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.

609 thoughts on “Pitt at Duke Open Game Thread”

    1. Chase Pine has been a huge disappointment. Thank goodness for Kylan Johnson. Who by the way, prefers to be called KC.

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    2. Sorry to hear that, good depth on D will only go so far, hope they recover sooner rather than later.
      Hopefully next weeks bye will help.

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  5. Just want to say how much more fun Pitt games are because of the POV.
    Thanks Reed, Maestro, and all contributors. Especially Fran and his tailgate partners.
    Golf has been a blast.

    Special shout our to our road warriors who I’m sure will be heard on the telecast tonight.
    Win or lose these guys know how to have a good time.

    HTP!

    Liked by 3 people

  6. Boy I hope we get some decent announcers. I’ll be reading but won’t comment till halftime.
    Got to keep the blood pressure in check.

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  16. Pat Bostick said the Pitt WR was held coming out of his break on that “non-call”…

    Go Pitt.

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  18. Pathetic start —– Low energy. —— I know the game has just started but our offense
    Is playing a part in Ground Hogs Day—- same thing over and over and over.

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  23. Just before the Pitt TD, Larry Richert commented on the radio “There are a lot of Panther fans here!”

    Go POVers!

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  29. Pitt’s Offense has still only scored 10 points in the 1st Q in 5+ games.
    The Defense now has 7.
    OMG….PARIS IS BURNING !!!

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    1. Maurice Ffrench has been terrible this season which is surprising because he’s a senior, must not want to go to the league smh

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  40. Had enough of French. Cannot get game on any screening station. Please you who can see, let me know.

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    1. That horse collar was a terrible call. Remember, this is ACC’s darling we’re playing. Half the penalties will be bad calls.

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  50. Cudos to Toilet Paper’s offense for a 8 play 9 yard drive to get 3 points after Paris’s 2nd pick. woaaa

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  52. I love how the media during camp make the receivers seem like the next coming of Larry.
    How hard is it to catch a football?
    How hard is it to give the ball to the ref and hustle back to the huddle?
    Play Mathews.

    Liked by 1 person

  53. Dan – I’m seeing a “chippy” game being called by southern refs. Baldonado made a great tackle and the ref called a bogus horse collar.

    Jackson barely touched the receiver on the PI.

    I call B S

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  55. French is a team captain….he should lose that ‘C’. Punk move against the Duke player. Then
    arguing with his own players and then even an asst. Coach, whereas NoDoz had to get involved.

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  56. Try googling reddit college football streams. Then find the game.

    Great D first q. Some missed holding calls by refs where our lineman are being held.

    Offense hasn’t yet mustered a good series.

    Deep passes by Pitt appear to be open. Might have to try a few more.

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  58. I told you the refs were in the bag for this game…KP slides and gets hit in the head and facemask yanked. No penalty.

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  61. Can’t make it till half time, blood pressure off the charts, worst one sided referees ever.
    Missing late hit on Picket, pass interference on us but not them. No horse collar, missed face mask at least roughing the QB on his slide. Should have been holding when the ball was tipped.

    Just outrageous home cooking.

    Liked by 1 person

  63. Yeah make sure ad blocked is engaged and be careful to click on the appropriate link to start the stream.

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  74. wow all those yards and all that time….and zero points. Pickett is just not a very accurate passer. Which is why they don’t throw over the middle more.

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  79. KP is Duke’s best defense. Give him a little and he’ll give you a break.

    In Piit’s case, he’ll give you no points.

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  83. KP with 24 throws and the run game with 25 yards with 6 minutes to go before the half.

    Whip it “good”.

    Oy vey!

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  84. Why does our offense usually look like they never played football before. I think every game starts with a penalty against the Pitt offense, who can the last 4 games of last year. Will it ever end.

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  89. At least he didn’t blow the FG. These announcers are morons. Acting like that was automatic for kesserman
    and that’s pitt’s offense is some sort of juggernaut. lol

    Liked by 1 person

  91. The ACCN announcers definitely have not followed Pitt FB this season when they say “kicks Lyke that give Kessman no trouble”.

    This will be a tough one to win.

    I say Pitt scores a max of 7 more points in the 2nd half. The D will need to win this one.

    Liked by 1 person

  92. Kenny not playing his best tonight. If they throw one more screen to Ffrench, I’m gonna puke. Good thing our D came to play.

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  100. Let it be known that I said PITT would win this game easily. We literally have a top 10 defense in the nation…no CAP

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    1. There was some Wanny team I think that led the league in off-field arrests or something lol

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  112. Dukes QB a poor man’s Bryce Perkins. Not worried never was. #H2P

    In hindsight, Duzz made good decision treating Deleware like a scrimmage.

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    1. A lot of Duke fans are leaving. I’m standing right next to the gate

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  127. So will we see Duke run the GT triple option in the 2nd half with cut blocking taking out Pitt defenders knees?

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  128. Panthers left a looooot of points on the field in that first half. Hope it doesn’t come back to bite us. Defense is looking great though so far.

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  129. Why not go for the field goal, nothing to lose?

    This game should have been over, but air Whipple.

    You have to take the good with the bad with Ffrench.

    On the penalty Ffrench lost his cool but the defender did try to take his head off.

    This game is far from over unless Pitt learns how to score.

    Defense played the perfect half, will not happen this half.

    Pitt never learns how to put down the hammer.

    Should be some guys not named Ffrench or Mack wide open this half.

    I am hearing the POV crowd, they actually turned the mics down on them one time.

    It is tough being the new boys in this conference.

    Baldonado with a great tackle gets called for a horse collar and they get away with a facemask as KP is in a slide, pretty obvious stuff.

    Liked by 1 person

  130. The Dreaded NoDoz/Toilet Paper halftime adjustments. Nobody knows what those will bring. Might have needed a bigger lead, duke can’t continue to be so lame on offense. They did score 45 on VT last week.

