The All-ACC academic team was announced yesterday and Pitt put six players on it.

While questions may arise about head coach Pat Narduzzi’s on-the-field football coaching abilities, there is no question about his staff’s off-the-field academic coaching abilities.  Information from Pitt’s SID is in Italics below:

The Panthers’ six honorees rank fourth among the ACC’s 14 football schools. In Pat Narduzzi’s four seasons as head coach, Pitt has 26 All-ACC Academic Football Team honorees, the second-highest total among conference schools during that span.

Pitt was beaten out by three schools. Duke (duh), Georgia Tech (no surprise) and Clemson (what????).  Duke had 12 selections.  GT had 8 and Clemson had 7 (although at least two of them tested positive for mind-enhancing substances).  Virginia and Syracuse tied Pitt with six.

To be eligible for consideration, a student-athlete must have earned at least a 3.00 grade point average for the previous semester and maintained a minimum 3.00 cumulative average during his academic career. Athletic achievements during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the team.

“On behalf of our entire program, I want to congratulate each of our six All-ACC Academic Football Team honorees,” Narduzzi said. “They were not only important contributors on the field, but also high achievers in the classroom as well. These six young men exemplify the best of the Pitt football experience and we take great pride in their accomplishments.”

 The Pitt Academic All-ACC Players are as follows:

Rafael Araujo-Lopes (Kissimmee, Fla./Winter Park/Reedley College) led the Panthers in receptions in each of the past two seasons. As a senior, he had an 86-yard punt return touchdown at UCF, the longest return by an ACC player in 2018 and the fifth-longest nationally. He earned his bachelor’s degree in public service and is enrolled in Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs

Dennis Briggs (Wilkinsburg, Pa./Shady Side Academy) started all 14 games at strong safety and finished third on the team with 59 tackles. He was elected a Pitt captain by his teammates for the second consecutive year, making him the Panthers’ first multiple-time captain sinceAaron Donald(2012-13). Briggs earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and is enrolled in Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business.

As a first-year starting specialist, Kirk Christodoulou (Melbourne, Australia/Balwyn) averaged 41.4 yards per punt. He boomed a 73-yarder at Miami, the Panthers’ longest punt since the 2004 season, and also had a 71-yarder at Wake Forest. Christodoulou is a finance major.

Connor Dintino (Mashpee, Mass./Choate Rosemary Hall) received Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition as a senior after starting all 14 games on the Panthers’ offensive line. He displayed valuable versatility, making 11 starts at guard and the final three contests at center. Dintino earned his bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing and is now enrolled in Pitt’s Katz Graduate School of Business.

Darrin Hall (Youngstown, Ohio/Austintown Fitch) was an All-ACC tailback this past season, rushing for 1,144 yards and 10 touchdowns on 153 attempts. He averaged 7.48 yards per carry, breaking the 43-year-old Pitt record set by the legendaryTony Dorsett (6.6-yard rushing average in 1975; minimum 1,000-yards gained). Hall is a health and physical activity major.

Jimmy Morrissey (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./La Salle College H.S.) earned All-ACC honors at center in 2018. He is the first Pitt player at that position to earn such distinction. Although his streak of 23 consecutive starts was halted due to a season-ending injury at Wake Forest (Nov. 17), Morrissey is expected to regain his status as one of the ACC’s top centers in 2019. He is a finance and marketing major.

It’s easy to see what is happening here.  Narduzzi is winning with a cobbled-together collection of transfers, walk-ons and Paul Chryst players.  Only one player on this ACC All Academic team was recruited by Narduzzi out of High School. (Punter Kirk Christodoulou), and he is from Australia so he hardly even counts.

I’ll go ahead and break this down for you:

Araujo-Lopes while technically “recruited” by Naduzzi, transferred in from Junior College and was no more than a band-aid solution for the academic team. And it’s a good thing Narduzzi snagged him, otherwise we wouldn’t have a single pass-catcher on the squad.  Lopes’ work in the Graduate School of International Affairs will not go unnoticed as Pitt attempts to lure more foreign players like the aforementioned Kirk Christodoulou, and Canadian Offensive Line recruit Liam Dick.

Briggs was a Chryst recruit, and often maligned as less-talented-than-the-people-behind-him at that.  Well not only could no Narduzzi recruits displace him on the field, but apparently none could replace him in the classroom.  Briggs has a finance degree (HARD) and is currently working on his Katz MBA. (ALSO HARD)

Dintino, was also a Chryst recruit.  Not only did he have to learn the entire offensive playbook this year because he switched from D-Line to O-Line, but he had to learn two positions (Guard and Center), and yet somehow Dintino still found a way to maintain a 3.0 average in MBA graduate classes.  He’s my academic MVP.

