GAME STATS

ucf stats 45

 

Pitt v UCF stats

DRIVE CHARTucf drive chartINDIVIDUAL STATS

Week 5 team stats

NATIONAL RANKINGS

Pitt Season 1

 

14 = Lower 25%

11 = Mid 50%

0= Upper 25%

“I’m not worried about the points, I’m worried about the losses,” Narduzzi said, adding that he believes UCF will again go unbeaten and finish in the top 10. “They all count as either a win or a loss in the column. The points don’t matter to me. Matter of fact, last week was harder than this week.”

Given that special teams provided all the points while the result was still in question, go ahead and take your pick for biggest letdown by the two-touchdown underdog visitors in their miserable first half.

Running game? A whopping 36 yards. Passing game? That would be 78, but with a back-breaking interception. Penalties? Pitt struggled on the discipline front yet again, getting flagged eight times for 92 yards in the first 30 minutes, helping out a UCF team that needed none of it as it tries to replicate last year’s undefeated season. The final tally was 11 penalties for 125.

1ST Q

 

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.

165 thoughts on “POV Sunday Podcast; Pitt Loss to UCF 45-14”

  1. a 6 minute drive with no points was huge
    the callback of the nearly pick 6 was huge
    could have been down by only 7-14 at half
    and its how you win or lose that matters

    Like

  2. Each week there is a new and interesting way we lose a game. A blowout or two, a collapse, a hot mess. Yup, that’s what it’s become. I’m just wondering what the crowd will look like at homecoming and how many will still be there at the end of the third quarter. Get on the students all you want but how many of us would wait an hour each way to ride a bus to see this …..well, whatever you’d call it???

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  3. As I said last week, I can’t stand to listen to HCPN after a loss. In this loss points for UCF and lack of points for Pitt tell a huge story. Pitt was never going to win it. Although it could’ve been closer at the half, it was only a matter of time before UCF pulled away. Pitt lacks talent, coaching, and, now, it appears class as evident by the supposed “cramping.” This should collectively signal an end to the PN era.

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  4. Pitt’s offensive schemes were horrible. A number of times, it was clear to see CFU’s defensive end was totally uncovered and he ran straight at Pickett and disrupted the play or got the sack. It was so obvious what was going to happen. Ugly from start to finish. At times our players looked totally confused on the field as if they didn’t know their assignment of what the play was going to be. And the defense, it was the defense we have all come to know, mucho porous. The Duzz has to go. He has lost the team. Time for the coaching staff to start listing their homes.

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  5. This is crazy….

    But I rewatched the game this morning.

    I was actually encouraged. Slightly. But it wasn’t as bad as i thought yesterday.

    Just really didn’t make plays when we needed too.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. It’s all what you’re looking for….

        Some iffy calls and long drives.

        On the picket int shocky was wide open in the flat.

        The QW personal foul was not one.. etc

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  6. Narduzzi hardly invented fake cramping. Did anyone see the UCF punter doing the belly crawl off the field only to stand up and walk off the field to embellish the roughing the punter call?

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    1. Wow, this is the best you got? Just wow. It does not matter who invented it. Pathetic to have a DL look over at the sidelines and he crumbles. Horrible.

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        1. Did you not see their punter doing the alligator until the ref told him to get up and walk off the field like nothing was wrong only to return in the game?

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  7. jus saying:

    Watched a few games yesterday and noticed a good bit of transfers playing all over the place.

    Revelation, many think I’m so positive may be because my expectations are a little lower than others and I’m not as disappointed as others?

    Unless something more important than a PITT game comes up, I’ll be going to the rest of the games unconditionally.

    Funny thought, Heather is now back on vacation? Hysterical. ike

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  8. he didnt invent cramping but its blatantly unsportsmanlike
    its actually worse than stealing signals (I give NC credit for that since it shows some brains)

    i slept well last night since I expected at least a 30 point blowout loss since I know Narduzzi is a crappy coach with Ivie league players who excel at their community service projects.

    I know Nitter fans probably puked, vandalized, kicked their dog, yelled at their significant others, and have no appetite today. Thats because their hopes and dreams of a National Championship died on that 4th down call by their idiot of a coach.

    I still have hope that Pitt’s idiot coach can be replaced at the end of this year and Pitt’s fortunes will dramatically improve.

    Like

  9. A couple thoughts.

    Reed you mentioned Paul Z. The most compelling thing I took from that interview, he talked about previous Pitt coaches by name, he never mentioned Narduzzi by name. He cannot say it but he does not like Narduzzi at all.

    Lock the gates! Your right about the meaning. He’s throwing it right in the face of Pitt fans. Its no accident that local coaches cannot stand this guy. I can totally understand why his RC quit in the middle of the recruiting season. Cannot wait for next years slogan….

    Its absolutely hilarious to see posters defending this crap on a stick. Some have chosen to disappear after their bold preseason predictions.

    If we end up with 3-4 wins this year, there will be a few defending this. Sad. Some will defend Heather giving the HC an extension after a losing season. Sad.

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  10. Another high point for Narduzzi and his defense. Happens far too often…..

