Same Old Pitt died on Saturday, just as Kenny Pickett came of age.  Pitt’s defense held the #32 offense in the country to 206 yards passing and 79 yards rushing.  They did it on the road, and in the face of questionable officiating.  Make no mistake Pitt fans, this is what we signed up for.   My good, bad and ugly are below.  Sound off and post yours!

The Good:  

  1. The team’s response in the second half.  How many times have we seen Pitt come out flat in the first half and stay flat for the rest of the game?   Not this time.  Whatever Narduzzi said to them in the locker room stuck.

    Kenny Pickett - University of Pittsburgh
    Eye of the Panther
  2. The Defense.  Yes, Wake missed some throws, but by and large, this is the defense that was advertised in camp.
  3. Kenny Pickett.  23/30-316-3.  At least two of his touchdowns came on third down.  Ladies and Gentlemen, we have our quarterback.

The Bad:

  1.  I think the offense in the first half had every fan in Pitt Nation feeling the same way.  “Oh no, not again”.
  2. Jimmy Morrissey’s injury.  We can afford to lose him for Miami, but we will need every hand on deck for the Championship.  PGH Sports Now has the only update at the time of writing.  “Sources” say it’s an ankle injury.  Stefano Millin says this:  “he’s good”

The Ugly:

  1. I was going to make a comment about the white uniforms, but daggone it we just won the first ACC Coastal Football Championship in Pitt History.  If the uniforms were the worst part of the day, I’ll take it.  Turn on those Victory Lights and keep ’em on all week.  #Hail2Pitt!

 

Coastal Clinched

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.

158 thoughts on “MMQB: Demons Exorcised; Pitt wins ACC Coastal Division Title”

    1. that was the game when the last 2 plays including the PSU tying FG was with no time on the clock … and all of us at the stadium were in WTF mode.

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      2. Pitt should have not allowed the ball to go through a defender’s hands on fourth down that DJ Dozier caught before the game-tying field goal. There is no tie if the play is made, rather a 24-21 Pitt win.

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  3. MM, thought your Good, Bad and Ugly was right on …. just hope you don’t have to shift Morrisey’s injury from Bad to Ugly

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  4. The good: The last quarter and a half. French’s catch, Pickett’s emergence, Mack attack, and most of all the adjustments made at the half.
    The Bad: Injury to Morrissey, the first half, kids being wound a little too tight.
    The Ugly: My picking on Ike. It will not happen again.

    Liked by 7 people

  5. THE GOOD:

    The big PITT win
    The fortitude and perseverance this team continues to display
    KP… finally took the cuffs off him and he showed what he can do.
    The defense coming around….. again
    Looking at the pictures of the players holding the ACC Coastal Division Trophy!

    THE BAD:

    The officiating was a little off but par for the ACC course

    THE UGLY:

    Reading the game day thread. << That won’t happen again.

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  6. JoeK, I swear I didn’t read your comment until after I posted. I have a bad habit of starting a comment and walking away to come back and finish later. I know that sounds unbelievable but true. I would have posted my comment if I had read yours but amazingly enough they are closely related.

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  8. Agree with all of the goods above. My Ugly—-why are the Coastal Champonship hats black and not our colors?

    H2P

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  9. The Great:

    French’s third down snag.

    Mack’s Balances act for score. This is when the game was finally ober.

    29 yard third down completion to Lopez.

    This was the first game all year we win on a counter punch. Way to go Kenny.

    Dennis Briggs special teams tackle on a punt return early in the game.

    The Bad:

    A couple drive punts. The kind that easily get retuned.

    The Ugly.

    Black championship hats.

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  10. Here’s my take:

    GREAT
    Ffrench’s catch at the 2 yard line. Nice grab.
    Turnout by Pitt fans in Winston-Salem. My brother said the visitor’s side of the stadium was filled with blue & gold and proclaimed that half of the attendees were Pitt fans. Not sure if that is exaggerated, but it was clearly a great turnout.
    Pickett’s passing
    Big B waving the WUP flag on TV.
    Mack stiff arming the DB on his TD catch.
    COASTAL DIVISION CHAMPS, FELLAS (and Annie)!!! Who knew?!!!!

    GOOD
    Pitt’s second half offense
    Pitt’s defense for most of the game
    Running the ball with authority in the 4th quarter.
    Narduzzi yanking the Coastal Division trophy from Swofford after the game.

    BAD
    ACC officiating…once again. Note to Greensboro…they need to call them on both sides or let the kids play. Make a choice and stick with it, refs.
    Pre-snap penalties
    Gadget play on the last score….why show that with the game in hand?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Good job, especially agree on Pitt turnout. Considering how small our home crowds can be it is amazing how well we travel. Of course there are probably a lot of Pittsburgh natives and alums that live in the area.

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    2. Joe knew!

      There was no doubt about it.

