in Pitt Football 1,227 Words

Pitt vs Georgia Tech, Oct 2 @ Noon

Pitt’s 2021 Opponent Series – By Rich Hefner (Rich in SC)

Ed: Rich wrote this piece about the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets (GT) some time ago but it is always good to have detailed info on an opponent just before the game. Here are some updates based on our first four games.

As we well know on here so far our Panthers have beaten, rather badly about the head and shoulders, two much lower level teams in the Independent UMass (51-7) and just last Saturday “non-major” New Hampshire (77-7). That 128-14 scoring in our favor is absolutely not an indicator of what our Panther team is all about for this season.

Interspersed with those two games was a win, 41-34, over SEC’s Tennessee – a school which holds two losses to the P-5 teams they faced; 41-34 to us and a 24 point, 38-14 loss to Florida. But they also handled a MAC school and a “non-major’ school winning both of those. Again – I’m just not sure where Pitt stands in terms or team strength’s and weaknesses based on our body of work so far.

Color me unimpressed with Tennessee at this point in the season and while a win is a win the truer guage of what sort of Panther team we’ll see here on out starts with Georgia Tech.

Here is GT’s ESPN website and this is the current state of GT’s offensive stats. I’ll put out a GT Game Thread with more links to GT program’s information on Saturday morning… GT has beaten a #21 North Carolina by the score of 45-22. That is a 23 point win and rather impressive. They also put in a great effort against #6 Clemson but lost by only six points; 14-8. Granted Clemson isn’t the same team it was with Trevor Lawrence behind Center but those two games show me this GT is pretty darn good so far. Their other loss was to Northern Illinois 22-21.

Here are the Yellowjackets’ national rankings in categories:

Here is Rich’s previous GT article slightly edited:

I (Rich) will be using Rivals recruiting ranking data but 24/7 TP activity. If you want a quick update on the transfer portal, this is the link to the POV TP article I wrote.

 The Transfer Portal; (Recruiting Part 2) (pittpov.com)

Here is my POV article on 2021 recruiting.

College FB 2021 Recruiting – Part 1 (pittpov.com)

I am going to start with Georgia Tech’s (GT) and Pitt’s 2021 schedules.

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Georgia Tech is in the running for this years ACC most favorite ACC schedule. They get a bye in week seven (the mid-season Saturday). Six games before the bye and six after… winnable games both before and after the bye. They are also the only ACC team that does not play on a non-Saturday. Though they do have a hard finish of the season with Notre Dame and Georgia in the last two weeks. GT fans are hoping they are not stuck at five wins going into the last two games, or they will be relying on APR to receive a bowl bid. Like Pitt, they also will face Clemson.

I do not know if I will show the following chart for every Pitt opponent, but I thought it was interesting. As you know, 2019 was Geoff Collins first year as head coach for GT. He went 3 – 9 (including a loss to The Citadel). Did his offense change in 2020? Defense in 2020? You bet both did. Offense for the better but defense regressed.

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There is some interesting data in that mass of numbers. GT passed more in 2020 vs. 2019. But not as much as I thought they did. All around defense regressed from 2019, Mainly in pass defense. Maybe it was just due to a 10 game ACC schedule and UCF as the lone OOC opponent. Maybe it was that GT was one of four ACC that played both ND and Clemson (BC, Pitt and Syracuse were the other three.)

On to recruiting. How is the HC change working out? The last five years of recruiting even though there may be 2016 and 2015 recruits playing this year.

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Overall a step-up in recruiting compared to triple option Paul Johnson. He moved the needle from an average 3* 5.5 recruit to a 3* 5.6 recruit per NNR. As we will see later and as I wrote in the TP article, Collins is going for immediate help with some longevity by using the TP as a recruiting tool. One thing in the breakdown of recruits by position, GT is still trying to beef up their offensive line. Sound familiar?

Any true “stars” on their roster last year? They had three named to the 2020 All ACC team. To expand the potential list of “stars”, I added the GT players that were named to the 2020 preseason All ACC teams by either Athlon, PFF or returning 2019 All ACC selections.