    QB McKenzie Milton (6 TDs against Pitt) and #NotreDame DT Jerry Tillery (4 sacks vs Stanford) have been named this week’s Walter Camp National FBS Players of the Week.

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  11. That “Lock the Gates” slogan has us vs them written all over it.

    If that’s what you teach the next generation of leaders in America you get the mentality of paranoid leaders.

    Pitt can and should aspire to more than that.

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  13. Given that our anguish with Pitt football is an annual affair, I have come to the conclusion that life goes on and so does Pitt football futility. Pitt administrators just don’t want to commit to a winning football program, so let’s just accept it and move on without being upset with Pitt’s lack of talent and mostly lack of discipline and preparedness. Just my two cents.

    As an aside, My GA Tech Yellow Jackets are not doing so well this year and people down here are getting upset with Paul Johnson’s schtick.

    Like

    1. @Marietta

      Here is one huge problem Pitt has. When the 50+ crowd passes away, Pitt will not have a fan base. They killed off the younger generation already.

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  16. If it’s a good enough idea for a professional football team it’s good enough for me. The fast tempo offense already changed the substitution rule.

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  17. It is not like this wasn’t expected. We all hope for better, but in our hearts we know the truth.

    The sad thing is, it will be worst next year when they are all Narduzzi’s recruits.

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  18. bj posted above:

    “Its absolutely hilarious to see posters defending this crap on a stick. Some have chosen to disappear after their bold preseason predictions.”
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    I’m still here, how many comments from you after the week of the PITT win vs GT did you contribute? Compare that to the last two weeks. Don’t bother answering, I know the answer.

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  19. Reed,
    Thanks for your insight. I think you have a clear perception into the inner reality of Pitt’s team. For me, the biggest impediment is Narduzzi’s stubbornness, which may be incorrigible. He is fixed and unchanging. After 4 years, it is the same as it ever was! And though you may laugh at this, it is no surprise given that he is born under the sign of the Bull (Taurus)–the most unyielding of personality types. You can see the steam issuing out of his nostrils each time he is unnerved!

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  21. The Pitt run defense hasn’t even been good despite a scheme designed to stop it. Pitt has been gashed repeatedly up the middle this season. How are some not seeing it?

    Again, no one quit versus WVU in 2010. Quit saying it to justify Wannstedt’s firing. You don’t quit and lose by 25. You quit and lose by a score of 51-6.

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  23. How about the deep ball to Ffrench where he made zero attempt to go get the ball and it hit the UCF defender’s helmet. Some of our best players even take plays off.

    Go on Twitter and tell Patrick Jones’ father that his son disrespected the game. His dad is on there and very proud of of his boy.

    Winning is everything! Screw morales in the big business in college football.

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  24. ^^ Nate, that’s completely unfair to Jones. You want to blame the coaches for doing what every team does when playing a sped up offense then go ahead. Jones was following what the coaches asked him to do.

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    1. I’m listening to the podcast and responding to what I’m hearing. I’m not saying Jones disrespected the game.

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      2. Neither was I.

        I stated very clearly that was on the coaches.

        Look I truly don’t care what other schools’ teams, coaches or administrations do. That means nothing to me. But I sure as hell care what Pitt does.

        I believe in setting high standards and ensuring people meet them. If that comes at the expense of a win or two so be it.

        Cheating is not going to help this dumpster fire of a football program win games and I think we all know that.

        So why do it? Past the obvious that it is wrong, why do it?

        I’ll say this straight out. If you can do something like that, or even worse tell some kid you have authority over to do it, and you still like what you see when you look in the mirror then you have a serious moral and ethical problem.

        The first think I wonder about in a HC is what type of leader is he? If that is a problem either don’t hire him or, should you find faults in that area later, cut ties with him.

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  25. Here is the thing that is most un-nerving to me about this situation. The paranoid head coach and his insistence on secrecy didn’t properly prepare me for this train wreck. I spent the spring and the summer going to blog sites and twitter hangouts where the talk was all sweetness and light. I looked at the cheery optimism of Narduzzi and listened to the OC talk about Pickett as if he was the second coming of Teddy Bridgewater. For a period I even stopped coming to POV because it seemed excessively negative. These guys (i.e., the Pitt coaches) wouldn’t lie to us – right (sarc)….

    In other words I drank the Kool Aid… But it’s not really my fault.. I blame Narduzzi directly for not being straight and for not allowing independent agents like the press to come to practices to see what was really going on…. This SHOULD have caused by internal alarm bell to go off. But we want to believe, don’t we….

    Now it is going to be worse for the head coach… He has made no friends, he has no support system to keep him afloat. People like me will believe (rightly so I think) that he has been conning us for quite some time…

    More so than just being a bad coach, being a con man who hid the truth from us should be grounds for immediate dismissal…. (By the way, the cramp incident just indicates the same, sad personality trait)…

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  26. btw, morals in college football? lol and another btw again, why no penalty on the play? It’s the I don’t like Narduzzi rule.

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    1. Your getting to be a broken record Ike.

      Either address debatable issues with solid opinions and facts or give it up. This “you hate Narduzzi” tact you fall back on continually is old news.

