in Pitt Football 1,177 Words

Up Next: Miami (FL)

By Richard Hefner

Pitt suffered another heartbreaking, blood pressure rising, sleepless night inducing loss last Saturday to Boston College 30-31. Pitt is now 3-2 on the year (2-2 in conference). Pitt will face Miami (of Florida) in the sunshine state. Miami is now 3-1 (2-1 in conference) after losing 17-42 to Clemson. I guess Clemson is a step-up from UAB, Louisville & and FSU.  Win or lose, I believe Pitt will have a first this year – they may play in front of real actual fans.

This is another Noon game on the ACCN network. On a side note, all 14, 15 ACC teams are in action this week.

Miami (of Florida) is led by 2’nd year head coach Manny Diaz. He replaced long time Georgia coach (& Miami alum) Mark Richt (145-41 in 15 years). After a 3-year stint at Miami (26-13, 2017 ACC Coastal division champ), Richt’s 2018 retirement from Miami after a 7-6 season was triggered by a disagreement over assistant coaches including his son, the QB coach.

Diaz started his first season as a head coach (excluding his 2-week stint as head coach of the Temple Owls) with high hopes for returning the ”U” to prominence. Those hopes were dashed as a year ending 3 game losing streak (FIU, Duke, Louisiana Tech) ended in a 6-7 season.

Diaz is also known as the originator of the “turnover chain” during his 3-year stint as defensive coordinator under Mark Richt. While some on the POV consider any type of celebration as unnecessary hot dogging or showboating, I find the turnover chain & throne sitting as the ultimate sign of “meism”.  Compare that to Pitt’s team-oriented turnover celebration of a dunk, congratulations & back to the game.

As usual in my looks, I start with a review of the last 5 years of recruiting.

BTW, Miami 2021 class is currently ranked #11 by Rivals. It includes 1 5-star, 10 4-stars, 3.55 average star ranking & 22 total commits.

Diaz first true class was an improvement over the transitional class of 2019. That is not unusual. It does fall short of Richt’s last class. In fact, it would take the addition of 2 5-stars to equal the 2018 in average star ranking. In the all-important 5.7 & above ranking over the 2016-20 classes, Miami’s 71.5% of all recruits trail only Clemson’s 78.8%.

Miami did have one player opt out due to Covid. More on him later.

Miami did have transfers both leaving and entering the program.

For the time period 8/1/2019 thru 10/10/9/2020 (14 1/3 months) Miami lost 14 players to the portal.  For those not keeping track of the transfer portal, that ties with VA. Tech & 3 behind the 17 that Florida State has lost. Outside of sons of past Miami players ( Brian Hightower & Michael Irwin II), the biggest loss was last years starter in 9 of the 13 games played –  QB Jarren Williams.

The reason for the color coding is to show open scholarships for early & late 2020 signing periods.

Miami did pickup some impressive transfers. Four of them are Grad transfers. In a normal year, this would mean they are one & done. But this is 2020 – the year of the Covid. They could be back next year. D’Eriq King gives Miami a name QB. Borreglas was a CUSA 1’st team selection in 2019. Roche was both an AAC 1’st team selection & made a few 2019 All American teams. Williams starts on the Oline.

The other transfer was Issiah Walker, Jr. A 24/7 4-star & a Rivals 5.8 4-star. He committed, signed & enrolled in Florida in January 2020. 5 months later on May 4’th, he entered the portal & signed 4 days later with Miami. More on some of the transfer in our next section.

Potential “Stars” – who are they based on returning All ACC , Athlon & PFF?

The importance of the above chart is that it shows Miami’s strength & the players to watch & hear the TV announcers’ praise. (That is if you are lucky to get the ACCN network.)

One player on the star list opted out – DE Rousseau. Two are transfers – QB King & DE Roche. One made the Preseason All ACC team – TE Jordan. (of course, another good TE) . The remaining 3 P-Hedley, S-Hall, & LB-McCloud may be stretches as stars but they do start. I stared to do a deep dive into stats but decided I was going down a rabbit hole & stopped.

Other names to watch on defense are two prior years transfers S – Bubba Bolden &  DE Jaedan Phillips. Also, on defense is 2018 5.8 4-star Nesta Silvera . He is Miami’s Camp / Kancey.

On offense, TE Jordan Brevin is the leading receiver (18/243-13. 5YPC, 3 TD with a long of 75 yds. WR’s – Mark Pope (11/142-12.9YPC, 0) & Mike Harley (15/127-8.5, 0) are the next leading receivers.

I cannot end without showing QB D’Eriq Kings stats.

King had a bad evening against Clemson. It is not unexpected but King’s QB rating (64.9) was lower than The Citadel’s QB rating (85.3) against Clemson.(BTW my son in law is an alum & my grandson has made a 2022 baseball commitment to The Citadel, so some Family Pride there.) In all fairness, The Citadel Bulldogs run the triple option.

King is also Miami’s 2’nd leading rusher 42 attps., 241 yds., 5.7 YPC & 2 TD’s. But Miami’s rushing attack is lead by Cam’Ron Harris. His numbers are:

Great overall numbers even with a horrible performance against Clemson & a below average outing against ACC rival FSU.

But this is where I go on a rant about stats & interpreting stats. Reed may first think that I am making a personal attack on him, but I am not. I know what Reed was driving towards with his Hall adjustment, but it cuts both ways. Here is Harris stats if you single out his long runs

Note: I used 51 yards as a long run. May not result in a TD but sure will flip the field without having to punt.

