in Pitt Football 44 Words

Pitt at UNC Open Game Basketball Thread

Hi everyone. Been in China the last few days and got my dates mixed up. This was supposed to publish today.

Feel free to comment

…

Is UNC really 8-6? Does Pitt really have a chance? Oh may the basketball Gods finally smile upon us…

274 thoughts on “Pitt at UNC Open Game Basketball Thread”

  1. Good win for the Panthers! Takes a little sting away from the Wake Forest meltdown.
    Right move to extend Capels contract. H2P!!!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I found both games very similar in that the favored home team was up big in the 1st half only to get clowned in the 2nd half.

      Like

  2. Hmmm…I predict a Pitt win. Champagnie goes nuclear in the second half. Trey gets multiple assists. X gets it done in the end.

    h2p

    Liked by 3 people

  4. Now that’s how you get in good with your boss. She gives you an extension (after a bad loss?) and then you go beat UNC at UNC…

    🎅

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  6. Worked late tonight and only caught the last 10 minutes on the radio onbthe drive home. Sounded pretty bad in the 1st half but good ahooting rescued us along with bad shooting by UNC. Announcers were impressed with the D in the 2nd half.

    Either way, a nice recovery from a horrible Wake game.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. Hey POvites, first time in modern Pitt basketball history that the bench scores 0 points. Extended Coach Capel, sit 1 for 8 Murphy and get a fixed up Toney in his place and you GOTTA an ACC basketball team. Although sadly, no bench; you listenin’ 21 1/2 year-old man-child Terrel playing with 19 year old boys?

    Like

  9. UNC had won 109 straight games at home when leading by 5* points at halftime. HEY TAR-HEELS, NOT AGAINST THE DUKE ALUMNI- COACHED PITT PANTHERS.

    Liked by 1 person

  10. MM … what in earth do you do for a living that you’re in China?

    I listened to the game and wrote Pitt off after that first half. I hate the ACCN!!!!

    Utterly thrilled with the win no matter the circumstances. I said it before Wake…. this is a very young team and with young teams this is what you get. Neither X or McG are point guards but neither are they 2 guards. 2 guards are shooters. That’s why Trey hitting a few in the second half was so important. H2P

    Liked by 5 people

  12. Weather forecast is for a high of 69 degrees in Pittsburgh this Saturday.

    Hope we have some football recruits visiting… 😊

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  13. MM — very impressed that you would go all the way to China to promote the POV.

    That’s really above and beyond.

    Hail to Pitt!

    Like

  14. In X Man’s interview after the UNC win — he said he made a “dumb decision” at the end of the WF game, and said he wants to learn from it…

    Sounds good.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  15. If I learned from every dumb decision I made playing and coaching basketball I’d be the reincarnation of John Wooden. Problem is, we don’t learn from all of em!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Kinda like my golf game.

      Maybe you heard this one. Three putting is like masturbation, you hate yourself when you do it, but you know you will do it again.

      Sorry, I can’t sleep.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Great win last night.

    Being 2-2 in the ACC now is pretty good as Pitt started with three heavyweights and Wake. I will shed no tears for Roy as he starts four **** and one ***** and that is plenty of talent.

    Another huge road game this Sunday. Miami is down this year and it would be great to beat another shady program.

    Like

  18. Maestro, I appreciate all your efforts BUT …. about 15 years ago, Westinghouse built an elaborate facility in Cranberry because it had a long term contract with China for building a series of nuclear power plants in China. Now that agreement is gone, the facility is mostly barren and China has gained a wealth of information about nuclear power technology.

    Apparently, China is now focused on sports blogs and now has the technology from one of the best. I don’t know how they will do it but eventually the focus of POV will change from football to ping ;pong. But who knows …. maybe it be less frustrating and more rewarding for us

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Fukashema happened, although not Westinghouse product, the entire industry is suffering. Cheap gas didn’t help either.

      Like

      1. same thing happened in US after 3 Mile Island in ’79 … many plans for nuclear plants in the US were scrapped

        Like

  19. I hope those that were saying that X and Trey have digressed this year were watching last night. Showed a ton of progress at least for one night. But the difference maker was Champagnie. That hot hand was just what the Dr. ordered.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Team has a great young triumvirate in X, Trey and Bubbles (wife calls him that – Champagne and fizzy) to build the future on.

      (Man – I’ve always wanted to use triumvirate in a real sentence. Thanks Jeff!)

      Like

  20. Watched the first half of the game then decided my new CPAP would be more exciting and went to bed…surprise…surprise..as Gomer Pyle used to say….Question- How can Carolina be that bad with all of those 1st round draft choices. Please tell me it cant be because of the loss of one injured player.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. A one and done point guard. They obviously have no one else to run the offense and score.
      They score mostly inside with great rebounding and are a top team with Cole Anthony.

      But it is amazing how far they have fallen without him.

      Like

      1. Thsnks for the feed-back…hope you are getting back into “fighting shape!” with that 2019 model knee..

        Like

  21. Champ is up there in every offensive and defensive category except assists. Seems to be getting better as the season goes on.

    We now have three stars.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. we have had enough letdowns from incoming recruits who were not as good as hoped …. now we get a 3-star with potential who has made a major impact almost immediately

      Like

  22. and then there’s this ….. San Diego St FB coach Rocky Long resigned aft an 9-year record of 81-38, in which the Aztecs won 10 or more games in 3 of the last 4 years. And get this …. he reportedly resigned because he was being forced to make changes to his staff by the AD. His DL coach, Brady Hoke was immediately hired. Hoke was the previous successful HC there before he took the Michigan job in 2011, and failed,

    Like

    1. Long is going to be 70 at the end of the month. The fans were restless with Long’s boring offense (shocking) and it seemed he was being pushed out. He interviewed earlier this week for the Syracuse defensive coordinator position, so the writing was on the wall.

      Hoke was a safe hire. SDSU is falling behind in spending compared to UNLV and Colorado State and Long had been barking to the school about that. The Aztecs are getting a new football stadium on the lot where Qualcomm sits, so that is a bonus for the program. That whole area is going to be developed and the drawings look pretty nice of what it will become.

      Those fans out there won’t care though. Worst sports fan on earth. I lived with them for 10 years, so I witnessed it firsthand.

      Like

  23. A few comments/observations from last night’s big win:

    Yes, it was a big win, because we beat North Carolina on the road, they are having a down year, but they were still at home and they have some good players obviously, not to mention we were down by I think 14 points in the first half. No way around it, a good win, and yes it makes up for the bad Wake loss.
    It’s true NC was missing 2 very good players, but I also read that their starters included 4 4-star players, and 1 5-star. One thing that I did not hear mentioned all night by the ACC network boys, despite them reminding everyone on multiple occasions that NC was without 2 players, was that Pitt was again without Toney; he is critical for Pitt due to our lack of depth, and due to Toney’s role rebounding and defending (not to mention his really good offensive production the past few games). Would love to know when we get Toney back!
    One thing that should not be overlooked is Roy Williams’ comments regarding NC’s struggles, which he has attributed to being among his “least gifted” teams. I know coaching is critically important, but in the end, you need to have talent, and because “STAR RATINGS” are often wrong, you need to build enough quality depth because you never know which players will translate into the college game.
    And on that note, I hate to harp on any one position, but we were outrebounded last night by 15, 27 to 42, as per the box score. That’s amazing. So if you look a little further, our Center position last night included: (1) Hamilton with 1 made basket (plus 4-4 from the line) and 2 rebounds in 19 minutes, and (2) Brown had 0 points and 0 rebounds in 18 minutes. That’s a combined 6 points and 2 rebounds in the entire game. WOW. That puts a TON of pressure on the other 4 players who are out there. Truly amazing. Looks like we made up the difference with 6 fewer turnovers and better 3 pt shooting, thx to Champ & Trey.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. yes, the game was won because of Pitt’s shooting …. something we know that cannot be relied on. In Fact, Pitt’s best outside shooter was bad last night while the freshman took over. Trouble is that the freshman (like most freshmen) is hot and cold. Dokish pointed out that in games when Champ doesn’t score in double figures, he is 1-27 from the 3-point line.

