Number 15 Central Florida comes to town this Saturday, bringing with them a up-tempo spread attack and a 27 game regular season win streak.

UCF Lineup - Recruiting RankingsThe good news is that Pitt has absolutely nothing to worry about because the UCF roster is populated by two-and-three star talent, and we all know that you just can’t win consistently without four-and-five stars.  Also UCF has five transfers in the starting lineup.  (Nixon – Ole Miss, Boudreaux – ND, Hescock – Wisc,  Gowan Miami OH, and Robinson – Bama).  We all know that bringing in transfers is a band-aid mentality that shows just how bad recruiting has been.

And believe me, it’s been bad.

  • 2015:  18 signed.  Class rank 63.
  • 2016:  21 signed.  Class rank 57.
  • 2017:  22 signed.  Class rank 53.
  • 2018:  20 signed.  Class rank 57.
  • 2019:  22 signed.  Class rank 55.

Wait…Didn’t I say UCF is in the midst of a 27 game regular season win streak?

Oh yea.  Well then who the hell cares about transfers?  Certainly not the 12,000 students who line up three hours before kickoff in 90 degree heat.

The only team they’ve lost to since 2017 is #11 LSU, and that was in the Fiesta Bowl.  UCF scored 32 and lost by eight, against one of the best defenses in the SEC.  They haven’t scored less than 31 points in 28 games.  Yes, UCF has done this mostly against American Athletic Conference competition, but they’ve also knocked of Maryland, Auburn (Ranked #7 at the time), Pitt and Stanford (just last week).  Combined margin of victory against these P5 Foes:  162 – 78.

So much for two and three star talent…

Maybe it’s coaching.  Maybe it’s the uptempo offense that forces the opposition’s offense to be one-dimensional (UCF is getting a play off every ten seconds).   Maybe they are over-investing in strength and conditioning.  Maybe there is just something in the water.  Whatever the reason, UCF has clearly cracked the code on how to win without recruiting like the big boys.

Narduzzi didn’t mince words about it:

“It’s called of state of Florida, okay, and it’s one of the reasons we go down there and recruit.  You look at a Vince Davis you can pull out of there, they’ve got a bunch of Vince Davises down there. They’re in the backyard, they’re all coming to camp. It’s population.  It’s playing the sport year-round.  It’s an advantage down there.  They can get guys to walk on that a lot of people are scholarshipping.  They’re just laying there. It’s like, ‘Oh, look at that guy.’  It’s an advantage.”

One heck of an advantage.  If Narduzzi posted five consecutive recruiting classes ranked in the fifties, you can be assured the Pitt fanbase would run him out on a rail.

Enough about recruiting though, lets look at what UCF has done this year on the field.  In short, they’ve scored a lot of point.  62 against Florida A&M.  48 against Florida Atlantic.  45 against Stanford.  I’d be willing to bet Stanford’s defense looked a lot like Pitt’s defense last year.  Lost and bewildered.  I’d be surprised if Pitt’s Defense is caught off guard again.

“We’re getting prepared differently,” Said Pitt DC Randy Bates, “Let’s put it that way.”

Lets hope so.

If there is an area to exploit, it has to be UCF’s defense, right?  Especially the defensive backfield.  All 5.3’s and 5.5’s.  Well if you believe the numbers, sure.  They’re experienced though, all juniors and up.  Also… per an infamous Pitt POV alumni: “UCF has a #4 ranking in Pass Eff. defense at holding the opposing QBs to a 77.97 ranking which is amazing.  I think we see some UCF INTs on Saturday.”

Maybe.  Here are the passing stat lines for each game so far.  Only one INT so far… but also not a lot of opposing-team success through the air.  I’m not terribly worried about our line’s ability to protect, but Coach Whip is going to have to dial up some scheme if he wants to move the ball, and Kenny Pickett is going to have to stay as good was he was last Saturday.

