in Pitt Football 271 Words

OK! A Zoom Pitt POV Discussion It Is…

This should be fun. I’m scheduling a Pitt POV Zoom meeting for Tuesday Evening, Dec 14th at 8:00pm. I do weekly Zoom meetings for another organization so I know how to host these pretty well. I upgraded my account so that we have unlimited attendees and an unlimited time period for the meeting. The basic Zoom plan limits meetings to 40 minutes so I went to a “pro” subscription. Nothing is too good for POVers.

I will send out a mass email tonight with the Zoom instructions (meeting site, etc…) so that we don’t have zoom bombers all over the place.

What I need from you is this… Send me an email as soon as possible and no later than tomorrow morning so that I have your email address and then can include you in the meeting list – also , if you would, please put “POV Zoom” in the Subject line.:

rkohberger@gmail.com

Please put some interesting questions/topics of discussion in the comments box below or in your email to me and I’ll moderate our discussion using them so that it isn’t just a free for all talkfest. I have received some good ones already but can use more for tomorrow and for future Zoom meetings before the bowl game and during the off season.

Let me think about how the nuts and bolts of the discussion should be but I’ll figure that bit out before Tuesday. This should be fun for all…

HTP!!

It should look something like this when we are all in the meeting except people will be younger and the only female will be Annie (hopefully):

152 thoughts on “OK! A Zoom Pitt POV Discussion It Is…”

  2. Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl Extends Formal Invitation to Pitt

    WHAT: The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Pitt Athletic Department will hold a press conference formally inviting the No. 12 Pitt Panthers to play in this year’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

    WHO: Gary Stokan, Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl CEO & President

    Pat Narduzzi, Pitt Head Football Coach

    Heather Lyke, Director of Athletics

    DETAILS: Atlantic Coast Conference champion (12) Pitt (11-2) will face (10) Michigan State (10-2) in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl – the first New Year’s Six bowl matchup of the 2021 season. The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will be played Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and will be nationally televised by ESPN.

    Both teams will be making their first-ever trip to the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. This year’s matchup represents the first appearance by a Big Ten team in the Bowl since 2018 (Michigan) and the first from the ACC since 2015 (Florida State). It also marks the first Big Ten vs. ACC matchup in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl since 1988 when NC State and Iowa faced off.

    The Spartans will be making an appearance in a New Year’s Six Bowl for the first time since 2015 when they faced Alabama in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Cotton Bowl, while this will be Pitt’s first appearance in a current New Year’s Six Bowl since the 2005 Fiesta Bowl.

    About Peach Bowl, Inc.:

    Peach Bowl, Inc. operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, one of the New Year’s Six Bowls selected to host the College Football Playoff. The Bowl has earned a reputation as one of the most competitive bowls in the country, with 53 percent of its games being decided by a touchdown or less. Peach Bowl, Inc. has disbursed $292.5 million in total team payouts over its 53-year history and have drawn an all-time ESPN viewership of 280.4 million for both the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl and Chick-fil-A Kickoff Games. Peach Bowl, Inc. also leads all other bowl game organizations in charitable and scholarship contributions, having donated or committed $58.2 million to organizations in need since 2002. Peach Bowl, Inc. created and manages the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, the Peach Bowl Challenge charity golf tournament, manages The Dodd Trophy national coach of the year award and led the relocation and financial foundation of the College Football Hall of Fame to Atlanta.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Shoot. Back to back games. Early game tomorrow for the freshmen but I’m on concession stand duty for the varsity game 730-9pm. I’ll send you my email for future ones though. He has 3 games this week which isn’t the norm. Usually just Wed and Fri.

    Like

  5. Here is the info on the Girls Volleyball Championship in Columbus:
    https://www.ncaa.com/championships/volleyball-women/d1
    Pitt plays Nebraska at 9:30 pm on Thursday. The final game is Saturday at 7:30 pm. H2P!
    Nationwide Arena is in the Arena District of Columbus with lots of restaurants, bars and parking. It is very close to Downtown.
    I find that Vivid seats usually has the best prices.

    Post if you are going. Maybe we can have a meet-up if there is interest.

    While you are in my fair city, go shopping at Easton Town Center, voted the #1 shopping center in the country. https://eastontowncenter.com/

    Liked by 3 people

      1. I am trying to get out of hockey tournament in Minneapolis. My sister, who played junior olympics volleyball wants to go to the vball games…..go figure!

        My wife may take the road trip to Minn. Will know tomorrow. Are you attending?

        I couldn’t make zoom. Loved the roundtable and had a blast with Ike/Iek and Upitt the few times i joined. Fun stuff.

        Like

    2. From as far away as NYC, I can vouch for Easton Town Center. You won’t have more fun shopping anywhere in the US – including Rodeo Drive.