      And of course, when teams are not shooting well, it must rely on penetration, defense and rebounding.

      Speaking of that, UNC under Williams usually tries to outscore its opponents. It is always uptempo and nobody pushes the ball upcourt after an opponents’ made basket faster than them. UNC is not known for its defense (as we saw last night). And only a coach like Williams can get away with that ‘least gifted’ remark … 3 national titles. Still, that was totally classless IMO.

      Meanwhile, be prepared for Pitt to remain up and down the rest of the season. WE have a 3-star 6’10, a 3-star 6’8 and a 4-star 6’9 joining the team next year ….. and losing just one player. Something to look forward to

      Liked by 3 people

      1. correction …. 14 of 15 three pointer made by Champagnie this season has been in just 4 games. In the other 11 games, he is 1-27. So while he is a fine looking frosh, last night was more of an aberration.

        Liked by 1 person

        1. With regard to Champagnie, that’s frankly not a good take. Statistically, Champ is right there just about tied with Trey & X from 3 pt range, among our 3 best 3 pt shooters. And frankly, the fact that the numbers are skewed toward recent performances is actually more encouraging and less of an aberration. He’s a freshman, so he’s getting used to the pace of the game and getting in sync with those around him; if Champ’s better performances were early in the year, then you would have had a point.

          Liked by 1 person

        2. That’s not true at all. He was known as a good shooter coming out of HS. The early season is the aberration as he adapted to the speed of the game. If you recall he also missed almost two months with a knee injuring leading into the season so he also had to get conditioned.

          Like

      2. If you were referring to Murphy as “Pitt’s best outside shooter”, then statistically I should point out that he is technically Pitt’s 4th best 3pt shooter. Murphy seems to be a much better shooter when the game slows down, but against athletic, better teams, he seems to struggle due to defensive pressure, which is why he is no longer among our 3 best 3pt shooters. I sure hope he gets his stroke back, we are going to need it.

        Like

        1. I stand corrected …. but my whole point is that Pitt cannot rely on its perimeter shooting over the long haul, and I don’t care what the data says

          Like

          1. and BTW I was trying to embellish your point about lack of rebounding which is very important when the shots are not falling

            Like

  24. GREAT WIN. And the fact that we did it playing a 30 year old balding white guy makes it all the more amazing. Hail to Pitt!

    Like

    1. Never noticed Roy’s hair line but his “Bob Prince”/ “Don Cherry” sports jacket stands out…..I kinda miss college FB coaches wearing coats and ties…way more classy than a Potato Pauly sweatshirt-but that’s me…Hey, Bobby, if your a your guy, hold onto that hair…odds are at age 50-50% will be bald and that increases with age..at 60yrs-the number go up to 60%…one of my best buddies is a little thin(only a little) but is cultivating a great pony tail !!! I got fat but somehow have managed to hold onto my locks..my 2 brothers-not so much…Hail to PITT..glad for the win

      Anxiously awaiting Coach dan72 post game show……H2P

      Liked by 1 person

  26. Also impressive because we matched or bettered what is rated one of the top defensive teams in college basketball.
    On offense when they spread the floor and X and Trey drove the middle and also looked for the pass they were impressive. If their head was down and threw up a 20% shot they looked bad

    Having more confidence in 3 pointers will make them more effective and continue to grow as a team. Their defensive energy is impressive.

    On to Miami…

    Like

  28. True Tex. It is a solid win. HEack any win in the ACC for this team is a solid win. Look at Florida State. They just beat Louisville at Louisville. I think the only thing that can be said right now is that we can expect the team to be consistently inconsistent. I don’t get too hyped up when we win, nor too down when we lose this year. I watched the last 7 minutes of the game and saw some really good things defensively, and saw a team that panics a bit because they don’t know how to win big games. Carolina really struggled without their all everything point guard, but we will take it. You play people as they are, injuries and all.

    The extension was forced from a 5 star and I am glad the kid vocalized that he would only come to Pitt if we kept Capel. I am also glad that the AD extended him as a result. My only concern which should give everyone pause, is that he probably does not have a buy-out (perhaps a small one) when it comes to leaving Pitt for Duke. Personally I am good with that. Whether Pitt comes out on the better end of our AD whiffing on at least Hurley, will come to light in the next 2-3 years if both coaches stay put. That is a big IF.

    Like

    1. I doubt Schfino’s comment had anything to do with Capel’s extension. I wouldn’t believe that unless I heard it direct from Heather.

      Like

    2. No way a 5 star two seasons out forced Heather’s hand. Haha. Zero chance. That way of thinking plays into what Capel was saying about Pitt fans being Debby Downers.

      Like

  29. Sham-penny is a frosh and the hallmark of these young men, who are 3*, is inconsistency. The positive is that he has shown the ability to be a difference maker when he’s on. Many recruits on this team have needed 1-2 years before they showed this trait.

    The last Frosh who I can remember having as much of a positive influence as early in his career was DeJuan Blair, but in a very different manner.

    Sorry, but I don’t see Toney as important as many others. Ok he is dedicated to rebounding and defense, but his glaring weaknesses offensively are tough to watch. I think once the next recruiting class arrives, he will become a depth piece at best. I think he benefits in comparison by how pathetic Brown has been throughout his career.

    Like

    1. Toney is a “depth piece” now, but an important one.

      Somewhere I read where he has the best or second best “plus/minus” rating on the team.

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. OK, I respectfully disagree with you both. When Toney is playing within himself, doing his thing around the basket, as he was the last few games before the injury, he is one of our best players statistically. If you’re talking about the Toney from early this year, then I would’ve agreed with you. The other thing is, Pitt has NO depth, especially since Drumgoole is not ready yet. Last night, when Murphy was unfortunately a liability, we had no other option then to keep him out there as a third guard; imagine if instead we could’ve replaced him with perhaps our best defender & rebounder.

        Like

    3. Toney is a glue player that every team needs. I would not be surprised if he’s a 4 year starter regardless of the talent coming in.

      Like

  30. It was nice to wake-up this morning and remember that Pitt won a BB game last night.

    That hasn’t happened on many January mornings in a long while…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  31. My final take…we need not to get too down when Pitt goes 7 minutes wo scoring or too up when Pitt is up 16 in the first half. It’s going to be fits and starts with this young team all year. Many times in the same game! That’s my/ our lesson. I still like Pitt to win 8 ACC games.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. I had Pitt at 8 ACC wins and 20 total for the year with an NIT invite. The Wake game made me re-think. The NC game gives me hope and says my prediction is on the right track. I’ll probably be off track after the Miami game though.

      Like

  33. We need Toney back for his rebounding.

    Hopefully Drumgoole getting some minutes will pay off as well.
    He has decent size and supposedly can shoot.