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  131. Pickett might be STATISTICALLY challenged, but he is the ONE Player who is the difference in whether this Team is able to compete or not.!

    Not necessarily a good thing. But just the way it is.

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  132. Can’t say enough for this defense though. Hope they don’t let them up from the mat this half.

    Lot of frustration by the Duke D late in the game, hope it doesn’t get too ugly.

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    2. I’m not on anyone’s bandwagon. Just don’t understand why you have to diss a guy that has worked hard and is playing well for Pitt, at a position of need since Camp went down.

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      1. Just because a Guy has had a TOUGH life, I’m not going to PRETEND he’s something he is not.

        EVERYONE has tough aspects to their lives… and few ever get ANY recognition for what they achieve.

        It’s about being REAL!

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  135. KP with 34 throws and the run game with 39 yards.

    Oy vey!

    Halftime adjustments – D told to hold Duke to 3 and match bama’s effort. The O will be told to hold on to the ball and win the time of possession.

    I’m uneasy about the 2nd half scoring abilities of this team. The D needs another score to win this one…

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  138. We only have 2 healthy RB’s right now. That might be small reason why we aren’t running much.

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  144. I know we should have more points, but before the game, would anybody have taken Pitt up by 16 at the half???

    🤔

    Go Pitt.

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  155. Top 10 D in the country believe me. This is the D Duzz fruitioned. Let’s get it #H2P

    Last week was a scrimmage

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  156. Boy do I love to be wrong, Pitt D picks right up where it left off.

    Don’t be too hard on Whipple. When he gets a line in shape, probably next year, he will score a lot of points.

    He has turned a running team into a passing team and we are only half way through the year and just starting the ACC.

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  162. Back from a long absence – got the weekend off!

    The ACC refs SUCK! How could they miss that drop?????????? Worse refs in Div 1.

    Pitt D looks for real – first game I’ve had a chance to see since Virginia debacle.

    Go Pitt! Beat Duke…& the biased arse incompetent refs!

    Liked by 2 people

  199. Suck it up everyone! We need this!

    It wouldn’t be a Pitt game without 3rd quarter drama. Narduzzi May be the worst coach in history to still have a job!! Total lack of discipline on Pitt. Been going on forever.

    Wish we had a real head coach.

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  200. The offense and special teams are cost Pitt one heck of a defensive effort.

    Need to hold Duke to a FG on this series. Nick Patti should be warming up if KP delivers another 3 and out. That last throw was a good one, but it was fumbled and it was the ONLY good throw

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  214. We are going to lose this game. And here comes the onsides kick. Getting Homered big time. Duzz losing his mind instead of taking control. Pitt better put together a drive.

    Pitt coaching staff displaying there total amateur status.

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  218. Pitt needs to best Duke and the refs now.
    No roughing, no personal foul just BS
    This announcer sucks too!

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  221. If we blow this game the season is over— very negative statement, but this is the kind of game that lets all the air out of the balloon.

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  222. Can’t blame the coaching on the two fumbles, that is on the players.
    Someone needs to stand tall now.

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  227. The Two Point Conversion so illustrative of the difference between a PLAYMAKER and an Opportunist.

    Ford doing EVERYTHING he can to stop it. Hamlin watching Ford doing everything he can!

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  228. Harris is 11 of 31 for 80 yards passing and we may lose the game. Gotta score this drive….any score.

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  231. Time to hold players accountable:
    Have Paris Ford man the podium and explain attempting to catch a punt on the 5.
    Have Kessman explain that extra point.
    Have Butler-Jenkins explain fumbling.
    You miss a sale, you off a patient, you screw someone’s taxes, you are called on the carpet.
    Time to man-up.

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  239. THIS GAME IS OVER! What a disgrace Narduzzi Pickett and Whipple are! Duke suckered a very shaky Pickett into that throw.

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  250. Yes the officiating has been horrible.

    But Narduzzi let his team implode. Totally undisciplined. No accountability.

    His coaching has been worse then the officiating. Unable to adjust to the triple option in the second half – any good coach would have saw that coming after the way Pitt shut down thier passing game early on. It is in the Duke arsenal – game film would have shown that. Another failure to adjust.

    Pitt gets what they pay for. The Virginia debacle looks like the real team more and more. There will be a lot of empty yellow seats when Pitt gets home again.

    Bring on basketball.

    Liked by 1 person

  253. I tried not to comment on the refs so far but I can’t hold it back anymore … clearly duke’s QB had his forward progress stopped, but no whistle. And to make it worse, a Duke lineman clearly had an arm wrapped around the QB pulling him into the endzone but no call.

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  255. That is the definition of stopped forward progress. I’m not one to blame refs, and we have certainly self destructed. But that 2 pointer was total BS.

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  270. Aaron Mathews is on the sideline – probably the best WR we have.

    The D is playing well though…

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  282. Weird. The first half was all 3rd rate latr night infomercial commercials…once Duke started to comeback – they are now showing National brand commercials for southern pop and southern restaurants.

    Just saying…wasup ACC? No agenda my ass.

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  283. Pappy Whip is not showing his best tonight. That was a terrible series. Kenny has been terrible in the second half. Not much help from the o-line.

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  295. Utter disgrace by Duzz and Whipple. Duzz now challenging Tomlin for worst footballl coach in Pittsburgh.

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  300. If Narduzzi doesn’t stand up for what’s right and lambast the refs publically in the presser and take a 100K fine and a suspension he is a wussy.

    Liked by 1 person

  306. Houston redux. Pitt-has nothing left. Pickett is a disaster. Cant even run kickoff back to the 20. 27 point comeback w no answer Duzz a total loser as he has always been.

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  314. The score will show that we won, but in reality this was one of the worst games that we have played in years!