Florida A&M 14/36 92 0 0 –
FAU 8/20 262 2 0 —
Stanford 24/49 233 1 1 —
We are probably also going to need about five or six touchdowns.  In case you are keeping score at home, that would be  double Pitt’s production so far this season.
Gulp.
Kessman is also going to have to be perfect on his field goals.  (He’s currently got a 50% success rate…)
So yes, if there was ever a time for the Pitt offense to break out, that time is now.  Otherwise we are going to be set up for a nationally-televised embarrassment.
Hail to Pitt

Michaelangelo Monteleone

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

165 thoughts on “Previewing Central Florida”

    1. That would have to be multiple 4 star head coaches. Since the Duzz hiring, George O’Leary, Scott Frost and Josh Heupel have all lead the CFU football team.

      I believe that neither Frost nor Heupel had previous head coaching experience.

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      1. No head coaching experience. Both quarterbacks. Both got to the pros. Offensive backgrounds. Both are still learning how to be head coaches. But both are perceived by national media and their fan bases as having high ceilings. Now let’s talk about Pitt. 🙂

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  3. Look at the schools in their conference. Their recruiting rankings are in the 90’s. So if you look at CFUs talent, it’s far better than most schools in their conference. Tack on a good coach and good quarterback every year and you have a recipe for success. CFU would be no better than Pitt if they played in the ACC. Just another mediocre school.

    CFU starts as many four stars as Pitt.

    Pitt will finish this year behind division rivals of Miami, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Virginia in quality of recruits. And in most years Va Tech is right behind Miami. Percentage rated 5.7 and above. If Pitt was rated number 50, every school in the division except Duke would have better recruiting classes if you look at historicals

    So my point is everything is relative. You compete against your division rivals for recruits. That’s what matters and you must win that battle to be successful.

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    1. The past few years, CFU was a lot better than Pitt, regardless of conference. The point of Michaelangelo’s article was spot on, and Narduzzi eluded to it as well, their players are a lot better then their lazy star ratings In other words, as is often the case, the recruiting rankings are WRONG. Not all 3 star recruits are 3 star recruits, not all 5 star recruits are 5 star recruits. Get it?

      Liked by 1 person

        1. The numbers say otherwise. Star worship is over-rated. Ratings are based on competition, and highly competitive regions have much better supposed 3 stars than areas of the country that have limited talent, every coach knows this

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    1. The Biggies would not want them as one of the 4 teams in the play-offs..CFU is capable of beating .could and blow away their self-perceived greatness and invincibility…….Love the David vs. Goliath scenarios….

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Only if they go undefeated. If they lose just one game, they get relegated to a crap bowl because they play in a crap conference.

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  7. Nationally televised embarrassment it is! Pitt has 0 chance vs UCF. They’ll put up a minimum of 45 on Pitt. Pitt will move the ball easily all day……between the 20s.

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      1. I know you’re trying to go with the flow, but c’mon man, I can only assume you’re referring to moving between the 20’s as the commonality. If Pitt holds UCF to 17 points, I’ll be pleased.

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    3. Tell us more about your inside info on Whipple leaving Pitt because he doesn’t like Narduzzi. We’re waiting.

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  8. I see no way how Pitt can win this game. How is UCF not in the top 5? Question if Pitt was ranked 11 and beat Army in 2x OT the would fall in the rankings like a rock. Michigan moves not at all.
    If Pitt ranked 12 won by a touchdown at home to an unranked team they would drop like a stone.
    PSU stays right where they were.
    Then PSU looses to Michigan and drops 3 spots because Michigan was ranked in the top 10. The whole system is rigged for the top programs.

    Liked by 9 people

    1. It’s because the TV networks need the big name schools in the bowls and playoffs for the ratings. There shouldn’t be any polls until the 2nd conference games are played. Pre-season polls should be illegal.

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    1. Shhh! Pitt’s program is a national embarrassment, and the admin doesn’t care about sports! Don’t you know that?? Quit throwing out “statistics” and “facts” to disrupt the narrative here.

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  12. So lets recap….. PITT played a top 25 team with a top 20 defense to start the season. The results were not that great.

    They beat a respectable MAC favorite and beat them, forget the sniffles, PITT dominated the stats.