      Not sure on the official Pitt fan count, but there were many and we were loud and proud. Your brother is correct that the visitor’s side was majority Pitt fans.

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  12. The GREAT… Finally a Championship!

    Can’t say much more since I didn’t see the Game. My first miss of a Pitt Game in Years. But making up for it by heading to Charlotte.

    The GOOD… Thanks to Narduzzi and his PROMISE… already have my Flight and Hotel booked!!

    Liked by 1 person

  13. The Great:
    Pitt wins its first Championship trophy since 1976.
    Pitt wins with a Passing game.
    FFrench’s catch, Hamlin’s INT.
    Ollie’s third down runs

    The Good:
    No quit in this team.
    Watson’s game plan and team’s execution.
    The defense

    The Bad:
    Morrisey’s injury, he has been solid all year, few if any fumbled snaps, few bull rushes down the stretch.

    The Ugly:
    One sided officiating. Yes we made obvious mistakes, but they held as well.
    As Emel pointed out, Morrisey doesn’t get hurt without the cheap call on the previous play.
    As I point out, one of their scoring drives was aided by missed holding calls and a phantom pass interference call. When the announcers mention the officiating, you know something is wrong.

    Liked by 1 person

  14. The Good: A strong second half that means the team is well conditioned and confident when the game is on the line. The Bad: Over relying on two running backs when others could play (transfers are now likely); wasting a game for Carter which now looks like it will be difficult to red shirt him. The Ugly: Morrissey’s injury and lack of depth at the postion going into the final stages of the season.

    The final report card for this team will be completed after the season is over. What constitutes success? If Pitt wins one of its remaining 3 games is that sufficient? Is 8-6 good enough in year 4 of Narduzzi? How about 7-7? At this stage with 3 games left, I’d say an 8-6 season is progress but won’t end in a ranking.

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  15. i do not like the helmet logo we used in the WF game. You can hardly make out the Pitt letters on the helmet.
    The letters need to be skinny so that the name PITT really stands out. My only gripe. H2P

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  16. One other great thing is how this team has improved from the beginning of the year till now Schedule had something to do with it, but it is evidence of really solid coaching, Narduzzi and Co. best effort so far. The best football teams are the ones that peak at the right time. A lot has to do with staying healthy but also overcoming injury and adversity. Even though the season is far from over it is a success. Let’s hope it gets even better.

    Coach and Heather must get us a bowl opponent that is a good match-up. It is really important for recruiting and image and to stomp on SOP that we win a bowl game. Sorry for not playing them one at a time, but the bowl victory is a must, unless we upset Clemson (:

    Although plenty to be happy about, we have to admit that the Coastal was very weak this year, a bowl victory would probably help us finish in the top 25, really important for recruiting. Also good for ticket sales for next year.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Owen Drexel come on down – you are the next man up for the center position.

      We have a few snaps we’d lyke you to make verse a very athletic Miami D.

      Jimmy Morrissey, you have a week to heal before the title game. Let the UPMC medical staff work their magic.

      H2P!

      Liked by 1 person

  17. The good: this team needed Kenny pickett to pass to win the game and that he did. I must say it is a great feeling to eat my own crow. This team has dug itself outta a deep whole and gave themselves a shot at the title.
    The bad: the one busted coverage where we allowed an easy td before half.
    The ugly: Morrissey injury at the end of game.
    What a great feeling it is to be a Pitt fan right now. What a season go beat the U.

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  18. By the way, the refs will never let us beat Clemson, too much money and prestige for the league being in the playoffs. Look for lots of holding calls and pass interference.

    Should be pretty even refereeing next week though.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I doubt we have much of a chance against Clemson but I thought the same thing when I went up there two years ago to see an amazing game. If Clemson loses the ACC title game and we beat Miami as well, Clemson will still make the playoffs. The odds of us doing our part of that are quite low but still …

      Liked by 1 person

  20. The good:
    Making the conference championship.
    Being ranked in the top 25.
    Pickett and the D. I thought the D would get toasted as usual. Pickett displayed a strong arm. A couple great throws.

    The bad:
    Pitt fans complaining about colors of a hat, really?

    The ugly:
    Pitt fans complaining about the uniforms. Hate to tell you, even if Pitt goes with the royal blue and yellow full time next year, there will be variations of it. Most likely all blues and all white versions. That is college football.

    Pitt needs to finish this season ranked. Winning next week and their bowl game would guarantee it. Obviously beating Clemson would do the same even if they lost the other two games.

    I want to see 9 wins. Take it to a level we have not seen with Narduzzi.

    Liked by 2 people

  21. GOOD: All the POV guys, wives and friends who made the trip and had a tremendous weekend.
    BigB and Jeanie B’s tailgate.
    Golf with POV friends.
    The weather – wow!
    The 2nd half domination on all sides of the ball – D, O and ST’s.
    Halftime coaching adjustments.
    The W_F stadium and courteous fans.