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    2. A loss would be bad but now a win is bad?

      Great win since Pitt had to score to win and did it calmly.

      I’m loving it, This game turned due to the coaches getting cute and putting Ford back to field that punt.

      Liked by 1 person

  331. There are so many negative things to say about this game, yet all I have to say is that the way we won that game in the end was highly impressive.

    Liked by 3 people

  334. Though I like Narduzzi, he needs to explain himself. This nauseating play has no justification. I understand it happening from time to time, but this has become the standard at Pitt!

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  336. It’s a win.

    But Narduzzi and Heather need to complain publicly about the bias and incompetence of the ACC refs. Someone has to.

    Yes, unfortunately Pitt played down to their level – they let the refs decide the pace and physicality of the game.

    Shame on the ACC – and the announcers were obvious homers who don’t know throughout the game beside being clueless about the rules and the game itself. Totally embarrassing if this was a National audience. Shame on the ACC. That can be addressed and should be IMMEDIATELY!

    Liked by 1 person

  340. Well, that’s one for the ages. If you’re young enough, you can tell your version 30 years from now. Me? It’s a win….. just like last week against Delaware but this one counts a lot more in the standings! You don’t get extra points for style.

    Liked by 2 people

  342. Win number 4 was beautiful, then ugly, then magnificent.
    Did you hear that was Duke’s first penalty of the second half on that last drive.
    Refs going to have to give those envelops back.
    They tried their best but couldn’t get it done.
    The two point conversion with the extended whistle then the reversal for some inexplicable reason (maybe BigB gave them a fatter envelop) anyway that was a first. But Bostick is correct, worst ever.
    Then a targeting call when the receiver ducks his head into the hit, was it the right call? If so pretty messed up and impossible for the defender to make a play.
    But this game goes down in Pitt history as unforgettable and Pitt exhibited SOP and then vanquished it.

    Hopefully all POVers came through with minor chest pains and no serious heart damage.

    Liked by 6 people

  343. No scotch left in the Dan72 household! Wife pissed at my yelling and cursing but close only counts in hand grenades, horseshoes and divorces ! H2P

    One of the most Godawful played and officiated games I’ve ever not seen. Thanks for that ACC network.

    Liked by 4 people

  344. Yes the refs were bad no question, But it’s not even close if Ford doesn’t attempt a fair catch on the 5 yard line. You run away from that ball the odds are it goes in the end zone.—-However what is bad is how undisciplined the Pitt players are committing one stupid puerility after another. You have to blame the coaching staff for that undisciplined style of play. What’s the total on our penalty yards today? I’m guessing well over 150 yards.

    Liked by 2 people

  346. Not a TARGETING call in my opinion.

    Receiver lowered his head. In the NFL, TECHNICALLY that’s a penalty on the Offensive Player.

    Although they have yet to call it!

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    1. The French automaker will be sorely missed in the 1st half of next season, I mean, the cuse game.

      Freudian slip…

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  349. So, that was something. Glad the defensive performance didn’t go to waste.

    Pickett is not bright but is a gamer when it counts

    Offense seems better in no huddle … 🤔

    Nice to see some young guys on offense make plays

    That. Defense.

    Pitt literally has a bad 10 minute stretch every game … they take full advantage of those ten minutes

    Refs 🤬🤬🤬🖕🖕🖕

    Targeting 🤢🤮

    Liked by 1 person

  350. A win is a win lol. Wow. Awesome game!

    We have to limit the turnovers and penalties going forward.

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  352. Hopefully Ford and Ffrench learn from their mistakes today, they are tremendously talented players and without them we don’t win today.

    Lots of guys contributed big plays on both sides of the ball.

    As was said last week, we used to lose these kind of games.

    Picket had a very poor game until he didn’t.

    Winning drives are what make Quarterbacks winners.

    Making the plays when the game is on the line separates the men from the boys.

    Whipple went from goat to hero in one drive.

    Liked by 4 people

  353. Some interesting notes:

    Duke had 89 plays for only 288 yards

    Pitt’s 2 FG drives averaged over 5 minutes each; the 3 TD drives averaged just a little over a minute

    RS FR Kradel played almost the entire 2nd half at guard

    Joe Starkey tweeted “that was the most dramatic game I never seen”

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Pitt sure gives its fans plenty of drama. Best entertainment value just about anywhere…

      Pitt also gives its fans stress and pains in about every body part…😊

      You gotta be tough to be a Pitt fan…

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 5 people

  354. I sure wish we would learn how to keep our foot on the neck of our opponent someday.

    It is like all those movies when they have the chance to kill the bad guy and he comes back to get them later.

    Liked by 2 people

  357. Somehow, your Fightin’ Pitt Panthers are 4 and 2!

    Best part is we can play so much better. And I think we will.

    (I guess Paris Ford has to sit the first half against Syracuse?
    Just not right…)

    Go Pitt!

    Liked by 1 person

  362. I fell asleep on couch after the Alexander interception. It was 26-3 on cruise control. WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED in the final 20 minutes???? Thank God I was asleep, or that game probably would have taken years off my life. Only Pitt could have made it such an adventure. This program is maddening.

    Liked by 3 people

  363. Kenny Pickett, God love him, sets his feet on maybe 5% of his passes. Please tell me again what it was that Peyton taught him this past summer? HTP.

    Liked by 1 person

  366. I’m in Kona, Hawaii watching game on iPhone and was ready to throw my phone into the Pacific. That god for miracles. H2P.