Hall, was yet another Paul Chryst recruit, further proving that Narduzzi just can’t recruit for academics.  For my money Hall has the most common sense of the group (which is a form of intelligence).  His Health and Physical activity major makes perfect sense for anyone who wants to optimize their on the field performance while giving themselves an opportunity to excel off the field, and possibly go into coaching (and send his best young players to Pitt!), that is, after his long and productive NFL career.

And finally Jimmy Morrisey is nothing more than a walk-on.  It speaks volumes to Narduzzi’s recruiting approach that he had to plug Morrisey in as his starting center last year and also that he’s only one of two underclassmen on the all Academic team.

So as you can see, Pitt fans, Narduzzi’s recruiting is falling way short of the mark here if Pitt is expected to maintain its ACC academic dominance.  We are definitely going to need some underclassmen to step up in 2019.  The good news is that there is some coaching turnover at Georgia Tech, so that will help.  The bad news is that with Pat’s newfound reliance on Florida recruits and Florida’s abysmal 40’th ranked public school system, we might not have the horses to compete.  Here is to hoping Pitt’s supposedly world-class academic support staff can develop our team in the offseason.  I’ll believe it when I see it.

Hail to Pitt

Michaelangelo

 

 

LOL JUST KIDDING FOLKS!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO PITT’S SIX HONOREES AND BEST OF LUCK IN THE SENIORS’ CAREERS!

 

 

 

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.

184 thoughts on “Six Pitt Football Players Named All-ACC (Academic Team)”

  1. FYI — in the latest US News rankings of national universities, Clemson was rated 66th and Pitt was 70th. Both are public institutions but of course there are reasons why Pitt would accept some students that others wouldn’t and why not? Both are excellent schools as are all ACC schools (except for Louisville of course). BTW, Miami is ranked 53rd but of course it is a private school (as are many ACC schools).

    BTW, Lopes was recruited by Narduzzi’s staff

    Like

    1. Yes but I’m considering Lopes a junior college transfer. Satire requires a bit of imagination sometimes…

      Liked by 1 person

    3. another BTW … you have to actually play and contribute on the field to be considered for the All-Academic team, thus, there may be some subs who are doing better in the classroom than those listed above.

      Having said that .. there is no doubt that the culture under Nordy/Stevie for sports was more pointed towards academics. You may recall that several BB players were cited for their academic achievements under Dixon … I recall Cameron Wright being named the ACC’s Top Student-Athlete

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Not to take anything away from EVERY All-ACC Academic “Student-Athlete”… but there is some underlying things that do factor in.

    For one… BASKETWEAVING (formerly known as the “Communications Major”) counts just as much as any other Major.

    And two… Unlike the REGULAR Student, the “Student-Athlete” is often assigned a Personal Tutor to “help” with everything from Homework Assignments to Test Preparation to Term Papers. The “help” also often extends to NEGOTIATING final grades with Professors.

    Again not taking anything away from EVERY “Student-Athlete.” Just keeping it real.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. God forbid that we would actually celebrate anything related to Pitt without someone pointing out potential holes in the reason for finding good in the program in the name of being “real”.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. There are only TWO things I want to find good in Pitt Football.

        10 WIN Seasons becoming MORE likely than not… and a NEW Pitt Stadium that Students, Alumni and Fans everywhere can be PROUD of.

        Don’t think that’s asking too much.

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        1. And that’s keeping it “real”?

          Yours is a nice wish list and certainly something that all Pitt fans would love to see realized.
          If that is all that will satiate one’s dreams though, there is likelihood of continued frustration. Your right and your choice. Forgive me and others if we don’t follow and instead stop and smell the roses occasionally.

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  4. If I recall, Dintino, Herndon Millin and possibly Bookser all are grad students .. as are Lopes and Briggs. This should be good ammo for recruits’ parents …. although many of the 4/5 stars see college mainly as a means to the pros.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. What you forgot was that our foreign born punter – Christodoulou – had to have two members of the PITT academic support staff working with him. One to tutor his academic classes & one to translate that info & return questions into his native tongue. Truly a remarkable accomplishment!

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Great accomplishment for these kids. They deserve all the academic support they receive. Kudos to the players that take advantage of it.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Michaelangelo— when you’re hot, you’re hot!