Harvin (the punter) is going pro. Gibbs is good. He made the All ACC team as punt/kick returner. I thought he would make it as an all-purpose back, but such is life.  Mason was a 2019 third team all ACC selection as a running back but was injured most of the 2020 season. I do not know much about the rest but the defensive backs’ did not do themselves proud in 2020.

Any transfer portal entries? Yes.

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Eight TP entries. Only one “Grad” transfer. Picked up a placekicker from the fire sale going on at Tennessee as GT kickers stunk. The best pickup may be Keion White from Old Dominion. He was unranked by Rivals in 2017. Old Dominion was one of three FBS teams that opted out of the 2020 season. During the 2019 season, White had 19 tackles for loss.

One of the things that 24/7 does is re-rank players in the transfer portal based on their college careers. Kind of makes sense as players are now competing against peers. In a way, it is unfair if a recent recruit did not play much at his old school due to age (2019, 2020 classes). BTW here is a link to 24/7 on their explanation of ratings. White has pro potential with a 3* 0.8800 rating.

247Sports Rating Explanation

One of the things I learned in digging into the TP was it pays to be in a recruiting hotspot. Florida State, Miami and Georgia Tech has a majority of their TP entrees from their home state.

Another new face for GT in 2021 is a transfer offensive lineman from 2020.

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He opted out of the 2020 season but is back in the game. He started 32 games for Vanderbilt.

That is all for new faces. Did GT lose anyone? It is hard to tell if anyone is not returning. Outside of the punter, no one was an early entry to the NFL draft. GT did lose some to the TP.

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A total of 16 players have entered the portal. That ties GT with North Carolina for most roster turnover in the ACC. The concerning thing to me is the three recruits from 2019 and two from the 2020 class. That does not look good for Collins recruiting prowess. Here is the link to GT’s 24/7 transfer portal page.

2021 Football Transfer Portal (247sports.com)

That ends my review. Any suggestions on what you would like to see on future articles?

Thanks, Richard

Note: Here is the Pitt 2021 schedule – disregard the upper left Austin Peay win of last season (you remember that game – that skewed stats so wildly that some thought our offense looked good last year 😉)

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133 thoughts on “Pitt vs Georgia Tech, Oct 2 @ Noon”

  1. Will be busy all day with my son’s medical appts so if WordPress does something funky with your comments I’ll address it when we get back home this evening.

    Also – if you call or text my cell phone don’t be surprised if you get nothing back as I hate cell phones and half the time I forget to take it off “Do not disturb”.

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    1. BigB, this sounds familiar;

      ”

      Pitt is very good? I disagree.

      Their resume:

      Win vs Massachusetts. meh

      Win vs Tennessee. This is their one “quality” win. UT is worse than UNC and they didn’t win by as much of a margin as we did against UNC.

      Loss vs Western Michigan. This was only two weeks ago, unlike our opening game fluke against NIU. Must’ve been looking forward to their game against the Little Sisters of the Poor aka New Hampshire.

      Win vs New Hampshire. That’s like a win against a high school team

      Can they put up points? Yes, but they haven’t played a solid defense, either.

      I’m not saying we’ll definitely win. I’ve watched CFB for long enough to know there are no guarantees. If we play anywhere near how we played on Saturday, we wipe the floor with Pitt.”

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    2. Correct B…. they have their fair share of stupid comments, just like us and most any other program.

      Im surprised that a letdown after the UNC game was not a bigger topic of discussion among them.

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    1. Tennessee fans Drink far more vinegar than Pitt fans.

      I know they also mocked us playing in the Steelers stadium. I was totally down with that mocking however. We deserve it in spades.

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  8. I am surprised that Pitt is favored. Certainly what GT has done the past 2 weeks is more impressive than the win at Tennessee. Not saying Pitt will lose, but would not be surprised at all of it does

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

  9. POV’ers – I just received a wonderful phone call from EJ Borghetti wishing my family the best going forward with our son’s medical issues.