    Liked by 1 person

  367. OK, it’s 9am in Passau and I’m in the bathroom sneaking a peek at the POV( I know, too much info). So much for keeping unplugged. Woke up, checked the score and was ecstatic. Then started reading the comments. By the sound not sure if we won, lost, or didn’t show up. Could be any or all. lol.
    The only thing that’s certain is the ACC is a hot mess this year. Would be nice to take advantage.
    Truest thing I’ve ever heard is Pitt gets 15 yd penalty for being north of the Mason – Dixon line. Have fun guys!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. What an emotional rollercoaster ride. Should’ve won by at least two possessions, but in the end the better team won! Could we win out? Unlikely, but possible 😀.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Mark.. you can have my monitor that I am supposed to be wearing… woke up this morning (after the marathon tailgate and game) to find out …. I’m alive…

      Crazy game …. bad refs … bone- headed mistakes… bad behavior…horrific turn-overs… Alex in Carolina blue footwear….so much to give a POVert angst…. in between all the negative sh- t some pretty hard-nosed football.

      2 things to add… Duke is not the same ole Duke!!! The have speed across the board and they are far more physical than any Dookie team I have ever seen…… We WON, It was ugly in the last 20 minutes but it was even uglier for our opponents.. Duke LOST.

      Now onto our bye week…

      Liked by 1 person

  369. Penalties!! Lack of discipline is a big problem. We were lucky but sometimes things go your way. Defense again was very good. My discipline and faith was also bad. Shut it off after Duke’s last touchdown. I need to work on that.

    Liked by 1 person

  370. Thinning the herd, targeting the old and the weak and weakening the strong among us. That’s what they’re doing. Building our hopes and dreams, dashing them; bringing us back from the edge of the abyss just before we crap ourselves, leaving us broken, but rejoicing like fools over an easy win staged to look like escape from witch mountain. A few more weeks of this, and some of us elder beasts will start dropping by the trail, resigned to being put out of our misery by feral dogs with yellow flags and buzzards who can’t find their whistles….

    Liked by 10 people

    2. lighteye… you nailed it.. PITT football is followed by true survivors and we have seen a few POVerts drop from the ranks along the way but we who remain… well, we love our PITT Panthers….and we are LOUD… we CARE…. wish everyone could have been in Wallace Wade last night to experience the support our fans have for these kids … just like your own children- they are far from perfect but that’s OUR TEAM… and in the end that is all that really matters…

      Liked by 6 people

    3. Resilient effort..,Finding a way to win in the crazy Coastal. Good time for a bye to get healthy. H2 P!!!

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  371. it’s 7AM here in Penn Hills….and I STILL can’t believe that they overcame all of the penalties, refs, terrible play, stupid decisions by some of our stars…..to WIN last night! 🙂

    HAIL TO PITT !

    Liked by 2 people

  372. Happy about the victory. Always disappointed about the score not being the blow out it should have. Style points count in college.

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  374. So many thoughts and so little time to express them. Let me start with—did Jaylen Twyman get hurt? I don’t recall hearing him mentioned in the 2nd half.

    pmdH2p

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    1. Jaylan Twyman made 2 stops on the 2-point conversions, but only one counted.

      He was double teamed all game.

      Definitely not hurt!

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  375. I’m still flabbergasted by the clock management at the end of the first half. Can someone PLEASE explain to me what the hell that was all about? Two timeouts 36 seconds left and you let the clock run to 1 second and call a tune out!????

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  376. Kenny has become the comeback kid

    Kids got moxy
    This team doesn’t quit

    Too bad it wasn’t a national TV game

    Too bad only 20k saw it in person

    Those are my only bads.

    Officiating is a big ugly

    Good…presents to all the players, coaches and fans

    Pitt has Dukes number.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. In football, Pitt is to Duke as UNC is to Pitt…

      That is, ridiculous plays to win at the end of games.

      But we still have a chance to change that UNC part of the analogy this season…

      Go Pitt!

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  377. Checked the early morning Week 6 Bowl projections. The only two out are the Sporting News and CFN. For those of looking for a warmer climate for a bowl game, both have Pitt in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando against either OK State or TCU.

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  378. We could easily be 1 and 5, and the “I-told-you-so” folks would be having a field day.

    It’s like we’re being led by Inspector Clouseau, but he somehow solves the case most weeks!

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  379. What my jaded eyes witnessed last night/early this morning:

    PITT got majorly jobbed by the refs. I know we say that most games but boy oh boy, last night it really did happen.
    PITT had a few takeaways.
    PITT had a few turnovers.
    This one sound familiar to some but I don’t put a lot of the blame on the coaches for the blown lead. That’s more on the unforced turnovers and some lousy refereeing..
    PITT still missing Pinnock, Reynolds and Pine.
    PITT kicked the crap out of a good Duke team!

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    1. Pitt asked Duke’s QB at least three time while Alabama got him down only one time… that speaks volumes about how good a this D is….

      Remember a couple of years ago when we didn’t have guys who could pressure the QB. Yet alone deliver bone- jarring tackles.. we have a D over-flowing with players who can bring it GOOD JOB DUZZ… keep up the good work… time to work some magic on the O side starting with linemen and TEs. …

      Liked by 4 people

      2. I assumed Duke had a senior-laden offensive line with how well they pass protect, but four of those guys will be back next year. The front four will have its hands full again.

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      3. Right Biggie, it’s called recruiting the best 3* players out there. PITT’s defensive players aren’t playing games out there, they are working their asses off. Once again holding a really good offense down down down….

        BTW… Eli The Lucky…….. 3-0…. Knock on wood!

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    2. The refs did not fumble the punt, nor did they have a part in it in any way.

      The lousy refereeing went both ways, although probably 2 to 1 not in Pitt’s favor.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I agree. As bad as the officiating was, if Ford lets that punt go we are probably don’t put ourselves in that situation to begin with

        Liked by 1 person

            2. MM – I don’t follow. Ford is the backup punter returner/catcher. This may have been his first time back there, but I highly doubt the Pitt coaches coach whoever is back there to catch any punt inside the ten.

              What goes on in practice? How sure-handed is Ford. Ffrenchy himself is an adventure back there…

              Don’t you need more info before blaming the coaches?