    17 point underdogs to psu that previously played two cream puffs and PITT more than held their own. Out gained and out performed psu. Came up short but represented.

    Now here comes UCF. They also beat two cream puffs and an unknown Stanford team. Now PITT is a15 point underdog.. I’m not impressed.

    PITT controls the ball and shortens the clock…

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      1. Well if you throw for 5 ypa and compete 80% of your passes that’s like 4 ypc…

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    1. Or some system or scheme for those two and three stars that masks their weakness…lack of elite speed and size. And maximizes their strengths. See triple option teams.

      Elite players in skilled positions and a solid supporting cast along with depth is what Pitt needs to strive to achieve. I’ll just take a good coach at this point. Any grace given to narduzzi after the Nitter game is gone.

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  14. I believe MM’s sarcasm is aimed at the star ratings. UCF is the perfect example that Rivals is full of crap with their ratings. Hundreds of kids get overlooked for one reason or another. UCF is scooping them up because they get to scout the kids firsthand and often.

    UCF would not be a middle of the road ACC team. They would be one of the top teams. Obviously, not better than Clemson but who is?

    It is never just coaching or just talent, UCF has both.

    Liked by 4 people

    2. If central Florida had to play ACC teams, they would be middle of the pack. And a middle of the pack team will beat them this weekend to prove my point.

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      1. No they wouldn’t, not their team the last 2 years. I suspect you’re basing this on stars, and if so, we can all take it with a grain of salt. This year is a different year, we will see how good they are toward the end of the year.

        Liked by 1 person

    3. Well yes and also the people who treat star ratings as gospel. Now with that being said there is statistical proof (at least according to the radio down here in Atlanta) that teams need with 60%

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I think UCF will cover the point spread by the end of the 1st Q. And if not by then most certainly by the end of the half.

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  17. Pitt upsets UCF!!!

    The D will rattle their true freshman QB. We have ACC caliber starting LBs this season that have speed. The LB’s last year were slow. Johnson, Campbell, Bright, and Pine are quicker than what we had. Paris Ford will return an interception for a TD. I might be a homer but IMO are DB’s are all NFL prospects. Ford, Hamlin, Mathis, Pinnock, and Jackson. This is their time to shine.

    With the right game plan UCF can be limited on offense. Playing them last season will pay huge dividends this Saturday. We let one get away last weekend, I think the boys will come out to play even harder. The run game will finally come alive. #H2P

    I haven’t been this optimistic about the Panthers since the last ten win season. Duzz finally has the defense he had a Michigan State. Even without our two best dlinemen other guys have stepped up. Good job on Patridge & co finding quality talent.

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  18. Control the clock is fine – scoring actual points would be even better…something that some Pitt fans tend to overlook this season.

    We are averaging 14 ppg guys. We ‘controlled the clock’ against PSU by a large margin and still lost.

    Whipple’s celebrated offense at Pitt so far has done exactly what it did when he was at UMASS – put up tons of passing yards, hardly any rushing yards and more losses than wins. Whip’s recent past UMass records:

    2018 – 4-8; 102nd rushing

    2017 – 4-8; 99th rushing

    2016 – 2-10; 124th rushing

    2015 – 3-9; 102nd rushing

    2014 – 3-9; 112th rushing

    16-44 and averaged only 108th nationally in rushing over those five years

    Great!!

    Wonder why PN felt he couldn’t take a chance on 4th and 1??? Cause Narduzzi is coming around to the fact that we can’t, and maybe won’t, be able to trust or rely on the run game under any circumstance with Whipple at OC.

    I wrote this earlier but I think Whipple will be another drive-by OC for Pitt and will be gone over the offseason.

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    1. Reed you are forgetting about defense.
      What were umass defense rankings those years?

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    2. That’s wrong Reed… Whipple is 137-103 in his head coaching career. Not great but also a winning record………. BUT WAIT, you threw in “recent years” very clever to leave out facts that don’t support your stance. Unbiased? I think not

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Reed is very sharp, but like all of us, presuppositions can occasionally cloud his analysis, and stats are a deadly weapon in the wrong hands.