      Like

  27. Glad you quit smoking, Reed. Worst decision I ever made starting in the fall of 1994. I quit after a weekend in Vegas in 2003 when Pitt won the BE tourney over UConn.

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  28. Don’t ask me how I did it, but I have the transcript of tomorrow’s presser.
    Opening statement: Another tough loss under tough conditions in front of tough fans to a tough team reaching their peak.
    Jerry: Define reaching their peak.
    PN: Every team we play seems to be peaking. Lackluster teams look like national champions; third string quarterbacks look like Heisman winners. I don’t know why, but we bring out the best in opponents.
    Brian: Coach, when will your team peak?
    PN: We seem to peak in practice, and if u were allowed to watch, you’d see that. But, Lock the Gates, remember?
    Pitt News: Coach, with the growing disenchantment of the student fan base, what can u say to inspire them to attend games?
    PN: Two words: Fan Ta.
    Chris: You arrived with the title of defensive guru, yet you’ve been anything but. How do you critique your performance yesterday?
    PN: looking at the tape, we did a good job. We grounded the passing game and corralled the running game. All in all we stymied the offense….ours, I’m talking about. We didn’t slow theirs at all…hot knife through butter.
    Chris: What was the mood in the locker room after that trouncing?
    PN: Hard to say. Heather loaned me her time share outside Epcot, and after that debacle I blew out of the locker room like you-know-what through a goose.
    Chris: Didn’t you have any lingering concerns?
    PN: you bet. All those points our sieve of a defense gave up really dragged out the game…and in that heat! Add in the tv timeouts and kickoffs, I was concerned I wouldn’t make the Epcot fireworks. That’s why I had the boys stop that fall-down-go-boom cramp crap. Only good decision I made all day.
    Brian: Some coaches, in an effort to right the ship, have taken to sleeping in their office. How about you?
    PN: And forego my Posturepedic? No, seriously, you act like sleeping in the office is like going off to war in Canada or some place terrible. Truth is, the coaches’ office is like a palace – 72 inch flatscreens, pipeline to Primantis, Playboy channel. They only stay there to get away from their old ladies.
    Chris: What about watching game tapes and recruiting videos?
    PN: If you’ve been following the program recently, those aren’t high on our priority list. But i will say that when they’re done clowning around, they do clean my office
    Jerry: They clean your office?
    PN: Yeah, Ox told me to pound sand when I asked him, but these coaches have kids to educate.
    EJ: Ok, time for one more question.
    Brian: After the dismal start, do you see any bright spots down the line?
    PN: Two bright spots: another extension and a big-ass raise.

    Liked by 2 people

  32. PoD, I have an honest to goodness question for you and with all respect. What have I said the past couple of days that I should give it up on? Seriously, other than saying that I do not believe that the PITT coaching staff has nothing to be ashamed of doing what every other football team in the country (pro and college) hasn’t already done or would do? I’ve expounded on absolutely nothing about this past weekends football game.

    and a fyi for you, I never give up on anything. I thought you knew that? Have a nice night PoD. ike

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  33. Boyd was an elite athlete and playmaker at Pitt. Pitt won with Boyd. Pitt will not win without any 4 star talent. And Pitt doesnt have the right schemes to hide 2 and 3 stars nor does it have the coaches to further develop and coach up players that belong in the MAC.

    Bad coaching plus MAC players = 5 win seasons

    I think we can all agree that the coaching is at least suspect
    Some still think Pitt has the talent to compete. I have my doubts. But maybe with the right schemes

    You’ll feel better once you write-off the season and look forward to a new coaching staff next year

    Pitt should apologize to all its fans for such a bad product

    Like

  34. I don’t apologize for him dude. Go to the library and practice reading and comprehension. Your last comment about giving it up shows me you really don’t read what I write. or do not comprehend it.

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  35. You are as well Reed, broken record that is… PITT did not cheat on Saturday. Not one bit. Weren’t there referees on the field. Cheating in broad daylight on the TV. Nice touch Pat. That’s crazy!

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    1. If cheating regards cramping on the field, I might have to agree with Ike, here. When Chip Kelly introduced this notion of a hyper-fast offense here in Eugene some years ago, it was not uncommon to see opposing players on the ground cramping up. Kelly conditioned the hell out of his players. They were more than used to the sped-up pace. I cannot imagine what Pitt’s players were undergoing in a hot and humid 93 degree afternoon.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. I sat there on the 5 yard line. It was 94 in the stands. Humid as Bermuda in August. Hotter on the field. I could see a player suddenly cramping and I know how painful that can be. So could have reasonably been a cramp, but then the player goes back to the sideline and everything is fine. He was walking around and smiling. Doesn’t gel.

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    2. It be definition is cheating.

      Just because you don’t get a flag doesn’t mean it isn’t.

      “”There’s nothing the officiating community can do about it, and there may be nothing the rules committee can do about it,” Redding said. “But it’s a matter of integrity in the game. One reason there’s a statement in the rule book about feigning an injury is to make people aware of the need for integrity among sportsmen.”

      It is against the rules to fake an injury, but referees can’t be 100% sure who is or isn’t so they don’t throw flags.

      It is quite telling that Narduzzi complains incessantly about officiating and things like stealing signals but resorts to this.