      H2P!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  6. About mens Pitt Basketball – I was throwing away stuff out of my coaching drawer when I came across a Geno Auriemma (UCONN ladies coach) tape I used to play at the beginning of every season.

    It’s all about “attention to detail”

    In a nutshell, he compares the consequences of; not setting a good screen; not making a good pass; not fighting thru a pick ….. your consequence – you lose the game! But … you get up next morning still on scholie and head off to practice that eve.

    Compare that to young men and women in the Armed Services! If they don’t pay attention to detail, someone dies!

    When you’ve upped your attention to detail to that level, then you have passion and success!!

    I see that attention to detail in Pitt Volleyball, Pitt Football (it took a while!) and in ladies basketball. Where l see none of it is Pitt Basketball. It’s responsible for bad inbounds play and only scoring 19 points in a half. I read all the OK St comments about Capel. It’s one of 3 major things that got him fired!

    Good Zoom topic !

    H2P

    Liked by 3 people

    1. That reminds me of something I figured out in the Coast Guard when I was a Search and Rescue Planner.

      When a guy went out fishing and was reported overdue coming back to land (usually by the wife late in the day) I would ask the person calling “What his best friends name and phone number?”.

      Then I’d call that guy and ask two questions with the promise of a charge of obstruction of justice if he lied (not exactly legal but who cared?).

      First where does the boater usually drink?

      Second, does he have a girlfriend and if so who is she?

      I’d say that following up those two answers allowed us to find the guy at least 25% of the time (mostly in a bar drinking) and saved us time, effort and money because I didn’t have to send boats and helos out looking for him.

      Now, even though that wasn’t a formal procedure I taught everyone of my watchstanders to do that right away.

      Liked by 3 people

  7. Found a good article on NFL QB hand size. Here is the summary…

    The data resoundingly confirms that there is no actual correlation between hand size, fumbles and passing efficiency. Since 2014, there have been several studies that analyzed data from hundreds of NFL quarterbacks and each one concluded the same thing: The hand-size myth is laughable. As USA Today put it: “Hand size has nothing to do with a quarterback’s ability to hold on to the football [even in cold weather]. … Just to drive that point home, the correlation coefficient between the number of letters in the quarterback’s name and their fumble rate is six times stronger than hand size.” ESPN Stats & Information’s own analysis went back through the past 10 draft classes and found that the group of QBs with the smallest hands fumbled at nearly the same rate as QBs with large hands, and, what’s more, small-handed QBs had a slightly higher QBR than passers with medium-sized hands.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Except his hands would be the third smallest and, I think, the smallest for a drafted QB in the 2000’s. He has a double jointed thumb which apparently will offset that concern. The small hands argument has faded over the years but Kenny’s would be historically small, if reports are accurate. That’s the concern. If they were reported only as small, then you’re right … probably not a concern. Historically small is a little different. At the senior bowl they do drills on that, too. So long as he doesn’t have an issue holding onto an NFL ball, all is well. It’s definitely a legit topic though.

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      1. Apparently there is no regularity to how they measure either. Tape measure to ruler on a desk where guys can push down to spread their fingers. I’ll post the link. I have to find it again. Very long article on ESPN.

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        1. Interesting. I was curious how I stacked up and I had 9.5 inch hands and I’ve never been told I have big or small hands. My oldest son has slightly larger but we never measured. My 12 year old had 9 inch hands and he’s like 5’4″ and doesn’t look big handed haha. I measured hand spread out, thumb end to pinky end.

          This is also why I don’t believe the reporting on his hand size. He’s 6’3″. I can’t imagine someone 6’3″ having smaller hands than my 12 year old. Lol.

          I guess we’ll find out at the senior bowl.

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          1. Yep, thumb end to pinky end spreading your fingers out. I think grip strength is much more important and how the ball spins off your fingers with your throwing motion. KP can spin it.

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      2. I played QB. I have a double-jointed thumb too. When I was Kenny’s age, I could palm a basketball. My tall friends that could not palm the ball complained that I gripped it and did not palm it.

        It makes a big difference in the length of space from pinky finger to thumb.

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    2. I’m guessin’ that Kenny’s TD throw to Krull in OT against UNC under near-monsoon conditions will help KP a lot regarding his hands…

      H2P!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. If Pitt doesn’t go after a well known OC like Anae at UVA, they should go with co-OCs with Marion being one of them. The other guy needs to be be more of a passing game coordinator. Many programs do it now. That is how Michigan’s OC got his start at Alabama.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Off topic again, but is there a better example of the ideal college football experience than the Army Navy game?

    Honest to goodness student athletes playing for pride, for the glory of their institutions, for love of the game.

    Not the most talented athletes, just young men of integrity playing to the best of their ability.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Army Navy, a great very old tradition. How about those alternative uniforms they wear every year? How dare they mess with tradition, lol.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Doug Flutie had really small hands and had only 38 fumbles in his NFL career which ties him at #229 on the Most Fumbles list.