    Didn’t realize that our punter ended up with an average of over 41 yards — pretty decent after his early struggles…

    (And BTW, as a baseball player at Pitt in the late sixties/early seventies, I sure didn’t have any tutors or anyone negotiating grades with my civil engineering professors… 😊)

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 6 people

  9. PittofDreams,.. I was a communications major at Allegheny College…hey wait a minute I resemble that remark. 🙂 Also my boy Connor Dintino and I both attended the same prep school “Choate Rosemary Hall” which has incredibly high admission standards, so he better be an all ACC academic. Choate also happens to be in my hometown, yes i walked to school , uphill both ways, in the snow.
    http://www.choate.edu
    My claim to fame was that i was friends and classmate with Paul Giamotti. Some other famous grads you may know are Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Jamie Lee Curtis, JFK. The school is now obscenely expensive. Back when i went there it was reasonable, and i took out some loans to help pay, along with financial aid. Anyway, congrats to all the players for their academic awards. This kinda stuff should be more publicized in my opinion.

    Liked by 8 people

    1. impressive indeed … your classmate played ‘Pig Vomit’ in ‘Private Parts’ and his dad was the Prez of Yale and the MLB Commish. And other alums include the son of Kirk Douglas and daughter of Tony Curtis. And oh yea, there is also a former USA prez.

      I’m amazed that you lower yourself participating on this blog with posters like me? I’m honored

      Liked by 1 person

  10. A good understanding of science and math is needed to learn how to put a large sphere through a circular object! When dunking, at what angle will the thrust of the sphere fail to penetrate the circular object? 🙂 Sorry, couldn’t resist!

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      1. Some of these POVert comments are hilarious today…

        MM… excellent satire…

        “Walking uphill to school- both ways.” LMAO… begs the question .. Must of got high and floated back home. ??

        Liked by 1 person

  11. Whether it’s dunking, drinking or anything else I have always felt that on the job training and life in general > than education. The white collar world has it backwards, get a job then get specifically educated for it. Yeah, I half kidding.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. ike, I’m surprised that you don’t see the obvious benefit in taking basket weaving in college! I remember some art and human anatomy classes at Pitt that set me up for life! In geography I learned where all the bars were located in Oakland!

    Liked by 3 people

  17. YES! Good job Mike for being on top of things… again. and Congratulations to the honorees. I still say Hall is a Narduzzi recruit though…

    Like

    1. Great to see Aaron Donald as one of the poster boys for the Super Bowl.
      It will be interesting to see what Belicheat does to neutralize him, although Brady’s 2 second release, neutralizes most pass rushers. Hoping to see some big Donald splash plays though.
      Watching him burst through the line when Penn Hills played Gateway, he looked like Fat Albert, as hard to stop as a bowling ball. A small man for the position he plays, his strength and quickness are unparalleled.
      He gets double teamed on most plays and still wins many battles.
      I’m guessing his Pitt Jersey gets retired soon.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Kudos to these young men that have succeeded in the classroom as they have on the gridiron.
    They are obviously masters of time management. I wonder what the breakdown of their hours in the day look like. Hours for football, Hours in the classroom, hours studying, Hours eating, sleeping, recreating, socializing etc?

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    1. That is also where McGowens is from. My daughter, a proud Pitt Grad, taught there for a few years before coming back home. Looks like a great pickup if we get him.

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  23. Guilty of learning to “weave a basket” a couple of times.

    One that comes to mind was a Freshman Class with about 300 students taught by Nathan Davis at Lawrence called “Jazz Appreciation.”

    I’m sure there are a few hear who remember that one.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I had a few too. I remember Rocks 80 (geology) with most of the football team.
      Those guaranteed A’s helped the QPA.

      Like

  24. Davis always made it interesting. A highly respected musician who knew just about EVERYBODY who was somebody in the music world.

    Just as much he was a great story teller. Remember him relating his experiences playing with some of the Greats in the clubs in Paris.

    Despite the large numbers of students who took his class he was willing to make himself available at his office to hear you plead your case.

    A GREAT Guy who I am sure is missed by a lot of people.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. PittofDreams, I remember Nathan Davis so well! What a great guy, and I still remember some things he taught us in Jazz class. His classes were a welcome relief from the drudgery of engineering classes and trips to the Cathedral to run those stupid Fortran computer cards. Rocks 80 was a classic as well. Best years of our lives.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. remember it well …. you punch out 58 cards and one of the cards is bent or something, and the entire program comes back as an error. I remember about 7 years later when I went for my MBA and took an IBM Basic course … and thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread (along with Lotus 1,2,3)

        Liked by 2 people

    2. “…and trips to the Cathedral to run those stupid Fortran computer cards. “

      “Infinite Loops!”

