Well I did my best to tamp down expectations with my preview post last week.  Here’s to hoping Pitt exceeds whatever expectations we have and plays their best game of the season.  The 19 seniors on this team deserve it.

Hail to Pitt!

PS here is an interesting note on the Stanford mascot.  No matter what happens, we are going to win in that department, hands down.

Screen Shot 2018-12-30 at 2.00.41 PM

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.

630 thoughts on “Pitt Football: Sun Bowl Open Game Thread”

  3. Watching the Virginia Tech Cincinnati game… I did not know Luke Fickellwas the head coach of the 10-2 Cincinnati Bearcats..

    I’ll watch the game with you Gordon!

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  5. Anybody remember — might have been 2004 — when Pitt beat a Phillip Rivers led NC State in a bowl game?

    I was in Charlotte when Wanny’s team kicked a last second FG to win a bowl game — maybe it was against UNC?

    I’m trying to get some good vibs going… 😊

    Go Pitt!

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    1. I have no good vibes left after yesterday. Pitt is outmanned at all but 3 positions and badly out manned on both lines. I see the Clemson/Miami game all over again. Hoping for a Festivus Miracle!

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  15. Time for Narduzzi to get a bowl win. This is not the same Stanford team from the Harbaugh era. No Bryce Love so Pitt needs to get it done. I’ll take Pitt 24-21.

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    1. As usual…

      With that being said the line looks like they are getting a good push. If we can play clean we might have a shot

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  30. Their receivers and tight ends are enormous. Our db’s look like a bunch of elves out there

    RaRa came to play in the punt game

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  52. OK…..help me. Does Kenny suck or does he never have enough time to even see the field? I really don’t want him to suck!

    I hope be gets a play this half qith time and throws a bomb for a touchdown.

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  56. Damn Georgie. Saving up all your penalties for today or something ? That’s two in the first quarter

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  62. After one quarter we are on pace for 380+ rushing yards.

    Stanford not very interested in tackling.

    I will be perfectly happy if we don’t attempt another pass the entire game.

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  70. Watson has been an idiot in a lot of situations when it mattered. Run the balll!!!! We can’t protect and Kenny is terrified….stop trying to prove how smart you are.

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  75. Agree on all Watson comments. If Stanford’s offense decides they want to play we are going to need a lot more than 3 pats.

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      1. Defense is playing pretty well but I’ve seen at least three badly thrown balls and one drop. Costello 1 for 6

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  80. Stanford has given us a prime opportunity to blow this game wide open early and we have 3 points. We better put it in gear now!!!! Come on Panthers, SCORE!!!!!!

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  83. i think we agree that stanford is stinking out the joint.

    the problem is that they are stinking out the joint and are only down 3.

    not a good sign for our team. we should learn how to capitalize on teams that don’t play hard for awhile.

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  90. They called the play against Clemson two times… Same results… Receiver kept running and the ball landed harmlessly out of bounds… Must be one of their bread and butter pass plays

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  93. squandering opportunities…..will always bite you. Great teams don’t squander good chances to knock an opponent out.

    this one is up for grabs, but i feel uneasy

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  94. love you, MM, so I hope you’re right. That said, since we pass the ball 5 times a game you think we’d have the. “coached up”. Frustrati g watching thja being handed away and putting our D in the impossible situation of having to hold another team to 10 points.

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    1. Totally agree. At this stage in the season qb and wr need to be on the same page.

      Great hit by Chase Pine

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  109. salhuddin needs touches. or davis.

    Can’t keep hall in there if he can’t block, sorry.

    need to seize momentum right back. worse thing will be to go 3 and out.

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  121. Getting Pickett knocked around on those running plays might be the best call Watson’s made today. Pocket plays better when he doesn’t think

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    2. Here are my Halftime adjustments. Feel free to chime in wit your own.

      Offense:
      1. Keep Kenny engaged with those RPO’s.
      2. Keep feeding DH
      3. Keep Aston in to block that guy who keeps blowing us up (or chip him)
      4. Let Kenny throw a few deep balls to keep ‘em honest

      Defense
      1. Keep doing what you’re doing but watch out for the screens

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  161. keep doing what doing but take some more risk
    not too impressed with Stanford
    I know they are missing some starters on O
    But they just dont look they want to be there
    Pitt’s players must have laid off the Tequila last nite

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  163. I guess KP didn’t get smacked in the head at the end of the half?