    #1 – Brett Favre with 166 and both he and Flutie had 19 year careers

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  13. Interesting note on Jim Plunkett, both his parents were legally blind. Which all of a sudden sounds funny to me. What if his folks were illegally blind? I guess that’s the people who fake being blind?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Play or don’t play: The decision is up to him but it would be helpful if he said one way or another.

      Like

  18. My hands are 9 inchs and only had problems throwing a wet ball but in our day we always had a brand new game ball which itself was slick and we played in mud if it rained. If KP’s are close to that and aided by stickty gloves there is no problem nothing to see there.

    Was reading a scouts take on him from November and he thinks his biggest weakness is his arm strength and gives him vey high marks for game knowledge and foot-work…

    Liked by 1 person

        1. Although I won’t be joining the zoom meeting due to being knocked down with Covid right now, I just wanted to say kudos to Reed for this great idea. You guys on this blog I have no doubt will all contribute to a great, classy discussion. H3P

          Like

  19. December 13, 2021​

    Three Panthers Named to Associated Press All-America Football Team

    PITTSBURGH—Three Pitt players were named to the Associated Press All-America Football Team unveiled today.

    Sophomore wide receiver Jordan Addison was honored on the first team, senior quarterback Kenny Pickett was a second-team selection and sophomore defensive tackle Calijah Kancey was named to the third team.

    For Addison, it was his third first-team All-America honor. The winner of this year’s Biletnikoff Award as college football’s outstanding receiver, he previously was recognized by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).

    Addison has compiled 93 receptions for 1,479 yards (15.9 avg.) and a national-best 17 touchdowns. His yardage ranks third in the country and first among Power 5 receivers.

    Pickett, winner of the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and a Heisman Trophy finalist, has completed 67% of his passes (334 of 497) for 4,319 yards with 42 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Including his five rushing scores, he has totaled 47 touchdowns this season. Pickett’s passing yardage, passing touchdowns, total TDs and completions are all Pitt season records.

    Kancey’s national profile continues to rise in his first season as a full-time starter. He compiled 34 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks and a forced fumble.

    Associated Press is one of the five teams used in the NCAA’s selection of an annual college football consensus All-America team. The other four are Walter Camp, FWAA, Sporting News (announced Dec. 14) and American Football Coaches Association (announced Dec. 15).

    Addison, Pickett and Kancey helped lead the Panthers to an 11-2 record, their first ACC championship and a berth in the Dec. 30 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where they will face Michigan State (10-2).

    The game, which will be nationally televised by ESPN and kick off at 7 p.m., marks Pitt’s first New Year’s Six bowl in the College Football Playoff era.

    PITT NATIONAL POSTSEASON HONORS

    Jordan Addison—Wide Receiver

    Biletnikoff Award

    Associated Press All-American (first team)

    FWAA All-American (first team)

    Walter Camp All-American (first team)

    Kenny Pickett—Quarterback

    Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award

    Walter Camp All-American (first team)

    Associated Press All-American (second team)

    FWAA All-American (second team)

    Calijah Kancey—Defensive Tackle

    Associated Press All-American (third team)

    Like

  20. Back to BB for a moment, I think Heather was over enthused with Capel’s recruiting skills and enamored with his proximity to the Duke program. After all, if he could recruit, he had to learn something about coaching sitting next to Coach K for 7 years. In hind site, this was not a bad choice.

    So it perplexes me to see that he is not a very good coach of the fundamentals, not a good game day coach, can’t consistently motivate his players and his recruiting has suddenly taken a dive after he went overboard for the 5 stars and is currently empty handed. Player development was not needed for the one and dones at Duke.

    There is a path to saving his job and returning Pitt to respectability, but I’m not sure that Heather will have the same patience she had with Narduzzi. He is in desperate need of a vote of confidence and 3 more years, but I’m not sure he will get it. Heather did recently extend him… BTW, didn’t Stallings have a game with 19 points in the first half?

    Like

    1. Agree with you Voice. I’d be a terrible coach-hirer. I thought the hiring of Coach Capel was a home run – though my hoped-for coach at the time was Grant (I was surprised when Grant later went to BC…).

      Seems like HL did the same thing that Coach Capel has done. He swung for the fences going after elite recruits and struck out. She swung for the fences going after the coach who went to UConn and struck out…

      I was also dead-wrong when I thought Pitt’s hiring of Coach Suzie McConnell was a grand slam.

      So I swung and missed on two coaches who seemed to me like perfect fits at Pitt. Scary job trying to hire Coaches…

      Liked by 4 people

  21. I’m sure all of us are happy at how this season has played out. Certainly the Western Michigan loss almost caused the boat to sink for fans, but here we are with the best season in recent memory and some positive national attention for the football program (we simply need to wipe our minds of the basketball chaos).