      UGH! ☹️

      Redo and back to the Cathedral…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  27. “Geology 086, Intelligent Life in the Universe” How can you not take a class like that? Although I didn’t learn a skill like basketweaving it was interesting.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Fun question of the day. How many times will the Super Bowl TV announcers mention AD and Pitt during the game? Winner gets to boast about it.

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  29. Narduzzi should be extended for this alone. He is abiding by the almighty Mission Statement as is his players all the while facing a stacked deck trying to win at Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  30. ^ I’ll take it as if you are serious Nate but the “almighty” comment made me wonder a bit? I know how I can come off to some as being a little too positive and all but in my mind…. I’m the one being realistic. I realize Narduzzi is doing exactly what the PITT brass are asking of him. Run a clean program and be competitive. Bingo!

    Point is, I also realize he ain’t a going nowhere. (bob dylan) What I want PITT to do and my expectations are two different things. When I watch the football games, I do so knowing the odds are still stacked against PITT from years of the not caring about the football program. I temper my thoughts and expectations on how the games are played along with the outcomes of each ones. Despite the end of the season, the coastal division still means very much to me, along with the big upsets the past few years, it gives me hope that there just might be some changes going on down in Oakland and the south-side. I also have a tiny bit of inside knowledge that leads me to believe this.

    That said. I’m not the Narduzzi apologist some think I am. I’m realistic. BUT! To tell you the truth, he has to do a lot better this year.

    Will the real realistic POVer, please stand up.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Pitt is not serious about football until they bring the game back to campus and stop bussing students to a pro stadium 5 miles away that is way too big for Pitt’s needs.

      I do believe the BoT is happy with Narduzzi since he has so far run a clean program and gets to bowl games.

      We fans have different expectations for what our time and money buys. Some are content while others like me know Pitt can and should do better.

      At least the program isnt where it was back in 1995…a BoT vote away from football relegation.

      Liked by 2 people

  31. So I see where the Pirates signed a pitcher named Maurer to a minor league contract.

    His ERA last season with the Royals was 7.76.

    Yikes! (Sounds like someone the Pirates could afford…)

    Also, Mike Leach was extended thru 2023 and will be paid $3.75 million in 2019.

    The salaries for coaches are just ridiculous.

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. This will be year 8 for Mike Leech at WSU. His last 4 years have been very productive, including a record of 11-3 last year. These days that’s a long time to be at one school. I’d say he’s worth the money. Of course, you have to put up with his antics at times. Which makes me ponder the question…I wonder if his practices are open or closed?

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      2. 3, 6, 3, 9 – Leach’s in total in first four seasons. If narduzzi went 3-6-3 at Pitt he’d have been canned for sure

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  32. amazing that PSU FB will get 107k even when they’re playing Southwest Directional State but a campus of 40k can’t support it’s BB team

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    1. formerlywwb

      Remember that last year, when they won the NIT, they were all prancing around about how they were champs like they had won the NCAA trophy. Photos. posts. And, now they are 0–9 in the Big Ten. So, they are begging students to come and watch them lose. Hah.

      H2P

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      1. If I was a Penn State student, I’d rather tip a cow in sub-freezing weather than watch their basketball team.

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  33. Tex, many of us are old enough to KNOW that Pitt can do better, and without breaking all the rules. Pitt used to lock in the local talent, but the huge number of coaching changes has erased the bond that existed when Western PA players stayed home to bolster the local U and make their parents proud. Pitt can get this back if they work at it.

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    1. what local talent?

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  34. academic cheating at Mizzu

    Liked by 1 person

  38. Next BB game Saturday against Syracuse at the Pete. Looks like the guards will be driving to the basket right into the Syracuse forest once again. Me thinks they will need some very hot 3 point shooting to make a game of it.

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  39. Tomorrow starts PITT’s money donation drive. For every $ donated you get double the points. I know I’m calling….

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  40. So way up the comment string someone mentions punter needed translation….Australian, right? English with accent to English without? Is that a paid position, I want it if it is.

    And, someone mentioned he ended up averaging about 41 yards per,,,,is that with taking away his several longest punts as required on this blog? 😉

    Liked by 2 people

    1. How was the indoor golf experience?

      I saw temperatures are to rise to 55 degrees next week in a Central PA – FORE!