        I’ll judge Whipple later in the year, but right now I like what I’m seeing. If there’s one person on the staff I’m concerned with, it’s Borbs, but it’s hard to judge him in my opinion due to OL recruiting to this point; if we don’t see consistent improvement out of this young OL throughout the year, I’d look elsewhere.

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    3. Offense will be a work in progress… I won’t be going anywhere and have faith we will see growth in the running game.. By the 3rd game last year who thought we would have 2, 1000 yard runners by the end of the year on an O that all opponents knew could NOT throw the ball?

      Maybe we get our 1st turnover, maybe we score in the 2nd half… maybe Duzz invents a new way to screw-up!

      Is Duzz a worse game day coach than Stache??? Just ask’n

      Liked by 1 person

  19. And I see the same predictions as last week. These same ppl will point out coaching mistakes if we lose by 3 Lol

    But you said we had no chance….

    Liked by 5 people

  20. Last year central Florida had a strength of schedule of 65

    Pitt was 17

    This year Pitt is around the same and central Florida is 36

    Pitt is more battle tested. It will show this Saturday.

    It won’t be in the 90s with high humidity. I doubt one player cramps this year, fake or not.

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  21. Going to be warm and sunny on Saturday. With the lightning fast UCF hurry-up offense, we’ll need the DLine back-ups to make some plays.

    The backups we’ll be counting on:

    DEs— John Morgan, Kaymar Mimes and Habakkuk Baldonado.

    DTs— Devin Danielson, David Green and Tyler Bentley.

    Go Pitt.

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  22. This is exactly the type of game that the Panthers have absolutely no chance in that they somehow pull out a Houdini type victory.

    Why? I have no frickin idea!

    Liked by 2 people

  23. What if UCF beat Auburn because Auburn was flat as a pancake be ause they just had gotten walloped by Georgia in the SEC Championship? What if UCF beat Stanford because they were unprepared for UCF’s super uptempo? What if UCF beat Pitt last year because we weren’t very good and we too weren’t ready for the uptempo? Now, who else has UCF beaten of consequence?

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    3. Top reasons for SEC losses in bowl games:

      1 – We only play for championships
      2 – Our top players were more concerned with going pro.
      3 – Our coaches were more concerned about their new upcoming job offers, (This was Sabin’s excuse for losing to Clemspsum last year.).
      This type of excuse goes on & on to excuse # 43 – Our opponent was just better.

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  24. 87 degrees on Saturday, warmest day in awhile. Pitt will definitely win the time of possession. That’s because most UCF drives will be under 2 minutes, and they should score a bundle.
    Question is, did Pitt shoot it’s wad last week. Putting so much into one big game and nothing left? Plus the coach ripping their hearts out. It would show me something if they managed to win this one.
    The one thing UCF has had during this streak is excellent and consistent QB play. They may have had one or two off days in the past 20 or so games. We have had one or two good days from our QBs in the past 20 or so.
    Honest question. Change teams and coaches. Are records the same? Does the Duzz go 23-1 or whatever. Are we any better. Inquiring minds want to know.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. Randy, I like Duzz but I think PITT rushed to hire what I think is a life-time coordinator….. no he wouldn’t be 23-1 IMO…..

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  26. Fran, if you are taking a head count for Saturday, I will have 6 including my better half and two other couples. Like some others I have a good feeling for Saturday for no good reason!

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      1. Kevin, Clemson’s game was scheduled by the ACC and out of the control of Heather. Which is why should should stop scheduling good P-5 teams for OOC opponents. Notre Dame is back on deck soon.

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    1. Chardonnay !!! Did Mark get his BS in tail-gatng from Ole Miss or UVa…pretty refined taste and very Un-Burgh……You da man Mark!!! I did love the Prantl’s Burnt Almond Tort you brought for Annie…she shared!!!!

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      3. Actually guys, I first brought Chardonnay to the first POV tailgate because I asked Reed what he liked and he said Chardonnay. It seemed to be a hit with a few of the regulars so I stayed with it. H2P!

