Well mediocrity abounds doesn’t it?  Blowing a 16 point lead at home to a beatable Wake Forest team certainly smacks of it.  I genuinely feel for all Pitt fans who had to suffer through that one in person.  The good news is that Capel is only in year two of his rebuild and he still has the support of just about every Pitt fan I’ve seen on this board and on social media.

Pat Narduzzi, not so much.

Since posting our first ever end-of-season football survey – which focused on Pat Narduzzi and the job he’s done – on December 31st, I’ve received over 350 responses.  That’s a tremendous amount of participation and I think it gives us a representative sample of POV readership and their opinions.  Now what the actual demographic of a POV reader…well I didn’t include any of those types of questions on the poll, so that’s a raise the bar for next time.

Nonetheless, these are 350 people who clearly care about Pitt football, and who took some time to answer a few questions about it.  I will caution that this data should be considered “directionally correct” and not as gospel.  I say this because 42 people identified as a “regular reader and commenter”, even though I typically see the same dozen or so people comment on a regular basis.  On the other hand, I have definitely seen up to forty people at a POV tailgate, so maybe I’m the one with the skewed perspective.

Anywhooo….here are the results:

First of all…a little about the folks who responded to the poll.  I had hoped this poll would capture the opinions of those who read and don’t comment often, and that turned out to be the case.

370 total responses

  • 11% (42) – Regular Reader and Commenter (read and comment 3+ times per week)
  • 12% (44) – Regular Reader and Sometimes Commenter (read 2-3 times per week, comment once per week or once every couple of weeks)
  • 67% (249) – Regular Reader / Rarely or Never Comment
  • 9% (35) – Infrequent Reader / Rarely or Never Comment

Second…I wanted to find out what the baseline sentiment on Narduzzi was.  As an observer, it seemed like pretty much everyone felt good about the hire at the time, and the data backs it up.  A full 73% of respondents liked or loved the hire of Pat Narduzzi when it was announced.

359 total responses

  • 73% (263) – Positive “I liked or loved the hire”
  • 10 (3%) – Negative “I thought he was the wrong guy out of the gate”
  • 24% (86) – Neutral “I had no opinion and/or wanted to wait and see”

But five years is a long time, and sentiment has shifted.  I asked how people feel about Narduzzi today and 38% of respondents said they are not satisfied with the results.  Only 30% answered that they were pleased with the team’s performance.  That’s a far cry from the 73% of people who were optimistic about Pat in 2014.   With that being said, I would like to qualify this question a bit, because the way this question was set up probably pigeonholed the respondents.  I received a couple of comments that said that they were overall pleased with Narduzzi and supported him but they were not pleased with the team’s performance this year.  My guess is that those that felt this way split their answers between “Negative” and “Neutral”, but there is no way to be sure. Next year I’ll probably split this question into two and add more options for the answers.

367 total responses

  • 30% (110) – Positive “I am pleased with the team’s performance”
  • 38% (139) – Negative “I am not satisfied with the results”
  • 32% (118) – Neutral “He’s doing okay/ I don’t care”

Okay so with that out in the open, I next asked if readers thought Narduzzi can “get the program to the next level”.  I defined the “next level” as consistent 9-10 win seasons and a top 25 ranking most years (for the sake of clarity, in my head I was thinking 3 out of every 5 years…next time I’ll spell that out. )  This question sparked some debate about two things.  One… given that Narduzzi has averaged 7.2 wins per season, shouldn’t “the next level” be defined as 8-9 wins consistently instead of 9-10?  Perhaps.  However,10 wins is Pitt’s stated goal and so that’s where I set the bar.  (we all remember the Randy Juhl quote about curing polio and winning 10 games don’t we?).   The answer was interesting.  Just 28% of respondents are convinced that Narduzzi can do it, but a full 40% think that he might be able to do it.  That’s 70% of the fanbase who on some level still kind-of believes.  So while the ‘Duz doesn’t enjoy overwhelming support, the majority of fans haven’t fully turned on him just yet.

366 total responses

  • 28% (105) – Yes
  • 31% (115) – No
  • 40% (149) – Maybe

Finally, the final question I asked what a “what would you do?” question.  And I asked readers if “they had absolute power over Pitt Athletics” would they keep Pat on long leash, keep Pat on a short leash or fire him right away?  The answer, I think, reflects Narduzzi’s waning influence with the fans.  71% of fans said they’d give Narduzzi 1-2 more years and let him know that there were “next level” (i.e. 9-10 wins and a top 25 ranking) expectations.  Only 8% said they’d fire him immediately, so yes, reports of fans turning on Narduzzi are indeed greatly exaggerated.  Still, another couple of years of, sloppy, close wins over bad teams could change all of that.

372 total respondents

  • 21% (77) – Give Narduzzi a long leash and several more years to build the program
  • 71% (268) – Give Narduzzi 1-2 more years and make sure he understands there are “next level” expectations (i.e. 9-10 wins and a top 25 ranking)
  • 8% (30) – Fire Narduzzi immediately.

So that’s it folks.  The results of the first annual Pitt POV fan survey are in.  What do you think?

 

 

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.

339 thoughts on “2019 Football Survey Results”

  1. I think we’ve got a lot of armchair ADs who don’t know their heads from their as…a hole in the ground.

    Like

    2. Sir I disagree, Please show me on the 2019 schedule any team Pitt really beat. This was not an SEC West Schedule. 10 points is not beating someone. It is winning the game, but did you ever turn off a game Pitt won at the half or at the start of the 4th quarter because Pitt had the game in hand. BC, Miami, Ohio, Delaware, Duke and Eastern Michigan. With a down year for the ACC this should have been a 9 or 10 win season (I’ll include the bowl game to make it easier for Coach Narduzzi)

      Like

  3. I’m actually a little surprised. I don’t read this as a major indictment of Narduzzi but a bit of a reprieve. If Narduzzi does not elevate PITT to 9 wins or better the next few years, I would reluctantly be in favor of making a change and understand it, providing there is a plan in place.

    Liked by 1 person

    4. Funny….I think most see big improvement made on the D doing it Duzz’s way( and that has been a grind for a few years)but showing promise… sitting back now hoping the same (slow) improvement happens on the O …now is the time to crap or get off the pot for Duzz…

      Liked by 1 person

  6. MM — Good stuff.

    I was just listening to Paul Zeise in the Fan this evening…

    Caller: Hey Paul, what was the toughest job you ever had?

    Paul Zeise: I worked for a moving company for a while, that was tough.

    Caller: Paul, the answer to my question is: being a Pitt fan!

    Says it all.

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  7. as most know, there is so much to polling with all the possible moving parts including the basics of wording of the questions, order/sequence of same questions, population polled, sample size, timing, etc

    then add in the interpretation aspect of the data

    makes polling at times very helpful and yet often useless

    that said, I love the effort and will be very interested in seeing how the commentary plays out

    this site is was great with Reed and it is great in a whole different way currently without(except for drop ins)

    my main wish is there were many more commenters rather than lurkers, but this poll brings more into the fold so as usual I appreciate the excellent work by MM(the main MM, even though I always seem to like the other mm’s comments)

    Liked by 3 people

  8. and one more thing, the one aspect of this site I would love to see change is the addition of an EDIT option and specifically one that allowed edits but just temporarily after a post(like 10 minutes)

    a few years ago I looked briefly into seeing if it is possible with a WordPress blog and it was not at that time

    i still need it

    often

    Like

    2. It’s available on my WordPress site, but the Administrator would have to make everyone an editor. That means Ike could edit Tex, and visa versa 😉

      Like

  10. Hey Mike, my apologies. I didn’t take the survey because of the lawyer in me and the triple meaning I give just about every word, such as it depends what “is” is. Interestingly, I just got the old speech at work for not completing any employee surveys about my happiness and culture!

    My response was that you will know when I am happy and you will know when I am not. At the time the culture does not reflect what I am about, you will also know, but don’t look for me because I will be gone. Funny stuff.

    Good effort here. I hope the large percentage that said to give him another 1-2 years were not 85 scholarship athletes and another 35 in the athletic department. I know the AD did not respond because there wasn’t an option to extend him for 5 more years. Cheers!

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Interesting.