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  43. This is becoming a Pitt thing apparently

    Craig Meyer@craigMeyerPG

    Pitt’s conference strength of schedule through eight games is the hardest in both the ACC and, according to KenPom, major college basketball

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    1. Erie – there was a good article the other day about Mean Joe Greene saying how good AD is, and Joe saying that he, Joe, wasn’t as good as AD, wasn’t as quick. And then AD being all humble about it…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  47. Rick, thanks for the film clip.
    The indoor golf was awesome…PGA pro suggested some swing adjustments that worked well and I played some holes at Muirfield Village on a simulator.
    First time I ever used tracman… very cool feedback.

    Like

    1. Frank — thanks for posting that link; that’s an excellent article on AD.

      I think there’s a lesson in there for Pitt recruiting where that NFL coach said he values speed over size. I think we had been stuck on size in our OLine recruiting and we’re still doing that in our TE recruiting.

      Our TEs are like 6’7” and 280, which is fine if they can run but there aren’t many people that size who can get open in a pass pattern (as we saw last season…).

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  51. PSN had a nice writeup yesterday on a 2020 offer to Virginia WR LaMaren James. He was offered by new Pitt coach Chris Beatty and IMO just his comments about Coach Beatty should give us Pitt POV Die Hards something positive to focus on.

    Like

  53. I’ve written this before here but the first time I saw Aaron Donald play was on TV when Penn Hills played Fox Chapel which had future PSUer Miles Dieffenbach at center, While Donald lined up at different positions, he was mostly at DT.

    What immediately jumped out of the screen was how quick he was. It was like he knew what the snap count was on every play. He dominated the game and I remember being puzzled why he wasn’t a consensus 4-star; he was clearly the best player in what was the top level high school at the time.

    Liked by 1 person

  54. I saw the article this morning (Trib or PG, can’t remember) indicating Brown had strep throat and of course Toney had an injured hand, but the article was poorly written and didn’t make it clear if that applied only to the last game or to the upcoming game tomorrow. Does anybody know the status of these two??? And does this mean our X factor will be Samson George?

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    1. Yea, I saw that both Toney and Brown are question arks … and it may vindicate Brown somewhat for his poor showing vs Clemson. Samson George is obviously not the savior but he played hard and as well as any other Pitt player the other night. But I see another game tomorrow where we will be badly outrebounded.

      The only hope is that Pitt shoots much better at home like most teams do.

      Like

      1. Thanks. And my comment regarding SG was tongue-in-cheek, but yet respectful as well; Samson played only 10 minutes, had a few points and was our leading rebounder. Maybe the speaks more about our lack of rebounding and size than anything else, but I tip my hat to the young man regardless.

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  55. Just my opinion on recruiting…it is getting way too much attention on PSN and elsewhere. Is the press really going to publish every kid Pitt misses out on. That is a ridiculous trend.
    No one ever heard of Toney, Johnson and McGowans (sp?) before Capel recruited them. There are hundreds of kids out there that can be good ACC players. The trick is being able to identify the talent. Johnson is a great example. Why the heck wasn’t he more highly rated just based on his quickness?
    The MJ Devonshire coverage is over the top also. He is one kid and it isn’t like he runs a 4.3 forty. I get the Aliquipa obsession and it would be great to get him, but it will not make or break Pitt football.
    I always think of the Anthony Morelli recruitment and the RB Johnson (I believe) that went to Miami around the same time. Neither of which panned out but everyone was obsessed with them. It was the end of the world because they did not go to Pitt. For every kid that chooses another school, there is a James Conner, Aaron Donald, etc. that chooses Pitt.
    I just think the amount of coverage these 17/18 year old kids get is bizarre. Just my opinion, it isn’t geared at anyone that posts on here.

    Liked by 3 people

  56. Well we do give a lot of coverage on the POV with Pitt’s lack of star recruiting power don’t we? Hence I can see why recruiting on any BLOG associated with Pitt Athletics gets the coverage it gets. Also I think you would find out from the BLOGS covering most every other powers 5 program that they likewise cover recruiting with similar zeal.

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  57. Recruiting is an extension of the football season for the more passionate fans. I also find that the individual personalities transition from the regular season to the recruiting season quite smoothly. If you know what I mean? and that includes me as well.

    Liked by 1 person

  58. Rivals and Scout have been doing the recruiting thing for years. PSN is newer and still mostly free. If you are not interested in recruiting don’t read them.
    However good recruiting is still the driving force behind good football teams. You need great players whether they start out as 5 stars or no stars.
    As long as people keep reading about it, reporters will report about it.
    No one knows which players will make an impact, but the more that do the better the team.
    Devonshire is important because winning the recruiting battles leads to winning on the field.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I don’t read the the recruiting articles. I just see all the headlines.

      I will read about the kids on LOI day.