    Hamilton has dropped off a little and Brown is still Brown, both could help immensely if they come around a little.

    A least teams don’t drive at us with abandon like two years ago and at times last year.

    Like

  34. No question the arrow is pointing up on this team, but it would be nice if extending Capel’s contract actually meant something, as opposed to a symbolic gesture for recruiting and optics. Then again even if/when he leaves Pitt will be better than its been in a very long time. I put the “if” before the “when” to send some good karma.

    The recovery from the Stallings debacle is incredible.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. So, I’m thinkin’ MM’s trip to China may have been a flash of brilliance on his part. He’s thinking outside the box — or at least outside the Boxer Rebellion…

    As I see it, China has something like 1.4 BILLION people. If MM can get just 30K of them to become Pitt fans and attend games at Heinz, then we fill up Heinz and a huge problem is solved!

    That’s 30,000 out of 1,400,000,000.

    Go MM!

    Liked by 4 people

    2. Hey, I have enough trouble getting a room on the north shore for PITT games without having 30,000 Chinese PITT fans making the very long road trip.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Hey – if MM can get a lead on a big 7 foot center or a quick Wide out while over there and sell them on playing at Pitt – then we’re talking.

      Like

  36. I have to chuckle a bit to myself when I think about the Toney injury. You know the one? The one we know very little about. Narduzzi won’t talk about injuries and he gets crucified for it. I wonder when was the last time the PITT basketball practices were open to the media? Is there a double standard here? jus asking.

    Liked by 1 person

  37. Drumgoole doesn’t get open enoughto take a shot although I do like his athleticism and hustle.

    Champ looks way taller than 6’6″ and plays bigger as well.

    I wouldn’t expect the threes to drop like they did in the second half last night to happen every game.

    Terrell Brown, he’s real head shaker I tell ya.

    It’s been said but UNC started four 4* and a 5* player last night. PITT started ZERO 4* players or better.

    The Wake Forest loss is still stuck in my craw.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. There will be more losses like that Wake game this year that will irk us.

      It really just comes down to shooting. Pitt was on fire late last night, just as Wake was versus us.

      I officially want Brown to transfer after the season and Capel can find a grad transfer big. Brown should transfer down a conference, sit a year and enjoy the college life for two more years. Nothing wrong with that. He simply has no aggressiveness for this level.

      Like

      1. He’s been a huge disappointment for sure. It’s like he has the offensive moves but refuses to use them.

        Like

  39. Major – Boxer Rebellio??? What the heck does men’s underwear have to do with Pitt B-ball?

    Travelling in SC this week. The hotel I stayed in didn’t have the ACCN, so I missed the game (shudda stayed at Holiday Inn Express!). First thing I did this morning was check POV to see if we won! ALWAYS sweet to beat the earholes – especially in Chapel Hell. Hope it continues in the fall!

    Liked by 2 people

  40. Any win at UNC is huge – one of best wins since joining the ACC. Pumped about Jurkovec in transfer portal and a big if but I think about the potential of this team with our defense next year ( Weaver, Twyman , Ford , George , Hallet, Hayes etc. ) & wide receivers and hopefully him under center. Would boost the excitement of the team and fan base not seen in years ! Fingers crossed and always optimistic for a new season of change !!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. hate to spoil your hope but he will have to sit a year (unless his grandfather is ill or something)

      Like

  41. About Jurkovec, don’t know if he comes to PITT now after the Hellen commitment but it would be nice to open up the Pine-Richland connection. I would give Eric Kasperowicz a job tonight.

    Liked by 1 person

  42. for all of you college FB fans ….. looks like the Egg Bowl this year and beyond will match up Lane Kiffin and Mike Leach. Those pressers before and after the games should be treasures

    Like

    1. Those are two pretty big names to find themselves in the great haha state of Mississippi. Where did those schools get the money for those hires?

      Like

  43. I can only imagine what this program could do if they could get 10 pts/10 rebs a game between Hamilton and Brown (that is, combined), Murphy finds something close to what he was doing early in the season, and X dials down the turnovers.

    Very nice win, though. And it makes me happy to see UNC struggle.

    Liked by 2 people

  44. Murphy is ok, he throws up some clunkers at times but seems to be a little bald-headed coach on the floor. Skippy has been playing almost every minute of the past few games. Are we saying we are smarter than Capel? He also made a few nice defensive plays last night. Give the old man a chance. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Exactly Ike, we need at least one player on the floor that plays under control. I do hope he gets his shooting mojo back.

      Like

  46. With respect to Jurko – if you are Narduzzi, WHY wouldn’t you offer him and bring him in if he wants to play here? I’d rather have a room full of 4 and 5 star qb’s and let the competition bring out the best option. Unless of course, we promised first playing time to Yelle.

    Pitt is not in the position to turn away 4 and 5 star kids. Get the best athletes and have a real competition. Quit promising first playing time opportunities to transfers. Just a thought. Why do we worry about being NICE to all the players. Competition is good, even great! All this crap about we might hurt someone’s feelings if somebody else beats them out, is hogwash. Get the best players and let them compete.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. One problem Huff the Third. I’ve read over and over again that you don’t recruit transfers. Yeah, I know that sounds crazy. Getting Jurko would be a big recruit for PITT for logistical reasons.

      Like

    2. Huff — I’m skeptical that Coach Duzz would promise anyone playing time without some qualifiers. But I do think they would tell a QB that if he commits, he will be the only QB in the class.

      Perhaps they told Yellen this. Are they now supposed to go back on their word? Not a good look and would be pounced on in the future by opposing recruiters.

      Just a thought…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  47. I agree that Pitt is no position to turn away any talent but I am not sure why anyone thinks Jurko would be better than any of the 3-4 guys we have except for his rating out of high school (which was lower than Max Browne…). I say this because Books has one more year at Notre Dame. If Jurko was 100% the back up he would be staying and starting in a year. Why? Because he has to sit out a year if he transfers anyway so he might as well have stayed. That tells me either he or the coaches certainly did not feel that way. While I am sure there are other factors involved I don’t see adding another QB as any kind of priority considering we are technically at the scholarship limit already i believe.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. If Jurkovec were to stay at ND, he would be behind Ian Book and on the bench for one year and maybe get to play his last year. If he has a dream to play in the pros, that would be a pretty thin resume, and not much of a window to showcase what he can do.

      On the other hand, by transferring and sitting out a season he would have one season to fully integrate into the system and his teammates, and then two years of playing time to show the pros what he can do.

      Like

      1. Jurkovek had an epically bad spring game which lead to a loss in confidence with the coaches that eventually lead him to the transfer portal. I’d stay with Yellen personally but I will root for Jurkovek.

        Like

  48. We officially have another Sunseri committed to play football at Pitt. Not sure what to think about that. Oh well, welcome to Pitt, Gusty Sunseri. PWO from Pittsburgh Central Catholic.

    Like

      1. No, Biggie. We weren’t. Sometimes stats lie. The first comeback win that Kenny led us to this season (I think he had 4 total) was more than T.S. (thought we weren’t ever supposed to mention him by name on here) had in his entire career. Plus he threw his teammates under the bus as I recall.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Good news, I think Gusty will help PITT down the road. Great loins and a legacy. Nice move for both parties.

      Not to mention, the PITT football team will be flush with prosciutto, capicola and pecorino romano cheese for the after game victory parties. 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

  49. Getting Jurkovec would be good because it reinforces the idea that you may be better off staying home.

    Getting local players is doubly important because they put butts in seats and on a long term basis. Their families and friends in many cases become lifelong Pitt Fans and they don’t have to travel like a lot of POVers.