              Go Pitt.

              Liked by 1 person

  380. Would you rather watch a B1G game where the top echelon teams beat the snot out of the rest of them or an ACC game where anyone not named Clemson can beat anyone else on any given Saturday?

    No one can say Pitt games are boring. The defense is really good and the offense is exiting when it executes.

    The thing that stands out the most to me about our defense is the ferociousness of the hitting. For years we tackled from behind after long gains. Now we are meeting guys head on at the point of the attack. It all starts with the pressure on the QB. We finally have players that can make plays, and make the opponent pay for every yard gained. Dukes running back may not be able to get out of bed today.

    I would like to see an unbiased evaluation of last nights officiating. So many non-calls on them, so many wrong calls on us. The most bizarre call was the 2 point conversion, where forward progress had been stopped, a points awarded then removed after the teams lined up for a kick-off.

    The worst is the incessant whining from the obvious pro-southern announcer, when things aren’t going his way and the cheer-leading when they are. The detailed knowledge of the southern team and knowing little about us.

    This game was perfect for the negativos and positivos, plenty for both.

    The bye comes at a perfect time now, except that we usually lose after a week off. Definitely need some guys to get healthy, because every game will be a war.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Pitt players were easy for the announcers to “not lyke” with their unsportsmanlyke conduct, jawing, taunting, “look at me, I made a play” celebrations and fighting amongst themselves.

      I DID NOT LYKE IT AND I’M A HUGE PITT FAN!!!

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Our two biggest impact player both made a major fuss, but watch the tackle on the play that caused Ffrench to go off. Ford went off after he was called for targeting on another questionable call.

        Of course when their guy grabs the face mask on KP long into his slide, then slams his head into the ground, nothing is called.

        I am not a fan of the after the play histrionics either but it is part of the game. I don’t care for the after the first down or touchdown poses, but it is now part of the game.

        Thank Billy White Shoes Johnson and the Icky shuffle.

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    2. I agree Gordon. A perfect time for a bye week—especially since it sits between two away games. And, let’s get healthy.

      pmdH2P

      Like

  382. A couple BTW’s.

    I do recognize the pretty lady with the blue devil but the devil is not Bernie.
    Butler Jenkins should not get a pass for his mistake!

    Liked by 1 person

  383. An ESPN college FB writer pretty much sums it up

    Andrea Adelson@aadelsonESPN
    10 hours ago

    Pitt, I still have no idea how good you are, but you never fail to entertain.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. his autobiography was entitled “Hellraiser, the story of the world’s greatest drummer”. Enough said!

      Like

  385. JoeKnew…another “ too much info@ comment- I’m in the pisser pre-game and as I was exiting a younger guy behind comments” Hey, your one of the guys from the POV.” I was like yeah ??? “ how did you know??” He pointed to the WUPS FLAG I had taped over my shoulder… He reads the blog… didn’t get his name but “ feel free to jump in- this is a great place to discuss and live PITT FB,”

    BTW, bet against PITT and we won the game… uncanny how that superstition has been working out… wonder how much going undefeated wold cost ????

    Liked by 1 person

  387. Overheard some say this last night…

    Pitt beat three teams: Duke, the refs and themselves.

    That’s concise and accurate.

    Thx to AtlPanther for securing a beachhead yesterday. Great setup and love the 4 hounds! Love hanging out with you all POVers.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. It was me at about 1 am… 😁 and you just sneak peeked the intro to MMqB 😎

      Like

  389. and here’s another thought…………. This silliness allowing 320lbs O-Lineman to take a running start and plowing into the back of QB’s and running backs to push the pile forward? First it was legal, then people smarted up and said this is dangerous and now allowed again. But when a defensive player farts sideways on the QB it’s a flagrant foul.

    How about Deslin’s personal foul for trying to strip the ball out of a players hands? The non horse collar call, Pickett’s face mask not called? The Ford targeting call, just terrible terrible officiating.

    Liked by 2 people

  391. I still say the biggest weakness of this team is the lack of a running game. Sibley ran for a 5 yard average, not too bad but Carter ran 13 times for a 2 yd average. Yes we have injuries and the line doesn’t open holes, but the inability to pick up a third and short or the occasional longish run makes this team as one dimensional as last year’s in reverse. It is a major reason this game was still up for grabs after the first half and will cost us some games moving forward.

    Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be an answer this year. Hopefully our star recruit sees this as a big opportunity.

    Liked by 1 person

  392. When I heard the announcer say that Picket hadn’t been intercepted in 139 passes….
    Great to get a win when Picket was not sharp.

    Like

  393. The Pickett interception was bad, the time and place where it happened was unacceptable. I believe it was first down as well?

    The offensive line did not do a good job last night.

    Liked by 1 person

  394. Man, if Pitt could clean up the penalties and little mistakes like dropped balls and inopportune turnovers they could be really dangerous … But that would not be a Pitt team under Duzz, would it? I complain but it’s so much for fun than being normal. LOL.

    The polar opposite swings under Duzz are dizzying …
    … The extreme polarity of the Offense and Defense in year 2
    … The extreme drop off in offense in year 3
    … The extreme unbalanced offense in year 4 (Run)
    … The extreme polarity of the non-con vs. conference success in year 4
    … The extreme unbalanced offense in year 5 (Pass)
    … The extreme difference between yards gained and lack of points generated
    … The extreme un-correlation of stats …

    I know Dokish is polarizing in and of himself but these are real stats and accurate commentary …

    “From Dokish) Pitt is No. 80 in total offense, No. 109 in rushing offense, No. 102 in 3rd down conversions, and No. 119 in passing yards per completion. But they are No. 37 in passing offense” …

    “Pitt forced 6 turnovers, had 3 sacks, gave up less than 300 yards, held Duke to 2.8 yards a carry, and held the QB to 41.9% completions, and still gave up 30 points” …

    “Paris Ford had 11 tackles, 2 interceptions, a touchdown, a fumble, an ejection, and a police escort. He does bring the party with him, doesn’t he?”