    I ask you – what other university would reach out personally to a staunch critic of their football team? Let’s don’t forget that those who work in the athletic dept. at Pitt are not automatons who don’t care about the fans. this is proof, along with that 20 minute phone call EJ had with our Annie, that they do care.

    Liked by 11 people

  12. I hope all goes well. It’s nice that someone cares in the department. That’s why developing relationships are important and having a connection.

    Unfortunately the leadership of the department has a sour relationship with the fanbase and Pitts one connection back to campus was razed twenty one years ago.

    I just wish they cared more about athletics and how sports can be used as a way to connect and build school spirit and pride.

    Sports and a connection to Pitt brought us together here. That relationship between fans and alumni need nurtured over time. I’ve seen 40 years on how Pitt nurtures.

    But nice again that EJ personally reached out. Very classy and heart felt move on his part.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Good Luck to your son today Reed.

    Have we actually heard from Richard recently?

    Why do we keep disallowing PITT stats and not the rest of the country’s team stats?

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    1. I wouldn’t place much stock in any stats from last weeks game. I’m not the only one who thought a Texas high school team would give pitt a far better game. But these are rent a wins. And they only cost about half a million. Very good value for narduzzis job security and allowing heather to look falsely good with that extension. Unfortunately no rent a wins remain on the schedule. I expect Tech to sting Pitt repeatedly. And then when all the meat tenderizer is gone, Pitt swells up like a pig for slaughter. Enjoy your bacon.

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  15. Good luck Reed you are most deserving of it.

    I don’t think anyone has any idea how this game unfolds.

    We could ask Dan72 who predicted a blowout by Tennessee and a loss to New Hampshire.

    I kid Dan cause he can take it. Good reason why I don’t make predictions.

    I do predict one thing, Vincent Davis will not have another career day.

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    1. So TEX, your boy Jason Candle, the HC at Toledo, is in his 6th year with a record of 40-23. That’s not bad. My question is why is he still at Toledo. Hasn’t he been offered another job, or is he just hanging out waiting for Pat Narduzzi to be fired so he can become the next HC at PITT?

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    1. Fact is that there are few Pitt alumni in the department. That’s a problem. And they outsource far too many things with bad results.

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  20. Pitt scored more points on Tennessee than #10 Florida did. And Florida was playing at home.

    Pitt did it on the Road.

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    1. Didn’t Florida win by three touchdowns? And the game was never close. Florida toyed with them like a cat with a mouse.

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        1. You ever thought the game was in doubt? That’s what cats do. Reel you into a false sense of security. And then it’s gameover and mouse for dinner.

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          1. That’s not what cats do. Cats don’t reel their prey into a false sense of security…they torture them & bat them around for awhile….until they feel like killing them. Of course it depends on the prey.

            With birds they sit and wait for an opportunity. So that might be what u mean.

            You obviously didn’t watch that game, as Tenn blew several FG attempts and other scoring opportunities.

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            1. Who watched that game. The final score is all people see. The general public doesn’t read the stat sheet. It’s the score and your ranking that people catch. That’s why perception is reality. That’s why having Pitts name scroll on ESPN as a top 25 team is important. Been telling y’all this for 15 years but you’d rather debate me on the semantics.

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              1. If I’m betting on a game…..I just don’t look at the final score of the previous weeks’ games.

                There are extenuating circumstances that have to be taken into consideration.

                I’m not the General public….who believe a lot of false perceptions. Most by the media.

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            2. Tenn also missed a bunch of wide open receivers for touchdowns against our stout D…..Tennessee is not opportunistic and because of that will lose games against similar and better teams this year. Their florida game was close for a bit but florida was still recovering from the difficult Alabammy loss.

              Trying to figure out the point, but maybe I should stick to the animal kingdom since that is my specialty area. In my neck of the woods, the cats get the mice and play with them. A smart mouse plays like its dead, very similar to Tom and Jerry (not the ice cream), so that cat loses interest and makes undisciplined decisions. Bear with me, I will tie this back to the Pitt squad…oh, just did!