    I guess Stanford sucked giving PITT half of a chance in this game

    Not a big fan of Watson but he ‘s figured out to use KP’s legs this last game

    Not trying to be self important here but I think PITT represented well first half. I hope that continues….. Hope that didn’t piss anyone off… ike again… you’re all welcome to email me at ike210@comcast.net

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    1. Ike you are always welcome to state your opinion about the team. I agree they look pretty good, and Stanford looks really bad. We’ve got a shot at this one if we can keep it together in the second half.

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  164. Hall should be a prime candidate for a wheel route, with his speed versus a linebacker. Yet we don’t see it.

    Or, if Hall can’t block, send him out in the flat, let the blitzed come, and flip it to Hall. This isn’t rocket science…

    Go Pitt.

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  172. Ike,love your positivity, but Kenny cant throw simple short passes (certainly not consistently). So, we should be happy with the D and Hall so far and that will be our only hope.

    I keep saying this over and over so he proves me wrong today since I don’t win at gambling very often.

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  214. All kidding aside, CBS has shown the Pitt Band about 15 times. Not one picture of any Pitt Fans. Sad. I’m not sure if Heather or Gallagher had any pull, but they need to take note: Pitt fans don’t travel West of the Mississippi.

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  232. Have to admit we’ll designed d of the jet sweep by Stanford, deep safety sees motion and runs up. Now if only Watson could exploit that…

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  242. Watson’s best offense with Bridgewater at Louisville averaged about 35 ppg. I’m beginning to wonder how much it might have averaged if there was a competent OC

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  267. I didn’t think you could fumble it forward on offense in college and get rewarded. I thought it was placed at the spot of the fumble…unless they ruled it a pass

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  268. Well that will be on ESPN as a top10….against our Tulsa uni’s

    Let’s go get it right back. Need to answer methodically and not panic. We have 2 more possessions, maybe 3 left.

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  276. Stubpanther, I came here to ask the same thing. Are you now allowed to fumble the ball forward on offense in college? Anyone know the rule?

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  292. sorry guys, Pickett might have a lot of heart but he’s not a DI qb. How many screwups will he be allowed before he’s pulled…. that last series showed us all we need to know

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    1. Tidying up for a New Year’s Eve night out at the comedy club.

      Laughter will be good for the two of us after that terrible display of offense.

      Huff you made me laugh with your wedge comment.

      I turned off the TV to go have dinner with my two nephews.

      Poor O, but the D sure came to play.

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  298. worse than the browns… The Charlie Browns. This team is embarrassing even if they lucknout and win because Stanford sucks. Ike, no sugarcoating this complete ineptitude and it starts at the top!! Must be in the water at the practice facility.

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  301. let’s be clear. we should not be relying on 53 yard field goals. That was a 1st, 2nd and 3rd down failure to gain yards. Actually, we lost yards.

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  305. So to recap:

    1. 4 star recruit drops pass that was on the numbers
    2. Pickett badly misses on a slant
    3. Pickett clearly holds onto well-booked RPO (or read option) too long on causing 3rd down fumble
    4. Kessman misses wide right. Way wide

    That will be too 10 for Pitt disastrous offensive series of all time

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  307. If Pitt makes that fumble it goes through the endzone for a touchback.
    Redzone offense cost us this game. Watson + Pickett= not good enough.
    Looks like we sguandered a pretty good defensive effort.

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  318. Ike——> sending you good juju so you won’t be as pissed as you should be.

    Can we please not go offside or rough the kicker and then have a 25 yard field goal attempt to win the game?

    Oh, and make it

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  335. The sad part about it is that Watson is going to get another year.

    Hey Pat Major Applewhite just became available!

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  348. Season over. Lets start the hype of how great all Kenny’s off season youtube workouts are and get “psyched” for next year!!
    He’s not good and doesn’t have “it” and never did. Yet, the stubborn one will anoint him starter next year during this post game press conference….and offer Wataon a 5 year extension.

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  358. good god, what was that?!? We’re awful. Just awful. Losing this game is the ultimate pathetic loss. give Jeff George a shot next year, what do we have to lose?