      It’s also ironic people that complain about officiating are ok with this…..

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  36. Last thing then I’m done… Did you go back and look at what UCF’s punter did after the running into the kicker call? Talking about lousy acting.

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  38. Ike, I don’t post nearly as often as many of you regulars, but I’ve been supportive of Narduzzi…. only really started to get concerned last year, but like others, was fooled by the sudden pulse beating Miami.

    It’s absolutely clear that the team isn’t progressing well. The recruitment issue has been discussed to death. What will change at this point? The status quo actually won’t be a status quo because recruiting will get even worse. He’s not inspiring the team that’s for sure. I was one of many who were excited in his early days at Pitt putting out his tweets etc.

    That’s history. I didn’t expect Pitt to beat PSU or Central FL, but I hoped that they would compete. And then there is UNC, a terrible team, beating us yet again.

    For people saying that the powers that be at the university won’t fire him because it would be admitting an error on their part,… well guess what, a LOT of employees are fired by the people who hired them and had even “given them extensions” through good reviews and then guess what, the reviews are not good and it’s goodbye.

    Obviously, there is a big money issue, but there is also a big money issue in terms of putting out a terrible product.

    Liked by 2 people

  39. @ChrisDokish
    Team Defense rank

    2013- No. 34 Chryst/House
    2014- No. 33 Chryst/House
    2015- No. 37 Narduzzi/Conklin
    2016- No. 101 Narduzzi/Conklin
    2017- No. 69 Narduzzi/Conklin
    2018- No. 110 Narduzzi/Bates

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    1. And Heinz Field is a neutral site. If we are being honest.

      For Pitt to beat cuse this Saturday, they must amass a huge lead by halftime cause they have proven to everyone that 7 points is the max in the 2nd half of play.

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  43. ^^ Darren, again I ask you to look at the UCF punter a feigning an injury in the same game while I showed examples from college to the pro’s. Not one penalty called. What PITT did was within the rules allowed. That’s not the coaches problem.

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  44. Opening Vegas line Cuse favored by 6.5 at Pitt. At homecoming…very sad. Again, not nearly enough points. Cuse will be up by 35 at the half. Seriously thinking of not going for the first time in years. Many friends coming in from all over….Heard a rumor today. Narduzzi in big trouble with Heather and Pitt Admin over fake cramps. . Maybe action in the morning.

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  45. Pitt’s RPI is #91
    Narduzzi is in the top 50 when it comes to compensation

    I think fake cramps is the least of Narduzzi’s worries right now
    But it helps Pitt build a case against him
    Now if only he can yell at a fan like Franklin did or maybe have a meltdown at the next presser

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  46. Worst D1 Coach and Worst D1 Recruiter. I’d taker a Cadaver at this point. At least he wouldn’t make excuses and blame everyone.

    Narduzzi is a nobody. Didn’t llay the game and road Daddy’s coat tails.

    Fire him and watch him go to the MAC as a Secondary Coach.

    Like

    1. No to the cadaver unless his first name begins with J.

      Let the search begin – if Duzz is let go tomorrow, there are plenty of interim coaches on staff to fill the void and win two more games for UPitt’s prediction. Duke and uva look Lyke possible wins.

      Like

  48. As I said several weeks ago, the key to this season for me was the GaTech-Holes back to back games in terms of measuring things up for me, meaning we needed to win both imho. The loss to the Holes was all I needed to see. I suspect Narduzzi’s downfall will be pride. I’m not sure what his recently redone contract looks like, and I doubt any of you do, but if I’m Mrs. Lyke, I’d start doing my homework. As for the near term, I’d require he fire Watson sometime between now and the end of the season (he seems like a decent guy, but his results come up short, still reminds me of Chaney in terms of play calling).

    I got my first prediction right though, and you can check the record here, basketball will start in a few weeks.

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  49. I didn’t watch or listen to the game. I haven’t read any articles about it. I haven’t listened to any podcasts, neither Reed’s nor Peak’s. I did read some tweets from Dokish and Peak. One of their tweets talked about a ranked school just to the south of Pitt, a ranked school not far to the west, a ranked school just north and a little east and then there’s Pitt. Then I read a tweet saying that Pitt football now is as embarrassing as Pitt basketball was last year. I guess that’s the way I feel too. – Hobie, a tortured soul

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  50. Tex Panther. If you’re referring to the sentence about speculation that his job is in jeopardy, I just checked. It’s still in Wikipedia.

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    1. great. I wanted to be honest. He is on the hotseat and us fans are in misery.

      but heather and gallagher may very well think his job is safe

      guess it depends on what version of the ‘truth’ one believes

      i’m sure Narduzzi doesnt consider my unsubstantiated opinion to be accurate. So, He’ll probably delete the sentence himself later tonight after reading this blog

      I didnt realize it was that easy to edit…I’m waiting for the FBI to show up at my door

      Like

  51. Don’t think I’m an expert, don’t really know details about team but the fact is we suffer from the top down in coaching. Every second half proves that. A team with over 100 yds. in penalties in one game is not well coached and maybe a bit frustrated. Honestly I do not know where another win can come from this year. I am just plain weary of this mess and will try to quit being a glutten for punishment after I attend the Syracuse game which was planned as an extended family outing—-ha. We are all tortured souls, we are Pitt fans.