    I think a topic that could be polled that would add some more clarity is to determine what the majority of readers and posters here define as ‘success’.

    To some, Pitt football will never be successful until it reaches the bar set by the team in the late 70’s and early eighties. National Championship or bust.

    To others, success may simply mean having a fun team to watch, one worth spending money on to see in person, a clean program, and a non-losing season with any bowl more often then not.

    Then there is the huge area between these extremes. I personally fall in this range – wins are important, but having a competitive team that is fun to watch and perhaps bends but does not break the compliance rules just a bit, recruits a few potential NFL caliber players every year that are worth paying money to see play, and competes for a top 25 spot and gets a warm weather bowl every 3 or 4 years is fine by me.

    H2P

    Liked by 5 people

  12. BTW, MM, on the question of how do you feel about Coach Narduzzi now, I answered “Positive” because in the big picture I see Coach Duzz being resourceful and improving the program in incremental steps.

    However, at the same time I was not happy with the team’s performance this season. It was a big missed opportunity. Again.

    So I’m in the crowd which thinks Coach Duzz needs to finally deliver at least 9 wins next season or we should be exploring and weighing our options…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Great work MM, thank you. Five years into the PN era and I would say that PITT is just below the bar I set in my mind when Coach was hired. I figured by now we’d be at 9 wins solid. Even this year, going into the MIA game, I felt good about getting 9 wins. The collapses of the last 2 regular seasons hurt…a lot. I still have faith in the man though. Call me crazy, but today I would still take Narduzzi over Chryst here at PITT. I’m still trusting the process, but count me as 2 more years to take a solid step forward.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. I 100 percent agree that I’d rather have Pat Narduzzi over Paul Chryst. Paul Chryst was never going to elevate the program. He wasn’t ever going to be a program builder. He is doing a nice job at Wisconsin, but that is a completely different animal. The program runs itself. I’m not enamored of HCPN, but I think he at least give us some sliver of hope to win 10 games. I have zero belief that Paul Chryst would ever have done that.

      Liked by 7 people

  14. Paul Chryst is the best endorsement of Coach Narduzzi’s coaching abilities. I believe Coach Chryst was 6-6 three straight seasons at Pitt. He has been a consistent 10 game winner at Wisconsin. He didn’t suddenly get smarter at Wisconsin. The football program allows him to achieve that higher level of success with the same coaching ability.

    I would not be a bit surprised to see Coach Narduzzi become a 9 or 10 game winner at Michigan State. The Pitt football situation just makes it so difficult for any coach to succeed.

    Liked by 13 people

    2. Totally agree Farmer and wlat. That’s why I always take these points into account when I am evaluating Narduzi’s time here at PITT.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. MM, writing polls is a tough assignment. I think you did an admirable job of defining the parameters, but as with every poll I’ve ever seen, there are ways in hindsight to improve it. This was a great start and hopefully will be the first of many to come. And before I hit “send” I should mention one more variable that is virtually uncontrollable in interpreting responses: the mood of each responder at the time. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that our moods help to dictate how we will respond about nearly anything. For example, if we could have swapped the losses in the last two games for wins in earlier games and finished on an uptick, we would likely have had a better result for Pat’s evaluation and yet had the same record overall. (And I don’t buy the theory that the losses necessarily mean the team regressed. It may have, indeed, regressed but maybe the other teams just progressed more?). In any case, thanks MM for all you do.

    Liked by 5 people

  16. 2nd time poster. I completed/enjoyed the poll, as mm mentioned it was difficult to answer the happiness with success question. I have supported Pat through this year, and feel he should get another year or 2. That being said, this year was a disaster: preparation is still poor/not even improving, and I am aware Pat is unable or unwilling to make many(any?) adjustments to schemes, but losing down the stretch as other teams schemed us up and Pitt continued to do the same thing left me angry. Motivation was pathetic as well, not sure how many times I wondered whether anyone besides Paris Ford even cared about winning the game. Pretty amazing the team could put forth effort in pregame shenanigans (completely unacceptable) every game but couldn’t really be bothered come the game itself. Finally, the bowl game was a complete embarrassment and frankly if that’s repeated then 2020 should be Pat’s last year. As angry as I am over this season though, I think the overall body of work in the first 4 years has afforded him the next 2 seasons to “break through”, which to me would be 10 wins, or an ACC championship(I’m not expecting that but it would be worthy of more time). I’d also be ok with back to back 9 win campaigns with at least one division title buying more time. If you insist on doing things your way and refuse to adapt, then you’re accountable for the success of your ways and for me that expiration date is 2021.

    Liked by 7 people

  17. Travi…I agree with your description 100%. But here’s the disconnect. Your willing to watch this version of Titanic again next year and the following year. Why? What on earth makes you and others think next year will be different?I disagree that the previous 4 years have bought Narduzzi more time. I see each of those years as a chaotic mess with UNC losses of embarrassment being the norm. I’ve been doing this since 63 when I was 13 yrs old. I want a competent HeadCoach that will be a strategic game day coach, recruit well and improve teams as the season goes on. Where on earth have any of you seen that inNarduzzi?????? And yet, it’s suddenly going to happen…really!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. There’s definitely been plenty of embarrassment I can’t argue that, none moreso than playing Pickett for a meaningless snap burning his redshirt and then later saying you wished you had one more year than you do with him. Pitt also doesn’t have many 3 8-win years in a 5 year stretch so despite this years disappointment, that is why I support another year or two. I’m not a constant change type of person, so I’ve always favored not hiring the person who’s going to jump at the first chance to do so but I’m worn down as well with SOP so I may be coming around on that. I also reached the point this year where I can no longer say I believe HCPN can take the next step, so I want to see it or move on.

      Liked by 2 people

  18. What does Whisky offer Potatoe Paulie and his slobby sweatshirts that makes him successful.

    His recruiting is ok (roughly 40% of his classes are 5.7 Rivals rated stars and above). They do have a very easy OOC schedule. They do play in a very weak division (just like Pitt). Whisky isnt known to break the bank in terms of football budget and compared to other Big 10 schools, they lag far behind.

    So how did this 6 win coach become a 10 win coach?

    He recruits a bit better than Narduzzi but thats no surprise since the Dog dont hunt. But, Chryst isnt reeling in a ton of 4 stars despite a packed stadium so I dont want to hear the yellow seat excuse for Pitt.

    Did he just learn how to become a good HC at Pitt? Does he have very good assistants? I’d seriously like to know since I dont have the answer.

    Liked by 1 person

        1. And more recently, a back who I labeled the second coming of Earl Campbell back when he was recruited.

          Turns out he was more like Dorsett in terms of yards gained.

          Like

  19. Good question, Tex. And I imagine we would each answer reflecting our personal perceptions and theories. Mine would be that 90% of the difficulty of succeeding at Pitt are those empty yellow seats. Elite players won’t come here unless they are local and want to stay in the area. And you fill those empty seats by winning. And there lies the vicious circle.

    I think Whisky’s success is somewhat attributable to their reputation for getting big honking road graders to man the offensive line. You don’t need elite running backs or quarterbacks when they have gaping holes to run through or all day to survey the field. So how do you convince those guys to come here if they are not local?

    I don’t really buy into the star rating systems, so I won’t address that part of it. Yes, I’ve seen the articles that show statistically that the better teams get higher rated players. But I’ve seen enough medium rated players suddenly get bumped up to great players out of season just because the blue bloods have taken a liking to him. There is a correlation with the rating system but I think it is overblown to keep interest year round.

    Liked by 2 people

  20. Wisconsin’s biggest asset is its AD. He took over a losing program in 1990 and brought in a style of football that fit the program. He became an AD in early 90s and then stepped down as coach in 2005. His replacement who was an assistant with no HC experience, maintained the style of play and did very well. He was given a great offer by an SEC team and left, only to eventually be fired.

    His replacement had moderate success at a mid-major and had a 9 and 11 win season before leaving for a PAC12 team where he failed miserably

    PC came in who is a Wisc native and alum and former OC, groomed in the mold of the AD. He is doing a great job at a place where he was destined to coach.