    Like Huff says competition is important, although QB is the trickiest because only one can play. If Jurkovec comes another guy hits the portal.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Jurkovec badmouthed the Pitt coaches recruitment of him, at I believe the Under Armour All American game. I can’t see a love ❤️ connection between he an Coach Duzz coming to fruition. I hope I’m wrong. He immediately would improve the talent in the QB room.

      Like

  53. Capel hasn’t recruited perhaps at the level we thought by getting all 4/5 star players so far. But every player he has brought in has been a solid addition and most have played above their star ratings. The only one I am not sure about is coulibaly. He is pretty unathletic and it’s hard to say whether he can play in the ACC. Drumgoole has been injured so we will see how he progresses.

    Like

    1. Coulibaly is definitely a project – big men take much longer to coach up, it is an art form. IMHO Coach Bill Guthridge (UNC) was the absolute best at that game – I’m sure Capel has learned a thing or 2 from him.

      I think C will be a contributing factor off the bench in 2 years if he sticks around.

      Like

    2. I hope that Coulibaly follows the path of awful young freshmen centers to very serviceable senior centers that we’ve had over the years. Mainly thinking Torree Morris and Gary McGhee. Coulibaly is already more athletic than either of those 2 – he doesn’t have the mass, but a defensive presence and rebounding will be a good addition.

      Liked by 1 person

  54. I’ll say it again…last night was a Benchmark win for Capel’s rebuild.

    First ACC road win for him and his young men – first for the program in 2 years.

    ANY win at the Dean Dome is impressive.

    The 3 young foundation players all improved from their stink ’em up performance vs Wake. X admitting he made a bad play at the end of the Wake is a very good sign…leads me to believe the coaching is not the issue.

    Doing it without any bench to speak of, and the best rebounder on the team out of action shows the character of these young men and the dedication of the coaching staff.

    I am a UNC alum transplanted to Pittsburgh for the last 20+ years, I generally bleed Carolina Blue – (been a Heel Fan since I was a teenage punk when Sweet D sank that long bomb in ’72 to tie and eventually beat Duke in OT) – but I had to cheer for Pitt this time. That alone is a benchmark for me.

    Impressive win – now let’s tame the Hurricane this Sunday.

    H2P

    Liked by 4 people

  55. Brown to me is the enigma holding this team back. He’s a defensive presence but utterly disappears on offense. I know for a fact he’s been taught all the back to basket moves. Problem is, he has to think before he uses them. If he can just ingrain one or two and give us 6-8 points on the paint a game, it will allow our guards to have room to operate and make Pitt – Toney a real threat.

    Liked by 3 people

  57. Coach Capel show on the Fan right now.

    Said he’s jealous of his players because as a player himself, he never won a game at UNC.

    Interesting.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  59. A note from the radio show —-

    Coach C. said he got on T. Brown at half time. Then he praised Brown’s play in the second half. Said his post defense, screening, and something else were very good.

    Coach made the point that there are so many things a player can do to help a team win besides scoring points. And that he’s trying to get all the players to see that…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  60. Sam Clancy was a guest on the Jeff Capel Show. Some interesting stuff.

    Sam said he was so upset when Pitt got rid of Tim Grgurich as BB coach, that after he left Pitt he didn’t return to campus for over 20 years.

    But Sam said when he did come back to Pitt, he was welcomed with open arms…

    Sam told a story how when he was drafted in the NBA he was sent to Billings Montana – in the winter. He was there with a couple feet of snow when the NFL called. He had been drafted by Seattle in the 3rd round. He said this got him thinking about playing football…

    Said another thing that influenced him toward football was that he was 6’6” and didn’t have a shot — had to stay within 10 feet of the hoop…

    Good stuff…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Told the story on the POV before but here it goes again.

      Met Sam Clancy once in a chance meeting and I said I know you. He had a big smile on his face and said nice to meet you, I’m Lawrence Taylor and extended this huge hand to shake. I told him he was full of BS and his wife broke out into a laugh as he did. We all laughed, one of my all-time favorite PITT athletes. Great guy.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Good story, ike.

        BTW, Sam said the first time he dunked a basketball was in 6th grade.

        Said it was not in a game because he had to take about six steps to do it… 😊

        Go Pitt.

        Like

    2. Pitt never got rid of Grgurich, he resigned after losing to WVU I think in the conference tourney.

      Tim never liked being the head coach. He was always preferred the assistant role. He took over at UNLV and last like six games and resigned due to the stress.

      Tim was the perfect coach to lead Pitt into the Big East years with his defensive mentality. He could have coached at his alma mater for 25 years if he wanted.

      Liked by 1 person

  64. Regarding Terrell brown…he is extremely frustrating to me because of his low motor and softness. But we don’t win last night without him. His defensive presence was critical in the last 10-15 minutes. They were killing us inside until the end of the game when he was a presence.

    Like

    1. brown should be scoring 10 points a game on just offensive rebounds and put backs. But he is soft and too lax.

      Like

  66. Ike, i am not a fan of the portal when you bring graduate transfer guys in like Ulizio, last years tackle, the year before that the guard from TX, the TE’s the last two years, QB Browne, etc. Those kids are not good enough to get drafted during their senior seasons and have one chance to improve in the grad transfer year. Those kids don’t just transfer in without some wink or secret handshake. It’s their last chance to play. They go where they are definitely going to play. Who didn’t start when they came in as a grad transfer? Those are the ones I don’t want on our roster because it takes away from kids that have been in the trenches together for year. This sport is brutal. You have to play with passion and FOR your teammates. You typically dont develop that generally in less than one year. Joe Burreaux did with LSU.

    The LB Johnson this year was an outlier and it worked out well. But, I think we lost Reynolds because of him. The point is that

    Now, I support bringing in portal players that have multiple years left to play. In this instance, Jurko would be with the program for 3 years (one sit out and two regular). Raines, the same way. They will work out, sweat, and compete for years and may the best player win! So yes, there is a difference in my mind. Better recruiting to start..and balancing your positions by class also improves the overall roster. Does that make sense?

    So Jurco should be welcomed in and may the best qb between him, old Yelle and Bellville win. That’s how you get better as a team.

    Like

    1. We totally agree Ht3rd, accepting transfers won’t always be the answer but if there is dead wood (hate that analogy) to exchange for someone that “could” help, why not go for it? It did work out for PITT in a couple cases and certainly worked out for other bigger time schools.

      Like

    2. Huff, most of the guys your reference were transfers, not grad transfers. Mack is a transfer, so were RaRa, Ejuan, Garner, Savage …. trust me, I can go on and on. Millin, Peterman and Johnson were very recent grad transfers

      You remind me of Tex …. he points out a handful of successful coaching hires over the past years (he also was talking about Babers this time a year ago) … but he doesn’t make any mention of the multitudes of recent not so good or terrible coaching hires. While I would prefer not to go the transfer route, this is now part of college FB … and everyone is doing it.

      BTW, Reynolds (MLB) did not play the same position as Johnson (OLB)

      Like

      1. You mean like Pitts not so good hire in Narduzzi? Yes I forgot to mention that one.

        And babers would kill it at Pitt with Pitts resources. You ever been to Syracuse?

        Like

      2. I was going to mention that Reynolds and Johnson played different positions but the fact remains, it was way more than a “mutual” decision. Just one more thing Narduzzi won’t get credit for but should. He kept that in house and didn’t hurt the young mans future.