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  360. How much is Narduzzi’s buy-out?

    Like I said, he’s an 8 win ceiling coach that will never win a bowl game.

    Definitely not worth the $3.5M when you can get the Toledo HC for $2M

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  362. Just really inaccurate as a passer. Not sure you can teach accuracy. Not a QB coach though so I really can’t say.

    It can be less about his physical traits and the clock in his head where he rushes his throws because of phantoms in his head.

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  366. Hats off tobthe D today. But offense, special teams and coaching looks foolish again like they have in the last 2 games.

    KP will not get better and don’t give me the crap that this is his freshmen season. He has made “0” progress this whole year – mentally or physically.

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    1. So what is worse Huff, my hope for career ending injury or damning the Panthers to hell?

      I guess they would simply be joining us IN HELL.

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    1. Me too. FWIW, I’ll have to convince the wife to skip next season.

      There has to be something better to do with our entertainment dollars.

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  375. KP has devolved into TS. This was sickening. The D played well enough. Another disappointment which is to say just another year being a Pitt Fan. We will get to see Pedo win tomorrow and just twist the knife a little more

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  376. If that wasn’t SOP, I don’t know what is. Find a way to lose, that is what we do best.
    This one ranks with Houston.
    Tough break to lose Ollison, but they were playing without a lot of their stars too.

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  381. Time to get offensive coordinator who has some control. No throws to tifgt ends all year one dimensional. Picket has shown no progress in two years. He will play till he graduates and we will be 500 team every year. I’m discussed with the whole Narduzzi ego and lack of coaching skills. A lot of thought will go into season tickets next year. I’ll pass after fifty years of rooting. This game was lost in first half and all season with inept offense. You must be able to throw and use tight ends it’s been a frustrating year sign me out

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  384. I would love to know what the receivers truly think of KP… too much expectatation was placed on that 2017 Miami game… he could not live up to his own billing…

    D looked great for much of the game…

    Happy New Year to all my POVert friends!!! 💥💥💥

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  385. Is Larry Fedora an offense guy, he had Mitch Trubisky and Ryan Switzer….How about AVP, isn’t he with Green Bay who is changing coaches?

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  386. No excuse for this loss but Narduzzi. That wasn’t a P-5 offense we all watched out there today. Heads should Roll!

    That said, the defense played a game worthy of a victory.

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  387. So had we not waited 35 seconds to get the play off after ffrenchy’s no catch, we would have snapped the ball without a timeout by stanford. The reason was because the three or four replays didn’t show anything and then bam, the turf! Then double bam, the timeout. We needed to get to the line and get that thing snapped. Frustrating coaching.

    Glad we wore the Tulsa uni’s.

    We are not opportunistic as an athletic department and sports franchise. Tomlin future being discussed as we speak with ownership group. If they find someone they think is better, he is out. If not, he will be saved again. Two years left with Ben.

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    3. Huff – you speak like you know something about the Steelers. Hope someone in that meeting can see the Emperor Mike needs to be surrounded by more capable coordinators and an analytics guy/gal. Hope we don’t lose Munchack.

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      2. Tomlin has been isolated as the problem. We have gone through his DC’s and OC’s.

        Most importantly and tied into this thread is administrative support. The Steelers have put many of the best offensive players in the league together….and paid them handsomely. You can’t get past the fact that the organization under-performed with excellent talent.

        This is similar to Pitt. If the Administration makes a full commitment to winning, they will win . If they just dip their toes in the success ocean to test it, they will be mediocre. Steelers got mediocre results with above average to excellent support. Pitt has been an interesting case because we have overachieved based on what the Administration has supported.

        Now, the pressure is on for the Pitt Administration to finally tell the truth and define who Pitt is to its alumni. Is the Administration going all in towards excellence or are they happy with mediocrity. That is the BIG question. Pitt needs to tell the truth, period. I am tired of being told how the bar is championships here and then support it like a YMCA league. So who will hold the Administration to the fire?

        Why has our OOC not changed? Why is it only the Pitt fans that challenge the OOC of Dairy and Syracuse? The answer is because nobody else cares because everyone else is just winning.