    BAD: The ride down – long…

    UGLY: The ride home – would have been uglier if we lost.

    Crush the canes!

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  23. Notrocks

    I guess you were not a marketing major. Colors matter. Granted a minor point compared to winning. But, still valid IMHO.

    H2P

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    1. The black hat is a non issue because the logo on it appears to be the royal blue and yellow. So it is the Pitt fan desired color.

      As for the white uniforms, I agree Pitt needs to pick a color scheme and stick with it. Based on the clothing I see worn at football and hoop games they are selling the royal blue and gold quite well. Those will be the colors come fall next year.
      However, don’t expect just two uniforms. 99% of college teams have all types of combos. Let’s just hope Pitt doesn’t go all yellow. LOL. I for one would love to see all royal blue uniforms with matte helmets. The players love that stuff.

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  24. Thanks Mike, it didn’t link up. Pickett basically said it sucked going 5-7 and he said it wouldn’t happen again this year all the while using the word guarantee.

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  27. Man if you watched the 4th quarter of the Steeler game you remembered that Wanny ball is a looser.
    You can not keep giving teams chance after chance by running 3 plays up the middle and punting.
    Jacksonville played like Pitt under Wanny and finally folded.
    We just needed to make a stop down there at the end and we would have won!

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Mrs. JoeKnew and I will be coming to Charlotte! Yea! Staying at a Best Western, 230 total all tx included for 2 nights. Light rail to game. Looking forward to seeing you Bernie. H2P

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  29. Okay, I’ll admit it, I like those blue helmets!

    Good:
    — I was able to settle down and not throw up before the game. (Only kidding a little!).
    — Coach Bates — I think it took a guy with his experience and level of respect to make Coach Duzz more amenable to “tweaking”the defense… I don’t think Bates came here just to baby-sit Duzz’s defense. But still much work to do on defense…
    —Coach Watson – imagine how tough it is to be an OC, the play works, you’re great: the play doesn’t work, you stink!
    —BIG PLAYS! Early in the season we struggled to make them; for the last 4 games we look like “Big Play U!”
    —All the Pitt fans, especially the POVers, at the game…
    —Ffrenchy’s one-handed catch was big leagues, as was Mack fighting off the DB and then maintaining his balance…

    Bad and Ugly: The blown coverage on defense — especially coming this late in the season. Are our safeties still confused, did the corner screw up, or did the coaches mess up??? Troubling…

    Congrats to Coach Duzz and his staff for pulling this off!

    Go Pitt!

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    1. Good comment on Bates. A lot of people questioned the hire – and it was reasonable to do that, but it looks like they are improving as the season goes on.

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      1. It seems like when we think the defense is coming around, we have a game like Duke which shows we still have significant flaws…

        But I think there are signs that with a second year under Coach Bates, and with the work in spring ball and camp, and with the players coming back and coming available – next season’s D could be pretty good…

        Go Pitt.

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        1. One game at a time my friend.

          Next weeks D vs Miami better be good. I’m not concerned about next year.

          Lol

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  30. Great (better than good)- The overall effort, especially KP and the receivers, to win the Coastal Division on he road.

    The Bad and Ugly – Can’t think of a legitimate bad or ugly comment this week…

    H2P!!! Victory lights all week for football champs and for ACC women’s volleyball champs!

    Liked by 1 person

  32. The good:

    -ACC Coastal Champs;
    -Beautiful day in a beautiful locale;
    -Meeting new friends at the tailgate (two of them, BigB and Pat DeLarosa were featured on Pitt Twitter accounts);
    -The NINE hour ride down with a great guy- Thanks Erie (Rick);
    -Sunday golf with Dr. Tom, Pat, Jack, etc. Phi Alpha.

    The bad:

    -Officiating. Question.. when BC plays Syracuse, how do the referees decide who to screw over? “Being from the North. That’s a 15 yard penalty. Automatic first down!”

    The Ugly:

    -Morrissey getting hurt because the score on the previous play was called back (see above.)

    I am thrilled about the victory.. ask anyone who was there with me Saturday. However, this does not alleviate my concerns. If we beat Miami, play Clemson close (win or lose), WIN a bowl game and close on some big-time recruits, then I’m all aboard.

    Make no mistake, this team plays hard but we won a BAD division and still lag behind in raw talent. Unlike 2015 & 2016, the staff needs to parlay success into players.

    Thanks again to BigB for a great tailgate, that included “celebrity” appearances from Mr. & Mrs Aston and the President of The Panther Pitt & her family (her Dad was on the team in the 80’s.)

    H2P

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Jay91 — That round of golf with fellow Pitt fans on the day after such a big win had to have been awesome. Good for you guys.

      Go Pitt!

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  33. Anyone want to guess ACC QB of the week? Yep, you would be correct if you guessed Pickett. By the way IF and that’s big if the Pitt passing game plays anywhere close to the level it played at last Saturday we are a far better than a average team that also doesn’t lag behind in average talent IMO.