        Like

  68. I’m not in favor of any player playing 38-40 minutes a game. A team must have sufficient bench to spell these guys for a couple of minutes each half. If not, the injury/fatigue factor will grow as the season progresses.

    Liked by 2 people

  69. Attention Fran and Wolfe…

    My son runs a twitter site called PGH Sports History, where he posts old newspaper articles — like 50 years ago today, Pitt beat PSU, or so-and-so committed to Pitt. He covers all the Pittsburgh teams.

    Anyway, my son sometimes has e-mail exchanges with EJ Borghetti over stuff he has posted about Pitt — in particular stuff about EJ’s Dad who was an All-American tackle at Pitt in the early 60s…

    Anyway, my son recently told EJ about Kman bringing Dave Havern to a POV tailgate. My son even sent EJ a photo.

    Part of EJ’s response was the following:

    “I have heard great things about the POV tailgate. I know a few folks who participate in it. I keep trying to shed my pre-game duties and stop by, but have not yet been able to.”

    Great job Fran and Wolfe and everyone else who makes the POV tailgate an awesome event.

    Hail to Pitt.

    Liked by 8 people

    1. I inadvertently left off the last sentence of what EJ wrote.

      It was “Hopefully in 2020.”

      Go Pitt.

      Like

    2. I was there and it was a thrill of a lifetime to meet and talk to Dave. I tried to keep it brief as he was one of my heroes, but he was incredibly gracious and we talked for a good while. I remembered every TD and 2pt conversion of the WVU upset in 67. That we won the UNC in OT was secondary. Thanks again Kman.

      Liked by 2 people

    3. You’re too kind John…Thanks.
      Dave even stopped to talk to us when we met him later at halftime. Great guy…as is Kman.
      FYI, LOI event is Wed 2/5. I received an invite email yesterday.

      Liked by 1 person

    4. I love the PGH Sports History site. Pretty cool your sons run it.

      I’m curious to see in February and hopefully they post the article to Pitt’s 1990 recruiting class because I want to read some names that never made it to campus due to the implemented standards of a 2.3 GPA and 750 SAT score.

      Liked by 1 person

    5. I too have enjoyed many tweets from PGH Sports History. Grew up an avid Pirates fan; attended the Immaculate Reception game and Steelers’ 1st Super Bowl, and Lemiuex’s 8-point game. (Just luck since I never attended Steelers or Pens games with any regularity.)

      Became a Pitt fan at the right time in early 70s and saw many good players and games. But the 1st college game I ever saw, I saw Havern being chased all over the field by PSU’s All-America DTs as Pitt got thrashed

      Even though I grew up in the same area, I don’t know EJ. His pre-game (and post-game) schedule has to be overwhelming and there is no doubt that he would love to attend the tailgate.

      But anyway, every time I see a tweet form Pgh Sports History, I am reminded of such great memories of my youth and young adulthood. Major, your son is doing a great job and provides us geezers with a lot of joy. To me the 60s and 70s were a magic time in Pgh Sports

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Pgh Spotr History provides another trip down memory lane- where JeanieB accuses me of residing… She says I live in the past….. I don’t complain much about her view point- she cooks some fine vittles !!!

        Liked by 2 people

  70. K- man …I have some pictures from the 1970 FB season that was given to me by a frat bro who was a photographer for thePITT Owl.. featuring Havern, Ferris, Esposito and an end zone shot of Beaver Stadium when it had high school sized bleachers … would like to get copies to Dave…there is a pic or to of that WVU game in there… I was there too and still have the cow-bell they gave out… what a games- best sporting event I ever attended.. NO FRIGG’n TV timeouts!!!! Just sat there through the crescendo of emotions which climaxed in the PITT comeback- greatest PITT game in history… just ask Bobby Bowden

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Big B:
      No problem. I will get them to him. I am sure he will like them. He enjoyed the tailgate. I am sure god willing he will stop back.
      KMAN

      Like

    2. Tony Esposito caught 4 two point conversions from Haven in the fabled WVU 2nd half. comeback. Dave told me he called the same play every time and the Hoopies never covered it. For you younger guys, this game in 67 was Pitt’s Super Bowl. Pitt overcame a huge halftime deficit in miraculous fashion. Still in my top 3 Pitt wins of all time. Hoops fans were so mad the set fire to couches on Bobby Bowden’s lawn and killed his family dog. Ah…the old man Pitt lore!

      Like

      1. Dan your comment made me reach out to Hav. He does not really remember! He threw side arm to Klimek silver star purple heart nam and ran one in himself.
        Kman

        Like

  72. Overheard a conversation between millennials. Must have been Pitt fans because every other word was “lyke”.

    Like

  73. The print is too small for me to read, but good to point out how Pitt fans never change are never satisfied and have outrageous expectations. A couple of assumptions, Sherill was being compared to Chick Noll and the Steelers who never lost a Super Bowl, and of course Sherrill followed Johnny Majors NC. Unfortunately, Sherill did have one bad loss in three consecutive seasons, the worst vs. PSU.

    But Pitt Fans got their comeuppance, Sherrill left for the first Million Dollar Contract and Pitt wound down with Foge Fazio, a wonderful Pitt man with a tremendous defensive mind, but a disgustingly bad head coach.

    Liked by 1 person

  74. https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2020/01/09/keeping-score-was-leaving-home-a-good-idea-for-wpial-stars/

    Food for thought in our recruiting discussions. Obtacle vs Excuse?

    I don’t consider going to PSU leaving town since the WPIAL is in PA, but they didn’t come to Pitt.

    It would be interesting to list the players that did come in those years for comparison.

    ND, Michigan, and Michigan St. really doing a good job in the WPIAL. What’s up with the Texas Tech year?

    Liked by 1 person

  75. Interesting info in Chris Peak’s current 3-2-1 article… He found some stats that estimated Kenny Pickett’s completion percentage without all the drops… Here’s an excerpt:

    “Pickett’s adjusted completion percentage was 75.2%, a significant jump from his ‘raw’ completion percentage of 61.6. And that adjusted completion percentage ranked No. 16 nationally among FBS quarterbacks with at least 370 drop-backs.

    Names you might know that had similar adjusted completion percentages to Pickett: Ohio State’s Justin Fields (75.9%), Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (76.1%), North Carolina’s Sam Howell (74.6%) and Virginia’s Bryce Perkins (71.2%).”

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Interesting, did he count all the drops or a reasonable percentage of them that should have been caught.
      Every team has drops.

      Like

      1. Don’t know, gc. Good question. I would think they would only count some percentage of the drops under “adjusted” completions…

        Go Pitt.

        Like

  76. Pitt fans aren’t satisfied because they expect championships. Pittsburgh isn’t known as the City of Champions for nothing. So expectations are high and rightfully so.

    Pitt fans also expect the worse because of a thing called Pitting and SOP. An optimist is often a fool whereas a pessimist deals with reality that Pitt always finds a way to disappoint.

    And any positive outlook or hope for the future is tarnished by Pitts historical incompetence running sports. Moreover any time that football begins a run of success, the academic eggheads at Pitt make sure the Chancellor puts on the brakes.

    I’m hoping that the eggheads and jocks begin working together and begin understanding how both sides can help and need one another. I guess that makes me a fool.