A 6.8 YPC before & a 3.7 after. What do you see? I see a RB with both power and breakaway ability. Hall showed that power & breakaway ability in 2018.

The fact is that Harris has a 6.8 YPC. He may plod along at a 3.7 YPC but on any single play can break a long one.

For those who want to look at stats for comparisons use the NCAA site. I first started by using ESPN stats. But Reed always said the NCAA stats where the official one. I now agree with him. For quick data ESPN is ok. I use it for some stuff but normally check the NCAA to see if is correct. Game stats that are published on ESPN shortly after the game end can and are revised. Just last  Sunday morning I had to correct some Syracuse passing data. As I write this, it still has not been updated on ESPN.

Here is a link to the NCAA site. It looks intimidating compared to ESPN but there is data and comparisons for all 130 FBS teams. Enjoy.

http://stats.ncaa.org/rankings?sport_code=MFB&division=11

BTW, Pitt losses in another heartbreaker 24-27.

186 thoughts on “Up Next: Miami (FL)”

  1. congrats to you, your son and grandson as The Citadel is a very well respected institution.

    Pitt will not lose its 3rd straight game by 1 point. They will either win or lose by at least a TD

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  2. Wow…good stuff Richard. Lots of data to pour over!
    Don’t know how you and Maestro find the time…hats off to you both.

    To the last post on the previous article, does Yellen start?

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    1. Agreed. The trench work is where you win. Win the line of scrimmage and your rb’s will be above average. Lose the trenches and have no push, results in mediocrity. I am convinced our running backs are fine (although I don’t personally like 170 pound runners that lack vision, quickness). Steelers offense vs. Jets offense. He cant make up a lost two years and 2000 yards in my opinion. Difference between good and great!

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  6. Interesting tidbit

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  7. Richard I have a good friend (from Boston) who graduated from the Citadel and now is a Lt Colonel in the US Army. Once in a while he’d meet up with his Citadel buddies down here in Atlanta while we were all out for drinks. That’s where I learned that if you are from the north (and maybe from anywhere) the upper classmen will line the frosh up and repeatedly press them with one question: “Cadet! Why did you come the the Citadel?”

    The only acceptable answer: “To become a fine Southern Gentleman!”

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    2. I’ll have to ask my son about that but I do believe the veracity of the answer.

      PS – It’s “The” Citadel. Must be a Charleston thing as the College of Charleston (my daughters graduated from there) is known as “The College”. They do like using “the” with a capital letter,

      PSS – thanks for making some changes in my grammar. Much better read.

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        1. You may have met my son (in law) at the 2018 Duke away game. We where both at the great tailgate. Others may have met both son/grandson at the 2018 Wake away game. Another great tailgate. They were not at the Syracuse home game & CC in Charlotte. That was my brother. We were late for Fran’s Syracuse tailgate but were on time for the rain drenched Charlotte tailgate.

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  9. Reading the blog today and I hear music from Sirius Radio in the background…Bruce Hornsby. 🎶”some things will never change, thats just the way it is”🎶
    Haha…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. A few years ago, I looked into how the Biletnikoof award watch list was assembled. It’s based on receiving yards. They take the top returning yardage players from the prior year (2019). Remove those graduating or early pro & the remaining 50 automatically make the list. It looks like they then look at this year (2020) leading yardage receivers & add some names as needed.

      Thanks for the congrats.

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  11. As Charlie Brown once said, Miami has a worse problem then us about this one thing although it is close, Potential.

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  12. ACC Players of the week from Pitt at LB Sirvocea Dennis (a tremendous get as the last recruit of 2018) and Patrick Jones II(another great 2 star find). After that bit of positive news it’s all downhill from this point point forward for Pitt football I’m afraid.

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  13. Two score and four years ago, Johnny Majors brought forth on this campus, a new football team, conceived in victory lights, and dedicated to the proposition that all Panthers are equal to Nittany Lions.

    Now we are engaged in a great football calamity, testing whether Panther nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure such frustration. We meet on a great battle-field this Saturday in Miami. We have come to dedicate a portion of Hard Rock field, as a final remembrance place for those Panthers of the past that have received mammoth, Hackettesque defeats over the years in the Sunshine State. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

    But, in a larger sense, we cannot curse — we cannot complain about – and we cannot detest Miami’s hallow ground. The brave Panthers, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our ability as fans to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember the Narduzzi years, but it can never forget what Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant did in the Orange Bowl. It is for us on the POV, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who played here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored Panthers of the past, we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave many full measures of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these Panthers of the past shall not have battled on the gridiron in vain — that this football team, this university, under the governance of our great Board of Trustees, shall have a new birth to a new era of Victory Heights — and that achievement of the students, and the athletes, for the good of the greater Pittsburgh Area, shall not perish from the FBS or the US News and World Reports Academic Rankings.

    Abraham Narduzzi

    Liked by 4 people

    4. The Civil War abolished slavery but, if anything, embellished racism. As such, a new coach, new AD and a new board will bring new hope ….. but that’s about it

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      1. Ohhh man you went there huh? I get the need for context though. I’ll let it stand but it’s coming down if there is even one social comment.

        You hear that people? Stick to sports.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. At Pitt, the system and structures embellish and establish mediocrity.

        Most fans are fine with it for various reasons – less need to cheat, scholar athlete model, can operate on the cheap, no need for a strong sports culture and identity (which takes time, money and hard work)

        To be this mediocre isn’t a fluke. It’s by treasonous design.