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              1. On the flip side of that (and there always is a flip side). Pitt spotted Tenn a 10 point lead.

                With a Tenn block punt, on the Pitt Aussie punters first blocked punt ever.

                And then they got another 3 points on some incredibly stupid decision by Bardon on a Kick Return.

                Take away those and Pitt won pretty handedly.

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                1. Well, I just talked to Mr. Ed and he indicated that the facts on our punter as reported above are way wrong. Specifically in punt blocks Mr. Ed remembers a punt block by Virginias Jordan Mack during the first quarter in 2019 and at least one other by Notre Dames Isaiah Foskey. Mr Ed says he could look for more but quickly discounted the facts as stated above about no blocked punts. If you recall, Mr. Ed kicked some field goals back in the day.

                  Christoduolou may break the record for number of punts in a career for all pitt punters, ever. His years mirror what many think is the best Pitt QB ever. So can the best QB ever, also be so ineffective that we have the punting numbers be the highest of all time? Can both be great? I think he passes Winslow for sure and maybe Andy Lee…will be close.

                  Rk Player From To Punts Yds Avg
                  1 Nate Cochran 1993 1996 252 10851 43.1
                  2 Andy Lee* 2000 2003 244 10353 42.4
                  3 Ryan Winslow2014 2017 226 9513 42.1
                  4 Kirk Christodoulou                  2018 2021 197 8419 42.

                  Was that the 56 yard brilliant field goal attempt game wherein the ACC refs saw something that really didn’t happen during the return?

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          1. Tex just wants to make his agenda of points…..regardless of reality and of course the facts.

            Tennessee had over 400 yards of offense + 20 1st downs, they moved the ball up and down the field.
            Made some blunders…..THEY WERE NOT DOMINATED !

            Liked by 1 person

  22. As for my thoughts on the game (not that anybody cares), I would not be at all surprised if Pitt laid an egg against the Ramblin’ Wreck on Saturday, but I’ll take the Pitt sucker bet after our 70-point shellacking of FBS-whoever. Pitt is well rested, confident and has momentum. Heck they’ve played so many games in Atlanta in the past few years that Bobby Dodd feels like second home. Plus, even though Pat says the hatchet is buried, you know there is a handshake vendetta.

    Meanwhile, what has Georgia Tech done really?

    Lost to a MAC team at home? Check. So did Pitt.

    Soundly beat an FCS foe? Check. So did Pitt.

    Played Clemson tough at home in a rivalry game? Well I don’t know if you’ve watched any Clemson football this year but this team ain’t what it used to be. Have you seen DJ whatever-his-name-is try to throw a football. Talk about a one-read guy. And it’s not even one-read-and-run. It’s just one read. Tough to score points when your offense can’t complete a pass. Even in the ACC.

    Beat #21 North Carolina? Well lordy me. Did you know that UNC was ranked #5 going into the season? Well they dropped all the way to 21 by the time they played the jackets, and it doesn’t look to me like they are going to be cracking the rankings anytime soon. Which begs the question, did they even deserve to be ranked at all?

    So yea, look, Pitt has played in plenty of these types of games before and pulled the proverbial football out from under us. And yep, there is every chance they will do it again. But I guess you gotta get low in order to get high, and damn it folks, I like getting high.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. It’s a “pick ’em” for me. I can see both teams winning this game. Who is going to come out of the tunnel ready? Who knows…both teams could get caught up in their press clippings from Saturday. Whatever the outcome, I hope the refs call it a good game.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. If Pitt can protect Kenny, we should win. UNC couldn’t protect Howell.

        The Flea or Hammond could have a big game, as GT will have to blitz their LB’s to get pressure.