    Like

  53. Rutgers is a #121 RPI compared to Pitt’s #91 so we are close and trending down.
    I never thought Pitt would come close to chopping wood

    Like

    1. Chris Dokish
      ‏

      @ChrisDokish
      40m40 minutes ago
      More
      P5 teams that are ranked No. 100 or lower in both team offense and team defense.

      Rutgers
      Pitt

      Like

  55. faking injuries is bush league and unsportsmanlike, no matter if “everyone” is doing it or not. i highly doubt any player from one of the service acadamies would be told to do that.

    Liked by 1 person

  57. A cadaver = no gorilla calfs

    Things are in motion as far as cutting ties. We have two wins. I think bare minimum he needs 5 wins for another year. Not sure I see that happening.

    Thoughts on coaching list?

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  60. Interesting..James Conner listed himself as from Erie McDowell instead of Pitt during the intros. Guess he’s embarrassed as well

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  61. Wow,
    Watching the Stiller game and when the offense introduced themselves James Conner didn’t say “Pitt” he said “Erie McDowell” (his HS).

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  62. Heck, Henderson knew there was a good chance he wouldn’t be drafted, he still didn’t want another year under Narduzzi

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  68. I’ve been too shell shocked to post until now, but Gassman’s press conference post got me laughing again. Well done, Gasman!
    I’ve been wondering what Coach Dantonio is privately confiding to friends about his old DC Narduzzi. Was this a surprise or an expectation? Did he think that Duzz had the leadership skills to make it as a P5 head coach?

    Like

  69. How can WVU be so much better than us? In the middle of nowhere. In a conference they barely fit. We should learn from them.

    Like

    1. they hire good coaches
      have an eye for talent particularly florida
      know how to develop and use players
      run college schemes
      and focus on winning and not graduation rates

      Like

  70. What is going on at that practice facility? Steelers matching Pitt’s defense, lack of scoring second half
    and idiot coaching. It’s like watching the same team two days in a row. Thank God for the Penguins!

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  71. Wow Between watching Pitt on Saturday and the Steelers tonight it’s hard to determine which game was more depressing. You hate to pay Bell what he wants but Erie Mc Dowell James Conner is not cutting it.

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  72. Well done with the press conference Gasman! And posted at 4:20 no less.

    WVU committed to be being good in sports. They haven’t been great. But, all things considered they’ve done well in football and basketball, as well as some smaller obscure sports (rifle/shooting etc.).

    Pitt could do the same.

    I wonder if the ACC looks at Pitt and thinks, hmm, maybe we should get rid of Pitt and add UCF…

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  73. Folks,

    I have just banned another poster who was pretending to be someone else on here using that person’s screen name.

    That makes three people I’ve had to ban…so far.

    It takes me about three minutes to do this so please watch what you are doing on here.

    Obviously I’ve a shorter fuse after doing this for three years now.

    Reed

    Like

    1. it is a sad state of affairs when adults behave like children. good detective work reed. i know a few agencies that could use your services….

      Like

  78. Good luck with the tests Reed.

    What can Pitt learn from the Ryder Cup? Even the best players in the world, nine with majors, can get creamed if the table is set against them. By growing rough much worse than recent US Opens and have much slower greens, the Euros took away The US strengths. The US game has become massive drives, wedge play and putting on pristine super fast greens. In France what mattered most was hitting fairways, which the European team excelled at. They were also better on slower greens.

    Pitt doesn’t have the best players so why would you schedule OK ST and UCF who have the most productive offenses, when we have had no pass defense in recent memory.

    It is like playing Phil Mickelson in alternating shot. The guy can’t hit a fairway to save his life. Absolutely blew a US Open in his prime because of it. Not that it made a difference, but what was Furyk thinking?

    Great coaches and administrators look for the best match-ups that provide the best opportunity to win, They don’t try to squeeze square pegs into round holes. That is why PSU and ND grew their grass deep and watered it before Dorsett beat them anyway. That is why Majors moved Dorsett to fullback and changed the dynamic. That’s why PSU offered a 2 and 1 series.

    Pitt has not set the table for winning in over 30 years, unfortunately scheduling WV and Tennessee in the same year tells me they haven’t learned a thing.

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  80. In high school I complained to the coach that they had built the high jump runway with a slight incline and I knew that you jumped higher on the level or with a slight decline. He told me that is your home field advantage, the other guys won’t know what hit them. Good coaching.

    Three years ago, I started writing that there was a problem with Narduzzi’s recruiting, since then he has got very few of his primary targets and has had to settle for the second, third or fourth guy on his list. I also was concerned when we got thumped by Navy and lost to Northwestern which both ended decent seasons very poorly and had to hurt recruiting. I still rooted for the guy to succeed and hoped the upsets were more of a harbinger than the recruiting or bad finishes.

    Does anyone think that next year will be any better, when they will all be Narduzzi recruits or transfers?
    With the same cast of coaches using the same offensive and defensive playbooks? Playing PSU and UCF again.