    “Pitt gave up 30+ points to Virginia, UCF, and Duke, and the defense was excellent in all three of them.”

    … In year 3 Pitt was the 14th best team in terms of penalties
    … In year 5 Pitt is 114th best team in terms of penalties

    The only normal year was year 1 when Duzz had inherited the blandest team in America.

    If there is one thing you can say about Duzz, it’s that Pitt is not bland.

    And not to forget …

    … The extreme division between pro-Duzz and no-Duzz on the POV

    I think we can see why it’s so divided.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. hey Tossing … Dokish also tweeted this …

      Chris Dokish@ChrisDokish
      3 hours ago
      Miami is No. 38 in total offense and No. 15 in total defense, and they’re somehow 2-3 with a loss at home to VT and a close win at home to Central Michigan.

      I would hesitate to pay too much attention to rankngs this early because of the imbalance of schedules

      Like

      1. remember, Pitt has played two teams currently ranked in the top 12 in total offense and in the top 7 in scoring offense.

        Like

      2. wwb – That’s kind of my point. Stats can be overrated. W’s and L’s are all that matter.

        Like

    3. On the pro and no Duzz comment – I think a good many people fall in the middle, but don’t care for hyperbolic, often inaccurate and sophomoric criticism and thus look like pros.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. That more a joke but there are clear lines in the sand … and like the play on words with “no doz”.

        Like

      2. ^^ JoeL, you and I talked about this at a tailgate and it is the truth.

        Also, I don’t think PITT will ever have a head football coach that everyone just loves loves loves. It’s just not the way this PITT football program is built. It’s perspective and understanding.

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  395. I really don’t know what to make of this team, the coaches or the program.

    The Pitt Enigmas would be a more appropriate name.

    I kind of agree with the ESPN reporter.

    “Can’t tell if they are good, but they sure are exciting”

    Yes, I will take the 4-2 record, but the thing is I just am not seeing any growth.

    You can’t do anything about officiating, but the execution, mental lapses and just bad decision making…you expect that to improve over the course of the season.

    But with 6 games to play, Pitt is 2 wins away from bowl eligibility.

    Given what I have seen this far my guess is they can probably go .500 the rest of the way and get that bowl bid.

    I just think it will be quite the rollercoaster ride.

    Dave

    Like

  396. Can anyone check when the ACC Network will show a replay of this game?
    Not sure I set my tv to record it before I left.

    Like

  397. It’s tough to instill discipline in a team at this point. Not that it can’t be done but it is difficult. Mental fitness is just as important as physical. During the off work, the staff should run drills that emphasize discipline. They would be better for it.

    Like

  398. Funny how we didn’t take full advantage of the turnovers, but when we turned the ball over, Duke scored each time.

    I did say on the prediction thread that turnovers would be the difference. Little did I know.

    Really was a game of momentum, we had it then gave it up, but got it back again when it counted most.

    Funny how one play, the Ford fumble changed the whole tenor of the game, followed by a fumble and interception. Much like last week, Pitt did everything it could to lose the game and still won.

    We really have little to complain about, just think how Duke feels this morning.

    Not going to complain about Pitt attendance for a while after seeing that empty stadium.

    No Pro sports to compete with in Durham.

    Liked by 3 people

      1. Go back and look at the 2nd half play by play sheet leading up to this fumble – the catch by Butler broke a 3 and out run that was maddening.

        What roll were you referring to? The dinner roll Duzz had at Bojangles the night before? Lol

        Like

    2. Gordon – the have the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team, NC State and UNC in the RDU area.

      But mostly, football is not #1. Basketball is.

      Like

  399. An offset thought. Maurice Ffrench’s outburst might be a really great way to show the team what their attitudes look like to the rest of the world… and especially the refs officiating the game. Make friends and be nice boys, it may payoff in the end.

    Like

  400. My hot take: pitt should win the rest of it’s games and they are better than the teams they are playing from here on out.
    Reality: they will shoot themselves in the foot too many times and drop a few.
    I am actually dreading the agony of 7 more games like we have been seeing. I have been a mess watching them the last few weeks!!!

    Like

  401. Bates deserves a lot of credit for Pitt’s defensive efforts. They are very aggressive and disruptive. I’m willing to bet the majority of the penalties were called on the defense. This is a consequence of their aggressiveness.

    KP was clutch and without his moxy Pitt loses going away.

    Liked by 3 people

  402. TT, yes you can tell who MOST of the no Duzz folks are. They are sitting on their hands today. I said most Tx……..

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  403. I agree with Ike above. All but a few of the passing plays seemed like broken plays where Pickett was trying to survive to find someone to throw to. Did they ever mark off the personal foul for grabbing the ball out of the hands after the touchdown? I do not think they did as it was before the try for two and then the redo happened. You would think someone would remember.

    Like

  404. OK, so I read that Vincent David is down in Florida. Home, I guess. That strikes me as strange—or maybe bad news. Maybe he is leaving the team.

    And, why not tell Paris Ford not to fair catch inside the 10 yard line? That is either a coaching lapse or Paris chose to do his own thing.

    pmdH2P

    Like

    2. ^^ PMD, V Davis was playing as a true freshman, I wouldn’t think he’s leaving the team? The cast on his arm may be the reason or as the rumors being reported, suspension or hopefully not, a dismissal. Not to start rumors as I really have zero clue.

      Like

  406. Regarding ford muff…it was a bad play for sure. But some of the blame for that is French. The punt return before that he had the ball so far out and should have gotten it stripped so he got benched per Narduzzi. French was just out of control last night and he needs to be a leader

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Yeah it definitely turned out wrong for Narduzzi to put in ford. I think ford is the backup punt returner from listening to duzz presser though.