        Liked by 1 person

  23. Saw this on the Lair about Panthers in the Pros last week…

    ARZ RB J. Conner: 11 car, 43 yds, 2 tds
    ARZ P A. Lee: 5 pnts, 50.6 avg, 59 long
    CIN WR T. Boyd: 4 rec, 36 yds, 2 tds
    LAR DT A. Donald: 4 tkl, 1 sack, 1 ff
    PHI CB A. Maddox: 7 tkl, 0.5 sacks
    SF CB K. Williams: 1 tkl (injured)
    TB S J. Whitehead: 3 tkl, 1 ff week…

    Surprised by Maddox, but glad to see he’s still playing…

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Andy Lee is amazing……17 years in the NFL. Three-Time All Pro. Will be 40 yrs old.

      2nd in the NFL this year with 51.5 yards per punt.

      Still going strong like a Pitt man does !

      Liked by 4 people

  25. I saw where Pitt Men’s Basketball is having a free open-to-the-public scrimmage on Oct. 9th at 2:00 pm. And parking is free.

    Yikes! They need more of this type of engagement with the fans…

    (Wouldn’t be surprised if Fran, Wolfe and Scooter are there…)

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

    2. Maybe Capel will add some Fraternity League players to his roster of 1 to 2 star transfers.

      Do Fran, Wolfe or Scooter have any eligibility left ?

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  26. Call me a skeptic, but I see Pitt getting beat by more than a touchdown. Georgia Tech has a quarterback who can pass and is very dangerous running the ball. Pitt’s defense which requires everyone to be in the exact place will get burned two or three times for long touchdowns.

    Pitt’s offense will be one dimensional and Georgia Tech will dare Pitt to try to run the ball.

    Final score Georgia Tech 45 Pitt 31.

    Narduzzi will throw Bates under the bus after the game and defend his great defensive scheme which Bates failed to execute properly. Lyke will start her coaching search.

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  27. Reed, I’d like to join the others in wishing you all the best with your son. Here’s hoping all goes well today. As for EJ Borghetti, that was really a class act with him calling you, but he has always been a good guy. I’m not so sure he is a typical representative of the Lyke athletics dept., given that Heather couldn’t even acknowledge the letter and list you sent her.

    E.J. is probably embarrassed about the way they interact with the fans and alums, and the lack of alums working in the athletics dept. is probably a significant factor in their attitude toward fans and alums. They don’t seem to feel any personal attachment and it shows.

    Liked by 1 person

  28. Okay, so noone mentioned this and I keep my ears close to the dirt as you would expect. Was it me or do you all think Nardstop was again a jackwagon for making it abundantly clear that the other coach apologized! Why did he do that? Because Nardstop is arrogant and takes every opportunity to belittle whoever he can, whenever he can. A class move would have been to say, hey we had our differences, talked them out and agreed to move on with no hard feelings. Instead Nardstop makes a point to belittle the coach like he groveled to the great Nardstop and apologized.

    Nard is a poor winner and a poor loser. Poor winner..hey Jerry are you the only writer in the US that didn’t put us in the top 25, or was it just a scrimmage? We’ll check the film. Nobody wants you to check the film. What they want to hear is “What was your impression from your baby chair on the sideline”?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I wouldn’t make a big deal out of it but it didn’t escape my notice that Narduzzi said multiple times (three, I think?) that the Tech coach apologized to him, creating the impression that the Tech coach was clearly in the wrong. Maybe he was, but not really a magnanimous way to approach it. Seemed like twisting the knife, but I can never decide if it’s intentional with Narduzzi or if he’s not aware of his comment might be perceived. Regardless, it’s the least of his worries right now.

      Liked by 1 person

  29. I’d like to give a few of my opinions prior to the game:
    1) The GT quarterback will get close to 200yds rushing. 195+ passing.
    2) We will rush for <125 rushing
    3) KP will be under constant pressure, and I sincerely hope he comes out of the game healthy.
    4) The GT coach will have his team ready, he really does dislike the Duzz IMO.
    5) Each and every game from now on will be a turning point. Strange, huh? Man, I hope this isn’t one of the five, but you know it’s coming. I refuse to pick a winner. Cop out?Yup!