        Tex a gentlemen when he wants to be and proud Texan. Notice I didn’t say southerner.

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    5. Under the governance of our great BoT? Lincoln would never have said that.

      Otherwise, kudos for the effort. Some lines struck a cord.

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  14. The only thing that will prevent Miami was being elite is coaching. Pitt will have a tough time competing against all those four stars unless it has better coaching and better schemes. Pitt may have some better players in certain positions but the overall miami talent is vastly superior. I’d be happy beating Miami once out of every three.

    I don’t see how pitt wins this weekend. It will either be a close loss or a blowout. No in between.

    What is the answer for the women cadets?

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  15. I don’t see how PITT wins either with Yellen starting but what would it mean if they do? Whoa.. Even if the game ends close could be encouraging with a back-up QB.

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    1. Already lowering expectations Pat? We should be thrilled if we can get our uniforms on the right way!!

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  16. Excellent work, Richard.

    The recruiting numbers make one wonder why Miami would ever take a 2-star… Clearly shows the huge challenge for Pitt to compete with the southern schools…

    Go Pitt.

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    1. John – 2019 was HCMD transition year. 2 OL & 1 QB. Probably just bodies to fill a class. (Like DiNucci but it worked out for Ben.)

      The 2018 was the PK in transfer out chart. I think new guy came in & he responded by transferring out. Same as the QB in transfer out portal.

      The 2017 2-star was also a kicker. Don’t know if PK or P. His name was Jeff Feagles. There was a Feagles in the pro’s. Maybe a son of an alum. Miami seems to like sons of alum’s.

      The 2016 2-star was a DB – Jeff James. I doubt he is on the team. He would be a RS Sr. Maybe another son.

      Liked by 1 person

  17. Pitt seemed due to beat Miami as it won in 2014 and 2017. Sadly, Miami woke up and installed a spread and took advantage of the grad transfer rule to get a QB.

    Also, and very important: it improved along the offensive line. Unlike Pitt with bad coaches and linemen who appear to be not even MAC level talents.

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    1. I like to read our upcoming opponents blog. Never comment – just read. The commenters seem to be down on their O-Line, Shows in the offensive game against Clemson – which seems normal for any team playing Clemson. But even with beating FSU, there run game was bad. (See chart in article on Cam’Ron Harris).

      But they did pick up a good OT transfer from Houston. I saw or read a tweet on same blog that he was there PFF highest rated OL man with a 70 grade. I can’t remember what Mike had written previously on the grades for a OL. I think 70 grade was a blend of run/pass.

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  18. Let’s not forget the last time Pitt faced #2 Miami with a new QB named Pickett. Might have been his best game ever. Huge upset.

    But… that was before the team of
    DuzzWhip.

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  19. Rich – agree about the NCAA stats, they are what the schools turn in as official numbers and are fact checked for accuracy…plus get into more detail.

    The one thing I wish NCAA rankings would do was give you an ability to filter rankings by FBS, Power 5 and conference opponents.

    That would mean we could look at a glance at how Pitt has done against our level opponents less schools like Austin Peay and that would help us in predicting future games against P5 & ACC teams in the rest of the season.

    For instance right now we are 33rd in scoring nationally at 32 ppg. Take out Austin Peay and against P5 (& ACC opponents) the scoring drops to 24 ppg – a whole 8 points less. That is what I would use looking forward to our rest of schedule.

    I don’t think we’ll survive well at 24 ppg against Miami, ND, VT and Clemson and probably won’t make 24 points against those defenses.

    For some reason I think we might get upset and lose to FSU even though they suck this year.

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    2. I agree with what you say. Filter would be nice, especially for the Austin Peay situations. But all ACC teams are playing/will play either a G5 or FCS team. So need to filter your opponent & not just Pitt.

      Another thing to take into consideration is total # of games played. Pitt has played 5. In the ACC, only Duke has played 5. 8 have played 4, & 5 have played 3. When you do a search for rankings (like total penalties) you have to take games played into consideration. Right now Pitt has a total of 36 penalties called against them. Tied with Ga. Tech as the worse. Doing it on a per game basis moves Pitt up to 9’th of 15. Still bad but not as bad as you would first think.

      It all works out in the end (If all teams play 11). But take it into consideration when just throwing stats out there.

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    2. You can count how many called running plays end up in a Tackles For A Loss for Pitt. It has put us into too many 3rd and long calls that have not succeeded very often. The OL play with the resulting disastrous run statics is the main reason for why this team is 3 and 2 now. I don’t see any solution for that problem on this team.

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  21. Should have read both your comments before answering the first. After looking at your new link & rereading my notes., the stats in above reply is wrong because I can’t even read my own notes correctly.

    The ranking summary is in the same link I had in article. Just a different tab. But your post got me to look at it. i like it. Maybe I need to look at the other tabs besides teams, individual.

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  23. Tex talks a lot about the powerhouse football programs will eventually break away from the NCAA and form their own league. The Knight Commission, which is looking at possible reforms to the NCAA, conducted a member survey and found that “Sixty-one percent of Power Five schools support establishing their own division within the NCAA that could decide its own operating rules.” https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/majority-of-power-five-schools-favor-breaking-away-to-form-own-division-within-ncaa-survey-shows/

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    1. I like that idea… the rest of the schools could revert back to real college football where there are real student athletes on the field of play.. you know, players who meet the same entrance standards as the rest of the student body- like the service academies… no problems here- count me in…. let the biggies be the MFL= Minor Football League…. more power to them…

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      1. I agree. And thanks for sharing.