    Liked by 2 people

  35. I won’t dole any advice here but just tell you all how I feel…. again….. Looking back takes the fun out of it for me and it really isn’t an option in my mind. I grab and hold on dearly to whats within my grasp. My given name is actually Tom but I try and not wallow in doubting all that much. Sure not looking a gift horse in his mouth.

    Been a wild ride this year but the ride isn’t over. I think we as PITT fans should go for the gold while the gold is within reach. People, do not be afraid to jump into the car, bus, pedicab or train or whatever and take the journey no matter where it takes us all. << This team and how hard they play deserves all the backing and confidence in them.

    19 seniors tells me that these young men like to play for PITT and play for coach Narduzzi. No one can tell me otherwise. LET’S GO PITT!!

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  36. Yo…Randy great to know you are coming,,you and JpoeL are the 1st two POVerts that I met in Annapolis besides the commander emeritas…

    Emel..we are all looking forward to meeting you…

    Will chip in later on the Great. good , bad and ugly….

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  37. JpoeL..where the heck did that come from..sounds like a mixed breed dude with State College and Mt Lebanon origin…Sorry for the typo my dear friend…

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    1. Well, truth be told I used to use my entire name on the Blather and the thought was that I shouldn’t post anything that I had to use a screen name to hide behind. A friend told me I was stupid for doing that because of internet wackos, so I changed it.

      The new name was a bit close to Aliquippa’s own, JoeD of “Stoops, Stoops, Stoops” and “WPIAL is slow, slow, slow” fame, but I decide to throw caution to the wind and use it anyhow.

      Lebo, yes. State College, never!

      Liked by 1 person

  38. The Good – I’m not going to pile on top of and replicate all the great comments above, and certainly a dominant, come-from-behind performance when it mattered tops the list, but let me add two more goods: (1) the rise of Ffrench as a legit deep threat (I thought he was going to be another role player like Q Henderson, boy was I wrong!), and (2) this will be a disagreement with a comment above, but our Aussie punter is finally coming around in a big way, including hitting back-to-back 72 and 62 yard punts.

    The Bad – Syracuse (as one example) being ranked ahead of us just doesn’t make any sense. Do they have interns filling out the votes in those polls?

    The Ugly – Yes, the uniforms are fair game especially in this age of media, and they were ugly, though not as ugly as the officiating.

    Hail to Pitt!

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    1. Syracuse alums are infested into national sports media and tv sports by the dozens(maybe hundreds).

      You want really ugly uni’s, take a look at what Notre Dame and Cuse wore in NYC. Yea I realize they were just for one game, but they didn’t have to be that ugly.

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    3. This will sound crazy, but I’ve had this thought that the team with the “brighter” uniforms has an advantage for the QB in picking out targets downfield. It bothers me when it’s tough to distinguish the two teams, which we have run into, like when we play GT, Navy, etc. in our navy blue and gold.

      So, I liked the white unis against Wake. I like the whites or the so-called retros, because they standout when Kenny P. is looking downfield…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 2 people

  39. Another topic for discussion at the end of the season is the OOC schedule. There has been much discussion about it being too tough when Pitt was losing big and the results weren’t good early on. But it can be reasonably argued that those games toughened them up for the ACC schedule. My opinion is that maybe the UCF game could have been scratched in favor of a cupcake, but with teams scheduling 5-6 years out it is not possible to know when previous cupcakes like UCF will suddenly get good or lucky.

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    1. Not to get ahead of my one game at a time theory, but I can’t wait to play UCF again and “punch them in the mouth”. It would be a different game today (IMO).

      H2P!

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  40. BigB, This should be a really interesting trip. Mrs JoeKnew isn’t really sure what tailgating is all about but is looking forward to it. . She, however is known to get a little loud at a game, even if somewhat confused as to what’s going on. Before she straightened teeth for a living she taught art. And she is from Carrick. Wish Upitt would come, they could discuss Pitt midfield artwork!

    Liked by 1 person

  41. I don’t think there will be any rbs transferring… 2019 is an open competition for all of them to be the man.

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  42. Wow, what a weekend. While it gets less comments(well not from me), Winning is more Fun.

    Got to really praise this coaching staff even if we clobbered by Clemscum.
    Their ability to keep this team focused after some terrible beatdowns is quite remarkable.

    It almost makes you feel, they do indeed know what they are doing. As much as anyone else I guess.

    The Doc Watson has really worked with Mad Bomber 2.0 and those results are really paying dividends now.
    If you would have told everyone of us that Pitt would rush for 3.3 yards per carry, to predict the game, 99% of us would have said a Loss.