    As far as OL goes … 11 of the 15 OL on the roster ae from Wisconsin. As far as comparing Wisc to Pitt …

    — one has a large student on-campus contingent
    — one has an OCS that constantly sells out
    — one has nearly a 30 year recent history of success with multiple double-digit win seasons

    If the AD dies tomorrow, the FB program will continue its winning ways following a very successful formula

    Liked by 5 people

    2. Is Pitts AD a liability then

      Since Pitt doesn’t have a consistent system or identity

      Pitt doesn’t recruit coaches and players who fit a system and excel in it

      Pitts identity right now is undisciplined and falling asleep at halftime.

      But I do think system and identity has something to do with success. Whisky has a certain brand. It attracts certain people to it. What is Pitts brand besides mediocrity.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Wisconsin has had a system in place since 1990, both on and off the field which brings incredible stability to a place where winning was once so hard to come by.

    Having all those linemen instate doesn’t hurt. Having fans who don’t constantly complain and instead donate is also a tremendous help. The Badgers have had quite a few four-plus loss seasons since the 1993 breakout Rose Bowl season and the fans don’t call for the coaches head when one occurs.

    Narduzzi goes 5-7 in 2017 and how much was it written on here that Narduzzi’s seat was now officially warm? That’s just plain ridiculous.

    Liked by 6 people

  22. off-topic …. but I just saw that Brad Wannamker is 8th in free throw percentage (90%) in the NBA, 2 thoughts …

    1) didn’t realize he is playing enough to be in the rankings (don’t know what the minimum amount of attempts are to qualify)

    2) Brad didn’t become a Pitt and Blather favorite until his junior season. He was erratic and a turnover machine in his 1st 2 seasons. And he was never known as a good shooter … he was more likely to set up Gibbs and Gil Brown instead,

    Hopefully our 2 current soph guards who currently still think they have to create everything on offense will eventually see the light. Both IMO have better natural skills than Brad but is no match in the instincts department

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Brad is currently 63-70 from the foul line in 34 games. Last season, he played in a total of 36 games the entire season. And he is doing this at age 31.

      Like

    2. I remember Brad killing Syracuse from the foul line, a shot he developed over time. He was also very physically strong and worked hard on his craft (Mr. Obvious)

      Liked by 1 person

    3. I always saw BW as better than what his stats supported. Easy to say now but there were others who I didn’t see having the skills that emerged including Zanna and Lamar.
      And as good a shooter as Gibbs was, did he hit many/any game winners or really ever have many/any of those special shooting games he seemed capable of? jus’ askin’

      Like

    4. I am not ashamed to say….I used to call Brad…..”Brad TURNOVER-maker” his first 2 years in a Pitt uniform. Just goes to show you what focus, discipline and hard work will do.

      (signed) Joey Bats

      Like

    5. I was privileged to watch Brad play at Pitt since his very first game. The young man was the epitome of dedication. He is a student of the game.

      We were Women’s BB season ticket holders the entire time he was here…and I don’t hesitate to say Brad was at EVERY Women’s game he could attend – he sat and studied the game, he wasn’t watching his smart phone or conversing with the coeds.

      He was not the most physically talented player – but he was quick. He worked hard to improve his play and his grasp of the game.

      I am happy for his success as a player over a long period of time – I have the feeling that if he wants to he will make an outstanding head coach, especially the high school or college level.

      H2P

      Liked by 1 person

  23. Whisky has been strong on both sides of the ball and the power running benefits the defense as well.

    They own the state of Wisconsin and have Chicagoland to recruit from as well.
    Their campus is awesome as are their fans. They have a lot of built in winning ingredients.

    Since the WPIAL is pretty much dead and most of the few elite players are poached each year, Narduzzi has had to recruit nationally, which is much more difficult and costly. The constant turnover in offensive coaches has also hurt recruiting.

    I laugh when I hear how it was Narduzzi’s fault that Pitt failed down the stretch, but gets no credit for getting bowl eligible so early by winning games by a hair. Somehow, having a turnover differential of -9 and all of those dropped passes and fumbles were his fault for a lack of discipline. Of course all the penalties were caused by poor coaching and not players ineptitude. Of course not having his star offensive player and Mack hurt down the stretch were his fault. Look he is definitely not perfect and has his share of the blame, but it is mostly because our players (offense) were just not good enough. In my estimation, winning 8 games for a team predicted to win 5.5 is overachieving and he should get some credit for that.

    I would say the fact that he has the third most wins in a conference that has Clemson is pretty amazing, considering the obstacles built in to Pitt’s cake. ( Of course the answer to that one is that it is a crap conference)

    I find the expectations of Pitt Fans truly amazing, when we all know the history and know that the fan base is small, apathetic and doesn’t attend events or support the team financially in any way close to competitive with other schools.

    When we win, it should have been by more, we got lucky, or the other team was crap. When we lose no credit is ever given for the other team having made plays or just being better.

    Take the bowl game, absolutely no credit to a team with a solid QB that really came to play and wanted that game in the worst way, and a team that according to our AD, really didn’t want to be there. But somehow pulled off a win in a most miraculous way. But no credit is given for how they finished, just how bad they were for the most part, and that they should have won by a landslide. A game that would have meant the world to E Michigan, but one that nobody from Pitt cared about. A game where their school brought 24.000 fans and we brought 1000.

    PSU filled half of Heinz Field when they came here as does ND or WVU. PSU fans going as far as buying season tickets.

    But let’s blame Narduzzi cause those are nothing but excuses.

    Liked by 11 people

    2. GC I agree with much of which you posted but what I do see is that Narduzzi is just not a good game day coach. And like it or not our defense most definitely went down hill its last 4 games particularly against the run with the same group in place.

      Liked by 1 person

    4. I do blame Narduzzi for not having his players prepared to play. For not making proper half time adjustments. For starting players who repeatedly don’t execute. For having an undisciplined team. For his time management and play calling. For non progression of the O and regression of the D. For going through O coordinators like a dime a dozen. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

      I’ll give him credit for meeting if not exceeding the low expectations this year. Winning his bowl. Running a clean program.

      Liked by 3 people

    5. “When we win, it should have been by more, we got lucky, or the other team was crap. When we lose no credit is ever given for the other team having made plays or just being better.”

      This x 10,000. Pitt won 8 games this year and there were probably several posters here, and many fans in general, who weren’t happy after any one of them. If watching football and supporting the team never makes you happy, then why don’t you just stop, and pass your time some other way?

      Like

      1. You happy going through life as mediocre? No you wouldn’t be. But that’s Pitt football for you.

        Beating EMU in that bowl game is like me bragging that my son got into IUP.

        Like

        1. C’mon Tex, you’re better than that. I’m sure that there are a lot of fine people on this blog who have had family attend IUP. Not everyone is Ivy League or even Pitt qualified.

          Like

  24. What are the obstacles you talk about. Every school has obstacles. They find solutions and overcome them.

    Name me your top 5 obstacles and I’ll provide you with short and long range solutions. It’s a very easy game to play like checkers.

    But Pitt thinks it’s chess.

    Like

  25. Tx, I’ve watched plenty of Wisconsin home games and compared to PITT home games there is no comparison, unless the occasional “big game” All of Wisconsin games are packed with a rowdy fan base “Jumping Around” Do you think that’s an easy fix for PITT? (It’s not)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Then tarp Ike. Move fans down and closer together.

      Do a better job marketing and promoting and growing new supporters.

      Develop some marquee players. Startvwinning bowl games and getting ranked.

      It’s notvsupposed to be easy but every year I hear the same excuses.

      And conduct that feasibility study.

      There. A simple game of checkers.

      Like

      1. I like filling the lower bowl idea to create a cozy crowded atmosphere and in this day of modern technology someone could surely figure out a way to get it done….

        Liked by 2 people

    2. If these problems or constraints or obstacles still exist year after year, don’t you think it’s an indictment on Pitts leadership?

      Fans are always an easy scapegoat to blame. Pitt fans are not the problem. The lack of them is. And that’s on the administration. But I’d love to hear a recruit say that they didn’t pick pitt because they don’t have enough fans.

      I’ll stop drinking bourbon if that ever happens.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Sorry to hear about you’re giving up drinking bourbon TX because the lack of fan support is used against PITT and on potential recruits constantly. It’s the biggest negative that the competition has used to lure and sway a young man. The lack of fan support was the #1 reason T Pryor said NO!

        I believe Heather and the administration are engaged with most of your suggestions already. Except the tarping part.