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Is it possible the other coach did apologize? Clearly if Narduzzi acted like the GT coach did after the game last year many here would be all over his actions.

    Liked by 1 person

  31. First off, I also wish Reed’s son the best.

    Unless Reed reached out to someone on the Pitt staff, it does prove that someone in the Pitt athletic department reads the POV and not just the articles but also the comments. If E.J. himself didn’t read the POV on Reed’s sons medical concern, that info is read by someone and passed up the chain.

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  32. Pitts coach is a fine representation of how mediocre Pitt has become. Is there a word for someone who is arrogant and average?

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  34. A couple things to ponder, GT played Clemson extremely close and is coming off a huge win over UNC, for them to “get up” for a third week in a row is going to be a little tough, impossible, no, but the emotion of those past two games could carry over into a bit of a hangover for the Pitt game.

    Also please remember GT lost to a MAC team.

    This game is going to be high scoring but Pitt is going to come out on top, the Pitt defense will adjust quickly this time, this is a must win game.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. James, I agree. The momentum and emotion aspects of the last 2 weeks will take a toll on the GT squad. I believe Kenny and the boys still have a huge chip on their collective shoulders over the WM loss. I’ll take my chances with KP as the QB for the remainder of this season. H2P

      Like

  35. I wrote this article back in June. This was the first one of what was originally a planned series of eight (all the ACC 2021 opponents). I expanded it two ten (added Tennessee and Western Michigan,) As time went by, I changed the format and Reed allowed me to take my Word article to a finished product on WordPress.. All Reed did was review my article, correct some grammar and add (at times) some comments. I am thankful for the opportunity Reed has given me.

    I did attend the Western Michigan game with my brother. Thanks to “kman” (Kevin) for providing the tickets. In the shade for the whole game. Disappointed in the loss but grateful for renewing friendships with old and new POVerts though the post game tailgate was a little somber. Thanks to Fran, Wolfe and Scooter for the tailgate.

    Grandson did win his Friday game against 5A rival Chapin (51-24). He is not very accurate on his deep throws. I told him he was just like the Tennessee QB and “Miltoned” them. He just smiled.

    Liked by 2 people

  37. I sure hope things went well today for your son. With that on your mind, I don’t know how you do it. God Bless.

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  38. Thanks everyone. Had the biopsy done this afternoon. He was in surgery for almost 2.5 hours though when they said it should take about an hour, so that is worrisome. Dr said 6-8 days for lab results. So pins and needles until then.

    I think Pitt will drop this next game as at this stage in the season it is hard to get a handle of what we, or our opponent, are all about.

    I guess I just feel we have some weaknesses that won’t magically get fixed against the better teams on our schedule. Mainly our run game which really hurt us last season and looks to be about the same now. When you get only 96 then 75 yards against the only two decent teams we have played that’s a problem.

    Liked by 3 people

    3. Reed, about 8 years my wife had a lymph removed that the doctor felt very likely was a lymphoma. The 10 day wait for the lab result was interminable. Long story short, the node was simply inflamed. Prayers for your son and family will continue while waiting for the results and as long as they are needed. We have your back Commander.

      Liked by 3 people

  39. What gives me optimism about this game and the rest of the season, really, it that it would be soooo Pitt to run the table in the division, catch Clemson in a rare down year, and have their only regular season loss be to Western Michigan.

    Not predicting Pitt goes unscathed the rest of the season. But I would laugh (ruefully), if it played out that way and I wouldn’t be particularly surprised.

    Seems like almost every year, the Georgia Tech game provides a barometer for Pitt’s season. I guess it makes sense. Another urban school with faded glory that recruits at about the same level, but has the potential to be more. Georgia Tech is probably the biggest sleeping giant in the conference. Well, maybe Miami depending on how you categorize them.

    As for the game, if Tech’s QB is accurate on deep passes, Tech will win. If he misses open receivers downfield, Tech will lose. You can run this back for every game Pitt plays against similar or better talent this season, because in that scenario, there will be open receivers.