    Like

  77. Thanks for the info on EJ a few posts back, John. It would be interesting to talk to him at the tailgate. Unfortunately, because of his commitments, if he was able to stop by, it would probably be before the majority of our group gets there. Although I have to say that I noticed you all arriving earlier and earlier this past year. It was really appreciated! I hope it continues. I’ve said before, it is the highlight of the day for me to have the pleasure of interacting with all of you. No offense to the team intended.

    I also need to note that the Pitt Athletic Department seems to do a very good job of accommodating tailgate groups with the parking pass assignments. When I renewed my tickets for next season, my Account Executive took my request to keep my parking assignment in the same lot as Fran’s and she said she felt confident they would be able to honor it. I’d just like to give them props for those efforts since it seems they are only mentioned when someone has a complaint.

    Liked by 2 people

  79. TX, I am afraid anyone expecting an National Championship is a fool. As long as Clemson continues to dominate recruiting it is fools gold to hope for a ACC Championship.

    Pro sports are obviously different in that there is more of a level playing field. That is why we are the City of Champions.

    Championships are only won when you have a significant number of the best players, and are very lucky with injuries and other factors.

    When Pitt won the NC, they were great and had some luck when other teams fell by the wayside.

    Sherrill had the best players and still couldn’t win one.

    Pretty much impossible to break into the elite in NCAA football these days.

    It is reasonable to expect a 9-10 win season once in a while though. Especially if you don’t shoot yourself in the foot with tough OOC games.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Starkey has Sam Bam in the studio. I happened to put it on while driving. Some of the best stuff I’ve heard on the radio in a long time.

      Sam was on the Jeff Capel Show last night — Starkey must have heard how interesting it was…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

      1. Sam told how he “accidentally” broke an opponent’s jaw while playing in Billings, Montana… The coach of the other team was George Karl.

        Also told about his mother coming down and smacking him in the back of the head as he sat on the bench against Villanova in the Field House. This was during a game when Tim Grgurich had pulled Sam because Sam was so upset and wanted revenge on a guy who he said almost took Strickland’s head off when setting a pick. Sam told Strickland that “no one will ever do that to you again”…

        Sam should write a book…

        Go Pitt.

        Liked by 1 person

    1. This could be a good thing if the replacement can get the OL to be more agile…

      A few of them look way to heavy…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  82. Good point MM. Players always speak highly of their strength coach. But Pitt often “died” in the 2nd half and certainly looked more tired than the competition at the end of the year.

    Like

    1. I was thinking the same thing. As much as Dave is well respected and liked, a new guy might not be a bad thing.

      This dude is taking a lateral move to Ames, Iowa. It’s possible he was asked to move on and given time to look for a decent gig.

      Like

  83. We will know if this latest move was forced or not judging by the next hire time line. Can’t imagine Andrews leaving for at the best a lateral move. I’m certainly not upset with this new development, well at least knowing the little I know about it.

    Like

  84. He always seemed to be near Duzz when the TV cameras panned the side-lines..wondered if Duzz had him close by to keep the Duzz under control in case the HC got a little carried away….kinda like the HC having a secret service agent….

    Of topic..”the Nuuch” will be playing in his 2nd NC game this Saturday…should be entertaining….can he pull it off against perennial powerhouse North Dakota State Bison..we shall see…hope he has the oppurtunity to break out that now famous FIRST DOWN pose….

    Liked by 1 person

  85. Capel on the WFAN morning show …. “I fear that Pitt fans are Debbie Doubters. They are insecure, and always think that everything will turn up bad ..”

    Basketball is different than football as far as Pitt goes

    — they are in what is considered the best BB conference and receive their share of national exposure

    — they play in a great facility with a nationally recognized fanbase

    — within the past decade Pitt has received two No. 1 seeds in the NCAA. The last time Pitt FB finished in the Top 10 was nearly 40 years ago

    There is every reason to think Pitt BB can eventually get back to being a perennial nationally ranked team in the not so distant future.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I apologize, I should have mentioned that Capel’s statement above was in response to Pitt fans who think Capel will leave for Duke in a couple of years …. here is the actual quote

      “Pitt fans can be Debbie Downers, little bit insecure at times. Something positive happens & looking for the negative. That’s exciting now but in 2 years or this kid will never come here, things like that. That’s been a little bit shocking to me.”

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Didn’t take Jeff Capel to figure out PITT fans. Which is kind of funny because most people think PITT fans are just like all the rest of sports fans. Maybe we are NOT! Just a little too finicky?

        Like

        1. The typical Pittsburgh sports fan expects championships. Pittsburghers are spoiled. Thats one reason as to why its hard for Pitt to attract the casual fan. Pittsburghers expect the playoffs every year and their teams have delivered pretty much. When they dont win, fans dont generally show.

          Now I understand college is different. Students and alumni comprise a large portion of the attendance. And Pitt has its own unique problems attracting this population to games and getting these groups to gift. But again the casual fan is expecting more than mediocrity for their sports dollar and Pittsburghers are used to excellence.

          Why shouldnt Pitt fans be insecure. Every time Pitt football is on track for success, the administration puts on the brakes and stops spending or tightens admissions. Theres also this thing called SOP that keeps hanging around and Pitt invented ‘Pitting.’

          Theres a good balance between positives and negatives at Pitt. Pitt wins at NC yet loses to Miami this weekend at the Pete. Am I a pessimist or Debbie Downer for thinking it. Prove me wrong Capel. You can influence the way fans think by just doing your job and leaving your mouth shut. Just win games.

          And I could care less if you did go back to Duke. Just leave Pitt in a good place unlike your predecessor.

          Like

  86. I have probably criticized the S&C coach more than anyone. I will watch this hire closely, as I feel it’s critical to upgrade. And you’re right, all kids love whoever the S&C coach is. You really should take a very close look at this hire.

    Liked by 1 person

  88. On the Chris Peak – PantherLiar 3-2-1 column about KP’s adj. completion % of 75.2 vs. 61.6, I did some calculations. I also looked at the other 3 ACC ‘QB’s beside Pickett mentioned in the article. I will list name, season (including bowl) completion, season attempts & raw completion %, adjusted completions (based on Peak’s adj. completion % provided & the difference between actual season completions & calculated completion.

    Pickett – 289/469 = 61.6%, 75.2%x469= 353 Difference = 353-289 = 64.
    Howell – 259/422 = 61.4%, 71.2%x422= 315 Difference = 315-259 = 56
    Perkins – 320/496 = 64.5%, 71.2%x496=353 Difference = 353-320 = 33.
    Lawrence – 250/370 = 67.6%, 76.1%x370 = 282 Difference 282-250 = 32.

    Since Peak mentioned in his article that Pitt (according to the stats provided by the site Pro Football Focus(PFF)) totaled 36 dropped passes. But the calculations show to reach the adj. % he sites, needs another 28 (64-36) additional completions. Where did they come from?

    Is anyone a PantherLair Rivals subscriber? Can you ask?

    Liked by 2 people

    2. Pitt-cocks — good stuff. Yeah, that’s way too many drops to make any sense. Even the Panthers didn’t drop that many last season…

      I thought they would have added maybe 20 to 25 more completions to “adjust” for 36 drops…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

    3. Richard,
      Peak goes over the components of the Adjusted Completion Percentage on his podcast.

      While we can all debate which passes should be included or excluded, it seems that the important point is how the application of then adjustment affects Kenny’s ranking bd others who are measured in the same manner. That his ranking soars when using the adjusted rate is what is truly interesting IMO.