        Like

    1. The positive of that is it shows swagger and confidence … clearly we all know the negative

      Not saying I agree with it btw, jus pointing out that this team does have some swag and that’s part of th reason they fight to the end

      Like

      1. Yeah i think you are right and I just need to live with it. My wife says I am turning “crotchety” in my old age.

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  408. Crazy reading the ying-yang movements of all the comments. From hopeful to rage to happy. No question the refs were super bad. Have been jaded since we joined the conference. It’s a southern conference, they still don’t like Yankees. Plus our defense plays very aggressive and draws poor calls. The Paris Ford targeting poor call was over the top though.

    Mark Richt of the ACC network knows the game. His Bio, family life, is impressive. I think I’m going to like him.

    Give credit to Duke’s defense and adjustments. Especially Pickett’s interception.

    Today, Oct. 6th, is my birthday! And PITT has finally shown me they are a good team. Plus academically rankings are up. Lyke has a bunch of minor sports moving forward. After many frustrating years of hope, we have moved in the right direction.

    Liked by 5 people

  409. If ever there was a need for a bye week this is it. Hopefully are wounded will recover and our coaches will find a way to smash some sense in to the lunkheads who play with their brains scrambled all over the field.

    Like

  411. Pittman2003 – I love the bravado. Confidence and attitude can make you out play your potential.

    Those hay day 80’s teams had that. P

    Like

  413. I get confused by the rules between college and NFL. Was the incorrect horsecollar call reviewable? Could Duz have asked for it?

    pmdH2P

    Like

  414. Thanks wwb…
    And Happy birthday OPG.
    Still on the road reviewing the game with Scooter..

    Like

  417. Lady Panther VB having a bit of a struggle against Florida State on ACCN right now. Lost their first set of the season in ACC play but are up 2-1 in sets and 21-16 in the third set.

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  419. As much as I hated the stupid penalties by Pitt players and especially Ff on the first down taunt and additionally the questionable refereeing, it should be noted Ffrench’s subtle but important block to allow V’lique to finish his TD scamper after his amazing catch and cut/pivot. Of course, enough time remained for Pitt to score if he had gotten tackled at the 3 yard line, but who here believes that conversion was sure to happen?

    Not sure how others felt but the refereeing seemed questionable yet at the stadium LIVE are hard to judge from the bleacher view. Also the Duke scoreboard showed very few replays, maybe due to the questionable nature of many.

    Overall a great weekend with son seeing some great schools. Duke campus is amazing and as much as I liked UVA and Will liked UNC, Duke is special. And as far as that goes, I bought UNC and UVA gear at WIll’s request, but didn’t get anything Duke. Probably going to save the application fee there too unless he super scores to 1600 or very close.

    One more question for those that are up on the rules, doesn’t the fact that the receiver lowered his head into Paris’ shoulder creating the helmet contact that otherwise would not have happened, doesn’t that get taken into account on the “further review”?

    Liked by 3 people

    2. Not when your looking for a way to give Duke a 1st down. Keep in mind Paris’ hit stopped a 1st down by 2 yards – the play was a 3rd down and 7ish. Duke would have punted –

      Instead, Duke got an automatic first down, Paris was ejected and just lyke that the Duke QB connects over the middle where Paris had loomed large all night for a go ahead TD with 1:38 left in the game.

      That’s how it’s cooked in the ACC south.

      No harm as KP dutied up…

      Liked by 5 people

    3. TVax: I visited Duke last year with my daughter. (Ultimately she chose Pitt, where she is a first year Engineering student). No doubt that Duke was impressive. Ultimately my daughter thought it was too small. Also she felt it was a bit stuffy. And trying to stay politically correct, she felt a little out of place.

      Like

  420. Just watched Volleyball team beat #21 FL ST. Better than the Steeler game.
    FL ST packed their gym, had their band playing and Pitt very businesslike put them away.
    Great to see. Should move up to #3 since Nebraska lost.

    Liked by 2 people

  421. grizzly – couldn’t agree more with your post above regarding Pitt’s defensive aggressiveness — and the penalties that come along with it. I say the nasty attitude — a good thing — has come from Coach Bates.

    I remember being impressed by Northwestern’s aggressive defense when we played the Pinstripe Bowl. Bates has brought that attitude here.

    We complained for years about Pitt not coming up with big hits and big plays on defense. Now we’re seeing some — thanks to Coach Bates.

    Excellent hire by Coach Duzz.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Two games (UCF and Duke) the refs seemed to be biased toward helping the Pitt opponents to win and the Delaware game had many reserves playing.

      Those 3 games jacked up the penalty yards. Last night’s phantom penalties were numerous, but did not affect the outcome of the game nor did the other two.

      So, you could say the team is building “character” through the penalty onslaught.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Sorry, i don’t buy the conspiracy theory with the refereeing. There are questionable calls every game, but not because Pitt is above the mason dixon line.

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        1. You’re wrong. It may be subliminal, but when they get the chance the ACC refs give the advantage to the southern team. They’re smart. It sure seems to happen at apoint where it does the most damage. Syracuse seems to get a little better treatment. I think they respect the BB team over the yrs. I’m not making it up.

          Liked by 1 person

  423. I was really glad to see Shocky see some good action yesterday. One carry for 10 yards and 2 catches for 26.

    With his blazing speed, he can be a weapon.

    Also, true freshman WR Wayne had a big catch – or what should have been a big catch…😖

    I like the way we are playing a ton of players…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  424. EE – Sorry, but someone should tell James Conner that he looks kind of silly flexing his muscles in the endzone after a one-yard TD run. 🤔

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  428. It’s really hard to try to control the game without a running attack – without a big back (like we’ve had a number of years) it’s tough to run out the clock with 5’9″ 18o (or less) RBs…Pitt is 4-2 with both losses to top 25 teams…much better than people were predicting.