    Many, wrote of Wake’s high flying offense. I don’t think any of us predicted they would be held to 13 points.
    I did note that Bates might have something in order to confuse Wake’s QB, since it was only his 2nd start
    ever. Much like Bates/Nardo did with Notre Dame’s QB(who also didn’t have many starts). And that did work out in very similar fashion.

    And lastly to overcome the absolutely horrid homer officiating on the Road and the Coastal on the line
    and Nostradamus Dog did not blow his lid on the sideline. Cause I would have, it was that blatant.

    Cudos to Nostradamus Dog for exemplary behavior under extraordinary circumstances.

    Liked by 4 people

  43. Somethings I think I know after this past game Pittsburgh will always be the best no way cour coach ever lost this team with 19 seniors telling you differently any player who left was for their best would not have helped us anyway and next year we just get better never quit nevever give up and family first that’s the Pittsburgh motto thanks to Ike Fran and all those who give it their all for dear old Pittsburgh

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  44. I think you are right, Erie, that the UCF game would be quite different. The pass rush and DBs are so much better now that the passing game would be significantly less effective. It’s true, deepelem blues, that there will be openings at RB, but if promises were made and broken about playing time, it may not matter.

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    1. I’ve been suggesting this for more than a few years. And it’s not due to low TV ratings, as over the years Pitt football games, especially the Thursday nite games have been among the highest rated ESPN college football games ever. Those Power rankings are in stark contrast to these….much more legit rankings of
      ACC teams based on their schedules and other metrics. Not the crap that spews out of ESPN.

      https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/conferences/acc/2018-ratings.html

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      1. Boston College has beat NO ONE of note. Only 2 wins over teams with winning records.
        But they do have very impressive wins over Umass (4-8)
        D2 Holy Cross
        Wake (41-34)
        Temple
        L-ville (Bottom 10 team)
        VT
        Miami

        So how do those wins equate to even being ranked, let alone 2 weeks ago at #17 and last week at #22

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    1. ^^ ikes brother, you may be too closely related to ike. I still don’t know what speel check is… << Misspelled on purpose…… I think.

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  47. frank they have lots of journalists that’s what you become when you can’t get a real job lots like a politician

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  48. I have said on numerous occasions that QB’s play better when they have time to throw.
    So the question is, did our O-line suddenly get better at it or is Wake’s pass rush worse than the other teams we played? Maybe a combination of both, but no matter, Kenny had time and used it exceptionally well. That time also allowed our receivers to get open and make the catches when the ball came their way. Ffrench, Mack, Lopes, Tipton, Mathews and Hall got involved. I guess the throw to Millin didn’t count because it was a lateral, but a good catch none the less.

    I’ll admit I was with Reed in terms of concern over using so many seniors with underclassmen not breaking through, but it has certainly worked out. They are providing great leadership, especially the O-line who are no longer one dimensional. The unselfish play of all involved is the definition of Teamwork.

    Trusting the process today.

    I feel bad that Reed seems to have lost interest just when the tide seems to have turned. And where is UPitt? Hope it is nothing serious.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. gc — Our Oline May be a bit better, just from playing and making mistakes and being coached, but I think the difference has been that the last four opponents haven’t had the level of pass rushers we saw earlier in the schedule. So our guys have been as good, or better.

      And as a result we haven’t seen KP running for his life, and more importantly, not taking big, drive-killing losses on sacks.

      We will see against Miami — who I presume will get us back to going against some tough pass rushers…

      Go Pitt.

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  52. The Good : Doesn’t need stated……. does it 🙂

    ALL GOOD !

    The Bad : Bogus holding call on Q’s TD run which lead to Morrissey’s unnecessary injury.
    Even though we won(despite them), that referee crew needs put on suspension or termed.

    That tv announcing crew went on and on about Wake Forest that and Wake Forest this, like they were
    some kind of perennial football power. All-time Wake Forest WR’s….lmao
    Not a peep about about the multitudes of Great Pitt players. Just on and on about Wake.

    The Ugly : Again the amateur homer announcers and Pitt’s blue matte helmets. Where even in High Def, you have a difficult time reading Pitt on them.

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  53. The Good
    1 – Ffrench chchanneling Ffitz with the 1-handed snag at the 2 yard line
    2 – Watson finally using the middle of the field for passing plays. With safeties supporting run D it’s open.
    3 – Spreading the passing around to several WRs.
    4 – Making WF pay for selling out to stop the run.
    5 – Outstanding, aggressive D against pass and run, even with Hendrix/Wirginis missing
    6 – JMO but I really liked the color scheme of the hats, the blue/gold popped, looking for one

    The Great
    1 – Coastal Division Champs, no sharing or tie-breakers needed
    2 – The coming of age of Kenny Pickett, Watson commendable for his development

    The Bad
    1 – Pitt starting off too slowly, and falling behind, won’t work against Clemson
    2 – ACC Officiating re Pitt, not listing under Ugly because its a common occurrence

    The Ugly
    1 – Morrissey injury, it highlights the risk of no depth in the O-line

    Liked by 2 people

    1. That’s a good one taxingmatters….Ffrenchy was channeling Ffitz. I like it 🙂

      Ffitz was after all….. Number 1 and Ffrenchy is No. 2.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Time will tell first if Morrisey can play and second if we have a serviceable back-up. Last year Dintino fought Morrisey for the starting position so he can’t be that bad. Drexel may be better who knows. We survived, actually thrived after the loss of Wirginis so let’s not lose our heads. Injuries are a big part of the game and depth is important. Maybe ours is better than we think.