      Liked by 1 person

  89. That’s impressive Richard but must admit. I had to read all the information a few times with your breakdown and I got a little dizzy. 🙂

    Truth be told, KP played bad a few games but really good more often than not. You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him catch a pass.

    Liked by 1 person

  90. Stats don’t show passes that are hard to catch.
    It may be technically a drop, but it might hit your hands at 150 mph pointed at the ground or climbing at 150 mph through your hands.
    The drop stats can’t show poorly thrown balls that appear catchable.
    Kman

    Liked by 1 person

  92. One of the best Pgh HS teams of all time was 1976 Fifth Avenue which included Sam Clancy, Bill Clarke, David “Puffy” Kennedy, and the glue, PG Warner Macklin. Undefeated and state champs. It was the final year for Fifth Ave which was merged into Brashear HS a year later.

    Ironically, in the final year of Schenley HS (2007), it was also one of the best Pgh HS teams. Dejuan Blair, (Pitt), DJ Kennedy (St Johns), DeAndre Kane (Iowa St) and Onion Bryant also won the state title

    In the Roundball Classic in 76 at the Civic Arena, PA defeated the USA team and Eugene Banks fronm West Philly was awarded the PA MVP. He immediately re-awarded the trophy to Clancy. (The following year Banks was a starter for a Duke team that went all the ways to the NCAA title game before losing to Kentucky

    The Roundball Classic which began in ’65 and the Steel Bowl tourney which was played in late 60s and the 70s were just two more elements that made Pgh sports magic in the 60s and 70s

    Like

    1. My HS had a similar trajectory. Haha. Erie Strong Vincent goes to state finals in 2016 and merge into another Erie HS the next year. Made ESPN E:60 with a wild story regarding the assistant coaches son killing the head coaches son and them being able to work through it and get to a state title game. Lost to a Nationally ranked Philly team.

      Like

  93. Along with the dropped pass stat they could also include wide open receivers missed by KP. I guess my point is that Whipple takes a lot more heat than he deserves? Especially taking into account the injuries to Ffrench and Mack at the end of the season.

    Renewed my tickets this afternoon, boy am I in big big trouble. It’s just I feel why bitch and complain if I’m not doing my part. Talking, barking or whatever only goes so far. Get on board or jump overboard Francis.

    Liked by 2 people

  94. Good man Ike..
    I upgraded to club seats before I was tarped…haha.
    Will be surrounded by some POVerts in my section so all is good.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Saw them in 74 when I was 15 years in old, wow, it was a great show at the Civic Arena, they were the warm up band and no one ever heard of them, they blew everyone away!

      Like

      1. I was there, Rush backed up lots of concerts back then. Not to be a downer but didn’t Pert get into some trouble years ago? He was one of the best drummers. GOAT!

        Like

  97. I’ve been on a Sam Clancy kick with his back to back radio appearances.

    I wanted to point out that Sam said it was Jackie Sherrill who contacted the NFL – someone with Seattle – and suggested that Sam could play in the NFL. While playing for Billings in the Continental Basketball League, Sam gets a call from Seattle. Was he interested? Sam said yes – said one thing that persuaded him was that in the winter, you needed a snowmobile to go down the street in Billings. 😊

    So later, near the NFL draft, Sam gets another call from Seattle. He was asked whether any other NFL teams were interested in him. He said he’d gotten a letter from the Redskins. Shortly thereafter Seattle takes Sam in the 11th round…

    Nice work by Coach Sherrill…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Catholic connection too?

      Maybe the plan is he transfers to BC, sits a year, plays a year, then grad-tranfers back to ND to actually play at his dream school…

      It’s like he’s going to triple-A to get seasoning… 😊

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  99. BC I was there just after Flutie: He elevated the program for 6/7 after he played.
    Only like 5,500 students there.
    He could do a lot worse.
    Great city
    Nice campus
    If I were him I would go to Harvard. If you can play the NFL will take you.
    Kman

    Like

  100. I always thought the players liked Dave Andrews. It must have been a money issue. For some reason S&C coaches must not make decent money like the position coaches do. I have not heard any criticism of him in his 5 years at Pitt..

    Like

  101. Seems to me that a change in the S&C Coach can be a good thing – get a new set of eyes on the needs of each player…

    Though, seems to me, Coach Duzz has always been highly complimentary of Coach Andrews…

    (Maybe we can hire Annie’s daughter on the new S&C staff…😊)

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    1. Haha John, I think Katie needs a little more experience before she could work for Pitt. But hey, that’s what she’s getting now, so who knows, maybe someday!

      Like

  102. JoeL – thanks for the podcast referral. Included in adjusted completion % are dropped passes, spikes, batted passes (at line of scrimmage), throwaways & hit while throwing.

    I agree with the rest of your 6:03pm comment.

    What was interesting in his podcast was the fact that the 36 dropped passes where the second highest to some P5 team with 39.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Pitt-cocks — Thank you. That really helps explain the “adjusted” numbers because KP had a ton of throwaways.

      However, I thought many of the throwaways were KP’s fault when he bailed the pocket a bit early and had no option but to run to the sideline and throw it away…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  103. MajorMajors – (John) – the adjusted completion % the Peak talks about uses the stats I listed in above post to JoeL. It just uses the gross numbers.

    Now if you have the gross numbers for all teams (or players), you should be able to calculate an average dropped passes. You can then do whatever you want to use it for to prove any point you want.

    Liked by 2 people

  104. It seems there are many variables that could affect the numbers. KP, for example, is known to have a weak OL and happy feet as a result. Decision making could affect the results if certain categories are deducted or used to adjust the numbers, such as with the throwaways..

    Like

  105. Former Stallings verbal, Bryce Golden, is a solid contributor for sixth ranked Butler. I don’t know if Capel told him to look elsewhere, but he is listed at 245 pounds and we could have used that size.

    Like

    1. I saw him play in HS. He’s not an ACC player regardless of the stats at Butler. He would not have been a good fit for us.

      Like

  106. Almost had the opportunity to play against Sam Clancy and 5th ave. in the state championship game. Our team, Nanticoke lost to Norristown in the state semifinal that year at the old Hersheypark Arena/the Barn. 5th ave. had a great team that year

    Liked by 2 people

    1. By any chance do you know Richard ‘Rico’ Kozlowski from Nanticoke? He graduated 1977

      Like

    1. WLAT 910 Radio
      Rick /Rico and I graduated High school together. Good guy! Good friend! We played football and baseball together. How do you know Rico? Same class ‘81 at Pitt?

      Like

      1. Yes we met during chemistry class and hung out a lot in Oakland.

        If you see him send him well wishes from Jim Balla.

        Thanks

        Like

  109. From the Peak podcast, I also learned that KP had a total of 540 drop backs. Since KP had 469 true passing attempts, that means KP was sacked or ran 71 times. We know that KP was sacked 27 times. ( I am assuming that Patti wasn’t sacked in his limited backup duties. He wasn’t sacked during the Delaware game.) That means KP ran 44 times due to either pressure or (to KP) no open receivers.

    Since KP had 95 rushing attempts, only 24 were called rushing plays.

    What I truly find amazing is that Pro Football Focus (PFF) uses film & artificial intelligence (AI) to come up with all their esoteric data. Since it is pay site, there must be $ to be made in all their data,

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Fran – all readers & commenters provide something to the POV. Mine is to gather data, crunch numbers & provide my take. Yours is to provide a truly awesome tailgate environment open & welcoming to all.

      After gathering the data, crunching the numbers & analyzing the results, your contribution is the more valuable to the POV community.