    What I want to mention to everyone is the chatter about a transfer QB or anyone new QB recruits. There is no way that a truly good QB will sign into a program that just lost its OC and no replacement named! Forget it. Every QB has dreams of leading a team and the better the QB, the more they have dreams of the NFL as a possibility. You simply don’t sign on to a program without knowing who the OC is and what type of offense they run.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Hey oldlegalbeagle!

      Nice to read your posts!

      Perhaps you are right, but lets not forget the kids on the roaster and their impact on another kid looking to find a football home. The assistant coaches, support staff… guys like Chris LaSala, Bob Junko, Sam Clancy, the Life Skills folks and so on. All of those folks create a “vibe” that either gets a kid and his parents comfortable… or not.

      Also think that what Duzz says to him (assuming we are talking about Chubba) about how they see him fitting in with their offense could be enough. Or not. Guess we will will find out soon enough.

      Liked by 4 people

  22. I beg to disagree. If I’m confident in my ability as a QB and I have a chance to throw the ball to Jordan Addison this seasons Biletnikoff winner I’d sign on not really caring who the next OC is going to be. And its not like Pitt will be devoid of other WR’s on their current roster that I can’t look to also add to my passing statistics for next season.

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  23. Reed – nice intitative with the Zoom call. I will have to miss… Im getting a guy to a surprise BD dinner tomorrow evening. Enjoy the call!

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  24. Here are some topics for tomorrow night’s POV Zoom Meeting (right now we have 20 POVers on the email list for the meeting):

    Draft prospects for Kenny?

    Matchups of offense and defense vs. MSU?

    Offensive Coordinator candidates?

    Who plays QB next year?

    Has the program stepped up a level, or was this year a one year aberration because of Kenny?

    Narduzzi’s recruiting strategy maybe it does work?

    Will Pitt revert to irrelevance in ’22?

    Do we think Capel will be fired this year?

    Who do we think will be Pitt’s new offensive coordinator? Who do we prefer?

    How about Pitt’s women’s volleyball team!!!!

    Can Pitt have seasons like 2021 if it doesn’t have real superstars on the field (ex: Pickett & Addison)?

    Will the 2021 season result in long term attendance gains?

    What would be off-season topics for POV articles (like those we had before like “How did you become a Pitt fan” etc…

    These are a few – please put any thoughts you have into the comments but truthfully we’ll probably only use 5 or 6 for the discussion. I’ll pick what I feel will generate the most interesting answers.

    Also – does anyone mind if I record the audio for future posting on the POV – if anyone objects we won’t do it – you can send me an email if you don’t want a recording – isn’t a big deal to not do it.

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  25. Like you John, I too thought Capel hire was a home run. I loathe hitting a coach when he’s down but he’s been down for four years!

    For me, that simple Jeffries in bound flub was the final straw. Every coach I ever knew works on in bound plays at every practice!. I can understand a young man making a judgement mistake but for Capel not to have practiced that play, no one cutting long and then calling no time out showed me a profound lack of coaching prowess!

    A head coaches job isn’t just to watch the play on the floor in real time! You have assistants for that. Your job as HC is to think ahead and plan for “what ifs”! OK ST saw none of that. Nor do I. What a mess.

    Liked by 4 people

  26. I too fell victim to the Duke mystique and thought that Capel was an outstanding choice. Just goes to show that being an AD is tougher than you think.

    Also makes you ponder about the benefits of holding onto a coach who you feel has done a decent job and has the program in the right direction, even if it’s not as quickly as you would like? Do you roll the dice with a different “home run” hire

    Liked by 3 people

  27. Dan, are you saying that the Capel situation is hopeless, or can he turn things around? I still think he might be able to recruit his way out of this mess…

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    1. If there were any Capel activity on the recruiting horizon, I’d say let’s give him more time. Every coach goes thru a slump and bad luck but there is “0” on the recruiting trial. It gives the appearance of indifference from Pitt’s coaching. I guess he’s hoping for help from the transfer portal. But add to it all the same thing that happened at OK ST then I think we have a hopeless situation !

      Liked by 1 person

      1. One thing I learned the hard way over years of being a manager
        “When you make the decision you’ve made a bad hire, the sooner you part company, the better you are!”

        Liked by 3 people

  28. UVA QB Armstrong is in the portal, and OC Anae is unemployed. Just sayin’

    Count me also who thought Capel was a good hire. I never thought it was an HR but at least a double consider how unappealing the program had become

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I know the Armstrong family’s neighbor. He tells me Lefty is a really good young man with a great head on his shoulders.

      We do need a new OC and new QB next season. Good pick-ups if Duzz has the Yinzers to go get ‘‘em both.