    It is not remotely possible.

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  83. The Steelers are a great example of how one key player can make a world of difference. People want to blame Tomlin but a more major reason for Wins and Losses is Ben, when he is on they are unbeatable, when he is not they struggle.

    The loss of Shazier has dramatically affected the performance of the defense, A lot like when Polamalu was on the bench, winning percentage went way down.

    On offense, having one of the best backs in the game sitting out has made a major difference, putting more pressure on Ben and the receivers. Trading Bryant for Switzer has hurt as well. (figuratively)

    How does this relate to Pitt? Poor recruiting has left Pitt with very few difference makers. The kind of guys that elevate the level of team play. Hopes that KP and Wirginis were the kind of guys that would do this have not come to fruition. Very few guys are making big plays, even worse they are making inopportune penalties, negating big plays.

    It all goes back to scheduling and recruiting. We need a more user friendly schedule and a big handful of elite players. This is on administration and coaching. If this doesn’t change expect the same results.

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  84. Posted Narduzzi wins and no one cares about all the side issues. But if he doesn’t everything is magnified. Now Heather is in a pickle. LT contract for this poor performance. Narduzzi will be back unless some one cuts a check. Heather has to be proactive here and insist and in fact hire two new coordinators and pay them. Mitigate Narduzzi until the numbers are right sized. Maybe he rebels and leaves. He has that size of an ego to do that.. Good luck on your tests.

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  85. WVU is considered the face of the state and football IS the front porch. Their commitment in coaching talent, facilities(even to getting improvements to their airport upon going Big 12) and overall financing has not wavered for years. They also moved quickly on one coaching mistake they made. Their last AD used his Texas roots (lived in Houston) to get them a Big12 berth and a Big 12 coach. Nehlan was a gem and his reign did wonders for the program .He retired when he was ready unlike coaches we know. It starts at the top but goes all the way through. The school and football are very popular in SW Pa. including Pittsburgh with Pitt being so slovenly. There are even commuter students in Somerset, Fayette and Greene counties of Pa. Pitt could learn a lot if they looked around their backyard!

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  86. I’ve mentioned this before. It’s not about the buy out for Narduzzi, or even the tough schedule. We can tell when the team plays well in a tough loss to a higher ranked opponent. I’m not even sure that the talent level of the current players is the biggest problem. If Pitt had played Pedo tough and lost by 10 points or so, and then beat NC, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Both were possible with the current roster. The UCF game, while so terribly bad, may have been looked at as a bit of a fluke with the team focused ahead on ACC opponent Cuse.

    So overall, the problem should be laid at the feet of the current HC and coaching staff. The number of penalties shows a lack of discipline which is a coaching issue. The UCF loss is a combination of a big play offense against a poor game plan and average players who cannot cover good WRs one-on-one. It is also likely that changing DCs has worsened the problem for unknown reasons that could include new schemes that are not suited to the current personnel. I look for Narduzzi to be retained for another year with major changes required to his coaching staff and a big push to recruit transfers.

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  87. That’s a good comment VoR and I will be on board with Heather getting directly involved when and if the season continues to trend downwards. Which btw could happen. Some of the middling teams are having seemingly up years?

    That said, I’ll wait until we see what happens. As I’ve constantly maintained, I’m not the big Narduzzi fan everyone thinks I am. (it was always about continuity) The can fire him tonite and I wouldn’t give a care, seriously. The coordinators can go as well. I think your scenario is what would happen if PITT only wins one or two more games which could happen. The AD should only mettle on rare occasions but Narduzzi has just rubbed to many important people the wrong way. I think he gets one more year no matter what but changes may be in order if he doesn’t get things changed around quickly.

    I still think PITT can win 4 more games and the defense is not quite as bad as they have looked. … and about the penalties? PITT has been one of the most disciplined teams in the country under Narduzzi, did he start teaching them to disregard the rules? . . . ike

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    1. Which begs the question why so undisciplined this year? With a senior-laden team no less. I get it you get blown out by 21 or 28 and have 2 or 3 penalties. That says talent and scheme. Well we already knew we were outclassed there. If this team showed even a shred of discipline they would be a 6-6, maybe a 7-5 team and we’d be headed for yet another minor bowl. Which right now would probably we a welcome change vs what 99.9% of fans are expecting.

      Sorry my friend but no way we win 4 more unless somehow Duzz, the entire staff and the entire team behind them get it together.

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  89. The NCAA needs to step in on the fake injury / flopping going on. You can’t make the refs the police on this because they have to err on the side of player safety. You need a committee that reviews game film for incidents like our player faking that injury at the goal line or UCF’s punter flopping, and when it is clear that the players are faking, fine the HC and the University $25K each per incident. That should stop this display of terrible sportsmanship we are seeing more frequently.

    Liked by 1 person

  90. I am shocked that there hasn’t been some type of media reporting on how much Duzz has left in buyout after this season. A coach’s contract is public in a state affiliated university.

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  91. As expected 15.5 points – or whatever the line was – was not enough to take Pitt. Those of you who bit have my sincere condolences and I hope you had offsetting wins Sat.