      Like

  59. I think there were a few others that left with Morelli and Johnson. Who knows how they would have fared at Pitt? Morelli had an NFL arm but no football smarts and poor coaching and he was a bust. Johnson got lost in a big group of running backs. Lots of highly touted guys don’t make it for any number of reasons, even first round picks in the NFL. Recruiting is an art as much as a science.
    Aaron Donald was overlooked by many because he didn’t have the size for an interior lineman. Lucky for us or he would have gone elsewhere.

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    1. Pitt definitely would have won more games with Morelli in 2007. As for 2008, not sure if he was good enough to push Pitt to 10. It’s possible Morelli could have though.

      Like

  60. Was in the car this morning and heard on the radio that someone analyzed all the cases this season where Tony Romo predicted what the play call would be. They said Tony got it right 68% of the time.

    Not too shabby.

    If he can tell by the down, distance, and alignment what the play is likely to be, I wonder why defenses can’t figure it out better…

    Romo does say some interesting stuff. Last game I saw I remember him saying that on short yardage, defenses can’t stop the QB sneak and the wide run. Once the teams lined up, he knew which play would work and got the calls right a few times.

    Guess this is why Brady has been so good— he seems to know where to attack based on how the defense lines up.

    Bet Walt could do that well too…

    Go Pitt.

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  61. Brady is the master of taking what the defense gives him. Best ever at it, but he also has the quickest release ever and is extremely accurate. A deadly combination.

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  62. By the way, this weather is nuts, coldest two days of the year and a heat wave starts tomorrow, supposedly 57 in a couple of days. Unfortunately too muddy for golf.

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  64. OT… an honest question for a slow day at the office. Why do you suppose Goodall destroyed the spy-gate tapes?

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  65. My daughter’s history project is Watergate…she’s getting a kick out of researching it..watching All the Presidents Men tonight for some background for her.

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    1. Yes, it is. My apartment on South Bouquet was right at the end of the “structure,” near the bottom of the hill. God, that apartment was the pits. But, the nurses across the hall made it a great place to live.

      H2P

      Like

    2. Love the old pictures. I had heard that Soldiers and Sailors is the oldest building on campus, built to recognize Civil War veterans.

      I was on campus when they tore down Forbes Field, may have mentioned this before, I was in the stadium when Clemente took his last walk through in a Sharkskin suit. No one bothered him, he was larger than life.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Guess I heard wrong just googled it and Soldiers and Sailors was opened in 1910 and the Schenley Hotel in 1898.

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  69. Goodall took one look at the evidence and new there would be serious consequences with no possible way to rectify what had happened. It had the potential to ruin the NFL for good. Another Black Sox scenario. << except opposite. A zillion people won and lost money because of the cheating.

    Before it was even uncovered what was going on up in New England, the Steelers complained after a playoff loss that they felt New England knew the plays they were running all day ahead of time.

    Results……. shred the evidence.

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    1. after the 2004 AFC Championship, Hines Ward was quoted that the Pats DBs were shouting out the plays and the patterns before the snap

      When asked about this on the Boomer and Gio Show yesterday, Cowher said they were stealing the hand signals that LeBeau were signaling in and that was fair game, But that is total BS ,,, because it was the offense signals that were being stolen which was being radioed in then (and still is)

      Cowher and everyone else associated with the NFL knows what side of the bread is buttered … and everyone is getting more than their share

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Cowher acknowledged everyone stole signals, including the Steelers. The difference apparently was that the other teams took written notes on the signals and subsequent plays – video just made the process easier.

        Like

    2. Speaking of Roger Goodell, he was reportedly paid over 31 million bucks in 2015.

      That’s > $31, 000,000!

      My question is: Why?

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  70. Good points wwb but I also believe the Patriots were stealing the defensive signals as well. You’re right. It wasn’t just hand signals but the helmet radio signal also went to a player on defense.

    To further this point, a few years later…. Big Ben complained while playing in New England that his helmet speaker was picking up the New England play be play broadcast…. So the cheating has never stopped.