      Now, some think the next OC and QB reside in the burg already – we got our own soap opera “As the World Turns – is it fake or real”.

      Tune in a few weeks prior to the Spring Game 2022 – we should know by then…

      Decide now – Coastal champs in 2022.

      Decide at the end of March 2022 – coast to a 6 loss season and middle of the division standings.

      Like

    2. I like Anae and Armstrong. Their offense doesn’t require a running QB and they certainly can put up points. It would be amazing if Narduzzi pulled them both in.

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  29. I bought into the Capel hype on day one. I called the ticket office the day he was hired to re-up my season tickets. I had bailed out after Stallings year one after nearly 20 years as a season ticket holder.

    Now I’m having serious buyer’s remorse. I don’t see how after 4 years of failure in both recruiting and coaching Capel is going to sell his program to any quality recruit. What do you sell? The rebuilding pitch works til about year 2 or 3 if there’s sign of progress. There isn’t.

    “Come and showcase your talent on the ACC stage” pitch? In the ACC basement, no thanks.

    What, then?

    I think Capel will get a couple more years, thanks to the extension. I hope he can turn it around, but from here I don’t see how.

    Like

    1. The bias isn’t just against Pitt. Watch college game day. The talk is the same week in and week out. Alabama, Ohio State, ND, Saban, blah blah blah. Like everything else in the media, it is garbage television. ESPN promotes their darling programs.

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      1. Boy you got that right. Television is absolute garbage. It’s been trending that way for a long time now.
        And at various years in the last decade or 2..we’ve not had it cable/satellite connected at all. Why spend money for this utter insulting trash. So we’d rent a movie at Redbox, when & what we wanted.

        That article I posted though, is very lengthy and mentions many teams, plays and such, even Harvard & Yale.
        But it’s quite the slight of Pitt considering we had the Biletnikoff winner and Heisman hopeful Kenny, providing some of the best moments in a very memorable season for Pitt. And then they even
        included Wake Forest who Pitt trashed, and you mean to tell me, that Pickett’s Fake slide play
        wasn’t one of the top 21 moments of the season.

        Totally slighting Pitt, was obviously done on purpose.

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  33. I will not be able to make the call. I’m too busy baking Christmas cookies (I lost 2 days of baking by going to the vb games, but it was SOOOO worth it!). Have fun!

    Liked by 2 people

  34. My theory on Capel’s recruiting is that the word is out among the assistant coaches that he must clean house to keep his job. So none of them is even trying to recruit players when they will be gone.

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      1. Well Max had almost the perfect game for a QB against Rice. 28 of 32 for 410 yards & 4 TD’s.
        And then he got injured the next week against Syracuse and done for year.

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  38. And…before I hear……we don’t have a OC…we don’t have a QB coach…blah blah blah.

    We do have the Biletnikoff Award winner and several other talented WR’s and a future great TE.

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  39. Saw this:

    “Michigan State coach Mel Tucker said Monday he was uncertain whether All-American running back Kenneth Walker will play for 11th-ranked Spartans against No. 13 Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl.”

    I don’t really care about the Mich. St. RB news — I just like seeing the “…No. 13 Pittsburgh…” part… 👍👍

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  40. A reminder that the early signing day is Wednesday. Pitt doesn’t have a lot of room but they appear to have a few gems. 4* 0L Russ Baer, 3* 5.7 Jimmy Scott, 3* OLB Kyle Louis and the DT from Central Valley Sean Fitzsimmons lead the class. WR Camden Brown who decomitted from Pitt a couple weeks back, now has Pitt in his final two along with Auburn

    Before we get too hung up on ratings … note that three 4* from a year ago didn’t play a down (I think) … Nahki Johnson, Naquan Brown and Eliot Donald, whereas a 5.5 TE decomit from Temple was the star of the freshman

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 3 people

    1. wbb…got the young’ns in the pasture feed’n and putt’n on the beef…they will be turned loose this fall…can’t wait!!!! The big schools call it RE-LOADING…we may be at that point in some areas….hope, Duzz can sign another up-coming TE.

      Like

    1. Both having good games.

      James has a bunch of catches and 2 tough rushing TDs – giving him 14 TDs for the season.

      James has actually added some “moves” to his game. At Pitt he was pretty much a brute force runner. He started to add some moves with the Steelers, I thought. I thought he was emulating the running style of Leveon Bell…. Now he looks very natural combining the moves and the power.

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  42. James Conner never ceases to AMAZE!

    Without question, POD has been his No. 1 Backer on this blog and Pitt Blather since Chryst and Rudolph recruited him to Pitt.

    But Conner has OUTDONE even my expectations.

    Alas the RUB… What does his success in Arizona say about the PUTRID Pittsburgh Steelers?