    Its hard to get too wound up about this loss. Most saw it coming before the season and objective folks had us at 2-3 right now, although the GT and UNC outcomes were reversed. UCF is much more talented, better coached and has a chip on their shoulder. The latter is why we weren’t going to sneak up on them like we did with Clemson and Miami. Other than Cincinnati and maybe – maybe – USF, their schedule is such that they could very well go undefeated.

    During the summer, I may have penciled the Syracuse game in as a potential win. Even with Dungy, I thought perhaps we might be able to generate some pressure upfront and get him off of his game. I do not believe that now. Barring some bad-decision making by Dungy, offensive penalties or turnovers, its hard to see how they don’t put up more than 35 on us on Saturday. That will be hard to overcome. And I expect that storyline to continue for the rest of the season.

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    1. That’s a good and reasonable post JoeL, This will be the week for me to evaluate where PITT is at. Syracuse is good but PITT can beat them. A beat down and then?? Doesn’t look good.

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  92. If the University of Pitt offered any of you 3 mil per year to coach Pitt football, I suspect most anyone would do it.
    My point is, I don’t fault narduzzi for being offered a job, then a raise, and accepting them. That’s on Pitt.

    I believe most people would do the same.

    This is the same song and dance we have been living in for 36 years. The blame for year after year of the same old Pitt is on those in charge of the University.

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  94. I remember a QB PITT had years ago. I apologize if I get his name wrong but I think it was Darnell Dickerson. Great athlete who went on to baseball. Strong arm and all the measurable s but he just couldn’t stay calm, relaxed and in the pocket. When he dropped back to pass he couldn’t pick out his receivers from the defenders. To him, it was like the Stanford marching band was playing on defense. I hope KP starts to relax and the game slows down for him.. I’m pretty sure it will but it hasn’t yet.

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  95. Few things:

    Recruiting was decent on paper in Narduzzi’s first 2 years, during the initial excitement of the new hire along with 2 8-win seasons, and it has gone downhill ever since. I can only imagine that piling on a bad season this year (following 5-7 last year) is going to make the rowing that much harder, and will produce a bad trend in this critical area barring a miraculous turnaround to this season. So as disappointing as recruiting has been up to this point, I suspect it’s going to get worse.

    Complaining about officiating always seems like sour grapes, but hear me out… Officiating has been atrocious and hurt Pitt in the last several games, including in the win over GT. But I do wonder why the calls at times have been so blatantly bad, and deep down in side I’m starting to wonder if even this is a by-product of Narduzzi not getting respect (in this case, by the officials)…

    And lastly, I agree with Ike’s prognosis, no way anything happens to Narduzzi after this year no matter what our final result is. Personally, if he only wins 2 more games or less, I’d let him go after this season if I could, but I just don’t see it. More than likely it’ll be replacing Watson and that should be forced if need be. If we win 2 more games or less and don’t replace Narduzzi or at least Watson, then we are entering Stallings territory. Which reminds me, things are getting close to that sad sentiment many of us had during the Stallings era, when you start thinking ‘we need to lose in order to force a change’; of course I’ll be rooting for Pitt this weekend, but you know what I’m saying…

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  96. We said the same thing during the Stallings era that no way we could fire him after this past year, but then we kept losing and losing and the way we were losing. Boom – he was gone. I think if we only have 4 wins this year he is probably gone – if we have no more wins or just one more he is definitely gone.

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  97. I was so hoping that Syracuse would beat Clemson last Saturday. They came dam close and had they done so they would have come into Pitt with a 5 and 0 record. Why did I want them to win? Simple at 5 and 0 Syracuse might have brought 10,000 plus fans to Heinz next week and Pitt could use any and all the paying customers they can get to help pay for the Narduzzi buyout. They may still bring a fair amount but at 5 and 0 and with the defeat of Clemson the Syracuse fans would have been on cloud 9 for the game this week.

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  98. Josh Conklin won another 45-14 at Wofford..Dick Chaney and Paul Chryst aren’t doing too shabby at their perspective schools..and ole Matt House is 5-0 as DC of the Kaintuck Wildcats….They learned something along the way….eh !!!! 1 loss in 20 games among those schools to date

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  101. I still believe what I said earlier that the buy out of Narduzzi’s contract is probably pretty small. In theory, when a contract s extended (after a bad season) it is a voice of confidence in the coach which gives him another 3-4 years of potential running time. If he can’t get it done by then it would be obvious that he is not HC material. In exchange for that public vote of confidence Narduzzi probably accepted a small buy out, probably one year of his contract.

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    1. Correct – unless an extension is given to a coach in high demand as a defensive move, there is absolutely no reason for buyout language to be generous at all. Cannot imagine that Lyke would do that either, nor would the athletics committee of the BOT support/approve it. And if they didn’t, I would guess that Gallagher wouldn’t either.

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  103. I know folks think Ollison is doing a good job but he is not a great back. AJ Davis should start. Ollison has no speed to run outside of the tackles.

    Not that it cures anything, just a general comment.