    I’m betting there are just enough stray bullets for Pitt to escape the ATL with a victory. 40 to 37 win coming up for the Panthers.

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    1. Like your reasoning Motifs…. Fingers crossed…. Would be nice coming to Red5A for Clemson with a 5-1 record… if thats the case and we beat the Tigers most POVerts will be on- board to give Duzz and an extension!!!

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      1. Count me in the no way in Hell category, the no way in a million years, when pigs fly, when Pitt wins another championship in any sport. I’ll never be convinced. It will be fools gold. SOP equals Charlie Brown

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  42. Seems like we usually beat GT thanks to a long FG. Not likely to happen that way this season but hoping KP can get us TDs instead…

    Prayers for Reed’s family.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks for the update Annie! Watched the match. Saw she was dressed but did not play. Must be a medical related problem. Leketor Member-Meneh is the one who has taken her place for now in the lineup. Leketor is looking very impressive. She continues to improve her service receive. Virginia was targeting her during the match and after a few errors early did very well in her passing! She can also sky!

      Pitt looked very impressive tonight. Viriginia’s coach said they decide to concentrate on the pin hitters and basically give Pitt the middle. Pitt’s middles responded, especially Serena Gray!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Pitt had very little trouble with Virginia tonight. Pitt got off to fast starts in the first two sets. In the third set Virginia had it tied at 3-3 before Pitt just pulled away. None of the sets were ever in doubt. Pitt hit 0.319 versus 0.097 for Virginia. Pitt’s middles had 14 kills. Six Pitt players had 5 kills or more. Lund and Gray had 9 kills apiece. Pitt had 10 aces to 6 errors. Strong performance all around. Duke is up next on Friday at 7 PM at the Fitz. The match is on ACCNX, the ACC digital channel at Watch ESPN.

        Liked by 3 people

        1. I even caught a t-shirt during the t-shirt toss! Got it home and it’s an XL, so Kurt got a new t-shirt tonight. I’ll be at the match on Friday too, which I expect will be more competitive. Those of you who don’t get the ACC channel can follow the play by play via the stats link. H2P!

          Liked by 2 people

  47. So my tree guy did some work in my yard today. He happens to be married to Pitt’s Diving Coach.

    From talking with him, sounds like we might expect another little-followed Pitt team — the Diving Team — to make a splash this season. 😊
    The Coach really likes the recent recruits…

    I doubt we have any Pitt diving-team fans on here, but you never know…

    Go Pitt.

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    1. Go swimming and diving. I’ll get behind any Pitt program that wins! Last year I watched non-WWF wrestling and volleyball for the first time in my life. I still do not understand the rules for wrestling but found it interesting.

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    1. It’s the number of kills minus hitting errors divided by the number of attacks. So someone with 3 kills, no errors on 4 attacks would hit .750. Note that it is very hard for the outside hitter (Lund and Member-Meneh) to have a high hitting % because if there is a bad pass the set often goes to them- and they get a lot of less-than-ideal sets that they have to somehow put over the net. Often times when the pass is bad the defense will just automatically set up to block the likely hitter – the outside hitter- so that makes it even more difficult to get a kill. Hope that explains your question.

      Liked by 2 people

  50. Plain and simple: This game will tell us an awful lot about how good or bad the team is. At least until the next game. But each new game matters only in the context of the past. That’s the beauty of this first ACC game. There is no past to mediate the result. Win this game and the sky is the limit as the expression goes. Lose — then its woe is me.

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  51. Hi guys. If anyone is going to Atlanta to see the football game, it is well worth the trip. I’ve only done two road games (GA Tech and Akron) and there is so much to do near Bobby Dodd Stadium.

    Great stops include the Varsity which is a hot dog/burger joint near campus that is way cleaner than the O but has that old school vibe. Go to the Coca-Cola museum minutes from the stadium and sample different Coke products from around the world. The worst two are Italy’s Beverly that tastes like Sambuca and a Japanese variety that was carrot and cucumber flavored.