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Totally agree…Steelers look to be on the verge of going back into the “dark ages of Steeler ball…thiose days before Mean Joe and Bradshaw were drafted….hope KP gets out of town!

        What a great game last night…so proud of Aaron and “One-hand”James…they certainly were entertaining and DOMINANT!

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  44. It is good to see Jordan “Air” Addison get his proper respect for a great season. Winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the best wide receiver is a great honor – 3rd recipient in Pitt’s history along with Fitz and Antonio Bryant. I am blessed to have seen all three play at Pitt live in my lifetime.

    Yesterday it was announce that “Air” Addison became a consensus All-American. To be a consensus All-American, a player needs to be named as a first-team selection by at least three of the following five bodies: The Associated Press, the American Football Coaches Association, the Football Writers Association of America, the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the Sporting News.

    As a result of Addison’s outstanding season, he has become just the 47th Pitt player to earn this great honor. If you factor in the six Pitt players who earned consensus status more than once, the Pitt program has had players who have earned consensus All-American status a total of 54 times.

    Jordan has an opportunity next year to be the 7th multi-year consensus All-American.

    H2P!

    Liked by 4 people

  45. Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler, who met with Nebraska last week, has transferred to So Carolina. It will be interesting to see if Chubbs Purdy takes a trip to Nebraska

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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    1. There is a connection between the coaching staff at South Carolina and Oklahoma – Rattler was recruited to Oklahoma by Shane Beamer, I believe is the case.

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      1. Yep Beamish was there, when the Okies led the nation in scoring one year.

        Rattler has a better name….than anything else. Not impressed.

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  48. Since I will be away during the Zoom meeting (sad, I was looking forward to putting handsome faces—or beautiful in one case—to the names I see in here) I’ll throw this from PSN in:

    “While the benefits of transferring to a powerhouse like Pitt are obvious, both athletes said that it wasn’t the Panthers winning ways that sold them on coming to Pittsburgh: it was the team culture.”

    We hear all the time about the great team culture with respect to the FB program. Hopefully they will start to attract More of the level of talent that VB does.

    Liked by 1 person

  49. OK folks – the Zoom attendees list is now officially closed at 27 replies to be included in the discussion. That is a LOT of attendees to have but I’ll try to make it so everyone has a chance to talk. I may have put a time limit on the talkers, but we’ll see about that.

    I’ll have an email going out soon with instructions on how to get into the meeting – it is simple even if you have never used Zoom before.

    So remember it is at 8pm tonight (after dinnertime for most people) and I’m really looking forward to it.

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  51. University of Pittsburgh head football coach Pat Narduzzi will host a press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex to discuss the Panthers’ National Letter of Intent Day December signees on Wednesday at 1 p.m.

    The press conference will be held in the second-floor team meeting room per normal practice.

    National Letters of Intent may be faxed/e-mailed on Wednesday beginning at 7 a.m. (ET). Pitt will announce its signings as they occur via Coach Narduzzi’s official Twitter account (@CoachDuzzPittFB).

    Liked by 1 person

  52. I think that if Pitt were planning to promote an OC from within it would have been done by now. Hopefully, Narduzzi is less paranoid now, and can tolerate a successful outside OC coming into the program with promises of independence made. If they want Anae, they better move fast, or he will be gone.

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  53. Wow! what a great turnout for the ZOOM discussions! Only on the POV. Have fun people. Hope we get to see the replay if there is one.

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  54. Where did you folks get the idea the UVA QB Armstrong entered the transfer portal? From what I’m reading he says he either will return to Va. or enter the NFL draft.

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    2. One of the Cavaliers’ monster tight ends declared for the NFL draft. Now we just need that other tight end, #99 to enter the portal. I’m guessing the offensive players are excited to play for Tony Elliott.

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  55. I don’t know if it means anything but like most of you I occasionally check in on Narduzzi’s twitter account….his followers were always in the 50-60k range but that number has grown to around 83K…..

    Liked by 1 person

  56. I just read above all of the comments on Kenny’s hand size, grip strength, and all of these “measureables.” Here is some food for thought: Connor McDavid is one of the top three players in the National Hockey League right now…some say the #1 player. At the NHL scouting combine, he was laughed at for not being able to do one pull up despite the fact his junior stats were unreal.
    How many times do weight room accomplishments and drill times lead to someone being a high draft pick? I’d prefer to focus on stats, game action, and work ethic to make my decision if I was a GM.

    Liked by 1 person

  57. Kedon Slovis

    Leaving: USC

    2021

    9

    2,153

    65%

    11

    8

    Slovis just entered the transfer portal on Monday morning, so it’s a little too early to speculate on where he’s trying to go. After a terrific true freshman season, he dealt with injury and confidence issues over the past two seasons that made it tough to keep progressing and playing at the high level he flashed in 2019. Still, Slovis was a first-team All-Pac 12 performer in 2020 and is a top-15 QB prospect in the upcoming draft if he were to go pro. He’s in a similar position as Rattler: Can you go put in one great bounceback year elsewhere that brings back all the draft hype?