        Liked by 1 person

    2. One this year

      I think there were at least three last year

      Every player better pee clear they need to begin hydrating at least 24 hours in advance
      And continue drinking during the game

      No cramp excuses

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      1. And if the defensive players are looking to the sideline, that’s a sure tip-off that a cramp signal is in the works.

        Defensive players should never look to the sideline against a hurry-up offense —— or is going against a hurry-up actually the time when defenders may need to check the sideline for the defensive signal??? 🤔

        Go Pitt.

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  31. Pitt’s only chance is to have UCF go 3 and out about 9 times this Saturday. And of course not have a Pitt 3 and out the entire game. That might keep the UCF defense on the field for a very extended period of time and hence the possibility of an upset. I’m not expecting anything of the sort to take place but one can always hope.

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  32. Early prediction due to other demands on my time –

    Pitt does score 5 times (all TD’s) and holds UCF to 28 points. Outstanding defensive performance and coach Bates get’s the game ball after Pitt wins 30-28.

    Yes, 30 – Kessman misses the first extra point and Duzz pots to go for 2 on the next 3 TD’s and fails. But, on the 5th TD, Pitt goes up 30-28 with 2 minutes left in the game and Duzz sends out a cold Kessman who misses yet another.

    The Pitt D holds to electrify a 30-some thousand yellow seated stadium – not one fan will be sleeping.

    H2P!

    Liked by 2 people

  35. Fran, we left a bottle of Butter Chardonnay after the Virginia game. I would hope someone would have taken advantage of that by now.

    Will be interesting to see if Pitt can build on their success of last week, no tongue in cheek they played well.

    Will Kenny play as well? Will the D play as well? Christoudoulo?

    Obviously the O has to run better and has to score more, even in the second half. Fewer dropped passes.

    Defense must get turnovers for team to have a chance.

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    1. Good to hear, unfortunately I can’t make it this week, wife’s high school reunion.
      Next game for sure though.

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  38. By the way, the wet field caused problems in the red zone, won’t be an issue this week.

    So I read that the fourth down call might have been Whipple’s decision, although Narduzzi is the ultimate decider. In any case Narduzzi has to stop taking defensive time outs and save them for his offense down the stretch. He has not learned from his mistakes. His assistants need to explain this too him. When you take a defensive time out you are usually giving the advantage to the other team anyway. Unless you only have ten men on the field, again, this is on the coordinators, they need to wise up too.

    Narduzzi will never be a brilliant game day guy like Sherrill, but he needs to stop make dumb mistakes. Although Sherrill’s players did a lot to make his decisions look good.

    Players making great plays make coaches look like geniuses.The reverse makes them look dumb. KP’s bad exchange made the sideline pass impossible. Although, I didn’t like the call, poor execution blows up most nay play. Same with AJ’s slip on the wet field, he scores with better footing.

    Liked by 2 people

  39. Once again, I tried to post a link to a Yahoo article after the LSU – Texas game. During the game 11 LSU players suffered cramps.

    According to the article, the LSU head athletic trainer says other conditions can lead to cramps including anxiety/stress besides hydration.

    Maybe our PT POVerts can expound.

    I know from personal experience, that what lead me to have my hip replaced was not the pain in my hip but the pain from cramps in leg muscle/tendon.

    I will try to repost link. If you would like to read article, Bing (or Google) LSU Texas cramping.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Richard, the pain in your leg was caused by the bone on bone contact in the hip which can cause pain down to the knee, cramping included…I can still hearing JeanieB moaning and groaning, crying out at night prior to her knee replacement….

      Cramps in theses young guys is usually a hydration/electrolyte/ de-conditioning issue or maybe and under-lying illness(flu) then throw in some ole fashioned “getting your ass handed to you” will make you more susceptible to cramping…Back in the day, it was related to a lack of water(only pussies needed to have H2O and loss of salt which the coaches remedied by giving out salt pills or salt candy…those were the days my friend-luckily most of us survived to fight another day

      Hey my friend, looking forward to seeing you in Durham Town in a couple of weeks??? You bringing your boys ????