      I thought I saw Hendrix playing, when did he get hurt?

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  54. Official ACC post:

    WEEK 12 ACC FOOTBALL PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
    November 19, 2018

    QUARTERBACK – Kenny Pickett, Pitt, So.; Oakhurst, N.J.

    Pickett’s career game lifted Pitt past host Wake Forest, 34-13, clinching the Panthers’ first Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game berth • Completed 23-of-30 passes for a career-high 316 yards and three touchdowns • Each of his TD passes came in the second half to help Pitt erase a 10-6 halftime deficit • After Wake Forest kicked a field goal to close within 20-13 early in the fourth quarter, Pitt responded with an 11-play, 78-yard drive capped by Pickett’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Maurice Ffrench, boosting the lead to 27-13 with 7:27 to play and putting the Panthers back in control. Pickett also goes by the handle, Mad Bomber 2.0

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  55. GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – With Pitt’s 34-13 win at Wake Forest, the Panthers clinched the Coastal Division and earned a berth to the 2018 Dr Pepper ACC Championship Game. Pitt will face No. 2-ranked Clemson on Saturday, Dec. 1, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.

    **Clemson and Pitt have met just twice previously on the gridiron with the Panthers holding a 2-0 lead. Pitt beat Clemson, 34-3, in the 1977 Gator Bowl and knocked off the Tigers, 43-42, in 2016 **

    The 2018 Dr Pepper Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game will kick off at 8 p.m. and will be televised by ABC. This marks the 10th consecutive year the game has been televised in prime time.

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  56. To bad we didn’t get a chance to play Clemscum in 1981, they would have only the one NC from the other year.

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  58. Gents,

    I played around with some stats today and compared Pitt’s offense to Miami’s defense, Pitt’s defense vs Miami’s offense and some other stats. Also gave my own thoughts about who has the advantage.

                                            Pitt            Miami       Advantage

    When Pitt has the ball:
    Rushing – Yds/game 247.5 132.9 Pitt
    rank 13 34
    Passing – Yds/game 155.5 141.7 Miami
    rank 118 3
    Total – Yds/game 403 274.6 Miami
    rank 66 5
    Pts per game 30.1 19.5 Miami
    rank 62 19

                                                  Pitt          Miami       Advantage

    When Miami has the ball:
    Rushing – Yds/game 163.5 188.6 draw
    rank 65 49
    Passing – Yds/game 241.4 188.6 Miami
    rank 87 103
    Total – Yds/game 404.9 377.2 draw
    rank 79 91
    Pts per game 28.1 31.5 draw
    rank 75 48

    Other stats:
    Sacks allowed 22 24 draw
    INTs thrown 5 10 Pitt
    Sacks made 27 31 draw
    INTs made 9 15 Miami
    Penalties 77 69 slight edge to Miami
    QB rating 132.9 122.9 slight edge to Pitt

    Rankings in Special Teams areas:
    Punting – Net Yds 100 127 Pitt
    Punt returns 71 3 Miami
    FG% 52 80 Pitt
    KO returns – Yds 7 6 draw

    Based on that, it would seem the for Pitt to win, it must:
    Start strong – establish an early lead
    Run the ball effectively
    Use high percentage passes
    Avoid turnovers

    Liked by 1 person

  59. From PGH Sports Now:

    Senior Pitt defensive end Dewayne Hendrix traveled to Winston-Salem, but he did not dress for this game. He has an injury, but the nature of it was not disclosed by Pitt. Hendriz has 25 tackles and four sacks this season.

    With 52 rushing yards, Qadree Ollison has moved into ninth place on the Pitt all-time rushing list, passing Elliott Walker (1974-77) who had 2,748 yards in his career.

    Wake and Pitt are not scheduled to meet again until 2023 at Heinz Field.

    Wake has not beaten an ACC team at home this season.

    Like

    1. Jack – it was worth the 9 hour drive. Great game, atmosphere and BigB’s tailgate was well attended pre & post-game.

      I went to both UVA and W_F. P.Ford is not playing much, but he is one of the most excited player post-game.

      I hope he stays and plays.

      H2P!

      Liked by 5 people

      1. Big, big challenge for Coach Bates — find a way to get Paris Ford on the field and making big plays…

        Go Pitt.