        Pitt is best served with like minded schools who don’t sell their souls to the dollar.

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  25. I wonder what happened to the Miami QBs that were on the roster when the new QB transferred in. Did any of them hit the transfer portal?

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    1. Perry, who started last years game at Pitt, is still with Miami as the back-up. Williams who came in to replace Perry in same gam lead the Miami comeback win. Entered the portal about 11 days after King committed to Miami.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah that’s what I heard, wasn’t going to repeat it without confirmation but I trust my sources…. sometimes. Bad news for some for a different reason, he just may come back next year if he misses the rest of the season.

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      1. True Mike but who are you going to hear it from? I woke up Sunday or Monday morning, actually I miraculously woke up both days, when my wife said they reported on KDKA that KP had a broken bone in his foot. A few days ago, I was told surgery and not from KDKA. So we shall see.

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        1. Sometimes I see things on twitter but nothing on Pickett so far. We’ll know in a couple days I guess

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          1. I admit it is odd that nothing has surfaced even from the rumor mill. But knowing how top secret PN is, it is not shocking if true. I’ve heard through the grapevine many pro players going through minor surgeries that have never been reported on. That’s all I can say on that.

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  29. Too bad for the kid but I wonder if new blood behind center might give the O a lift – hopefully in the run game.

    One thing Yellen doesn’t seem to do much of is run the ball – two times in his career so far.

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  31. I’ve been checking so don’t crucify me if I’m wrong about this. Narduzzi sure as hell ain’t going to tell anyone. I’m thinking I should have kept quiet about this until further reports come out but they just might not ever come out?

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  34. My connections to Montefiore Hospital are limited. So I do not confirm any of this. We shall see

    PITT is 3-2 right now, hardly a bad year at this point. We shall see, not looking good.

    Freddie is a true PITT guy…….. Hoping for the best for Kenny. I would send KP to Bernie and or Markpt for rehab therapy

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ike – Pitt’s 3-2 start would be considered a “bad” start for 50 other CFB teams across the country and it should be considered that way to Pitt fans.

      Pitt has ZERO votes in the latest polls and sits outside the top 53. That is bad my friend.

      This was to be Narduzzi’s year – even he was Peay’d off that his team was not ranked to start the season.

      IMO there should be no pass to a HC for injuries. Their job is to develop the talent they recruit, across the team and to have the necessary depth to withstand injuries.

      Pitt cannot even field an average TE before the injuries.

      This Pitt fan is seeking alternative entertainment until the “bad” gets corrected.

      I wish KP the best, whether he plays or not. I’m also hoping that the next man up (if required) can gel with the OL, RB’s and generate TD’s instead of FG attempts. The dropped pass data will be an interesting comparison if KP is actually shut down for the season.

      I also hope to see some of you on the golf course during this “off” season.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Rick, at this point I would call it more of a disappointing last two games yet they are only a next Saturday win away from turning the season back around. A loss this week turns the season into a bad start. imo

        I said from the onset of this season that it is a win at all cost season. Of course expectation should change at least a little with the change in the schedule and now with Picketts health up in the air. Narduzzi’s team should be at a point where they should win games at Miami and ND at home. To do that they will need a QB who can move the football and I’m not so sure a backup can do that right now.

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        1. If Pickett is injured like you said then we are going to find out just how good Whipple is at developing quarterbacks. I’m with you…not a lot of faith in the backups

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  35. Narduzzi is a putz. He tells the media on Monday that Kenny is “banged up” but that it would be tough to keep him out against Miami. I absolutely do not expect to see Kenny play on Saturday. Coach Secrecy should focus on getting his team ready to play each week rather that trying to trick our opponents regarding injured players.

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    1. Noone is game planning against KP or any of the backups. They are game planning against Mr. Charmin and tendencies. This is another reason why Narduzzi is a putz. Note to Narduzzi…your opponent is not afraid of your offense.

      I would give Jerry Dipaulo 20 bucks to tell Narduzzi he didnt put Pitt in the top 25 this week either. I know he would love to say that!

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  40. Huff, I can remember three times when in post-game interviews our winning opponents have said something to the effect that coaching against PN was easy because he’s so stuck in a single way of football strategy.

    DBs on an island is exactly that sort of thing.

    Never once can I remember that happening with any other Pitt HC.

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  41. First off, if Pirr rumors are true …. ask fans of the 3 or 4 teams that drafted QBs named Ken O’Brien, Todd Blackledge and Tony Eason how they feel about their teams bypassing Dan Marino in the ’83 draft

    Also, if Pit rumors are true …. Pitt would be coming off 1 point loss against Nebraska and Maryland (but maybe not since the CBs will be allowed to play more physical in the B10)

    But as far as Duzz being a putz ….. everyone here raise your hand if you knew Patti was going to start vs Delaware last year. Fact is that everyone knows that KP is banged up and Duzz would have looked foolish had he said anything else

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  42. Again, when has the injury bug hit Pitt this hard?

    History tells us that ankle injuries get worse after the day of the event so not likely that KP plays.

    So who is going to start?

    Will it be Yellen who agreed to come right before Jurkovec entered the portal and may have influenced that decision? Maybe Jurkovec picked BC because he had a chance to start which he wouldn’t have a Pitt.