    Like

  71. for you football fanatics (I am not one) that can’t get enough FB, the AAF (Alliance of American Football) is kicking off next Saturday, 2/9 with a full slate of 4 games. Some of the players you may recognize are:

    P Ryan Winslow – San Diego
    DT Shakir Soto – San Diego
    OT Brandon Hodges – San Diego
    WR Dontez Ford – San Diego
    OL Jaryd Jones-Smith – San Antonio
    TE Scott Orndoff – Orlando

    games are on NFL Network, TNT, CBS Sports and even a few on CBS

    Liked by 1 person

  72. wwb…. I mean this half joking and with all due respect but your last comment comes off to me as an oxymoron. The one you’re not a fanatic. You’re one of the biggest PITT fans on the POV. Fanatic? Maybe not but real passionate, yeah, you fit the bill… . 🙂 .. .. ike

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    1. I am a college FB fan but not necessarily a FB fan. Do you know that I didn’t watch the last 2 Super Bowls? I follow the Steelers because they’re local but once they’re out of the playoffs, I can care less about the NFL. I’d rather watch high school … or especially the Penguins, Pitt BB or an old movie on TCM

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  73. Coach Curtis McGhee Jr@CmcGhee35
    I would play anybody anywhere if I was HC. I’m not scared of competition. That’s why Pitt is better than WVU. We don’t play a guaranteed 4 wins

    The above from a former Pitt player from back in the 90s who is an assistant at West Liberty Univ

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  74. If Devonshire was considering Morgantown, maybe not so much after today’s news coverage of the confrontation with police down there.

    Mom not pleased!

    Go Pitt.

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  76. Switching the conversation to BB for a brief moment –

    Of the ESPN 100, there are 20 Centers in the 2019 class – 3 are not committed as of this morning.

    #18 is Tre Mitchell 6’9” 250lbs – hometown listed as Pittsburgh, PA and plays H.S. ball in CT. Tre does NOT have Pitt in his top 5 according to Rivals and 247Sports.

    The other two not committed, supposedly do not have offers from Pitt.

    Kentucky has yet to get a commitment from a Center for the 2019 class, but do have one from a 6’10 Power Forward.

    There are 7 schools that have 2 of the top 50 Centers committed –

    Memphis #1 and #25
    Texas 7/14
    Gonzaga 12/20
    Arizona 13/34
    Maryland 17/45
    Xavier 22/23
    Georgetown 31/43

    Gonzaga and Xavier each have a Power Forward committed as well. Xavier doing this heavy recruiting with a first year HC.

    Pitt still with no recruits committed for 2019.

    I’m off to work to catch up from being out for a full week with business travel and a little golf mixed in.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. We have 5 inches of snow with a light flurry this morning and 1 degree temperatures in Central PA. Later today we are forecasted for 39 degrees, tomorrow 42, Monday 49 and 55 on Tuesday.

      The slow melt will have the greens mowed Tuesday morning and us hackers digging up the course in the afternoon.

      Liked by 1 person

  82. Here you duffers go: Watch out for the second one, there are some swear word’s so don’t watch it if that offends you. (it’s not me swearing) but it did give me an early morning laugh. MM delete if you want.

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  83. I could only imagine how pissed you guys would be if this happened to you. It’s not like I think it’s a good idea..

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    1. That is why we keep extra “duff” balls in our golf bag – some use them for “water” holes – I use them to throw at idiots with air horns.

      Liked by 1 person

  84. Here’s a list of the attendees to PITT’s jr day.

    AJ Beatty (6’5″, 250), 3-star DE, Central Catholic HS, 2020
    Josh Rawlings (6’5″, 230), 3-star TE, Woodland Hills HS, 2020
    Aakeem Snell (6’3″, 185), Athlete, Penn Hills HS, 2020
    Beau Brade (6’0″, 190), 3-star Safety, Clarksville, Maryland, 2020 (Holds Pitt Offer)
    Amaar Allen (6’3″, 250), DE, Central Catholic HS, 2020
    A’meer Allen (6’4″, 25), DT, Central Catholic HS, 2020
    Andre Parker (6’2″, 185), QB, Woodbury, New Jersey, 2020
    Bangally Kamara (6’3″, 200),3-Star LB, Akron, Ohio, 2020 (Holds Pitt Offer)
    Josh Kaltenberger (6’5″, 280), C, Seneca Valley High School, 2020
    Marques Trent-Watson (6’0″, 190), LB, Blackhawk High School, 2020
    Terrell Miller, CB, Georgia, 2020
    Nahki Johnson (6’3″, 220), Athlete, Steel Valley High School, 2021
    Jake Guy (6’3″, 280), Guard, Don Bosco Prep, 2021
    Jake Robbins (6’1″, 200), Quarterback, Don Bosco Prep, 2021
    Jayland Parker (6’0″, 195), 3-star Linebacker, Macon, Georgia, 2020 (Holds Pitt Offer)
    Evan Simon (6’3″, 200), 3-star Quarterback, Manheim, Pennsylvania, 2020 (Holds Pitt Offer)
    AJ Roberts (6’1″, 210), 3-star Linebacker, Staten Island, New York, 2020 (Holds Pitt Offer)
    Chase Mitchell (6’4″, 335), offensive/defensive lineman, Washington High School, 2020
    Miguel Jackson (6’1″, 230), Defensive end, Pine-Richland High School, 2021
    Corban Hondru (6’1″, 220), Inside linebacker, Peters Twp High School, 2021
    Nicholas Dawkins (6’5″, 300), Guard/Defensive Tackle, Allentown, PA, 2020
    Harrison Hayes, Offensive Tackle/Defensive End, Pine-Richland High School, 2021
    Zaire Hart-Hawkins, (6’1″, 170), Athlete, Philadelphia, PA, 2020
    Kevin Meeder (6’5″, 275), Offensive Tackle/Defensive End, Seneca Valley High School, 2020
    Mathew Lombardi, Offensive Tackle/Defensive Tackle, Philadelphia, PA, 2020
    Dorien Ford, Defensive End/Tight End, Baldwin High School, 2021
    Dominick Thomas, Defensive Tackle/Offensive Tackle, South Fayette High School, 2020
    Max Norton (6’3″, 280), Guard, Washington DC, 2020
    Tommy Lorincz (6’6″, 285), Offensive Tackle, Avon, Ohio, 2020
    Malcom Britt (6’1”, 190), 3-Star Outside Linebacker, Chesapeake, Virginia, 2020