        Like

  61. Emel, I tried to email you but maybe I have the wrong email address. Do you still need a ticket?
    Fran
    724-309-4343

    Like

  64. Must be a lot of excitement on the Pitt campus for the ACC Championship game. From a panther lair post the student ticket allotment sold out for the game in 2 minutes.

    Like

  65. Have a few thoughts and questions on this old mind of mine:

    What were we all thinking going into game twelve last year for PITT….?

    How do the transfers look now?

    The answer to the question. Can PITT and Narduzzi win the ACC Coastal division with 2 and 3 star players?

    If PITT loses against Miami, does it totally ruin this season for PITT?

    Why is it that when PITT beat Clemson two years ago and Miami last year that people think it make it less likely they can or can’t do it again this year? I think it proves they can.

    Heather said expect a surprise in the ACC championship game. What is it? I have my guess.

    The PITT road warriors have impressed everyone, well done ladies and gentlemen.

    imo, Narduzzi is misunderstood by some PITT fans, although he is really rough around the edges. Which is ok by me.

    Trust the Process!

    KP guaranteeing PITT doesn’t go 5-7 again!

    See you in Charlotte!

    Did I say… TRUST THE PROCESS!!

    Liked by 1 person

  66. PITT – Wake Forest on either Fox Sports South or Fox Sports Southeast Now 7:00pm – 10:00 pm.

    For those PITT fans in the southeast.

    Like

  68. ESPN (for entertainment purposes only)

    Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl

    Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
    Dec. 28, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN)

    Bonagura: Auburn vs. Pitt

    Belk Bowl

    Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina
    Dec. 29, noon (ABC)

    Bonagura: South Carolina vs. NC State
    Sherman: South Carolina vs. Pitt

    Like

    1. Begs the question…..does Mitch Sherman know Pitt is playing in Charlotte for ACC Championship.
      No way the Belk is going to invite us, imo.

      Like

  69. Seems the bowl prognosticators are convinced Pitt will be playing an SEC opponent.

    Jerry Palm CbsSports

    Belk Bowl Dec. 29 Charlotte, N.C. ACC vs. SEC Pittsburgh vs. Vanderbilt

    Like

  70. The Good…
    * UPitt owes me some Hibachi for Pitt getting to 7 wins (our bet was 6 wins)…put me down for the steak and shrimp & a long island tea to wash it down.
    * Overcoming a sluggish first half and curse of SOP to win Coastal (the ghost of Andrew Janocko extinguished).
    * Downfield passing game and execution in 2nd half
    * Goolagong punting
    * Turning around the season after PSU, UNC, and UCF.

    The Bad…
    * Couldn’t run on Wake Forest
    * The ACC Coastal….but hey, Pitt never won a Big East championship outright, so I will take it.
    * For winning the Coastal, you get to take on Clemson, a team that won its last 6 conference games by an average of 42.2 points!!!!

    The Ugly…
    * Akron uniforms

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Man the kid did Goolagong a few didn’t he. 71 yarder.

      Somebody said he heard Pitt is going full tilt retro uni’s next year. Can’t happen soon enough, so
      we all can be wearing the same color blue on the Outside !

      Like

  71. Emel, I wouldn’t be shocked if we see the old colors Dec 1? Not confirmed but I was told they were ordered for next year.

    Like

    2. I was thinking maybe these kids will want to start their own legacy with their own unis instead of glorifying the past great players/teams. Just a hunch…

      Like

      1. I don’t know Jack…..when they tweet their Pitt commit tweets….they all wearing the Royal Blue & Yellow.
        Much more dynamic look, made for HDTV.

        Like

    1. All because of rampant bad officiating. Q scores and then bogus holding. 2 plays later Morrissey gets hurt. That really sucks….Dintino will step up or the Owen kid.

      Nothing stopping the Pitt Train !!! Pittsburgh Strong !!!

      Like

      2. I’m surprised Narduzzi showed Wake that play with us well ahead. He should have saved that play for Clemson.

        Like

  74. ^^ Jack you make a valid point about the uni’s. I would like to think I’m not that far out of touch with today’s youth but my late 30 year old children begged to differ. I’ll favor the uni’s the PITT team wins in..

    Liked by 2 people

  75. Why is Pitt BB team scheduled to play Iowa (ranked 20th) in the ACC/B1G Challenge on the 27th. Weren’t we projected last in the ACC? I thought they matched up teams somewhat based on power projections?

    Like

  77. Perhaps they have a play off of the play that Milan scored on like a fake
    Pump to the tackle and then hitting a wide open Hall streaking (Clothed) down the fieldwho has a zone cleared for him by the receivers

    Like

    1. Owen is slated as the back-up, but Hargrove is considered the sixth lineman. If he slides in at guard, then Dintino is the center. Dintino had 40 live game snaps last year to Owen’s 2 this season.

      Also, Bookser and Milan have played Center. Lots of options for Borbs. Need to keep the hogs rolling somehow.