    For most of these teams seeking a portal QB, Slovis is worth chasing. It’s worth noting that the grad transfer has a Pitt connection — his girlfriend plays soccer there — and that program does need to replace Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett, though it does not have an offensive coordinator right now. That’s because Mark Whipple left for Nebraska, another school that very much needs a starting quarterback out of the portal.

    Liked by 1 person

  60. As I posted last night…..Slovis would be a great get.

    Very experienced and has thrown for over 7 thousand yards (7576 ) (two pretty good years for Pitt.)
    And 58 Touchdowns in 3 seasons. Better stats than you know who thru 3 seasons.

    He’s Top 7 all-time with USC QB’s in both categories.

    Plus he’s still got 2 years of eligibility.

    Liked by 2 people

  61. Well it’s been a week since Charmin resigned. And no OC announced by Duzz.,

    So what does this tell us. One for one thing it tells us, that Duzz & Charmin did not discuss beforehand
    Charmin leaving….as Duzz would have had someone already lined up and announced the very
    next day.

    In addition it tells us, that Charmin left unexpected and did meet with Scott Frost in Phoenix, while on
    an apparent recruiting trip for Pitt. Where that kid ends could add even further stink to this story.

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  63. Good theory Jugs on Narduzzi not having a replacement announced already but at least two other possibilities. One is that Narduzzi is still down at Walt Disney world or the OBX or two, he’s waiting until after the bowl game.

    Also, the Whipple hiring was a little too fast to be announced right after it was made public by announcement.

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  64. Why would Duzz announce the OC yet? They’re focused on recruiting and signing day. They bowl is way off. He probably knows who it will be and doesn’t want to tip his hand. Is it a surprise Duzz is playing it close to the vest? The early practices are for the younger guys who will get more playing time next year. The biggest advantage to the bowl game is the extra practices, not the exhibition game. Speaking of which, it looks like Walker for MSU is trending towards not playing, too. The most likely person to call plays for the bowl game is Salem, anyways … and that’s regardless of if anyone gets promoted on the staff.

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  65. Narduzzi was asked if he was going to announce an interim OC for the Peach Bowl. He said he wasn’t going to do so until after the early sign up recruit period concludes. Since that event closes tomorrow I’m expecting some time this week we will at least get that interim OC announcement. And who knows if that may very well turn into a permanent OC coach announcement.

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    1. Pickett alluded that he will announce if he’s playing this week during the Heisman ceremony as well.

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  66. BigB … that’s what happens when you don’t pay players. It’s trending towards a formal semi-pro league in the future. Players will be employees and have contracts. What goes around, comes around … it will be like the original era of college football, which definitely slanted more professional. The UNC AD recently tweeted that it’s trending that way and no one will be able to stop it. Let’s just hope Pitt gets an invite to the premier league.

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  67. Peach Bowl news conference today: Narduzzi has no idea yet if KP is going to play and he’s not ready to announce an interim OC. Also no practice this week because Pitt is taking finals and Narduzzi doesn’t want the players to get bored practicing too early for the game. Peach bowl practices will begin next week. KP is still in New jersey and will return to campus later this week. Maybe he is excused from taking finals and is just getting prepared for signing he NFL signing Bonus Check. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  68. OC vote:

    Coach Brennan Marion ….SI …let’s “Go Go”
    Coach Tim Salem …..NO (old school) ….another version of Randy Fichnter 😦

    Liked by 1 person

  72. Here’s some fodder for yinz (practicing my Pittsburghese since I’ve been gone so long) tonite on the Zoom.

    Pitt has gone from a 2.5 to 3 point favorite(pre-Charmin & Pickett opting out) to now a 1.5 point underdog in the Peach Bowl game.

    And even more telling the O/U has now fallen before 60…at 59.5. It was 63….. pre-opt outs.

    Of course it could change again….but Vegas usually knows what’s up.

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  74. ABOUT KP AND THE BOWL GAME…

    https://nypost.com/2021/12/14/ncaas-player-friendly-rules-chaotic-for-college-football-bettors/

    My advice to players, coaches and assistant coaches is pretty simple this time of year.

    Don’t overthink the next step or how to handle difficult decisions. You have one thing to accomplish and only one thing to accomplish.

    Get money. All of the money.

    Whether you can declare for the NFL draft early and skip your bowl game, leave your post as a defensive coordinator for a bigger job with a bigger salary, or leave a potential College Football Playoff contender for a massive new deal, I encourage everyone to maximize their worth. (I encourage everyone else to mind their business when it comes to these decisions, something Mike Leach should take note of.)