    But now we may find out how much talent there is behind KP. One of these guys should be ready by now.

    At least be as good as a guy on one leg.

    Interesting that KP’s injury, could not keep him in the pocket. He is one tough kid.

    Liked by 2 people

  45. Nick Patti was mentioned above. Are we to assume that he has been demoted from the 2nd string to the 4th string due to zero playing time this year….or is this a Duzz ruse? Could Patti be Saturday’s starter? The U will be so confused, they won’t know what to do lol.

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  46. Per PSN:

    “Narduzzi’s salary (being) just over $4 million ranks him just below Clemson’s Dabo Swinney ($8.3 million) and Virginia Tech’s Justin Fuente ($4.25 million), but is 29th in the nation. There are 65 Power Five teams.”

    Yet Pitt currently sits 8th in the ACC standings with highly ranked Miami and nd on the schedule these next two weeks.

    At the end of October, Pitt and Duzz are liable to be 3rd from the bottom of the standings. How’s that for a return on our investment…?

    Liked by 1 person

  48. I think Pitt should run a fan poll to determine who should be the QB if KP is hurt…

    Who would you vote for?

    Beville is my pick – let’s see what he has going for him.

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  49. Here is just one of USA Today’s disclaimer about their coaching salary list

    PITTSBURGH, TEMPLE AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS: The pay information listed came from federal tax returns or the Pennsylvania Right-to-Know Law report. Documents provide compensation for 2018 calendar year based on all income paid by the school or support organizations, including benefits, perks and performance bonuses.

    there were many more disclaimers (see attached)
    https://sports.usatoday.com/2020/10/07/2020-ncaa-football-head-coach-salaries-methodology/

    So in other words, this is the absolute maximum made by Duzz. Other salaries listed may be just what the schools are reporting, and do not include all perks or from support organizations.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Yeah, the list is more than a joke. But it fits like a glove into agenda’s. Not to say Narduzzi isn’t well compensated.

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        1. I have no agenda, just highly disappointed and I was not in the camp of bringing in a coach who NEVER was a HC to fill that important position. Pitt just had experienced that failed attempt with Chryst in that very same scenario.

          It is individual opinions on whether someone is overpaid or not. Performance & success are critical in forming that opinion for most.

          As an underpaid CEO, my desire to perform & succeed at a high level never is in question as that is how I am wired, regardless of pay.

          CEO’s don’t last if they don’t perform to the satisfaction of their stakeholders – employees and investors are stakeholders, for those that don’t know that fact or happen to be misinformed…

          Liked by 1 person

          1. Rick you weren’t really my targeted audience but since you mention you weren’t a fan to start with? The bottom line though is the numbers are way way off. Not bleeding kool-aid here but Narduzzi does have the 3rd best record in the entire ACC since 2015.

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  50. If KP can’t go, I have no reason to believe PITT wouldn’t trot out the best QB for the Miami game. I don’t care if it’s Sibley?

    In this asterisk year most teams can’t field their top 22 players on any given Saturday. Bama will be without their head coach. The extra injuries certainly don’t help though.

    Someone mentioned this awhile back in the comments but a broken bone in the foot MAY be not as bad as a bad sprain. Any type of surgery would outweigh a bad sprain though.

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    2. Good chance we see 1-3 QBs this game even if KP starts…if he experienced a 2nd degree sprain I don’t see how he can play his style of game effectively…Beville and Yellen are next in the batters box…..Patti performed OK in his limited action last year but his is in Chad Voytik’s seat and will probobly be gone after this year….

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  51. I really don’t care what a guys salary is. Plenty of overpaid CEO’s in this country even when their business is failing and laying off workers or going through bankruptcy. Same holds true for professional players salaries.
    Waste of time to worry about stuff like that.

    Liked by 2 people

  52. A coaches compensation should be primarily based upon on the field performance. I’m sure Narduzzi has incentives in his contract boosting his pay for participation trophies, bowl wins and final AP ranking. At least I hope so.

    But at Pitt, pay is also based on other factors I’m sure like graduation rates, gpa’s, running a clean program, how many kittens are saved from trees.

    So from the BoT’s perspective, natduzzi’s pay may be a good value and investment.

    That’s the disconnect between the universities goals and priorities and the few fans like me.

    The real crime was heathers pay and still is. She was brought in around $400k, one of the lowest in P5. Talk about adverse selection. Now she is fairly compensated after finishing dead last in the directors Cup. Beaten out by about 70 non P5 schools. I’d like to be rewarded for results like that. And did I mention that Pitts revenues are still bottom barrel of P5 schools and Pitt has one of the highest subsidized sports departments.

    And the compensation for Gallagher is criminal. The man is in essence the ceo of the school yet makes only four times a high school superintendents pay. He is grossly underpaid but is still making far more than any government job counting atoms.

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  53. Virus could have a silver lining for teams having to re-schedule… get a week off and maybe get some of the troops back for the next game….

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  54. Narduzzi is drama. Drama sells in higher ed because everything is so decentralized that administrators don’t have the time or energy to delineate drama from reality, so it is easy to get sucked into the drama. Real drama is trying to figure out whether Oedipus caused the plague by offing his dad and bedding his mom.