      Next man up –

      H2P!

      Like

      1. At least if Booker is at center, he can’t be offsides his usual 2-3x per game. I’m with Ike. I think the loss of Morrisy is a real problem for Pitt.

        Like

  80. KP played like a great running back who gets stronger with more carries… Kenny got better( so did the receivers) with more throws.

    Beat Miami.. Richt or wrong.. still Thug U .. IMO

    Liked by 1 person

  81. Bernie, I’m up but not yet about…haha.
    One more day of rest then all hell breaks loose.
    Let’s touch base Wednesday and see about watching the Miami game.

    Like

  82. Over the River and through the woods… talk to you Wednesday

    Group … time to get our game faces on… no distractions please… Miami is on deck… FOCUS !!!

    Like

    1. Correction –

      Ffocus – this team is on a mission to win out, one game at a time. I know clemscum is a tall order, but let’s not talk about that right now.

      Ffocus on crushing the canes.

      H2P!

      Like

  83. For those complaining about our ranking, I’ve always followed Jeff Sagarin’s computer rankings pretty closely … very interesting that his computer thinks we are the 44th best team in the nation, about 20 spots behind FCS North Dakota State. His computer also thinks very highly of the Big 10 this year.

    https://www.usatoday.com/sports/ncaaf/sagarin/

    I imagine some system similar to this is used by ESPN’s FPI, which didn’t think we would win another game after we were sitting at 2-3, predicting a 2-10 finish and gave us a less than 1% chance of winning the coastal. Of course, a computer cannot capture things like momentum and other intangibles.

    Like

  85. Feel terrible for Jimmy. I can’t see how this doesn’t hurt the team moving forward? Dintino didn’t beat out JM last year for a reason. I’ve always felt the center was the most important O-Lineman. Not just calling out the blocking assignments but executing getting the ball safely into the QB’s hands and then controlling a nose guard of defensive tackle. That’s a lot of responsibility. PITT is the type of team that cannot afford unforced mistakes. Tough break all the way around.

    Like

  86. Royal blue pops on TV. I was going to wear navy blue to Wake game but navy was to close to Wake’s black. Royal really shows the PITT fans in attendance.

    I believe (& I could be wrong & I have been more times than I want to admit), that most of those computer rankings are based on current year performances. S&P+ (SBNation) even includes past year (2017) results. So with 2 bad blowout losses, a 5-7 (2017) record, & that bad loss to North Carolina, PITT’s dug itself a hole that it is finding hard to climb the ladder.

    Like

  87. Speking of the OL…I would like to see a game where there are no ” OFFSIDES PITT #78′, HOLDING PITTSBURGH #78, FALSE START PITT #78………………………..

    Like

  88. The rankings are about right.. but still time to climb, assuming we beat Miami, play a good game versus Clemson (win or lose) and finally win a bowl game.

    Unlike some here, the pollsters didn’t forget two BLOW OUT losses and a loss to UNC (2-8, only other win W. Carolina)– maybe they’re just “holding on to the past.” 😜

    We are on a roll right now but you can’t just throw out those games, as if they didn’t happen.

    If Pitt would have beaten UNC and stayed within 14-17 points in losses to PSU & UCF, we would likely be around 18-20. The loss to ND didn’t hurt us.. because we didn’t lose by 30+.

    The Morrissey injury is a bummer but it’s no excuse. Beside Wirginis, Pitt was virtually injury-free all season. Teams have to deal with injuries.

    Like

    1. We should be higher if you ask me. The AP pollsters have Northwestern at number 20. We are at 24. Sorry, but NW’s loss at home to Akron is a horrible loss. Akron is 4-6 overall, and 2-5 in the MAC! Our UNC loss was bad, but at least it was on the road and UNC plays against tougher competition. And NW has only beat 3 teams with winning records (6-5 MSU, and Iowa and Wisconsin who are 7-4). We have beaten 4 teams with winning records (Syracuse at 8-3, and GT, UVA, and Duke all at 7-4).

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I will also add that NW lost by 14 to Duke, a team we beat, and lost to ND, at home, by twice as many points as we lost to them by on the road. I give credit to them for playing Michigan very close, however.

        I will say that they are virtually guaranteed to finish 8-4 by playing Illinois this week, who is 2-6 in the big ten, 4-7 overall. Meanwhile, we get another team with a winning record, Miami at 6-5.

        Liked by 2 people

  89. I have no problem where we are ranked. On a whole, it’s about right. I’m more concerned with the U. Much like 2 yrs ago, if they get up, confidence rises and they are an extremely tough out. If we are up or even, well , might be like last year. I, for one, was never a fan of Richt. Thought he did a poor job at UGA with a bunch of talent. Probably the only team in last 4 games that has better talent than us. Will be interested to see how they handle clinching and being ranked. Hope it’s better than previous times being ranked.

    Liked by 1 person

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