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Thanks for your input.

        I am looking forward to the Duke game. My plan is to get there Friday afternoon.

        I have invited my son & grandson & bought them the new Panther logo ballcaps. Like the Wake game last year, they may not make it to Duke until Saturday morning.

        I’m pumped to see the traveling POVerts.

        Like

  40. Like Brees… Dillon is really DECISIVE with the football… gets the Ball off really QUICK. ACCURATE.

    Measures 11.6 on the ALL-IMPORTANT YPA Scale.

    That number USUALLY wins a LOT of football Games!

    Liked by 1 person

  42. Dillon Gabriel is Drew Brees 3 games into his college career? In the words of Dennis Green “If you wanna crown em, then crown his azz!”

    He hasn’t played a quality defense yet. Two terrible programs and a Stanford passing defense that has been shredded all season so far. Look at Clifford’s numbers before he played Pitt. Look at Penn State’s point before they played Pitt.

    Lil Dillon gone get smacked in the mouf this Saturday! Ask Bryce, Nathan, & Sean…

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Pitts D can disrupt the timing of CFUs O
    And I’m also counting on the CFU QB to be hung-over after spending the previous night bar hopping on the South Side. Show the QB some good ole Pittsburgh hospitality.

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  48. A few random thoughts:

    Mark Whipple won the 1998 division II national championship at U mass. Let’s not throw that on the scrap heap with Halls long runs.

    Crowd noise would be nice for Saturday. Their freshman QB has only played one road game at FL Atlantic.

    As far as I’m concerned, If the PITT players cramp up, then go down. It’s a health issue. 😉

    Randy Bates was a great hire. Best group of asst coaches PITT has had in a very long time.

    We are buying a black lab puppy, pick him up this weekend. Any ideas for names?

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Ike – you made me laugh, Thanks for that.

      Black lab puppy?…awesome.

      I named my dog, Otto Morgenstern. He looks like an Otto. Named him after an ancestor who was a drunk and lived above his father’s taven in the 1800’s.

      My better half talked me into getting a cat as well. Named him Monsieur Faux-pas and it suits him and me just fine.

      I suggest you consider something fun and creative that will make you and others laugh or smile.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. That Bernie is a good man. Enjoy the game and the tailgates. They say that they are kicking me out of the hospital today. Hopefully they are more accurate than Kessman. See you all soon.

      Liked by 1 person

  50. Michaelangelo, Michael, Mike…Maestro!

    Bravo, bravo, bravo!… Eccezionale!!!!….Molto grazie!!
    (I just stood at my desk and gave you a standing O)

    That was a great read. Your writing style is simply great.
    Loved the tongue-in-cheek digs….on the mark, deserved and well supported.

    I’m not sure what to think, but so many people are telling me we have “no chance”.
    So I guess I should just stay back here in Central VA?

    No chance!

    I have no idea if this will be a bad loss, just a loss or – dare I say it – a win.
    But if we were to win, I think it changes the trajectory of the season in a big way.

    Gotta believe our young lads will remember the performance from last yr and vow to not let that happen again. Just as we did with PSU this year – and frankly, what UVA did to us this yr. And we don’t beat Penn State four years ago without emotion. With that in mind, I think the lowest probability of the three outcomes I stated above is the bad loss. I expect a decent game Saturday night.

    I think the folks that rely heavily on stats of past performance on games yet to be played overlook one very key aspect of football.Its not baseball. Its not a game of patience and large data samples. Its not regression to the mean. Those things are helpful, but simply cannot even begin to help understand emotion.

    Ask BigB to show you his game film on his phone sometime. Think that lanky kid from Apollo makes that run without emotion?! He does not! (Back me up here, Biggie)

    And btw…will you be up on Sat, Bernie? I’ll plan to bring some Crown if so.

    OK, Maestro, I’ve sat back down and will return to work.

    Caio! Caio!