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    1. ^^ I suggest you start my friend Fran. As your brother of a forged friendship, a libation is good medicine and I wish you a very Happy New Year! I’ll raise a glass in your honor this evening. here here!

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  389. We averaged 5.0 yards per rushing attempt. Yet we passed 29 times (completing only 11). It’s like we didn’t expect the running game to work today, so we just stuck with the game plan mix. At some point you would say, “Hey, the running game is working. Let’s stick with it.”

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    1. My thoughts as well. Watson has had a tendency to start a series with passes, which I guess is to make a point and keep the defense honest. Problem is, it doesn’t work. Teams already know we prefer to run and struggle with pass protection, so why throw away a series? That happened more than once today.

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  390. The question will be: Does Pitt think a 7-7 record is acceptable?

    I’m sure Pitt does because Pitt won the Coastal, made it to a bowl game, and achieved high GPA’s, graduation rates and did it all without scandal or cheating.

    So from Pitt’s perspective, this season was a success.

    To fans like me, it was a disaster.

    Pitt will be lucky to win 7 games next year.
    Pitt will be lucky to draw more than 30k fans to Heinz.
    More SOP and Pitting.

    Pittsburgh must love mediocre programs and coaches like the Steelers and Panthers.
    What is it? – 3 playoff wins in 10 years and 3 bowl wins for the Steelers and Panthers.
    Thanks Mr Rooney and BoT

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    1. 7-7 is not acceptable and I’m sure the AD agrees. But a better record should not come at the price of not getting the things you noted in your 2nd paragraph.

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    2. Pitt doesn’t think 7-7 is an acceptable record, but Pitt doesn’t want to pay to bring in a top coach who CAN get the job done. A coach who CAN get the job done doesn’t want to coach at Heinz Field and doesn’t want his players bused to a practice facility.

      Pitt should give Narduzzi two more years to see what he can do in the 2020 season when the non conference schedule is thankfully a joke.

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  394. This was a game that most teams who are positioned like Pitt —throughout 4qrts — are going to win.
    Yes, I am very disappointed in this loss. The defense was very good. But again the pass game — take away one to TMack — was anemic. (Pitt likes to throw laterals under Watson, whether it be to an OL, RB, WR. But demonstrates a total unwillingness and lack of confidence to execute a simple screen pass. (Anyone here can recall the screen completed to Mathews about 3 weeks ago, and it was a big, successful play. So I am befuddled why there’s no work to make that a part of the game plan again, among many, many other things that could’ve been incorporated).)

    It’s unfortunate, but there’s no doubt at this point that Pickett is no where near a lock to start at QB in ‘19. And our OC has no place calling another game IMO, either.

    I thought for a moment that PN might take a couple series with JGeorgeJr in the 3rd Qtr. Nope.

    Watson is in need of being sidelined indefinitely. And Pickett needs a more thorough evaluation. As many have stated, it’s looking like the optimism we took out of Miami’s ‘17 win was premature as a measuring stick for what amounted to a lot of confidence in the freshman signal-caller at the time. And whereas I was reluctant to judge too harshly, this game has my attention as poor play atop the other questionable performances.

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      1. It’s working for Clemson….what do we have to lose? One thing for sure, Pitt doesn’t have another season to throw in the toilet with Pickett at the helm.

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    2. That would have been at least six weeks ago RE screen pass at Mathews
      Was a nice example of play calling that I don’t care to look up at this time (with certainty as to date/time/place). Why is because there’s nothing congratulatory about looking back at this season. The highlight reel after Wake Forest isn’t complimentary and the season got stuck in SOP there-afterwards.

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  396. Was this year a success?
    Many will ask at this time and would tell anyone asking me with a definitive “yes and no” answer. And it’s a fair answer if being asked directly. And I will conclude more on the “yes” side (it was a success). BUT ONLY IF there a major personnel changes as indicated above. AND if not, and we (as Pitt fam) keep on in the same direction (i.e. retaining Watson; anointing KP as definitive starter) then it must be considered a fail in this postseason.
    Hope y’al recover from this let down.
    —Neil

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  397. Well, is anyone really surprised with this considering what we have seen from Pitt when we play any team with even a little bit of talent?

    Outscored 80 – 26 to end the season with three straight losses… Lost third bowl game and looked like crap in all three losses.