        Like

        1. I think the money he got from Ohio State boosters was the number one reason. He didn’t pick the buckeyes because they have 80k fans while Pitt only has 40k in the stadium. Let’s stop blaming the fans.

          Heather is not tarping because Narduzzi does not believe the yellow seats hurts recruiting. Yet every professional team in the world and several colleges tarp when they have over sized venues and game day capacity issues.

          If the yellow seats are a major reason behind narduzzis poor recruiting, don’t you think he would be receptive to the solution. Unless he thinks his bland offense and sideline antics will draw in the casual fan.

          Like

          1. Couple things:

            Tarping is a band-aid over a deep wound. It’s like spraying dog crap with air fresher, it’s still crap. Not calling Heinz crap, just the situation for PITT.

            I know more about the Pryor story than I can say but I will say that money may have persuaded TP to OSU at the end?? BUT. The reason he was looking around outside of the area was the poor look for PITT and their lack of fan support.

            Liked by 1 person

  26. The top obstacle is that Pitt couldn’t fill Heinz field if they gave away the tickets against all but 3 teams PSU, ND or WVU. So for the most part the game day atmosphere for Pitt at home is down right dull. And the fact the the games are played off campus makes situation even worse.

    Like

  27. I give Narduzzi a lot of credit for two things:

    He expanded Pitt’s recruiting footprint and managed to bring in some very talented guys from down south.
    He has the Panthers winning games they should win on a consistent basis, which is something that neither of his predecessors could say. Both Chryst and Wannstedt seemed to have at least 1-2 games a season where the team lost to a clearly inferior opponent, often by scores that weren’t all that close. This fact alone makes me hesitant to be too critical of him not being able to get over the hump to 9-10 wins; I’m too worried that parting ways with him would mean a return to the bad old days of Paul Chryst, where we lose to Youngstown State Week 1, then take a #3 ranked Notre Dame team to triple overtime at their place in the same season (this was 2012, for those of you keeping track at home). No, thank you. Those teams were not entertaining to watch, because you never knew which version of the team was going to show up, game to game or even quarter to quarter.

    That said, this season was the first, I think, where Narduzzi’s teams really did have some bad games where they played well below expectations, so I think point #2 could be eroding. The BC game was a bad loss, I thought, plus the Delaware game and the Quick Lane Bowl were a lot closer than they should have been. Also, I missed the game, so correct me if I’m wrong, but it seemed like the team really laid an egg against VT. That’s four out of 13 games where to me it seemed like the team played way below what they were capable of. Definitely not a good sign. If it continues next season and beyond….

    Like

    2. Right on Jeff R… PITT dominated no opponent this year in the the games won and ended in a bit of a nose-dive even though we barely beat the mighty EMU Eagles..we lost to the BC Eagles and the VT gobblers…Question: are we going to the birds???

      Liked by 4 people

  28. Some things to make Pitt fans jump up and down at home games – win, sell beer, free shirts to all attending students, free tickets to K – 8 grade kids, OCS. All easy except the important last one.

    Like

  30. I think part of the recruiting problem at Pitt is that a decent percentage of the 5.7 and above recruits won’t even consider Pitt because of the weather and game-day atmosphere. I have no doubt that if Pitt is anywhere in the picture, opposing recruiters show photos of Heinz during games, and show the average monthly temps….

    I think for the elite southern kids, many won’t go north and they certainly won’t go as far north as the ‘Burgh for a game-atmosphere like that…

    So our pool of recruits starts off being smaller than the more southern schools, IMHO.

    I do agree on just not selling the upper, upper deck (but I don’t see any need to tarp them – after all, they’re a beautiful bright yellow color 😊). Course you have to keep Fran and Scooter’s seats available…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    2. True. Maybe Pitt could help themselves by just piping in some crowd noise. NFL teams have been doing it on the sly for years; seems like there’s no reason we couldn’t do it, too.

      Like

    3. Agree completely Major, except that I would tarp them so they don’t stand out for the TV cameras.

      Like

  31. There is no solving the non on campus stadium problem obstacle unless something could be worked out with CMU on a joint facility.

    Like

  32. And on the issue of Pitt having a “system” and identity in place – like Whisky has had.

    Well, maybe we are headed in that direction. On defense, Duzz has been criticized for not altering his defense to suit the personnel. Now, finally, that defense seems to be working (for the most part, anyway — and even with significant injuries last season…).

    On offense, on the other hand, we’ve been over a wide portion of the map. We’ve struggled to bring in better offensive talent.

    Perhaps to address this problem Pitt saw the opportunity to hire an OC who could address the offensive problems by using the potential for gaudy “stats” to attract QBs, WRs, and TEs.

    If they can somehow cobble together just an average OL, more elite QBs and receivers, while not the running offense Duzz would prefer, could be effective if matched up with an above average defense… (And perhaps a strong passing game opens up the running game, if we put the best light on it…)

    Maybe Duzz is rolling the dice on this premise. It seems we have attracted some bigger-time offensive talent already…

    Next season and the next recruiting class will tell the story, IMHO…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  33. Calling all Tex’s…

    Tex, Pitt is looking for feedback on their future. Google “Pitt Plan for 2025.”

    Saw it on the Lair…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

      1. You MUST try to reign in your modesty Tex! 😉 But then you may not have been referencing the MPC originator (and I DO love that concept, btw)

        Like

  34. and while we are on the subject … which we are not. imo, if one or two of any of the recruiting sites has a player rated as a 4* then that is good enough for me. I don’t take the ratings very serious anyways but if 247 or ESPN rates a player higher than Rivals it means to me that the player is a good pickup.

    Liked by 2 people

  35. On a lighter note, as I predicted the final bowl game rankings are out on College Football News and they ranked Pitt-EMU dead last at #39 before the bowl games where played. After the bowl games we fall into the #9 slot. Despite the the frustrations and the urge to kill rising throughout, if you take fandom out of it, it was a crazy fun game! https://collegefootballnews.com/2020/01/bowl-rankings-how-good-were-all-40-bowl-games/4

    Liked by 3 people

  36. Very good summation, Gordon, and well stated.

    The tarping solution is probably doable but far from a no-brainer. In addition to forcing people to leave the view they like and make them purchase more expensive tickets, there is the cost of the tarps and the logistics of installing and removing them on game day, especially storing them wet when it rains on game day. All in an attempt to kinda fool viewers into thinking there are more people and more support than actually there. The stadiums where it is currently done might not have a 35K crowd one day and 65K the next.

    The other solutions of win more, recruit better, solicit more donations, develop a plan, etc., are essentially saying do what we are already doing but do it better. Reminds me of a friend of mine who used to coach high school football. His favorite advise to his players was to say (facetiously), “Run faster than you can”.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Tarps don’t fool anyone. They right size the stadium. They force fans closer to the field and closer together. They also can provide advertising revenue. The logistics are not an insurmountable issue. I suggest Pitt talk with the Sounders.

      Like

  37. MM, thanks for posting the survey results. We needed something to discuss (i.e., argue about).

    My hope is that we maintain some stability at Offensive Coordinator. Give Whip time to recruit the guys he needs and train them to play his offense. It worked (finally) with the defense. Offense follows, starting next year.

    And, why the spewing about Heather Lyke? From what I can see, she is a dynamo. She has programs on the rise.

    pmdH2P

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Which ones? The volleyball and soccer coaches were not her hires. Wrestling is doing well. Am I missing something? Finished dead last in the directors cup last year. Will finish near dead last again.

      Attendance down in football
      Donations flat
      Still losing money and a high sports subsidy

      But it must be the new colors and that panther head. All can be forgiven.

      Like

        1. You may not like his style TF, and there is typically a little excess. But TX speaks the truth.

          Like

  38. Hey, we have a chance to lose to both Miami’s next year! In my frosh year 68, we lost to Army , Navy and Air Force in the same season.

    Like

    1. ^^ and you’re blaming PITT for that Dan? It’s your fault for enrolling at PITT 7 years to early. 🙂

      Like

  39. Here we go, Heather didn’t hire a few of the coaches that are doing well. I think it was gc who touched on the position that PITT, Narduzzi and Heather can never do anything right, it’s always someone else. Wait until next year when tickets sells are actually up. But but but but, it’s only because they are playing Notre Dame. and Reed called me a broken record. Turn the page!