    Narduzzi is a one man drama performance, when none is needed. He isn’t scaring Miami by playing where’s Kenny. Miami doesn’t care whether it’s Pickett, Patti, Beville or Yellen. Without offensive imagination, Pitt is easy to defend. Many see through the Act. We are now in season six of this ill-fated production. Drama is best left for the theatre where we are left to wonder if Hamlet will successfully avenge the murder of his father. Drama is not planting a seed as to whether an ineffective offensive play calling system will be led by Pickett, Patti, Beville, Yellen, or Sibley. Heck, Addison can play qb and so can Will Gipson. Drama doesn’t win in P5 or NFL. Ask the Cowboys…..ask all those teams that were followed by camera cews trying to create drama for the viewing public. Let’s lock those gates so the big secret doesnt get out….woooooo!

    I agree with your agreement Reed. Hadnt heard that before from opposing coaches, but not surprised at all. This weeks whipple word should be imagination! He has nothing to lose. If t doesnt work and pitt loses alot more, he gets fired. If he continues as is, he gets fired. Pick your poison, oh thats a different drama.

    Liked by 1 person

  56. Ike, why do you always speak of ‘agendas’ when someone writes a differing take on a subject than yours? It is belittling to those who take the time and effort to express their own thoughts on here.

    In truth one could point a finger back and, in turn, scoff at what could be called some fans’ adherence to the party line. That wouldn’t be nice either. Posters tell us what they think and feel. Readers like to read those and respond.

    Having an agenda means those thoughts would be expressed towards completion of a goal – like getting someone fired – and no one on here has anything like the pull needed for that.

    Just sayin…

    Also, what was the sideways hint? Inquiring minds want to know.

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    1. Because Ike always has an agenda but never admits it. I have an agenda. It’s clear and consistent. If y’all don’t like it, so be it. But I won’t give my coin to support mediocrity and incompetence. Good money should never chase bad.

      Like

  57. consistently selectively using clearly incomplete data to support a position would suggest an agenda,,,,or other things

    whether it has ANY chance for meaningful effect or outcome matters little

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    2. I think after six years, we have a complete dataset for Narduzzi. I had enough data after three to form a recommendation. I guess it’s better late to the party than never. I expect the Canes to blow Pitt off the field. But in typical Pitt fashion they will upset the Irish next week.

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  58. 1) Narduzzi is drama because many of you make him out to be such. Fact is that most college coaches are cocky, avoid issues and talks mostly in Coach speak. Heck I remember the early days of Fraud Graham at Pitt and he was being hailed by Pit fans for all of the BS coming from his mouth. (I SWEAR I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP} It literally made me sick to my stomach how people could be so gullible.

    2) You may be wondering why people aren’t using PA’s Right-to-Know Law for finding out how much Coach Franklin’s make. I’m pretty sure because he files a FL resident, where he probably spend s at most 1 month of the year

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    1. btw, the reason I mentioned Coach Fraud is that I don’t see anyone mentioning that the alleged Coach Drama took the blame after both losses. The alleged Coach Drama didn’t mention the KP missed on passes or that 4-year started Pinnock got beat, etc.

      But on the other hand, the celebrated Fraud blames Tino and what do Pitt fans do … blame every loss on the QB who never ever played in a spread offense surrounded by players who never ever played in a spread

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Tino deserves plenty of blame but Fraud was a bad fit. Never hire a Texan to coach PA football. I did like his offensive mentality. And he was a disciplinarian and did support the student athlete model. But he did flake out and carpet bagged. But he did have Cornhole for a boss. Complicated situation.

        Liked by 1 person

      1. I hope the athletic department is able to ensure that there are Pitt fans at the ND game. It usually feels like an away game or neutral site for us when the Domers come to Heinz. I don’t think we need anymore salt in wounds this year after the last two weeks.

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        1. If a Domer gave you $200 per ticket, I think most Pitt fans would sell.

          I believe that will be the market price. And Domer fans outnumber Pitt fans ten to one.

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          1. Ok Tex…you got me. I would sell my for $200 since the game is on the tube. As WWF legend Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiesie says, “Everyone has their price.”

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            1. If I had tickets, I’d sell mine. Use the profit to buy bourbon and invite the few friends I have over for a tailgate. I will be in town for that game since I hate the Domers so much. Mainly their fans. Love the campus.

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  60. Huff, I disagree that the U doesn’t care who the QB is for PITT on Saturday. Their weakness on D is the secondary, so they will be relieved to not see Pickett. I think we will see a moderate dose of the Wildcat this weekend. Sibley runs it pretty well. He was running it effectively last year until he was injured in the MIA game. I expect another very close game; the U is not an offensive juggernaut this year. Surprisingly, their WR are average at best. The transfer QB’s percentage on passes thrown past the LOS is about 42%. They throw a lot of horizontal passes also (sound familiar?). They so have a pretty good RB in Harris, but the OL is average. If we can prevent the chunk plays, we’ll have a chance of being victorious. They’re not going to go there and lay down. Expect a fight.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. PITT’s weakness is the deep ball and has been since Duzz started coaching and it remains a wek point to attack….accurate passer who gets time with tall WR’s..PITT has also been challenged by opposing teams TE’s

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          1. They have yet to show up for practice.

            2021 local recruit and legacy (Dinkins) would be a great get…

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  61. I too don’t like drama. Part of the reason I am not Big Ben’s biggest fan as to me he is the master of sports drama.

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  63. So what are we talking about here? Seems like more than one thing.

    Is Narduzzi overpaid compared to the rest of the college coaches? How do we know that, it’s a subjective question. Plus add in all the false reporting on some coaches claiming to make less than PN. (Kelly and Franklin) which is a complete joke and if anyone thinks they are the only two under-reporting they total salaries then you’re being naive.