    Is this what anyone expected in Narduzzi’s third and fourth seasons?

    Keep telling us how great his recruiting is…in keeping with the fantasy that this HC can do anything at all with “his own players”.

    Sorry, but this is typical play from Narduzzi’s team when anything really important is on the line.

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      1. I wrote the truth Ike, you should understand that.

        We just lost to a not so great anyway Stanford team that had five NFL draft kids missing from the lineup…five missing starters and all good players. Yet we choked anyway.

        PN holds form and blows it yet again.

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    2. So when Pitt went on its winning streak you posted on here that you didn’t watch one minute of the games but now that the team ends with three-straight losses you’re posting after the games?

      Pitt has had a Pitt problem for three decades now. You don’t think Narduzzi can fix it then who can? Surely not someone Gallagher would pay the money to win.

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      1. Does what I do or don’t do change the outcome of Pitt football?

        I think not.

        I watched each game on DVR at my leisure and you know what?

        We still had another successive non-winning season under this HC in his 3rd and 4th seasons.

        I’m not sure I had much to do with that…

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      2. We are paying this guy a lot of $$$ to lose game including three bowl games.

        Since he got that raise to what? 3.5M and the extension he has coached Pitt to .500 ball.

        Last year he had the worse W/L record in 11 years…this year .500 ball.

        Gee can’t wait to see what he does next year when almost all of his decent ballplayers will be gone.

        I Know!

        Cancel any decent OOC games we have and pay cupcakes to lose to us!
        But Delaware and Ohio might give us hard times as you know UCF & PSU are going to.

        While we are at it pay UNC millions to cancel that game also.

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  398. Missing a wide open Lopes…Argh….Announcer/Danielson commented that KP focuses on one receiver…I like KP but the lack of a passing game is holding back the team. Pitt post game show comments that KP had a disappointing season and failed to set himself apart as starting QB for next year very true. Time to open the QB position for some competition?

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  400. Chance for 8-6 season and optimism for next season. Coastal division champs nice but team lost steam after Wake Forest win. Extremely disappointing end to the season!

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  401. George isn’t the answer as the starter at QB for ’19. So, get yet another transfer or go with Patti.

    Belville won’t be ready so forget that bit of wishful thinking.

    The whole roster for next year, every single one, is either average at best or unknown… So more wishful thinking.

    Watson is poor but really we should jettison the whole staff and start over because there ain’t going to be any major improvements as long as PN runs the show.

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    1. This was a wasted year. Not only did we finish at 7-7 but we lost any opportunity of getting rid of Narduzzi. The year started off promising in only one facet, the possibility of jettisoning Narduzzi at the end of it. Pitt then promptly goes out and plays pretty good football against mostly mediocre opponents to win the Coastal Division. After accomplishing that “lofty” goal, they revert back to their norm and finish the season by laying two eggs in a row before once again crushing us Pitt fans by losing a game in the fourth quarter. Unless we are absolutely putrid next year we will have Narduzzi two more years.

      If I was Narduzzi, I would look at changing my quarterback. Pickett is not the answer. During the game I saw him giving receivers heck for not running routes properly. Mr. Pickett perhaps needs to do some self criticism as well because he sure did not play an acceptable game. We need to give a serious look at Patti. If I was Watson, I would turn Pickett into option quarterback assuming they can put some muscle on his frame. He sure is not a passer. Yes he can fling the ball, but he does not go through his progressions well, if at all. While we are at it I would also suggest Watson replace his wide receiver coach. Next year we should have Pickett run and hope he is successful. If not, try another quarterback such as Patti or George. I agree Bellville should not be the starter but should redshirt if possible unless he is the second coming of Dan Marino.

      Looking forward to basketball season. Expect to win several more ACC games than we did last year:)

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  405. As Reed has clearly pointed out, next year Narduzzi goes it without any more help from Chryst in the form of Player Leftovers.

    2019 should offer some DEFINITIVE evidence as to whether Narduzzi is someone to hang the future on.

    Factor in that other Teams in the Coastal like Virginia look to be ticking upward in terms of talent.

    Heather might very well be faced with a decision a year from now.

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  407. Chryst leftovers played positions that he never dreamed they would play. Don’t give me that crap.

    imo, big changes need to be made on the coaching staff. I would say Narduzzi as well but I know that ain’t happening.