    Like

  40. Check this out.

    The definition of a whipping boy

    “a person who is made to bear the blame for another’s mistake; scapegoat.”
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    Sound familiar?

    Liked by 1 person

  41. BTW, Tex, the women’s BB team won’t add a thing to the Director’s Cup, and may well not win another game this season. Yet if you look at the players recruited by Suzie McConnell in her last few years versus the 5 freshmen who Coach White brought in – I’m no BB guru, but it appears to be a night-and-day upgrading.

    I see a couple of these freshmen who look like they will be all-ACC type talents as juniors and seniors. Rita Igbokwe, the 6-4 center, is a raw talent — she just shot 6 for 10 against BC, but at this point her defensive presence is her strength…

    Then PG Harris and wing “AB” Brown (who has been ACC freshman of the week a couple times) are impressive talents. And a forward thought to be the best of the freshmen, is redshirting because of paperwork issues (she’s from Greece).

    I’ve followed the women’s team for almost 20 years now and I’m enjoying watching this team being constructed and shaped. When these freshmen are juniors and seniors, I suspect Pitt will be right there in the upper level of the ACC.

    BB Guru Dan seems to share my optimism about the women’s team and their coach, Lance White.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Next to UConn and Muffin at ND Lance is one of the most innovative and fundamentally structured coaches in the D1.

      He will bring Pitt to the top test of the ACC … no doubt in my mind. He is an incredible recruiter. If you meet him you’ll know why immediately.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. The BC game was the first I really chance I have had to watch him on the sideline.

        Very impressive. The man is a teacher first, a positive motivator second, and not a bad tactical coach to boot. He had the players full attention and they all seemed to respond to him.

        Like

        1. Something I like about Coach White is that when he takes a player out of the game for some performance reason, he immediately talks to them for a bit. And he does it in a calm way — teaching or reinforcing something…

          The players seem to really like all the women’s team’s coaches.

          Another nice thing that Coach White does is after the game he takes the mike and thanks the fans for coming — then he brings up a player and has them say a few words about being a Panther…

          These seasons have to be tough on Coach White and Coach Mitchell, who have had so much success before coming to Pitt… Will be even nicer to root for them when the “Ws” start coming…

          Go Pitt.

          Like

  43. TX Panther

    I am far from the most knowledgeable person about what is really happening day-to-day in the Athletic Dept. Maybe it is a total mess. But, I sense that things are moving in the right direction. Victory Heights, upgrades to facilities, some vision about what the programs can and should be. Seems like a major upgrade from the two deadweights who preceded Heather.

    Let’s do a survey on her someday. I am a fan. And, I am not going to argue with you about it. Just let me be a fan. I like her spirit and energy.

    pmdH2P

    Liked by 5 people

  44. I saw that the New York Giants new head coach was most recently a special teams coach and receivers coach. I can only imagine the vitriol that some of you would have if Pitt made that move.

    Like

    1. If Pitt hired a coach who was on staff for several Super Bowls, and has the endorsement of the greatest coach in history, I think we’d be accepting of it. Plus he won National Championships while on staff at Alabama I believe. I’m not sure we would be disappointed with that kind of hire Luther.

      Like

  45. TX, the obstacles are PITT. Pitt doesn’t run academics properly (look at the rankings) and they don’t run athletics properly (look at the rankings).

    Alvarez bought into the big15 way of life. Schedule easy OOC, check. Be supported by your conference with respect to scheduling the conference games. Easier games first, against the sacrificial lambs, check. Vote for big15 teams every week in the polls, check. Convince your local media to vote for the big15 teams in the polls, check. By week 9, 6 or 7 teams are in or very close to the top10, check.

    Pitt AD has no plan and carries no weight with the ACC conference on how to help build the ACC football brand….or the Pitt brand….or the EMU brand….

    I have repeatedly asked for clear, measurable obstacles to why not Pitt and have received nothing, other than you can’t compare Pitt to other schools that have a rabid fan base, and history, yadda yadda yadda.
    Pitt can change and grow the brand if they have the right people. Alvarez built a an athletic brand with full support from the academics which tagged along for a brand improvement. Wisconsin was not consistently ranked in the top 50 academically until 1996…and never left! Athletic success drove academic success. Easy to look that up fellas. Pitt doesn’t have a brand any more academically or athletically because they don’t have executives that know how to do it.

    The leaders are only concerned with getting fat and happy in their own areas and could care less about the rest. If it happens, great, just don’t cut into their pie. Pitt is Pitt’s worst problem.

    Liked by 2 people

  46. POV’s favorite NFL owner just hired a Penn Stater to the tune of an unprecedented 7-year and $62 million contract PLUS incentives …. and also paid another $5M to buyout his college contract.

    Wonder if he cares about his alma mater’s FB program or its academic standing

    Liked by 2 people

    1. He doesn’t and hiring a college coach for that much money that isn’t Saban or Sweeney is ridiculous.

      Like

    1. Two things from a quick scan of that bowl-game article:

      — “…Michigan has now lost four straight bowl games under Harbaugh…”
      Perhaps if those cheapskates paid the man and maybe let him take the team to visit the Pope, they could win a bowl game…😊

      — And if nothing else, Pitt tends to play games with drama (whether there should be drama or not…).

      Would have been nice if they mentioned Mack’s spectacular catch to win the game — had to have been among the best TD catches this season (which was an ironic way for the dropsy Panther receiving corps to finish the season…).

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. ^^ Only PITT loses all their bowl games … oh wait .. they won … oh wait… they didn’t win, they sucked, just scored more points than the other team.

        Liked by 1 person

  48. “67% (249) – Regular Reader / Rarely or Never Comment”

    The above item from MM’s article caught my eye. I seem to remember an article a few articles back where for some reason we had comments from names we don’t normally see.

    It was great to see that — and it would be great to hear what more POV readers have to say about all things related to Pitt Athletics…

    Hail to Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. I remember that article and comments. I remember Tex from Cleveland, Tex from the bar, Don’t Tex While Driving, Tex Mex, and Tex Hold Em.

      Liked by 2 people

  50. I am relieved that the “realists” aka “Narduzzi haters” are in the major minority. I feared some of that misplaced vitriol for Narduzzi was slightly more mainstream. The actual “realists” understand that he isn’t perfect but he has done well considering all obstacles at pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. What are the obstacles and why don’t 60 of the other 65 P5 teams have them? Excuses, all of them!

      Pitt’s biggest obstacle is Pitt, followed by a fanbase that has low expectations because that is what they have experienced for nearly 40 years.

      Like

      1. Come on huff. You’re a smart guy and if your honest with yourself you know pitts limitations. People have written them countless times on here. Go to a home game and you’ll see a major obstacle for one.

        Like

  51. All this talk about North Carolina BB being down right now is going to motivate them against Pitt. Don’t expect Pitt to sneak up on them. An early prediction is that Pitt loses by 10.

    Like

    2. I made that same prediction after the W_F loss this past weekend.

      Pitt will get beat on the boards and we Pitt fans will see that we have PG and no big men.

      What is Capel building?

      Like

        1. A bball win tomorrow would be huge. Would help offset the bad wake loss. We have two bad losses (Nichols and wake) and one very good win (Florida state).

          Liked by 1 person

      3. EE — Bigs coming next season. 🎅

        I agree that we need another PG to go with X, but I haven’t given up on X Man…

        Remember, X and Trey have yet to play in college with a decent big…

        Go Pitt.

        Like

  53. The Texas Div 6A state championship drew 47,818 which is more than almost 70% of the bowl games. And probably better FB than 80%

    Liked by 1 person

    1. BTW, Matt Rhule who just signed a $62M contract to coach the Carolina Panthers has the same bowl record as HCPN

      Like

  54. Hey ike, any chance you can make your way down to the portal and find us a decent OT?

    Like maybe someone who wants to come back home because he misses Mom’s cookin’?

    😊

    Go Pitt.