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  104. I don’t think you can blame the administration. Four years ago the Narduzzi hire looked like a slam dunk on paper, or at least a coup for Pitt, given the other realistic (and I stress the word realistic) candidates. And whether you loved the choice or not, I don’t think anyone could have anticipated the absolute train wreck that we now have, both on the field and in the press room. I’d agree that the salary extension for achieving nothing was ridiculous, but that’s the way things are done these days in CFB to maintain stability. That’s what’s considered “commitment” by an administration. I don’t like it, but it’s par for the course.

    Having said all that, it is up to them now to rectify the situation before it gets worse. I get that it’s tough to recruit top prospects to Pitt in any case, and the current staff hasn’t done very well at it. But you can’t put it all on lack of skill. We may not have Top 25 talent, but we sure have enough talent on defense that teams shouldn’t be putting up record setting offensive performances against us week after week. And we surely aren’t lacking so much talent on offense to explain why we can’t score points after halftime, let alone against Albany or NC. And those players are definitely experienced and smart enough that we shouldn’t be killing ourselves with 100+ yards of dumb penalties every game. As I’m sure someone else here has said, it’s not just that were losing, it’s how were losing. And IMO most of that comes down to coaching and scheme. The schemes don’t work and they don’t fit the players, and the game day coaching is bad. I was a big Narduzzi fan at the start, but that’s done with. He’s shown me nothing, and he keeps getting worse, not just on field, but with the things that come out of his mouth. Only arrogance and terminal inflexibility. I guarantee you there are young coaches out there who could do a lot more with the same talent for half the money, and be a better face for the university. As well as realize a school with our recruiting base is going to have to finally dump the pro-style offense and move on to something more modern (spread-read-option-etc) to be competitive, like everyone else who isn’t Alabama or Wisconsin.

    In any case, if things continue this way the rest of the season, I don’t know how you retain this staff another year. Of course, the most infuriating thing to me about that to me, as an alum, is that when he goes, the two highest paid employees of this university, by a long shot, will be the former basketball and football coaches who drove their respective programs into the ground. That’s unbelievable, and makes me wonder if any of it is worth bankrolling anymore. (I mean, I think ND might still be paying Charlie Weis.) I’ve been a Pitt fan for more than 40 years, but I don’t think I’d feel bad at all if they decided to shut down sports altogether and concentrate on academics, which is what they’re here for in the first place. It’s all way out of control.

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    1. I don’t agree with your first point, SCSteve.

      The Admin is totally responsible.Many of us thought they should have hired someone that had two thingks Narduzzi doesn’t:

      1) previous (successful) experience as a head coach
      2) background in running an offense

      Some defensive guys make it – you can argue Wannstedt did. But you can also point out that Wannstedt could never recruit a top QB prospect, which is what one expect someone with a background on offense to do.

      Having said that, Narduzzi was seen as one of the “hot” commodities available when he was hired at PItt and may lauded the move if only because it showed Pitt was willing to try to move up and out of its station in life. And I will acknowledge being excited they went out and didn’t go cheap.

      This next search (note my confidence that one may be coming), will be led by Heather Lyke, who strikes me as more savvy at this than the others who have done so going back to Steve Pedersen II.

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  105. Concerning the idea of keeping Duzz and bringing in new assistants. IMHO that is one of the dumbest solutions I have ever heard. The problem is the HEAD of this program!!! The HEAD brought in his yes men as his assistants. You get rid of them and the HEAD brings in more yes men! When the HEAD is the problem you cut off the head. The DUZZ is the PROBLEM! Period. He HAS to go or we’re just putting a band aide on a heavily bleeding deep wound. ‘”You keep the DUZZ – you LOSE!!!”

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    1. I think you’re preaching to the choir, just about everybody that has posted feels the same way. I’m not sure anybody thinks replacing the OC will solve all Pitt’s problems, but if the admin is unwilling to part with Narduzzi for contractual reasons this soon into his term, then I think this will be their next move. Narduzzi won 8 games with a different OC, and granted the players have changed, but Canada made good use of the players he had, Watson has not. I’d hate to see a scapegoat if the season unfolds like we think it will, but I could see it happening very easily.

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  106. If Pitt has any real brand (I use that term loosely), I would say it historically goes back to smash mouth football, i.e. Ditka, Ricky Jackson, etc. Guys that came out of the coal mines and steel mills. For Pitt to go to a spread offense or some type of triple option just seems gimmicky and is not in the Western PA mold. A pro style offense is probably best to suit Pitt’s environment and appeal to the large pool of coaches in college and the NFL, and it is probably a significant factor in the Pitt kids getting into the NFL. Just my opinion, but Pitt should just recruit, coach and play better….

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  107. Jim pittman4ever… It’s not a solution so much in my book but what will likely happen. I try and deal in reality. Like PITT not having a great football year in and year out. It’s why I don’t let my bowels get all in an uproar when things don’t go PITT’s way… ike

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  108. Speaking of reality. So far.

    Total offense 92 with 22.4 pts/g ave.
    Pass offense 112 with 151.6 yards/g ave.
    Rush offense 43 with 191.6 yards/g ave.

    Total defense 110 with 32.0 pts/g ave.
    Pass defense 87 with 229.8 yards/g ave.
    Rush defense 110 with 200.8 yards/g ave.

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