    FUMBLE!!!! bounces into the arms of the Stanford player. ok, that would have been a good bounce for PITT if it landed in a PITT players arms. Such is life. It’s not like PITT totally sucked today. No I’m not happy with the offense.

    Pickett just may not have it. Can’t trade KP so get rid of Watson and see who was the problem…….. Kenny is like a rubber robot. Mechanical one second and loosey gooesy the next. He needs a QB coach or move on.

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    1. That bounce in the end zone for the TD and the sack fumble that bounced right back at the Stanford players. Pitt is still snake bit.

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  409. are we really sure a 7-7 record isnt fine by Heather?
    they keep bringing up winning the Coastal as this big accomplishment
    keep bringing up men of character and high GPA’s, graduation rates and community service accolades

    until i see an AD with a backbone, its same as usual to me
    Heather obviously thinks 5-7 seasons are worthy enough of extensions

    Miami didnt waste time with getting rid of their HC
    Their AD was openly critical
    Their fans and boosters complained

    Pitt’s fans and boosters are used to bending over and saying thank u please may I have another

    I will not have another

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    1. Ms. Lyke has plenty of backbone Tx! She fired two basketball coaches in one year as well and got two very good replacements. She also has done well with her wrestling coach hire! Unfortunately she seems to have faith in Mr. Narduzzi for some inexplicable reason. This year though her hands are tied due to Pitt “glorious” Coastal Division title. No coach worth anything will want to come to a school that fires their coach after winning their division in a P5 conference not matter how mediocre said division is! As I stated above the best we can hope for now is Narduzzi getting fired next year but only if we have a very bad year. I would think we would have to go 4-8 or worse for him to be fired next year.

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      1. its easy firing coaches who have never won an ACC game
        easy to fire coaches from programs that dont matter
        much more difficult to make hiring and firing decisions on programs that make a profit (or in Pitt’s case generates millions in revenue) and gets national attention

        she owes Narduzzi her job. Narduzzi was on the selection committee for her
        thats why they are chummy

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  410. Typical anti-Narduzzi bias here! You continue to talk about the W-L without any mention of the schedule …. when 4 of the 7 losses were to teams currently in the Top 12.

    Compare this schedule to any other schedule Pitt has played in the past 25 years or so.

    For that matter … compare the schedule Pitt has played in the last 4 years against any other 4 years. I’m not just saying another 4 straight years —- I’m saying compare it to any other 4 years.

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    2. We lost to UNC this year. UNC fired their coach as his only two wins of consequence in last two years were against Pitt. Today we lost to a very depleted Stanford team that we should have easily beat. We got smoked by a very mediocre Miami team. Most of us are not upset with the PSU or UCF losses but these other games we had no business losing! That is the difference between an acceptable and an unacceptable coach. The Stanford team that competed with Notre Dame into the fourth quarter was not the team Pitt faced today.

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  411. After that great win over WF at the post-game tailgate I said to George Aston’s dad, Rick, that his son and this team had the opportunity to be a pivot point of a historical portion… beat Miami.. give Clemson a battle and win the bowl game… it was all their for the taking…the season ended a total disaster…..

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  413. Pitt had 4 blow out losses. You have to go back to Majors II to find that many.
    Pitt also lost to a 2 win NC team (we helped double their win total)
    Pitt also lost to Penn State at home in the biggest blow out since anyone can remember since most of us werent born then
    Yes the schedule was tough but Pitt wasnt even competitive in many games
    That Miami and Domer loss arent looking good now
    The best team Pitt beat was the Cuse in overtime at home with a hungover Dungey

    I’m anti Narduzzi because I’m pro winning.
    Heather and homer fans are lassoed to this loser of a coach for the next 2 years

    Pitt will win another 6-7 games next year, go bowling, lose again in a bowl, and yet fans will be happy.

    I became a Miami ‘fan’ today and I’ll become a Steeler fan when they get the backbone to do something they should have done 2 years ago.

    Winners dont accept excuses and mediocrity.

    Its been 9 years and counting since Pitt has been ranked in a final poll.