    Like

      1. ike why do you keep mentioning this guy? Not only is he not in the transfer portal, he started for ND this past year

        Like

  55. Erie, you’re right on about the lack of quality big men. Hamilton seems to be fading, and Brown really never arrived. So far, the Freshmen bigs haven’t shown much, and only Champagne has contributed much for the Freshmen. This could be a year of close but no cigar…

    Like

    1. Big men are coming next year. Our three sophomore guards will be back next year. No way are any of them NBA ready now not even our “superstar” guard. He seems to have problems listening to his coach. Should sit him if he keeps it up.

      I Lyke both of our basketball coaches and see Pitt becoming competitive in the ACC in two years with both programs. Though there are few on this board that agree with me, I think our greatest problem in the future is when Coach K retires and they come for Capel.

      Like

  56. BTW, I hear a new Astroturf surface is nearing completion on the Pitt baseball field — along with some other upgrades.

    The new playing surface mirrors surfaces recently installed at Vanderbilt, UK, and Michigan…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

  57. In 7 seasons as a college coach, Rhule won 10 or more games three times……..

    Ranked in the AP 3 times. As high as 8th. He built his brand quickly.

    His first year with temple he won 2 games and his first year with Baylor he won 1. I think he inherited crap. Narduzzi did not inherit crap. He had two complete builds!

    Not going to lie here…..when I saw the headline which read “Rhule signed by Panthers” I got a little excited. Okay, a lot excited.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. no doubt that Rhule was THE hot hire; what he did thus far is amazing. The controversial thing is the amount of his contract. Reportedly, Tepper was totally intent on hiring him that he wasn’t going to leave until he reached agreement. Even then, Rhule called the NY Giants to see if they would match Teppper’s offer, and they refused. I just heard this confirmed on the Boomer & Gio show just a few minutes ago,

      So now a coach that only has one year NFL experience as an offensive line assistant now is the highest paid NFL coach.

      AS far as what Rhule inherited …. unlike Pitt, Baylor is located in what is in the Top 3 HS football recruiting areas ,,,, and has been for years. The mess Rhule inherited was off-the-field and the roster still had talent.

      Liked by 1 person

  58. VoR & Erie, as I posted the above, the issue with this current team is not the guards …. it’s the lack of both an offensive and defensive presence under the boards. The entire offense is depended on guard penetration … and I literally can’t remember when Pitt had a big man actually in a low post. It’s been years.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Remember Steven Adams? Now playing in the NBA for the Oklahoma Thunder. Misused by Dixon.

      Like

  59. A win tonight would help erase the Wake loss and put the Panthers at 2-2 in the ACC.

    Before the season I think seeing FSU, Louisville, Wake and NC to start the opinion would be 1-3 and with a prayer of being 2-2 after four games. Pitt has a chance to get to 2-2 versus a short-handed Carolina team.

    We know it will be a struggle since this Pitt team has many holes that weren’t going to be filled in year two of this rebuild. Frustration with X and Trey are understandable as no one really expected a step back by those two this season. Even more frustrating is college hoops is way down everywhere and pouncing on the opportunity to make some noise is there, but will the team take advantage?

    Liked by 1 person

  60. So Pitt’s big men are really not good enough, they are better than last year, although Hamilton has disappeared the last couple of games, and I’m really not sure why. I suppose it is the level of competition.

    The other problem is that although again, three point shooting is better because more guys are making them, there really is no go to guy that you can count on to make the big one under pressure. No go to guy.

    As WBB said, Pitt’s best weapon is still the two guards driving to the hoop, which appears to be less effective this year. Again. not sure why. The lack of a big man to dish off too hurts. The weakest part of Brown’s game are his hands. They need to get him a medicine ball or as someone suggested a climbing wall.

    No doubt the best recruit is Champ, he is the most well rounded player on the team already.

    This team is still one of the most fun to watch of most Pitt teams, but again the outrageous expectations of some fans is ludicrous. This team is so young with so many weak links that to expect many wins is shear lunacy.

    Liked by 3 people

  61. again, when you have an underclassmen dominated team, it is going to be inconsistent. The only senior on the team is a new transfer, Of the 2 juniors .. one just transferred here and the other doesn’t even start anymore

    Like

    1. Hoping Toney is playing tonight? No word on it from Capel last night.

      Chuck should sit and grad transfer to a lower level.

      Like

    2. Has there been a report of this Gordon? I’ve had my radar up on this, but have not seen anything.

      Like

  63. Frankly I don’t get any fun in watching this Pitt mens BB team. Unless that is you enjoy watching a team that has no inside game and no one that you can count on to make an outside shot and that plays undisciplined most of the time and is poorly coached.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Funny with Jamie, people complained how restrictive his system was. Now guys have the freedom to make mistakes and that is a lack of discipline and poor coaching. I would say it is more a lack of experience and in some cases talent level.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Yep, they have the freedom to continue to make the same mistakes and the freedom to drive to the hoop when it’s clogged up to take a silly 20% chance of success shott of making the basket. And if they are lucky enough to be fouled going to the basket there are only 50/50 odds of making the free throw.

        Like

        1. Our highest percentage 3 point shooter is only 40% (Xavier), so kicking it out doesn’t change much. The players have to make split second decisions. Sometimes they work.

          Like

    2. GC — I agree with jrn that this team can be hard to watch – there’s the poor shooting and lack of any big-man game. And then they seem to do that passing around the outside which rarely seems to lead to anything productive…

      However, I agree with you that it’s a process that’s going to take time — I expect more improvement next season when some better bigs are due to arrive…

      A few recruits who could have come in and immediately elevated Pitt’s game, like the freshmen kid at WVU, decided to go elsewhere. I think Capel gets some elite guys eventually…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

    1. You can’t recruit if kids think the coach will be gone. Maybe it’s a shout out to that 5* sophomore verbal Capel got 😉

      Liked by 3 people

    2. Capel deserves five years anyways.

      This was a total rebuild and we are just into year two. If he had Marcus Carr I think Pitt would be better.

      We can all thank the wonderful chancellor for the state of basketball. I better watch what I say as I’m sure some on here think Gallagher walks on water.

      Like

  68. I didn’t take the poll because my darn popup blocker canned the poll… lol. I can see it now on Firefox.

    Like

  69. I use firefox Jack and I never have a problem.

    We don’t have the whole story of the terms and conditions of the Capel extension to make a judgement. Although the stability look of it is a good thing.

    Like

  70. I’m concerned whether MM will be extending the contracts of ike and Tex…👍

    Having heard no announcements, I presume negotiations are on-going? 🤔

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  71. The line on tonight’s game has dropped from 5.5 to 4.5. Dan72, did you place a large bet on Pitt this morning?

    Like

  72. Did someone say negotiations? That was my thing many moons ago. Just to be clear, I think Tx and myself get along really well and tolerate each other more than others tolerate the both of us at times.

    Liked by 1 person

  73. Pine-Richland/Notre Dame’s 2nd string QB Phil Jurkovec just entered the transfer portal. He has to sit out next season as a transfer. Duzz has to score big here and get one from our own backyard. Promise the kid that he gets to replace Pickett in 2021. He is hungry to play after sitting for a few years. After following Phil in hs and in his limited action at ND, I believe he would already be an upgrade over Pickett.

    Like

    1. Pitt won’t land Jurkovec. It needs Lugg to enter the portal as he is rumored to also transfer.

      We shall see.

      Like

    3. IMO, Don’t see Jurko coming to PITT happening ajs…. Lugg would be a welcome addition…KP starts next year.. Beville is a backup and Patti transfers to JMU to take the baton pass from “ the Nucch” eventually Beville hit the transporter” beam me outta here , Scotty” and Yellen starts… gotta love this modern college ball…

      3rd year Army QB wants to hit the transfer portal( doesn’t fell like vacationing for three years in Afghanistan… hits the transfer button.. Commander shouts stopping him” Son you signed on with us… Remember, you’re in the Army now!!!”

      Like

    5. The QB from ASU is already on campus and sitting this season to prepare to be KP’s replacement.

      Jerkovic won’t be coming back home unless it is Duquesne or RMU.

      Like

  75. Annie — did you see the post on Pgh. Sports Now “Daily Notebook” from Pitt LB Kylan Johnson?

    Go Nutritionists!

    Hail to Pitt.

    Like

    1. John, did not see it. I’ll look for it. Thanks for the heads up! You can’t perform at peak ability if you”re not properly fueled!!!