    Youtube Fat Matt’s Ribs, they are the best you’ll ever have.

    And finally, take an uber to the Buckhead Area. The wife found a fancy restaurant where I ordered fried lobster and was stared at and judged by the southern gentry for what I consider a strong enthusiasm for food…aka I’m a slob.

    Kris Blewitt winning on a long field goal was the icing on that trip’s cake.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Yes this is what that articles says:

      Outlook: Don’t pay attention to that Western Michigan loss; that’s just a red herring. This is a very good Pitt football team absolutely capable of winding up as the Coastal Division representative in the ACC Championship Game. The reason the oddsmakers have made it seem so unlikely is because of the path, not the quality of the Panthers team.

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      1. Very good offense against a SOS of 110

        Very bad secondary

        Any half decent QB will light them up

        Techs QB is more than half decent

        I’ll admit when I’m wrong when I’m wrong. I’ve called every game correctly so far this year.

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      2. Also that article doesn’t even mention GT, so Vegas thinks much less of the Ramblers than Pitt ! lol

        Thanks for posting it !

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  53. Off topic a bit, but if you have access to the ACC Network (i.e. not a Comcast subscriber) look for a show called Three Day Weekend – Pittsburgh Edition.

    Nice shots of the campus and a good promo for the city.

    Liked by 3 people

  55. It looks to me like GT will be blitzing a lot from their 5 man front. Does anyone think the OL can withstand their pass rush? If Pickett’s passing is neutralized, Pitt could be in real trouble since it has a weak running game. I doubt Pitt can hold GT to below 30 points, so this game could come down to the running game being at least serviceable.

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    2. Short swing passes to The Flea and whoever else might be at RB should work. As well as quick hitters over the middle to the Manster Krull. Crossing routes over the middle to Addison, Wayne & the others.

      Would love to see some Screen passes as well, as those work on over aggressive defensive fronts.
      As well as the sprint ‘draw’ play and some misdirection plays.

      Pitt scores in the 40’s !

      Liked by 1 person

        1. I doubt it…. they average less than 400 yards of offense a game.

          And they’re not a passing team.

          30’s is the range.

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  57. This is what college football is all about, two evenly matched team going head to head.
    No they are not top twenty, but so what, something to watch and hopefully enjoy.
    Depending on your POV you make of it what you will.

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  58. This Tech QB……has only started a handful of games.

    So I’m salivating if I’m Bates/Duzz.

    Definitely rattle-able.

    KP is #2 in the Nation in Passing Efficiency ….this GT kid has only thrown 81 passes in 4 games.

    KP leads Pitt to another Road Win !

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  60. Let’s see…. this kid has passed for only 613 yards in 4 games = 153 yards per game.

    And that is with 2 games against Kennesaw State(W) & Northern Illinois(L).

    We got this game !

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          1. I’m well aware of the various QB’s who have had big games against us.
            And those that haven’t.

            Some of these offenses, almost can’t be stopped today.
            Some of these QB’s can get red hot accurate.

            I just don’t think, this GT QB will be one of those. Either one.

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    2. he didn’t start all 4 games after getting injured

      your stats as all stats need to be looked at far more than just on the surface

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  61. Not that it guarantees anything but big money bettors are heavily on GT, so much so that it is moving into lock territory. Getting a really bad feeling on this game. Me thinks I need to consult Upitts goat.

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    1. 95% of money bet is on GT. When it goes over 90% services consider putting game out to subscribers. Wise guys jumping all over this game. Man, am I glad I gave up betting years ago. I can now watch a game and not lose my mind when my bet goes sideways.
      BTW, above does not mean I agree with the bet.

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        1. Yup, strange, but not uncommon. Guess they like the number, GT is getting 58% of bets and 94% of money. Wise guys betting heavy. Now why line is 31/2 us is a mystery to me, but that’s what is currently is.

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