi. He doesn’t have a clue how to defend a forward pass. His defense does not work in this conference.

    In the last 15 power five games, UNC has two wins. Guess where those two wins came from?

    Did you hear the presser after the game. Bad, really bad. Did you hear him mentioning it takes time….he’s feeling some heat.

    In the past he bad mouthed Conklin, Canada and him and Chaney didn’t end well. Its not a good look when a head coach is bad mouthing assistants when they are exiting the program. What comes around goes around.

    Like

    2. He’s also a spineless rat who abandoned his recruits here before their bowl game to flee to Wisconsin to fatten up on beer & cheese.

      Like

  614. What a total bummer that game was. I admit to being surprised how the defense played throughout the entire game. The big first down runs up the middle being the biggest disappointment for me. Pickett’s play continues to worry me as well. He locks into his receiver with his feet moving and guns the ball without much finesse. KP has a lot of work ahead of him for sure.

    Mistakes again yesterday, some on the players and some on the coaching staff. Make that a lot on the coaching staff. Strange the game came down to a player that reminds us so much of Q Henderson (Ffrench) with his fumble. I told my wife after UNC scored the go ahead TD that I felt a turnover. Not sure she knew what one was but sure enough, there it happened. I explained to her that is what a turnover is… (boo). I never boo out loud, only in parenthesis. That was a tough loss to take. ike

    Like

    1. Why didn’t Tipton secure the ball on the Ffrench fumble? It hit him was right in his hands. Make your first play of the year, kid. It sure would have helped your team.

      There will be some easy attrition at the end of the season with this collection of players.

      Like

  615. BTW, front page of the trib today was a picture of the Pickett face mask non-call, plain as the nose on your face or like the holding non-calls on Jackson and Hendrix on the UNC TD.. . . etc etc. ….

    Like

  620. Wisconsin has had 7 double-digit win seasons in the last 9 years. Pitt has had 1 in the last 35.

    Even Gary Anderson averaged 10 wins in his 2 years at Wisconsin before going 7 and 23 at OSU before they an him out.

    wwb

    Like

  621. Holler is unrated by Rivals Reed, you would have crucified and murder-lized Narduzzi for picking up Trent Holler. Just another game PITT can’t win.

    Like

  622. ^^ and btw… just to make the record clear for those who have a foggy brain. That’s not sticking up for Narduzzi. It’s the plain truth.

    Like

    1. and you have to quit confusing Narduzzi with failure. It’s much more the program than the coach … and we have a 30 year sample to prove it.

      Like

      1. the program is giving Narduzzi everything he needs:
        a contract extension
        a budget to go out and get assistants
        a budget for recruiting
        a nice pro stadium and practice fields
        a hands off AD
        a good conference and easy to win division

        this failure is all on him. His recruiting stinks. Player development stinks. His staff hires have been horrible. His players cant cover or tackle.

        Previous coaches had legitimate excuses from a run down Pitt stadium to Pitt going cheap to a conference falling apart.

        Pitt has made a major investment in football and is getting a very poor return.

        What more can Pitt do for Narduzzi besides coach and recruit for him??

        Like

        1. While I agree that Narduzzi should be able to do better, Pitt is no longer a football school, and hasn’t been one since the late 80s. And just because the BB program may currently stink, that doesn’t make it a FB school.

          The administration has consistently dropped the ball over the past 30 years, and now it is just too large of a hill to climb due to many reasons but primarily

          — Western PA FB has been dying out

          — Pitt alumna as a rule can care less about college FB. Note that a blog likes this is not representative of the alumna, it represents the hard core fans. Even when Pitt was among the best, it still only sold out a 50k stadium when ND, PSU and WVU chipped in.

          I know or have worked with a large handful of Pitt alums, and they all care more about the Steelers or don’t care at all about FB .. except for one person. Honest to God’s truth

          wwb

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          1. the money we receive from the ACC is as a result of football and not basketball. Even the ACC finally has realized that they are a football conference.

            Football is far more popular than basketball across the nation. Football pays the bills and will continue to help subsidize Olympic sports. If a school writes off football, they might as well start packing their bags since the conference will be telling them to take a hike. If a school focuses more on basketball, it will find out that they dont have the money to properly support their other sports programs.

            Its not too large of a hill to climb. Pitt has all the resources needed to field a competitive team in the ACC. All its lacking is an elite head coach.

            Look what happened to Pitt basketball after they found 2 elite coaches (Howland and Dixon).

            If WPA doesnt have the talent, there are other areas that do. Plenty of good recruits in Ohio, Virginia, Maryland and Jersey as well as Florida.