    Or are we talking Narduzzi came off as a total ass and jagoff when he first came to PITT? Cause I fully agree with that sentiment. He was at that time a raw head coach as well. I do think he’s changed for the better but he still is a tough listen.

    Or are we saying the Narduzzi pressers (coach speak) are any different than any other or most coaches these days? Cause I ain’t buying that at all.

    Reed is right, PITT is happy with PN and he turns out to be the guy they though he would be so he won’t be going anywhere soon unless the PITT football world turns upside down.

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    1. He is a jagoff. Love that Pittsburghese. That qualifies for a 30 percent reduction in compensation automatically. The savings could be used to provide free Fantas for every fan and a halftime performance by Styx.

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  64. If ike is correct that Narduzzi has the third best win percentage in the ACC during his tenure, then does that change the perspective on whether or not he should be fired? Most of us like to be fact based on this site, but we still want Pitt to win. Are we seeing a coach who is quite good at achieving “mediocre”, but not very good at getting to “above average”? Does he regularly beat teams with similar quality of athletes, but consistently lose to teams with better personnel?

    We can all point to a few significant wins over elite programs such as Clemson, but is this because these teams come out flat and play poorly against a team (with a new QB) they don’t respect? One theory is that PN’s approach is to get his players to think they are actually superior to the other side, even thought they actually have only average talent, which is why Pitt falls to teams like BC and NC State who they don’t respect and can’t get motivated for. Sort of how Clemson lost to Pitt. One thing I do know is that the level of recruiting is not good enough to beat most teams in the ACC on bad days.

    As we look over the roster it is clear that there have been major recruiting failures at many positions (I don’t need to list them). I think Narduzzi’s future should rest on whether or not he and his staff are believed to be capable of upgrading their recruiting in the future. If not, we are destined to remain quite good at achieving “mediocre”.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. VoR – let’s see where Duzz ranks at year end with the record.

      It could be close to 38-37 after year 6. Does that feel lyke a keeper?

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  65. Ed, “IF” didn’t happen, PITT had beat NCState, PITT would have been tied for second with the best ACC record since 2015

    This just in, Tex claiming to have a “few” friends. I may have to see proof.. Kidding Tex 🙂 I wasn’t there when Tex father came to a Fran and friends tailgate and I hear he was shaking his head at the kind remarks directed at his son. LOL

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    1. Ike, you know how to give a good give and take. Luv going back and forth with you. U share my sense of humor and more importantly love of Pitt and Labs. Hope to meet u one day. And to add you to my small friend list. 🤠

      Liked by 1 person

  66. Eye roll

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    2. The line has gone from MIA -10.5 to MIA-13.5. It seems Las Vegas knows who’s not playing

      The line for the game went from MIA-10.5 to 13.5. It seems Las Vegas knows who’s not playing QB for PITT this week.

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    1. Why ever trust what a southerner thinks. The ACC is a southern conference. Like I’ve always said, not the best fit for Pitt. Yes it’s got some great private academic schools and yes in time the old civil war /reconstruction influence will wane with changing demographics.

      But Pitt will always be best served in a northwest and mid west conference. Driving distance to affiliated schools. 8 hour drive max. Plenty of good schools in that radius. Similar culture and history and already established traditions and connections.

      Tex a Texan. You’d all like to be one.

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    1. Cloudy suits my personality. Remember I lived in buffalo another border city for over 8 years. Seafood, green mountains, ballet and cool summers are my vibe. Texas is purgatory for me.

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      1. Seattle and Puget Sound (and down to into Oregon) was my area of responsibility when I was doing Search and Rescue planning for the Coast Guard between 1988-’91. Awesome weather for the most part but can get wicked offshore. Lived in Port Angeles and the wife and I would drive & take ferry to Seattle on the weekends. It used to be a great town…not so much now from what I gather.

        BTW – Seattle gets an average of 164 sunny days per year…PGH gets 162!

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    1. He should not play if hurt in any way. Otherwise it’s criminal negligence. Kenny is tough but the staff needs to think smart and play safe regarding a players health.

      Narsnoozi is a weasel for not being honest and forthright.

      A character flaw that will be his undoing.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Not to argue, but I think he has plenty of more glaring Character flaws That will lead to his undoing: obstinance, paranoia, arrogance, foolishness, bitterness…please feel free to add others.

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  71. you think PN is going to go against medical advising for KP? ok, no

    can he play with a broken bone in his foot? maybe, but his coach isn’t making that decision so why suggest it?

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    1. You mean the doc is making the decision. The coach is. If Narsnoozi wants to go against the docs rec, he will.

      Dogs Job is on the line.

      U think he honestly cares about a players health.

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  72. Pickett will not play this week and probably the following week against ND. Narduzzi will hope to have him play against GT and Florida State in hopes of salvaging a couple additional wins for this season. The other 4 games are losses whether Pickett plays or not.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Yep, I think VT the way they are playing now is a loss. That is unless Covid eliminates half their squad. Then it might end up being a tight game.

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  73. From PFF college –

    Most passes dropped by power five quarterbacks:

    ▪️ Kenny Pickett, Pitt – 16
    ▪️ Myles Brennan, LSU – 13

    Now we have a base number for the five games KP played. Let’s see what the back-up number looks lyke.