    Liked by 4 people

    2. I didn’t place my bet against PITT last week… just had a feeling they would play PSU tough…. I wasn’t disappointed… we have a new offense to learn and lotsa new guys on that side of the ball including a QB who is growing following a wasted season/ terrible coaching which could have broken the young man…need to minimize mistakes…play solid special teams .. get a turnover or 2, and 100-150 yards on the ground and most importantly limit UCF Long Plays to 2-4….

      Liked by 1 person

  51. Mike – nice write up. They give stars for (supposed) talent. I wonder what UCF’s Star Average would be if they gave stars based on speed??

    I sat in the CFU stands last year, and it had to be in the high 90s! No telling what the on-the-field temp was.

    I learned to hate their fans last year. Every time one of our guys went down with a cramp, their fans booed, cuz we were slowing down the O! What a bunch of a__holes! I hope their boy QB gets holes in his flak jacket!!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. There were some obvious fake cramps. The fans were entirely within their right. It was poor sportsmanship by Pitt. There should not be any hydration issues if you have a good athletic trainer. So Pitt either has the ‘best’ people or they cheat and then lie about it. As a former athlete, there are few worse behaviors than faking an injury. I hope Pitt’s players push back against any coach ordering them to take a knee and flop.

      Like

      1. Teams like UCF and those that run that fast tempo in the heat will always create cramps. You can call them fake Tx but to think PITT is the only team UCF played last year that had cramps is off base. See Richard-Pitt-cocks post above.

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        1. Pitt isn’t the only team. But it’s poor sportsmanship. It’s blatant cheating. You get a yellow card in soccer for this. It’s real easy to not cramp. Drink plenty of fluids and pee clear. I’ve played in 105 degree heat multiple times. Never cramped. And I don’t have a professional trainer. Narduzzi chests and then lies about it. Not fair to place players in this situation. More evidence to fire him.

          Like

    2. They aren’t faster than many of the players on Pitts team. They are better conditioned. You have to be to run a hurry up.

      I see many on here are already writing off Pitt. And y’all call me a negative Nancy or realist?

      Like

  52. Didn’t see the entire PSU game.

    I noticed Alexandre makes some plays in place of Weaver. Is Danielson, Baldanado, Bentley, etc. having any impact at all?

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  53. JoeL… leaving got the Burgh in a couple of hours!!!!

    ANNOUNCEMENT forPOVerts that I am holding tickets for the DUKE game: I will be bringing tickets with me to distribute at the tailgate prior to the game… let me know if you will be there….. otherwise, we will make plans in the next 2 weeks to pass the out in Durham Town either at the motel where we will be staying or at the Doug Mundrick tailgate once we get specs as to where his RV will be parked….my email is bblystone12@gmail.com

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    1. No but I know an old Italian lady in Bloomfield that makes pasta and sausages to die for. She speaks no English. I hear Narduzzi frequently pays her a visit for the meatballs.

      Like

  55. Last years PItt v UCF game was just an embarrassment to the program. Players falling down, faking injuries because they couldn’t keep up with the high octane offense or the heat. I was so furious by halftime I turned the game off or i was going to have a Chernobyl moment at home. While last week was a bright spot, with the D and some key plays by our Wide Receivers I think we get obliterated in this one….45-17

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    2. Mr theshaman87 or could be Mrs I suppose ?? If you don’t mind me asking……… what was your prediction for last weeks PITT vs psu game? jus asking, cause I don’t don’t know? …

      Like

    1. Believe it or not JoeK, that has already been suggested via text message. 🙂 Also believe it or not…. I really like Reed. The feeling is just not mutual anymore… I have a few great songs I could insert here but YouTube is also not my friend anymore . . . . . 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  57. The math just doesn’t add up for me this week. They average 50 points per game, and we haven’t scored a second half TD since the first Bush Administration. I perceive that it will be a long day on Saturday. I really hope I’m wrong.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. great to hear from you Big E, hope all is great… BUT remember…. psu was averaging 63 points a game until last week…

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  59. Well, CFU has outscored their opposition 155-21 so far this year, has a top 20 offense and defense, is 28-1 the past 3 years (losing only to LSU 40-32 without their starting quarterback). Therefore, PITT WINS. Simple as that!