      Like

  76. Jurkovecstill has a chance to be picked up by one of the big boys, they pay better.

    My guess is Yellen doesn’t come if Jurkovec was an option.By the way, I get that Pitt is frustrating to watch, but still lots of great plays being made offensively and defensively. My suggestion is, if it hurts to much to watch don’t.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. GC truer words were never said better “if it hurts too much to watch, don’t.” Thanks for the advise, I’ll check for the final score in the AM.

      Like

  77. WordPress still rejecting me, must remember to copy before posting. Then reopen the site and post, it has always worked.

    Like

  78. If Jurkowvec and Pryts want to play in front of the home folks, they may well come. Otherwise, they will likely go to more attractive places.

    3 of the 4 QBs in the college finals were backups at big time schools

    Liked by 1 person

  79. Oh I see, it looks to me that Ian Book coming back for 2020 was the final straw for Jurkovec, but we have our QB for this class so that is no matter to us.

    Like

  80. Well one of my sources told me over a month ago Jurkovec was going to enter the transfer portal and it wasn’t any of the sites on the cpu. Whether or not he comes to PITT is up in the air but that was his initial plan. Just a guess here but from what I’ve heard, sounds like some of the WPA kids playing in south bend want to come closer to home. << translation, they are not happy.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. ND has a prestigious tradition and an allure but per some discussions with alumni Brian Kelly kinda wears on people after awhile. Just saying what I have been told.

      Liked by 3 people

      1. Regarding Kelly, I could see that. I know there are all types of personalities and equally as many ways to be successful, but Kelly’s head always looks like its going to explode.

        Liked by 1 person

  81. I don’t think Narduzzi would take Jurkovec even if he wanted to come to Pitt. Once you pi** off Narduzzi the welcome mat is clearly no longer available. I’m only guessing but I think Jurkovec rejected Pitt and Narduzzi early on as his heart was always set on ND.

    Like

  82. Looks like the TE transfer Moraga didn’t make the early enrollee list as he still has one class to finish at Ventura reports PSN. That leaves only transfer Krull, Carrigan and Kyi Wright left to man the TE slot come spring practice. So it’s my guess that Krull will have the TE job ended to him early on for next season.—-Seven others enrolled early.

    Like

  83. Jurkovec is a dual threat QB that probably fits best in an RPO type system. It will be interesting to see where he lands. Who does Clemson have behind Lawrence (assuming that Lawrence, a true SO, is gone after this year or next)? What system does WVU run with the new coach? Who does Michigan have waiting in the wings?

    Not sure if he would see himself as a good fit in Pitt’s pro-style system. But, who knows…

    Like

    1. Lawrence has to wait until after next season. I don’t think he’s a RS. That’s why everyone says Burrows is going to the Bengals.

      Like

      1. Thanks Jack. I wasn’t sure when a kid could come out of college and head to the pros. Sounds like he has to be in college for 3 years (three years after high school)…

        Like

      1. UGA needs a quarterback. Fromm announced he’s entering the draft today

        Like

  84. The two best HS players I personally saw the last 20 yrs in WPa were Jurkovic and Robert Foster. I have to admit I’m really surprised Jurkovic couldn’t beat out Brooks. I mean really, really surprised. Maybe he’ll be a Nitter or Hoopie. I think hard feelings over some comments made during his recruiting rule Pitt out. Arrogance is a funny thing, and this time it wast on the Duzz.

    Like

  86. Jurkovec was invited to (and attended) ND games when he was a sophomore .. and later on that school year, he verbaled to them. So even though Pitt offered, he didn’t exactly spurn Pitt or Narduzzi.

    For that matter, Petrishen was offered by Pitt but opted for PSU … and now is at Pitt

    Like

  87. It wasn’t spurning, it was the were much too good for you statements that rubbed the Pitt staff the wrong way. For once, it wasn’t Narduzzis arrogance, it was on the other side. And btw, it irritated them big time. They could have just let it go, but took the shots instead.

    Like

    1. it’s also possible that the Pitt staff may feel some loyalty to the QBs who did verbal to them and not consider Jurkovec… but my guess is that Jurkovec will still be looking to a big itime school

      Like

  88. As for the survey, I was unable to get to the questions, however if I would have been able to I would have been in the “thrilled to have PN when hired, but less so today” and “short leash with a demand for at least a 9 win season over the next 2 years, with no year of less than 8 wins”

    However, let’s be honest and realistic. PN came into a mediocre situation, AT BEST. A Pitt alum, loved by many, but who was targeted by national media (for some reason) was fired. Replaced by a wife beater whose hire lasted 1 week, then replaced with a carpet bagger who abandoned his players like a thief in the night, only to be replaced by a coach who produced consistently mediocre results and had the personality and enthusiasm of a wet dish rag.

    PN then produces 8-win seasons 3 out of his 5 years including the first year that his team consisted of his own recruits/transfers and won his first bowl game . . . . albeit unconvincingly. Additionally, his team was highly ranked nationally in several defensive categories for the first time in many, many years. To suggest that this is grounds for immediate dismissal is lunacy, in my opinion. However, the team’s lack of discipline on the field and lackluster performance against inferior opponents warrants a “short-leash” status.

    As for his recruiting, its generally as good as we can expect, and simply listing things that might motivate 4* players to come is not realistic or frankly fair. To think that PN, et.al have not used those same selling points to recruit is silly. The reality is 18-year olds aren’t persuaded by these arguments.

    Here’s a list of recruiting obstacles that every Pitt coach is going to face, even if some on here are tired of hearing about them, they nevertheless are facts:

    No on campus OCS, and likely never will be, due to space and parking limitations
    Pitt’s enrollment is smaller than almost all B10 schools whom they recruit 4s against
    Pitt’s attendance is abysmal because of above, but also because its partly a commuter school
    Pro teams are a distraction, especially the rabid Steeler fan base
    Sharing a pro practice facility is a neutral factor (upscale but ultimately not yours alone)
    Heinz field is clearly the worst football stadium in the NFL
    Pitt’s commuter enrollment % prevents it from fostering a rabid alumni base
    Constant conflict between academic and athletic factions, which should and could be fixed
    Unlike bball, it takes multiple 4 and 5     recruits to make a meaningful change

    Sorry for repeating but trying to be responsive to the survey.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Of all your good points, having 4 and 5 stars is the most important. Pit has had a lot of star players Pre Narduzzi. Not many since…they sell tickets and make players around them better.
      Imagine the crowds that would come see Jurkivic at QB!

      Like

      2. Tyler Boyd and James Conner were superstars at the college level, and crowds didn’t come to see them. The only additional butts that Jurkovec would put in the seats would be those of his friends and family.

        Liked by 3 people

  89. I’m guessing it wasn’t too good at ND getting those splinters sitting on the bench. Hard for the NFL scouts to notice you way over by the water cooler getting that drink.

    Like

  90. Also, of Pitt’s 29,000 enrollment undergraduate enrollment in 2019, which typically forms the vast majority of your sports fan base, was less than 20.000. This is peanuts when compared to Dairy U, OSU, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan St, etc.,especially when you consider the percentage of those 20,000 who commute from home and don’t really develop the connection to the university that on campus students will.

    Like

  91. The 28% that expect Pitt football to get to the proverbial “next level” are the same guys that put down a deposit for Pirates World Series tickets. We have 30+ years of data on both teams that seem pretty reliable.

    Liked by 1 person

  93. I’m still baffled by Jurkovic and the Domers. Man, what a talent. Does anyone know what they didn’t like about him? I didn’t think Brooks was all that great. I’d take him any day.

    Like

    1. One article had Kelly saying that Jurk had to fix a tendency to drop his elbow and push the ball.

      I also saw where he was “sacked” 12 times in a spring game… That won’t do much for one’s confidence…

      Like most young QBs, plenty to learn…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  94. If Jurkovec transfers to Pitt, he would almost assuredly get a NCAA waiver. Duzz could tell Patti to join Schiano at Rutgers . Then open competition between Jurkovec and Pickett next year. If Jurkovec doesn’t beat out Pickett, then he has REAL problems.

    Yellen doesn’t come on board until 2021. Then he gets to be in a competition with Jurkovec and Beville. This team needs open competition at just about every position on offense next year except center.