      Like

  111. Don’t sell yourself short Richard. The tailgates are great but so are they amazing stats you put on our table for all of to chew on. Thank You!

    Liked by 1 person

  112. Throw in an “us” somewhere in the above sentence. I’m not a bad proof reader, in fact I do not proof read at all. I’ve got a problem.

    Liked by 1 person

  113. Catching up on the week …

    Regarding Jurkovek, he had a really bad spring game and the coaches lost confidence with him. He was probably going to be third on depth chart this season.

    https://amp.indystar.com/amp/3422915002

    I’d bring him in if he wants to but I would make sure he understands that he has to win the job. I’m guessing he goes to a Group of 5 school.

    The Capel extension had nothing to do with a 5 star’s comments on him still being here. C’mon. That thinking plays right into Capel’s Debbie Downer comments.

    Losing a trainer can suck because they are usually close to the players but they are very replaceable. Pitt has a history of good ones so I’m not worried at all.

    Beating UNC is good for the program and shows you what just two 5 stars can do for a team. UNC is a championship contender if they have theirs. That’s how close Pitt is to being a top 10 team. But it also shows you that Pitt still has a ways to go. The sophomore slumps will make the team better next season. Natural learning curve. As you can see the team is still better, however.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. far easier to turn around a basketball program when you ‘only’ need 1-2 elites with one being a guard.

      in football you need about 2-3 on each side of the ball with QB being the most important much like a PG in basketball

      Pitt basketball will be a top 20 team before Pitt football

      Good win for Pitt. Hopefully they dont lay an egg against Miami

      Liked by 1 person

  114. Looks like Jurkovec would be a good fit at BC, Catholic School etc. Karma if he ever beats ND. Good coaching staff and he will be an immediate upgrade for them. Really too bad it never worked out with Pitt. Seems obvious that he has lost some of his luster in that none of the elite teams seem to be after him. Doesn’t mean he can’t still be great, but obviously another Foster like experience of a local elite player getting lost in the numbers at a school with many elite players. Always a tough decision, are you good enough to be great at the top schools or would you be better off as a big fish in a smaller pond?

    Not sure there is any interest at Pitt or vice versa, but a great lesson to all to never burn any bridges.

    Hope we find another great S&C guy, always heard good things about Andrews and at least guys like Twyman show the physical improvements. Would be nice to see added strength and agility to our O-line.

    Jealous of Fran, not ready for the golf course yet, 68 degrees on January 11, is this the new normal?
    Going to the golf expo in Monroeville today to get the juices flowing.

    Liked by 1 person

  115. Capel’s characterizing Some Pitt Fans as Debbie Doubters is very astute. He obviously was not aware of SOP when he came here. An obstacle that all Pitt Coaches have to overcome. Yes we were rated number 1 a couple of times but failed pretty consistently in the Dance. Jamie as all Pitt coaches had a pretty high percentage of detractors, even with all of his success, I think much higher than most schools.

    Capel has done a remarkable job so far at bringing the fans back. There was a really good crowd at the Wake game. If he keeps us on the upward trajectory., it won’t be long till sellouts are routine again.

    Those of you that were in attendance during the Stalling’s fiasco know how far and how fast the Capel recovery has been.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Like I mentioned before, we as PITT fans think we behave exactly like any and every other college sports fans. Seems as though Capel does not agree with that premise. Are we all really that self-entitled?

      Like

      1. We are entitled to have a sports program not ranked dead last by a mile. A $90 million dollar budget that is subsidized by nearly 15 percent should produce better results than worst P5 program and getting beat out by 80 scrub schools. So yes, Pitt fans derserve far better and have earned it after 40 years.

        Like

        1. Well Tx again, how many times are you going to outline the problem and then pretend to not understand it? You cannot correct 40 years of schittt in a year or two. I see progress the past couple years but it’s going to take time.

          BTW, Ben Dinucci now on.

          Like

            1. How bout woman’s volleyball and wrestling Tx? and no credit to the football team after a division title. I bet PITT got points for that last year.

              Like

              1. Wrestling wasn’t a wreck. Women’s basketball has stabilized. So I’ll give you those. 12 more

                Ike, there’s a reason why Pitt sucks in sports. It’s one word. I’ll give someone a bottle of Texas bourbon if they get the answer. I’ll be in for the Notre Dame game.

                Like

    2. Definitely need to get behind Capel so he sticks around for awhile. Pitt is fortunate to have him. Also need to support Duz. Next year is looking good on D and the O should be much better. Perhaps 9-10 wins next year is possible.

      Liked by 3 people

  116. Dixon deserved criticism. His teams always under performed in the Dance. He also played a very very soft OOC to pad his wins before league play to get highly ranked. Now he’s under investigation at TCU. Slick hair should just go back to Cali and coach a YMCA team.

    Like

  117. Dixon was meant to coach in the Big East where he could recruit from NYC/NJ area and could play tough, physical defense. You can make an argument that he didn’t do well in the NCAAs because his teams were allowed to play defense the way they did in league play.

    Nonetheless, he was the most successful Pitt HC ever .. so he deserves credit for that

    Like

    1. I agree

      And I also agree he deserves jail time if what they say at TCU is true.

      Or at least his slick hair needs shaved and he’s forced to go bald for 6 months.

      Like

      1. Sean Miller survived and I have no doubt Bill Self will do so after … after of course the assistants take the hit. On the other hand, Pitino didn’t. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaimie takes the direct hit

        Like

  118. well, judging by its initial drive, JMU was able to get a first down on 3rd and short by running the ball, and The Nuuch was able to throw for a TD within the 10 yard line …. so there’s that.

    Liked by 1 person

  119. POVers, read it and weep

    Like

    3. I guess the QB throwing to Stewart wasn’t throwing an UN-cacth-able ball even though they were right in his hands? A grown man shouldn’t drop those passes with his bare hands let alone with those sticky octopus gloves they now wear. Yes I’ve tried them, it’s like you have to try drop the football.

      Liked by 1 person

  120. The Nooch giving JMU a chance against the Clemson/ Alabama of the FCS: North Dakota State. Down a TD in the fourth quarter. He just trucked a defensive back to run for a first down on Fourth and Six. 28-20 late.

    Like

    1. but seriously, while he is a gamer, it should be apparent that he does not have a D1 arm …. his passes hang up all the time. He should have been intercepted 2 or 3 other times

      Like

  125. Ken Tripper@SportsTripper
    The most dominant negative characteristic of each local fanbase:

    Steelers – Spoiled
    Pirates – Divided
    Penguins – Cliquish
    Pitt – Self-Loathing
    PSU – Delusional
    WVU – Obnoxious

    Tripper is a Pittsburgh sports fan; have no idea if he an alum of any of the above

    Liked by 1 person

  126. Can’t disagree with the day Tripper but he’s just a tad negative, he should give a counter with what he thinks that the positives are in each case. If there any?

    Like

    1. Positives
      Steelers are champions
      Pirates are historic
      Penguins are winners
      Pitt is clean
      Penn State is cultish
      Hoopies are inbreeds

      There are no positives for our rivals

      Liked by 2 people

  128. thanks for the passing stats adjustment but let’s not forget one thing I learned here

    that is KP throws an uncatchable ball so fuggedaboutit as far as anyone caring what HIS stats could possibly be….he’s lucky any get caught at all

    now all those awesome qb’s who throw with that football point up, THEY are allowed to have the improved adjustments attributed

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.