    Like

  429. I’ve been back from Durham since 1:30. Had a great time with the POV crowd both the night before and at the tailgate. Hopefully made new friends – “John from South Carolina” and his charming PSU grad wife, Annie & Scooter.

    As you are well aware, the game had its ups & downs. I enjoyed the highs & especially the last high better than the lows.

    More details later. I am exhausted & still need to unwind.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Pitt-cocks Fan great talking to you and your step son-in-law, a Citadel Grad! Definitely made new friends here! Wife thanks you for the complement. Thanks to ever one we met at the tailgate! Only one slip-up made with PSU wife:) Mike recovered nicely:) Thanks Atlanta Panther and his wife for the hospitality and to everyone else who welcomed us.

      I am becoming numb to these types of games. We had a 2018 Pitt grad sitting behind us with her husband/fiancee and as the game progressed we told them about watching the Russell Wilson/NC State fiasco we witnessed in person over in Raleigh. You just have to laugh these things off as Pitt imploded. As the the Duke receiver broke into the open on their last touchdown “I screamed He is wide open!” Unfortunately their QB saw it also. Several Duke fans behind me chimed in with a He is wide open! after the TD. Just had to turn around and acknowledge them. Then one of them looked at the time remaining on the clock and started counting it down. Much to my amazement we scored and got the lead. I returned the high five they gave me on their TD. Told them not to worry, Pitt had time to still lose the game. Two things stand out for me from this game. First: our defense is for real. Second, Narduzzi does not have control of his players. They are the most undisciplined group I have seen for a while. What kind of team captain gets a 15 yard penalty for taunting in the early part of the 1st quarter? Will post more thoughts on following articles about this game. Went back over to Duke today and took a tour of the Duke Chapel and visited the gardens. Our Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel would fit right in with the Gothic architecture they have in that part of the campus.

      Liked by 1 person

  431. Watching replays of the winning pass to Carter, you have to give a ton of credit to Coach Whip and Kenny Picket.

    Duke has a blitzer coming full-speed untouched at KP. KP read it, didn’t flinch and got rid of the ball quick.

    In last year’s offense, Watson would have had Carter staying in the backfield to try to block the blitzer. That strategy drove me crazy. Send the back out so the defense has to cover him — and if they don’t, well Happy Birthday Old Pitt Grad!

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  432. Did anyone count the starters missing from last night’s line-up?

    Let’s start at RB – AJ Davis (replaced by 3rd string Sibley)
    Tre Tipton

    That’s it on the O side –

    DE Weaver
    DT Camp
    CB Pinnock (#21 Mathias was money last night)
    MLB Reynolds (#9 Brightwell played extremely well)

    That is 7 starters missing due to injury last night. Did not Stanford have 6 starters sit for various reasons on the bowl game?

    Pitt overcame a lot to win last night – and win they did.

    On to the bye week to mend and prep for cuse in 2 weeks without P.Ford for the 1st half.

    Next man up!

    Liked by 5 people

  433. Imagine trying to get thru this bye week if Pitt had not scored that final TD…

    That second half was making me ill – but then in the final minute – improbably – we saw or heard exactly what we were hoping to see or hear.

    Just like in the UCF game…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  435. I wonder if EMel survived the game? Or better yet, his TV set? He knows full well about ACC officiating when their blue bloods are playing.

    Like

  439. This is a fun team to watch. Highly entertaining.

    Comebacks keep coming. No quit plus can do.

    Rest will do them good. That D lays some wood, at speed. Need to heal up.

    Offense will install some new wrinkles. Running backs will be ready and start to get it going.

    H2P

    Liked by 2 people

  440. Referencing MajorMajors (my friend John) on the difference between coaching mistakes and player errors. Who thinks Paris Ford was coached to field a punt at the 5 yard line then muff and fumble the ball? Anyone think Narduzzi coached Ffrench to catch a pass for a first down then get up and jaw at the opponent to negate the play with a penalty? This isn’t bad coaching folks but it is undisciplined player behavior. Which I guess falls back on Narduzzi a little. The one problem here is…. once the young men run out onto the field all bets are off… and again, this jive crap has to stop after each play.. Nobody likes it, especially the officials.

    TT the new celebration with the basketball hoop is all good and what not until a player gets hurt. I remember the little field goal kicker celebrating/dancing after a field goal and got hurt twisting his knee and his career was over. << one of those tiny brothers? I think Tampa Bay?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Ummmm … “But, you’ll shoot your eye out, kid” … Let me guess, you don’t like the hopping up and down in the locker room while singing the fight song either? They’re elite athletes. Lol. They can handle dunking a football on a 6 foot Nerf hoop. They’re literally tackling other people at full speed on the field 10 feet away.

      I’m joking, kind of … Fun is fun. It’s harmless. Injuries happen. You can’t live in constant fear of them.

      Like

  441. BTW, I still have Comcast, so I listened to the game on the old radio. Lots of people complain about Billy H., but I enjoyed listening to his call of the game. Yes, he has to correct himself fairly often, but Pat Bostick does a nice job of keeping Billy on track.

    Pat stays pretty calm, but he let you know he thought several of those calls were way out of line. And he let you know a couple times when he thought KP made a poor throw.

    Great call by Billy on the winning score — you could tell that he was as shocked and excited by what he was seeing as everyone else.

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  442. I know there is a little of folks upset over the lack of a running game but Pitt isn’t 4-2 without a passing game. A passing game gives you a fighters chance when you’re down. I’ll take a passing game any day over a running game. Pitt is trying to use the passing game as an extension of the running game. All those short 2 yard passes and quick screens are meant to control the clock and get a manageable third down.

    Like

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