    Narduzzi has no bite

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  414. and yet if Pitt played Cuse’s schedule, they would have 9 or 10 wins and be ranked

    BTW, did you know that UNC played at Syracuse this year and lost in overtime? Cuse is not better than us

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  416. I actually think Narduzzi is a decent coach with some bad assistants
    Granted he cant recruit but thats solvable with better assistants
    and yes he is well liked by players, runs a clean ship, and wants to be here
    i’m not over looking those positives
    but in the end, its wins and losses that matter along with bowl wins (hardware) and final rankings

    for anyone that wants an easier OOC schedule, call Heather and e-mail her directly. There is no reason why Pitt is playing Tennessee. There is no reason why Pitt has to play the Domers and Hoopies in the same year if one is really worried.

    But bear in mind, scheduling a MAC or AAC team is no automatic win when you recruit at Pitt levels and have assistants that are incompetent.

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  418. Regardless of the competition, you would think the team could demonstrate some competence in executing a simple game plan.

    They can run the ball but that’s apparently it. No screens, no passes to TE’s, few if any simple slant patterns, etc., etc. Add in bad penalties, poor game management, and less than spectacular in-game adjustments and you have a pretty bad team….such is Pitt football under HCPN.

    HTP!

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  419. Drip, drip drip…
    A slow leak of fans away from the program…fans who grow more dispassionate after every season when we lose to North Carolina and blow a bowl game. For me, penaltypalooza this season discouraged me from making the hop across state to El Paso.. I thought beating North Carolina and winning the bowl game were quintessential to the program’s future under Narduzzi here. Houston dumped their coach after a horrendous bowl loss. Miami jettisoned theirs after the bowl loss. Let’s face it, Graham, Chryst, Narduzzi, what’s really different? What stays the same is the university’s lack of commitment to winning big.

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  420. Richt was ‘fired’ at Miami despite going 26-13 in 3 years. In those 3 years, he won 1 bowl game and won the Coastal.

    After 4 years, Narduzzi is 28-24. He has gone 0-3 in bowl games but did win the Coastal this year. He will probably coach another 2 years at Pitt.

    Thats the difference in culture.

    Pitt is fine with mediocrity.

    If Heather had a backbone, she would realize that Narduzzi is not the answer. She would reach out to the Toledo coach and make him an offer. But she doesnt have the power to do this even if she wanted. The BoT will not allow it.

    The goals and expectations at Pitt do not align with fans like me and fans at top 20 programs.

    Again, Pitt is fine to win 6-8 games each year, go to a bowl game and run a clean program.

    But I have a MAC coach that can do that for $2.3M and he’ll win a bowl game in his first year.

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        1. yes by a FG to a Butch Davis coached team
          FIU is a conference USA school…think UAB and Marshall
          Doesnt Pitt play Marshall next year?

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        1. You’ve become a little more radical in comments TX. Used to enjoy your perspectives.
          I understand your views for the most part but your rants won’t change the opinions of the supposed BoT or our current AD. If anything you’re sounding progressively unhinged.
          So can you reel it in a little, man, is what I am asking.
          And now you’re a sports agent?
          Umm… Ok

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          2. I like tx’s comments. Just because you don’t, you shouldn’t ask him to “reel it in” just because they don’t align with yours.

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          3. I’m trying to add some levity albeit poorly I’ll admit. More importantly, who is holding Pitt accountable?

            I know my ‘rants’ wont change the Pitt culture but as a fan I can choose not to attend games and to not donate and to use social media as my platform to express my opinion.

            You wont find me donating or attending football games until Pitt fires Narduzzi and begins to treat football as a business.

            I’m sure many other fans feel the same way. If enough of them do, Pitt will be forced to make a change. Just like they did with KS.

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  421. Would like to see both Watson and the WR coach replaced.

    Leaping catch by Mack may have been the only time this season one of our WRs high-pointed the ball. We usually wait for the ball to come down to chest level, giving the DB plenty of opportunity to make a play…

    And on Watson, it seems if you watch any other games (maybe except Mich State), you see creative plays. Where was the misdirection today? Where are the screen passes – which seem ideal against a heavy pass rush… And those roll-out pass plays did not work all season, yet we kept trying them. Even the announcer today said our receivers were not properly spaced on that play…

    And the total absence of a TE is a whole other story.

    T