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      2. No surprise Rick. Narduzzi’s trick is to bring in “other” players that have the highest ceiling. << I hope.

        Like

      3. How many 4 stars are in PA this year? Looks like it’s mostly PA recruits with a few bordering states.

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  85. Ike, my buddy Lou once hit his drive straight back between his legs, hopped down some steps and went into the pro shop. Conleys Resort on Route 8 about 40 years ago.
    Student tickets sold out for hoops tonight..

    Liked by 1 person

  89. Guys – expecting disappointing news on Devonshire on LOI day.

    Rationale: He never verbally committed, clearly shopping for what he believes is the best situation. Just gives the impression that Pitt is his “safety school”

    UK made a late push and has a lot to offer – great HC, nice campus, warmer climate, program on the rise in the SEC and the Wildcats have just lost their two starting CB’s to graduation.

    From what I could see elsewhere (Twitter, etc.), his family had a good visit to Lexington and apparently Stoops, Stoops, Stoops has been to Aliquippa (I’m sure JoeD, wherever he is, has all the scoop on that),

    Pitt has things in its favor – easier for family and friends to see him play regularly. Better tradition of placing top players in the NFL. Not far from home – if thats important to him.

    But this sure smells like a loss if only based on Devonshire’s lack of commitment to Pitt.
    I hope I’m wrong.

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    1. JoeL – you’re probably correct, but I’ve had a feeling that he is coming to Pitt. Just something I read somewhere about how he’s close with his family, but I’ve been fooled before…

      (I was puzzled by Coach Dooz taking just Coach Harley with him on the Devonshire in-home visit. Hope that wasn’t a mistake…)

      Hail to Pitt!

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  90. JoeL, great video. Warms the heart.

    I have my doubts on Marlin for one simple reason, PITT never gets these high drama players. Usually the local players commit early to PITT so they can swing other locals. The local holdouts until LOI are waiting for a little extra incentive and persuasion. << and the best deal not so much the best fit.

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  91. Hey Rick EE, considering jr day. You’re right about zero 4*’s but take a closer look at the high schools some of these kids come from. It’s pretty impressive.

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  92. concerning Devonshire …. when it comes to commitments, I have learned to expect the worst …. and have felt that way since Robert Foster when he told his parents the night before it was Pitt … but felt different when he awoke

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  94. Speculation on Pitt Fan Fanatics is that it is the Rutgers TE, with no one thinking it is Devonshire.

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  95. Wouldn’t want anyone to lose any sleep.

    xxxxxxxx

    The Panthers got a bit of a surprise commitment this evening as Syracuse, NY linebacker SirVocea Dennis made it known that he was choosing Pitt.

    The 247 Sports 2-star linebacker was originally committed to Air Force, but tells Pittsburgh Sports Now that he’s been in contact with the Pitt coaching staff for “about a week.”

    Today, Dennis decided to flip his commitment to Pitt, telling us that its “a place where I think I’d be happy even if I didn’t play football, I think that was a big reason for me pulling the trigger. It’s a school I’ve always wanted to go to and a conference I always wanted to play in.”

    At six-foot-one, 204-pounds, Dennis describes himself as a “hybrid linebacker, who can cover but also bang inside with the big guys.”

    Pittsburgh Sports Now

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