            And Pitt alumni have never cared too much about sports. Look at Pitts donation rates…the second lowest in the ACC. Thats because Pitt never had the culture to nourish sports, develop ways for fans, students and alumni to connect via sports. That can change.

            In WPA, we go through hills…not over them.

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  627. For those of you still complaining about the refs, it reminds me of an old story the great Beano Cook used to tell. After a game where a great Nebraska team just destroyed a rent a win lower division team, the losing coach was complaining about not getting any calls. Beano’s retort was, “You just got a check for $500,000 to come in here and get whipped. You want to get the calls too?” = Pitt getting in the ACC

    Like

  629. I suspect a little unrest is beginning by the troops after Hamlin tweeted last evening, I should have listened to my mom…….. which has since been deleted. Hummmmmmm.

    Like

    1. It sounds like Mario, Hamlin’s dad was tweeting during the game. He is not happy with Narduzzi and his defensive scheme. Considering the entire body of work, Pitt themselves should not be happy with Narduzzi’s defensive performance.

      I’m not saying this is a given but if Narduzzi is here next year, it wouldn’t totally shock me if Hamlin and Ford transfer out. Like I said, I’m not saying its going to happen but if it did, I wouldn’t be shocked.

      On a side note, player development under Narduzzi is a serious concern. Narduzzi blaming players during a press conference is a concern.

      Narduzzi talking during UNC week(just below).

      “The sad thing about it, (professional development) is getting less and less,” he said. “Ten years ago, we got more of it. You might go two places (to study other programs).

      “But this recruiting is getting out of control. It’s ruining football in our development.

      “Where do you spend your time? All these summer camps. You get less professional development. Somehow, we have to find time to do that.”

      He accused UNC of stealing signs. Its interesting, other p5 schools have an easy time beating UNC.

      He needs to stop complaining and spend more time in the film room.

      He is feeling the heat.

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  632. Now that the Pitt beef box is still open. After a day you think a more level headed response would be the case. But that press post game act by Narduzzi was insulting. That BS is placing the program in real jeopardy. Players are not being held to film review standards. Briggs stinks and the game tape shows that. Yet he starts. It is no longer about the coaching being so poor, it is about Heather meeting Narduzzi and laying down the law. Never blame the players for your inability to coach them. Never think you won’t be gone in a NY minute if you continue to take no accountability in this fiasco. He has to go today.

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  633. What’s interesting is the difference a day makes. The I told you folks went silent after the GT game and now are out in full chest pounding bravado. Good for you guys…. ike

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    1. Ike, your wrong. The same people have been posting game after game.
      I do agree with you that people are critical even after a win, which I don’t understand.

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      1. many were correct in being critical after the Tech win:
        No offense in second half
        Bad play calling
        No second half adjustments
        Bad special teams

        All those things happened again with NC

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  636. Ben Dinucci is putting together a really good year. KP not so much. Obviously different level of competition, but still, DiNucci doing well.

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  637. Gc, I think just about all on the coaches. They are putting our players in vulnerable positions week after week, because our coach is stubborn.

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    1. I saw Wirginis make two bad decisions on two touchdown passes. That wasn’t coaching. Getting gouged up the middle is a lack of physical strength, not coaching. I’d say it is 50/50. Very disappointing no matter the reason.

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  640. ike, the Holler recruiting situation is significant because this unrated player actually TURNED DOWN Pitt. BTW, on the contract front, I previously mentioned my theory that Narduzzi’s 7 year deal means he probably has a 3 yr. cushion before getting fired. I also think that in exchange for this long runway time, he probably has agreed to a declining buyout which goes to zero over that period. Pitt usually follows the money unless the publicity makes them look bad, and unless they get a really big check from some donor to clean up the mess I believe they will give him another 2 years.

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    1. it comes down to simple economics. How much tangible revenue does Pitt expect to lose over the next 2-3 years compared to the cost of the buyout this year. And to get real sophisticated – the intangible costs such as brand damage, and other opportunity costs (i.e. hiring an available coaching candidate).

      But, it first comes down to whether Heather believes Narduzzi can turn things around.

      If she does, she will closely watch ticket sales, season ticket renewals, merchandise sales, donations. And then of course the wins and losses and recruiting classes.

      If she does not, she begins the process of finding a new head coach today.

      I believe she has everything she needs to make that call today.

      Call Tressel and have him act as a consultant.

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  641. And after watching Ford play his limited minutes, I am shocked at his lack of understanding of the defense. He seemed lost out there. What good are the physical skills if there is nothing above the neck? No wonder he is not playing much.