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    1. Wow! What kind of offense does Pitt and LSU run that they throw so much to their quarterbacks so that each one would have so many drops!
      Obviously, I am joking and making fun of how butchered the English language is these days. I saw that post as well and couldn’t help thinking what I wrote above. I react the same way when I see a recruit announce a new offer on twitter like,” Proud and blessed to receive my 15th offer from Pitt.” I am not on twitter, but I wish I was so I could post a question as to why that school offered them so many times when only once was necessary. Just me being me.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Same here? It’s hilarious sometimes. I love it when ra eader stip across the bottom of the TV screen is completely ridiculous.

        Hail to Pitt !!!!! 😑

        (Just so no one thinks I have a negative agenda.)

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  74. wwb comment today at 10:05am & his reply to his original comment are both correct. The absolute maximum is $4,075M but based on my reading of USA Todays methodology some amounts totaling $81.2k (rounded) would not be included. That is why I did not take Issue with the cryptic $4M – 7.2 but just wondered what the heck that means or trying to prove w/out any context.

    The Pennsylvania right to know report is included in Pitt’s Tax filing. For HCPN it is $3,985,148. That is what I believe is correct number comparable to USA todays methodology. But I have no idea what is included or excluded in the RTK report. I do remember hunting for PSU tax report not long after Pitt released theirs. Finally found PSU tax report & while tax report was in the ballpark of USA T. , the reported number on Pennsylvania RTK was below what was reported for HCPN.

    The first article I wrote for the POV was on Pat Narduzzi’s Salary. It was published by Reed on 11/6/2018. If you want to look at the filing(s), the link is in there.

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      1. The ones I talk to are not upbeat on the season. More than a few expected a loss to Vandy. Muschamp was never a popular hire. IMO, if wasn’t for 2020 the year of the Covid, two teams I follow may be looking for new coaches.

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  75. Re: Pitt fans bitching all the time. I have a friend here in Maryland who is a huge ‘Bama fan and alumnius He says that he never goes on message boards or blogs about their program because its boring as the just win all the time.

    I can actually see that. Thanks the Lord we lose enough to keep fandom interesting.

    Learn something new every day:

    “Which is correct alumni or alumnae?

    “Alumnus” – in Latin a masculine noun – refers to a male graduate or former student. The plural is “alumni”. “Alumna” – in Latin a feminine noun – refers to you guessed it a female graduate or former student. The plural is “alumnae”

    I had no idea they were gender specific. Guess that’s out the window with all the gender-bending these days though.

    Liked by 1 person

  76. Here’s some hope for Pitt/ Miami. A friend of mine makes his living as a professional gambler and lives in Vegas ( which he says is a ghost town). He says that Pitt +13.5 is the big play this week.
    He will not play the game but is fascinated by the $$ on Pitt. Wanted me to tell him why?

    I told him I think Miami will have the 13.5 by halftime but am retaking a long hard look at the game.

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  77. Miami QB D’eriq King will play queen for the game on Saturday – Pitt’s DE’s will crown him/her with sack after sack. The queen will be on his/her backside more than six hookers on South Beach on a Friday night.

    Unfortunately, when Pitt’s O gets into the red zone, FG attempts rule the day. Miami’s two stud RB’s wear down Pitt’s tired D in the 2nd half and easily outscore Pitt in a runaway boat race.

    I hope I’m wrong about the boat race…

    Liked by 1 person

  78. Rick – It seems plausible if Miami had two stud running backs, They only have one. Harris is the #1 RB & leading rusher. The QB is #2 in rushing but as you said he will be spending a lot of time on his back.. Between the two, they have 2/3 of Miami’s 786 rushing yards.

    You may have 4-stars all over the place. Doesn’t make them good unless they produce.

    Like

    2. Besides Cam’Ron (#1 stud), Miami has 2 FR RB’s that have already shown flashes of greatness. The #2 scrub IMO is FR Knighton – he is lightning fast (rushing stats – 19 carries for 96 yards 1 TD; 5.1 ave) (receiving stats – 5 catches for 109 yards 1 TD; 21.8 ave)

      All four Miami RB’s average over 4.6 ypc.

      Pitt’s leading rusher, V.Davis averages 3.2 ypc (also the team average) and his receiving yards per catch average is 6.6.

      I’ve watched Miami play and with limited touches, I believe Knighton is a stud. Sometimes the eye test helps to justify the stats. Just my opinion.

      Note to Gordon: as the CEO of my company, I chose to NOT take a paycheck the last 2 months because business is really slow due to COVID-19. All of my employees were paid – 80% with a bump in pay so we don’t lose them. That is how most CEO’s operate – not what you hear on the mainstream media. Be careful what you believe. Duzz may have done the same thing, we just won’t find out because he is private about everything…

      Liked by 1 person

      2. Commending you on your leadership Erie. As an employee (of a different company of course) it really makes a difference in morale and unity when leaders sacrifice for their teams. Agree we do t know what Duzz did or not.

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  79. Little early for predictions and this is to Rick mostly. I’m feelin defeated at this point. I see little chance of PITT beating Miami in 85 degree heat without their starting QB. My only question is…… what will go wrong for PITT? Lot’s to choose from.

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    1. Yellen played in Arizona heat and Beville played in South Carolina.

      We got the heat covered.

      Next?

      Ike – it is just a game…

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  80. Any one dimensional offense like Pitt’s makes it very difficult to win many games. At Miami without Pickett and with a zero run game makes even the 13 1/2 point spread seem much too low. The Pitt O will have many a 3 and out come Saturday.

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