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  60. Back to MM’s point in the article, I would like to suggest that another way to look at it is that not every 3-star is the same (and sorry for being obvious). What I mean is that when it comes to local talent, of which Fla is loaded, its easier to find the 3+-star talents which appears to be what CFU has been very good at doing.

    Pitt’s local supply is pathetic when compared to Fla, so therefore harder to find that “+” in the 3-star pool.

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  62. One thing that helps our chances on Saturday — as far as I know we are not honoring any Pitt all-time greats!

    Almost without fail, whenever we have all-time greats in the house (see TD last week), we have a poor game…

    And for home games it usually rains…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Major. But Pitt is calling this one the hall of fame game. 2019 inductees to be honored at the game.

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  63. KP and Kaysir Mack both did nice jobs on their interviews on PSN.

    KP made an interesting comment that even with him coming over to see Coach Whip, he’s finding he has more time to think about his options and reads. Said the “number” system they used last season – with checking the wrist band – left him little time to think about the play prior to the snap…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  64. Fran (and Tom) — was a beautiful day today in Lawrenceville. Spent the day working on a roof on Tom’s old street…

    “Up on the Roof” was playing in my head…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  65. Ike, in the interest of Pitt comradery, you and Reed should bury the hatchet. Both of you make HUGE contributions to the PittPOV that include both your points of view. We humble posters appreciate both the pros and cons of fellow contributors like you two.

    Liked by 4 people

  66. I would rather not discuss this on the POV for two reasons.?? I considered Reed a good friend of mine. ?? Did I mention I’m getting a new dog?

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  67. You guys may not believe this as someone mentioned Reed as a name for the pup but I actually brought up the name Monte, short for Monteleone. Shot down again…

    PITT gains a lot of respect on Saturday, not sure of a win just yet but I’m getting there. The confidence is building.

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  68. Ike, I’m guessing if Monte was shot down, Maestro is out of consideration too? How about Whipple, Nard Dog, Gorilla arms, or Rockport? 😎

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  69. How about Script? Or Biggies favorite shade…Mustard.
    I like Rockport too! Haha.
    Too bad Scooter is already taken…perfect doggie name.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I mentioned Smokey in passing and got shot down… I’m beginning I have little say and what this pups name is going to be.. If I even mention a name like Rockport my wife might have me locked up in an insane asylum. Although the name is pretty cool….

      Liked by 1 person

  73. Say what you want about “Pappy” Whipple’s play calling. He is what they said he was… a “Quarterback Whisperer!”

    xxxxxxxx

    Narduzzi credits Whipple, the teacher, and Pickett, the pupil, for keeping the past two games clean.

    “It’s coaching. It’s (Pickett) making good decisions with the ball,” Narduzzi said. “Knowing where to go with it. Knowing when to throw it away and knowing when to tuck it and go. I think that comes with time.

    Trib Review

    Liked by 1 person

  74. Not expecting it, but would love to see Sibley come out of nowhere and have a big game tomorrow…

    Go Pitt.

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  75. ike, the amount of “likes” I’ve gotten tell me that fellow POVers agree that you and Reed need to smoke the peace pipe. There are bigger fish to fry, and with the big UCF game coming up we need both you and Reed’s in-depth commentaries to prepare for the run up to kick off and the post mortem (or hopefully celebration!). What separates this blog from others is that the posters can disagree but still remain friends.

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  76. VoR, I appreciate your kind words but this Blog is certainly not about me and way bigger than myself. As far as Reed goes, I have no problem with him and wouldn’t say we are feuding at all. Reed has moved over to help Chas writing articles for the Blather. I much prefer the format here at the POV to the Blather, so I stick around here where I’m more comfortable with the regular posters.

    Reed, I know you still read the POV and I wanted to catch up with you at the Delaware game but unfortunately I won’t be able to attend the game. Hope to catch you at the UNC game.

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  77. Speaking of young pups, UCF’s QB Gabriel Dillon, a freshman, on the road for his first big game ever. This game will not be a blowout. No way.

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