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  642. PoD, I wasn’t referring to you at all. You’re kind of likeable yourself but like myself, just not all that important in the grand scheme of things.

    VOR, Thinks about this one. Holler may not feel like taking on the chance of sitting on the bench for 2 or 3 years and then transferring to Slippery Rock? He understands.

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  643. Winning football always comes down to making plays in critical situations. UNC made more yesterday.
    If Tipton grabs the fumble he goes for a touchdown, instead it’s a turnover.

    I thought KP played pretty well except for the sacks which were killers. He did get away with another underthrown ball on Mack’s great catch.

    The lack of big plays on defense season appalling.

    Like

    2. and even more so … if Stockee makes that pick right before half time, he scores and Pitt goes up by 14. The ball was right in his hands

      Like

      1. Stocker and Tipton each had a chance to make key plays and failed to do so.

        Queue the “Yeah, but they’re great kids” from posters.

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  645. Ike… all good.

    As far as I’m concerned. It’s NOT about anything but PITT once again becoming a PROMINENT Player on the National College Football Scene.

    Absolutely tired of Pitt Admin going through the PRETENSE. Also little patience with GULLIBLE Fans willing to settle for the SCRAPS they’re being fed by Pitt Admin.

    All I’m waiting for… and it may be a LONG wait… are TWO things.

    One… a PROVEN Head Coach who is WAY SMARTER than any of us and it IMMEDIATELY shows in both Wins and Recruiting.

    And Two… the decision by Pitt Admin to move forward with the building of a new ON-CAMPUS PITT STADIUM that both Students and Alumni can be PROUD of… and DESERVE.

    I realize this is asking a LOT and many here and elsewhere would call IMPOSSIBLE.

    But, the TRUTH really is… Anything short of these TWO things just means more PRETENSE.

    The END.

    Liked by 1 person

  646. The 30000 PITT faithful have so much in common with the Buffalo Bills fans… every home game they fill the stadium ( as well as living rooms all through-out N Carolina where they all seem to re-locate to) ever hopeful. It’s gotta be in our genes….darn, we can endure… can’t we!!!

    Like

  647. The good. I didn’t watch or listen to the game. So I’m not a complete tortured soul today.
    The bad. I saw a score reported Sat. afternoon and Pitt was ahead. Thought perhaps they could do it.
    The ugly. They didn’t do it. Don’t seem to realize they have to play two halves. La plus ca change, la plus c’est la meme chose. – Hobie

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  648. The good – scored enough points to win a lot of games

    The bad – the defense just isn’t good enough

    The ugly – the fans have now turned and the heat is on big time with little to no prospects for things improving anytime soon

    Like

  650. Here’s a fun fact: in 2016, Pitt had the second-worst pass defense in all of Division I football, giving up an average of 351 yards per game(!!!!).

    Two years later, three of the four starters in that secondary are on NFL rosters.

    Ryan Lewis spent last year on the Pats practice squad, now on the Bills active roster.Avonte Maddox is a nickel/dime package corner with the Eagles.Jordan Whitehead is starting at safety for the Bucs.

    You almost have to work to produce results that bad with that much talent to work with. Way to coach ’em up, Pat.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That is incredible. More proof that the problem is archaic schemes in a speed conference. Pitt sure knows how to pick its coaches.

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  651. OK Jeff, I do agree with you on that point. Looks like something is wrong there. but, I said for four years that Avonte Maddox was a good player and the poor young man took a beating from the internet experts as being a complete waste. If it had been up to posters and commenters Maddox would have been benched and remember, this follows a long line of PITT defensive backs that were much maligned.

    Like

    1. That’s my theory. For more evidence, I’d add Matt Galambos as a similar example I never thought he was very good at Pitt; maybe a borderline ACC caliber player. Yet the Steelers thought enough of him to sign him to their practice squad last year, and invited him back for training camp again this year. He got cut this year, but still…when you’ve got defensive players that aren’t performing all that well for you at the college level, but NFL teams still want them, it suggests you’re not getting everything you could be out of those guys.

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  653. I’ve been a strong supporter of HCPN since the day he was hired. This was the year the defense was to be good. It was supposed to keep us in games as the offense improved. The defense is the forte of the head coach. He has not given us a decent season of defense.

    We’ve seen some games when they seemed to play well, but way too often they look piss poor at best. He’s played older players over young guys who we’ve perceived to have more natural abilities. I thought he did this as a win now to get a better record and attract higher recruits. Now I’m not so sure.