    Like

  96. ok. This is the ACC network, right? So far the announcers are talking about UNC 90% of the time…

    HEATHER!!!!!!

    Like

  97. Nice explanation on why so many out of bounds calls in the corner on 3pt shots this year – in all games I’ve watched. Never thought about the trey line being closer to the sideline this year so less room in the corner to step back.

    Liked by 1 person

  99. Many of us can’t watch due to ACCN
    pls describe as best u can. Looks like more guard probe for Pitt.

    Like

  101. Pitt was hanging and then x got a dumb second foul. Carolina killing us inside but also making open outside shots unlike us. It’s not looking good.

    Like

  103. Held their own until Johnson picked up another cheap 2nd foul. Heels went on a run.

    Getting open looks but not hitting them. Outmanned on the boards.

    Really need a true point guard. Johnson is too undisciplened. McGowen letting the refs get in his head again.

    Good effort but not playing as a team.

    Like

  105. Didn’t count this one as a win…but it is winnable with UNC’s injury issues. Let’s see if they can correct for second half run.

    Like

    1. Definitely losing this one on the boards…well, except for their inability to score high percentage/open looks.

      Like

  113. We could use audiese again. Good rebounder, defender, and energy. He wouldnt be afraid to mix it up downlow.

    Like

  114. If you need anymore proof that PITT is the red-headed stepchild of the ACC just look at this crap game production tonight. Halftime special on UNC coaches. For crying out loud they even had a split screen earlier of the game and Roy Williams…. and to think I’m paying extra for this BS! Oh, PITT doesn’t look very well coached imo.

    Like

  115. Pitt does not have a backup PG. Never saw any decent team that didn’t have a backup PG. And X wasn’t even a PG in HS. So Capel hasn’t really recruited a true PG yet. And that merits an extension in this absurd world. lol

    Like

    1. The pg position isn’t hurting us tonight. It’s the inability to rebound and guys like Murphy putting up a doughnut from three.

      Like

      1. Not having a backup PG certainly has hurt us, it was 14-14 with 10 minutes to go when X had to sit, on a bogus ref call. Murphy seems to be another scapegoat on here. The fact that he has to start says something about Capels lack of recruiting.

        Like

  116. This team has no bench at all. Massively outscored last game by opponent’s bench (32-5) and that opponent was a bottom feeder(WF). This game the bench has ZERO points & 1 rebound.

    Like

  121. Champagne Life is on fire. Pitt’s got to run him off some screens. Instead of letting Hamilton stumble down the lane.

    Like

  127. Wife came home so have to step away and watch with her… but whatever happens Champagnie has shown he is the real deal.

    Like

  128. Getting Chapel Hill homered. Ticky tack fouls on Pitt so many times. 2 starters with 4 fouls and 3 on X and we got no bench. As the ACC refs know.

    Like

  129. Brown has not improved fundamentally in three years. If he keeps his feet he has a block. Then to loose the free throw rebound out of bounds…hands of clay.

    Like

  136. No ACCN for me, but anyone with eyes can see that Sham-penny is the real deal

    As for X, “in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”, and X is the one-eyed man. Need a true PG.

    Like

  140. Only caught the lase 8 minutes or so and though a couple guys missed some potential daggers and then had a few bad possessions and turnovers, but THEY DID IT!!!!

    H2P!!!!

    THAT IS FUN!!!!

    Like

  149. Capel must have given one hellavu halftime talk.

    That is what hot shooting will do, plus great defense.

    Trey was magnificent.

    I know, I know, we got lucky and the other team was crap, but I still love it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I wouldn’t call 11-4 and 2-2 in conference in early January a bad year.

      Far from it. This team is a diamond in the rough for sure – but they are competing and for the most part learning.

      Champagnie is a legit ACC talent. X and Trey are going through a typical sophomore slump in a lot of respects – but they are making their presence felt when needed.

      Morphy played well. Hamilton makes the most of his limited time with heart and muscle.

      They played as a team in the second half – and never quit.

      H2P

      Like

  153. Pitt’s first win over the Tarholes in Roy&Wanda Hill since joining the Atlantic Cracker Conference 🙂

    Could it be the first Pitt win ever in Chapel Hill ?

    Like

  155. Even with the Heels injuries this is still a huge win! The consensus thinking is that NC recruits nothing but blue chip players. Their worst recruit is better than our best, supposedly. Not tonight!

    Liked by 1 person

  158. So like I have said many times, it is the players that make the coaches and not the other way around, isn’t that right Roy?

    The rest of the season will still be very tough, but this was a good win and will be a great flight home for the guys. Imagine what this team might be like with a couple real power forwards.

    Liked by 2 people

  161. ACCNT showed the Carolina show before the game and it sounded like the Carolina broadcast in the first half, but the announcers really came around and were very positive about Pitt when the worm turned.

    Liked by 1 person

  162. This was a benchmark win for the program. Pitt can hold their heads high knowing they are once again relevent on the National scene. Can’t wait to see Sportscenter tonight.

    Like

    1. Struggling but still on paper UNC is the better team. Any win by the visitor’s in the Dean Dome is outstanding.

      I just think that this game will prove to be a turning point in the rebuild. The team has struggled to find an identity so far this season – but this one showed the blueprint for success. And if Pitt is on the bubble in March – this one will go down as a quality win.

      Like

      2. I’m sure he would agree with you. That’s what coaching is all about. He gave them the chance to shine.

        Like

  166. Would be nice if we could land the other Champagne Life twin. Think he stayed another year in HS or prep school. You could have 1 on one deep wing and the other on the other wing. Hugley in the middle, spread the court, let X & Mac Attack go into attack mode, take it to the rim or dish to one of the twins for a 3 or off to Hughley for a layup.

    Like

      1. Yeah….watched him play on Fox last Saturday against Xavier. We got the better one I assure you.

        Like

    2. The twin ended up going to St. John’s — is starting for them, I think, and doing pretty well last I saw anything…

      Our twin has the better hair!

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  167. The difference between this and the last game was getting hot at the end of the game instead of the beginning.

    Like

  168. How the heck do you win a game when you are out-rebounded 42 to 27. Yikes!

    Ironic that the 3-point shooting won the game for Pitt — plus the good foul shooting…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hit open looks consistently. Take high percentage shots. When you get ahead get smart.

      Minimize the effects of being out rebounded.

      Like

    2. I know little about the finer points of basketball (was a wrestler growing up), but I noticed the same stat. And, I seem to recall that rebounding was a focus of the Dixon era teams We always seemed to out-rebound opponents when we won during Jamie’s tenure. Now, we rarely win the rebounding stat it seems. No matter. A win is a win (to me).

      Like

  171. Tha announcers tonight noted that Pitt was up 16 against Wake when X went out with foul trouble. Tonight we were tied 14-14 when he went to the bench with his second foul. We were down 9 when he returned. We played even the rest of the first half, still down 9. I think he played the entire second half.

    Hot shooting in the second half was the key to the win, in my opinion. But we need X in there. He makes us a much better team.

    Liked by 1 person

  173. “You know, Pitt’s the hometown. Me and my mom built a very strong relationship with the Capel brothers. They did a great job of recruiting me and offered me this past summer,” Hood-Schifino told Pittsburgh Sports Now on Wednesday. “When I got the offer, I was pretty happy. I was saying I was going to weigh my decisions but, after building that relationship, I just felt like the right decision was for me to commit to Pitt.”

    https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2020/01/08/pitt-jalen-hood-schifino-basketball-recruiting-panthers-2022-capel-charlotte/

    Like

  175. Liked by 1 person

  176. Thrilled with any ACC win, but beating the Heels with all 4 and 5 star ⭐️ talent is pretty cool.

    I’ve come to the conclusion that our lack of much talent inside makes things very difficult for our guards. McGowens and X Man, along with Champagnie are clearly our three best players. But having no inside game puts tremendous pressure on the guards and forces them into mistakes. I remained concerned that they (primarily McGowens and Johnson) are making the same mistakes over and over again. But when I see them put the team on their backs and deliver a win like tonight, I become much more accepting of their shortcomings. They are very talented guys. If they grow as players and become more disciplined, and we add some quality bigs (Hugley?), we could really turn some heads. Looking forward to the ride.

    Liked by 2 people

Comments are closed.