    Oh, and go ahead and transfer. Now that there are more player-friendly rules in place, the portal is poppin’.

    Don’t like the way your current situation is brewing? Go ahead and throw your name in the ol’ portal. It’s there for a reason, and players are flocking to it en masse.

    All of this is largely wonderful. People can move as they please and look out for themselves. At least that’s the idea.

    But for the gamblers? It’s a bit of madness.

    I’d like to think I follow college football news closer than most. That is not a brag or something I am proud of. No, it’s more of a sickness. These days, I struggle to keep up with the incredible movement the sport is experiencing. I doubt I’m alone.

    When it comes to bowl games, this information is crucial. Pittsburgh quarterback and Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett is likely to opt out of the Peach Bowl. We’ll likely find out one way or another this week.

    The spread, which has swung now in Michigan State’s favor, suggests that the decision has already been made.

    Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles turned a magical season at Oklahoma State into a huge pay raise at Ohio State. The architect of one of the sport’s best defenses will not coach the Pokes when they take on Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl. The Irish, of course, will also be breaking in a new head coach as well.

    Change is the only constant, and the impact isn’t just on the immediate. NFL draft opt-outs are likely to stay a theme throughout this bowl season and beyond, although the spectacular movement within the sport is going to generate a ton of offseason momentum.

    It’s also going to be a bear to keep up with. And, as we transition into offseason scouting in a matter of weeks, we must prepare ourselves for chaos.

    That said, I love the challenge. I also love chaos. The sport seems destined to generate as much of it as possible these days, and the impact will be significant.

    It will be felt on players soon to be getting massive guarantees from agents. It will be felt from coaches enjoying massive salary bumps in a booming market.

    And it’ll be felt by the rest of us along for the ride, trying to keep up.

    Bryce Young deserved to win the Heisman, and he was a solid cash for those who bought in early. In the preseason, the Alabama QB could’ve been bet somewhere between 6/1 and 9/1. And while I thought C.J. Stroud might have locked up the award against Michigan State, Young’s performance against Georgia was superb. I love that a defensive player finished second. Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson deserved it.

    The fact that Alabama superstar Will Anderson didn’t get to New York as a finalist with 31.5 tackles for loss — 9.5 more than any player in the sport — is pretty shocking. I still think we have a long way to go before a defensive player wins the award, although I hope I’m wrong.

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  76. OK Zoomers – the invites are now closed out with a possible 25 POVers in attendance. We most probably won’t get that many but it will be fun even if its just Ike, Erie and Fran…

    I’ll open the zoom meeting at around 7:45 or so and let you in as you log into the Zoom link. If you have troubles don’t worry – if this goes well we’ll probably do another one.

    I have been asked by a bunch of readers if I’m going to record this meeting so others can watch or listen to it.

    What I’ll do is record it in audio only so that I can put it up on The POV for others to enjoy. If you really don’t want that to be the case with you then you can either use your POV User Name or not log in. But please do come to the meeting.

    I have three years experience running Zoom meetings so I’ll be the guy in charge and will try to give everyone a chance to speak on some topics which are:

    Did you honestly think this season was going to turn out as well as it has at 11-2 and a major bowl ??

    Has the program stepped up a level, or was this year a one year aberration because of Kenny

    Should Pickett Opt Out of the Bowl Game?

    Draft prospects for Kenny

    Matchups of offense and defense vs. MSU

    Offensive Coordinator candidates

    Who plays QB next year?

    Narduzzi’s recruiting strategy maybe it does work?

    Will Pitt revert to irrelevance in ’22

    Why has Jeff Capel failed so miserably as the Pitt BB Head Coach so far and can he make it happen?

    See some of you in about an hour,

    Reed

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  81. Hope the Zooms catch on. I think it should be limited to around 10 guys with only a couple of pre-determined topics. Otherwise tough to manage.

    Sorry to miss the inaugural.

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  85. much better run than my weekly family Zooms

    and only 1 weak player last night 😦

    I missed the pre-Zoom list of questions posted above,,,, so preparation was lacking 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  86. I thought we’d have more but it was great. Ten or twelve total is a good number but I’ll keep an attendance log so others can rotate in. I forgot to hit the record button but will do so next time.

    I felt like a talk show host but got my own thoughts out there also and I really enjoyed it.

    Detailed discussions and varied opinions on things. Topics were all football save for one BB question and you can guess what that was.

    All of us felt Pitt would win if Pickett plays… maybe we’ll do another after the Bowl game.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. oh, no recording? so come to think of it there was not 1 weak player, in fact it was the most amazing group of future HOF’ers I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with

      incredible contributions from all, an ESPN “instant classic” undoubtedly

      not sure who gets MVP but some PSU guy snuck in and definitely got a few votes 😦 😉

      really sorry for anyone who missed the game 🙂

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