    I think his defense is not suited for the ACC and the coaches know how to beat it quite easily and have done so with regularity. Aside from naming Charlie Partridge as an interim, Narduzzi is going to finish the season by default. If I’m Heather, I either look to Clemson for someone like Venables, or an SEC cast off. It will not be easy, but I’ve had enough of the Big Ten coaches.

    This team is a total embarrassment to the program. We’ve actually seen the impossible with this defense, as they have managed to make Matt House’s defense look pretty good. Kentucky’s defense is playing better than Pitt.

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    1. Venables has been at this for a long time. Why hasn’t a school offered him the chance to run his own program?

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      1. There you go again…Narduzzi was a very successful DC before being hired as PITT. What makes you think Venables would do any better than PN if he is hired?

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        2. I’m not saying it. I’m saying his name is always talked about for jobs but he has never been offered one. Some might think Venebles is the guy but he likely would stink working under Pitt’s administration.

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  654. Should have been “since”, not “dinner” in the first sentence. In my defense, i was typing this while manning the grill.

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    1. I say this jokingly Reed to be clear but….. is it possible you were cursing up a storm the one half and wordpress banned you? 🙂

      Like

  658. “But this was Sanders’ night when everything else seemed like such a weary effort. He rolled through a defense like back at Woodland Hills, going 22 times for 200 yards and three scores.”

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  661. Post game on field interview with ODU HC Bobby Wilder “ not only is this the greatest ( win) for ODU FB it’s one of the greatest for our university!”
    That’s the kind of thinking PITT needs.. athletics and academics = symbiosis( learnt that big word at PITT)

    Like

  662. I like it BigB. We need plenty of that, whatever it is, at Pitt from the next head coach. Looking forward to Reed’s podcast tomorrow.

    Like

  663. I say sit Wirginis.
    I say sit Hendrix.
    I say throw a pass to the tight end, if for no other reason than to see if it can be done.
    I say play Sullahuddin….or however u spell his name as he is a player.

    But mostly, I say it’s time to find a new coach.
    3/4 of the defensive backfield from two years ago is now in the League?
    Wow!
    Say no more.

    Like

    1. We just call him Houdini. And they should get him on the field somewhere. If you had an innovative OC you would want that speed on the field. Same with Shocky.

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  664. Pitt has a coaching problem. It’s Stallings 2.0

    Bad losses
    Bad recruiting classes
    Low attendance
    Apathetic fan base
    Angry boosters

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  665. Chris Dokish
    @ChrisDokish
    Pitt defense total yards

    2008 317.2 Wannstedt
    2009 319.3 Wannstedt
    2010 305.1 Wannstedt
    2011 350.6 Graham
    2012 330.5 Chryst
    2013 364.4 Chryst
    2014 359.8 Chryst
    2015 363.5 Narduzzi
    2016 452.8 Narduzzi
    2017 396.6 Narduzzi
    2018 396.3 Narduzzi

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  666. I suggested this several years ago, when this defense was the worst I had ever seen at Pitt, not including the JM2 years, because there just wasn’t much talent on the field then.

    This MSU defense only works when you’re playing a team with a really bad QB, who’s having a really bad day of just missing wide open receivers. Like that Rozier kid of Miami last year. Or just recently the GT QB who missed several wide open WR’s that would have went for long gainers or TD’s, just last week.
    GT QB was 6 for 15 for 66 yards and a pick. A slightly better QB wins that game last week. And Pitt is 1-3, with a non-impressive win over a low D2 team.

    And when Nardo was as MSU, there was a plethora of avg. or below avg. QB’s in the Big 10, who didn’t exactly throw for 300 yards on a routine basis. Nor were there many or maybe any Spread Offenses to
    defend against. This defense as designed can not defend the Spread with just a competent QB.

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  669. They must have thought Pitt was in the BigJoke based on the Cheesehead Paulie and Nardo hires Tex.

    They almost screwed up royally in wanting Hurley for bball. We got lucky he said “no”.

    Like

  670. Going into yesterday’s debacle (the latest one) only 9 NCAAF schools had a worse passing attack than Pitt.

    4 of them (navy, army, airforce & Gt) are teams that run the Triple Option !!!

    Incredible and incredibly funny 🙂

    Like

  671. So we stink on ALL Fronts……Defense (naturally) Offense & Special Teams.

    There really isn’t aspect of the game we don’t stink at. Even coaching as 2nd half results show
    we are OutCoached in every 2nd half of every game after halftime adjustments.

    We even stink in uniform/helmet selection.

    Liked by 1 person

  672. Our offensive coordinator was shelved at Indiana.
    Our offensive line coach was shelved at Maryland.
    Our defensive coordinator was a career position coach.

    HCPN didn’t go after low hanging fruit. He got the stuff that was rotting on the ground.

    Liked by 1 person

  673. Gasman, thank you for the compliment an article or two ago and/but I remind you that PITT scored 28 pts in the first half Saturday. That’s a lot of pts for a QB starting his 5th game. but it was a loss and the second half a failure again.. so…

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  674. So, I didn’t watch the Pitt game yesterday and have limited my comments this season because I don’t think many get it. This is NOT Narduzzi’s fault. Who of us on here wouldn’t take $3.5M per year to do what he is doing?

    If you answered that you would take that money too (as I did), regardless of qualifications, then to fix it, you have to look closer at the real pitt problem.

    1.Bad – It begins with the chancellor. Gallagher has a blind spot in sports management. We should all agree on this, including Gallagher. He is highly accomplished academically, but that doesn’t make you a great administrator of academics either. Hence, the lowering of our academic reputation and rankings in the academic community. I digressed. Gallagher’s strengths are not in sport administration or even in hiring sport administrators. His search committee finds itself in the same place. This is not what they do. According to university politics across america, they did the right thing. Understand that the university environment is pushing a diversity and inclusive environment which often conflicts with the best candidate available. If we are all being truthful, we would want the best qualified overall candidate, not the best candidate that checks other boxes. The other boxes make people feel warm and fuzzy. It doesn’t make your organization great. Was our current AD the best Power 5 AD with an excellent track record out there? Or, was she the best qualified candidate from a limited pool because Pitt asked for a lower pool of candidates?

    Ugly – The AD is secondly responsible for the football state of affairs. Our head coach was strongly supportive of her hiring. Her hiring tripled her income and made it life changing money for her family’s future. Who here wouldn’t take that money to be responsible for the program? It is a win win for any candidate. Triple your salary. Hypothetically, if you perform well, you get even more money. If you perform poorly, you exit stage left with a lot of money in your pocket so you will never have to work again. In return for Narduzzi’s support of her hiring, the AD gave back to Narduzzi, life changing money for his family into the next generation. It is a very simple quid pro quo. They are both laughing at the fans because regardless of their results, they have the wealth. They end up with the most toys. Our AD hit paydirt (see above) because she had done nothing to show she was qualified for this job. Once here, she fires a bunch of coaches with bad records. No brainer, right? She got extended for this despite not doing anything, really. She fired a bunch of coaches, so what? She will say that the administration now needs to be patient for the next 3-4 years as the new coaches have to get their people and players in place. That buys her time and allows her to accumulate wealth, while the process plays out. She still whiffed on hurley thankfully, and got Capel. Hopefully that works out and she was able to open the checkbook. Time will tell.
    Uglier – The BoT. Another group of folks that are clueless about the importance of a successful athletic program that actually can enhance an academic institutions standing and brand. Look, the demographics show that potential students and student athletes will come from the southeastern states in the next 10-15 years. We are uniquely situated geographically to offer potential future students, the ultimate student experience. We are failing and failing all of our students. Keep busing them to and from games. Keep offering Fanta. Keep making them feel that they are not a prt of something and you will convince them they are not. They won’t give back in the future.
    Ugliest – Uniforms. Terrible, just terrible. Where are our marketing folks hired by our AD?

    I will get off my soap box now…..

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  676. Huff, love your write up. But looking back over 40 years tells us that there have been many Chancellors, Athletic Directors, search teams, consultants and BoTs involved. Yet the results seem to be the same- mediocrity. What would it take to break out of this mold? I think that it will take a Chancellor that “by accident” happens to be interested and skilled in sports management (they don’t get hired for these skills), and can select and oversee an AD who will also be sufficiently skilled in building above average programs with only average resources.

    This involves finding and hiring coaches and staff with above average knowledge and skills who will work for average money. The few times this has happened, these people don’t stay long. The second part of the equation is having a sustained commitment to success so that these above average people, once identified, are sufficiently compensated to make Pitt a destination rather than a stepping stone. Again, the Chancellor comes into play here.

    Thirdly, Pitt needs to understand how to maintain success when it is achieved. Planning has not been a strong suit. How do you maintain the athletic programs using a combination of power, budgets and salary without compromising the mission of the university. This involves facility planning as well as administration and budgeting. Hopefully, the recent contract extension for Heather indicates they have figured this part out. If so, competent coaching across all programs is the next step and she has already started working on it.

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