in Pitt Football 336 Words

A New, Slightly Used, Pitt QB…

A note from our new QB to his old school USC.

If you would’ve told me back in high school that I would be the starting quarterback for USC, I wouldn’t have believed you.

I wasn’t a five-star recruit or anything, so I didn’t exactly have a ton of big-time offers pouring in. But then one day during my junior year, I got the call that USC would be coming to watch me throw. I remember telling my dad, “Hey, if USC offers me, everyone is going to offer me.” And he just looked at me and said, “If USC gives you an offer … then what else are we waiting for?”

After that morning practice, I went to lunch and my phone started ringing — it was Coach Ellis offering me a scholarship. Everything changed that day…. I was so excited I scheduled my visit immediately, I literally couldn’t wait. My parents came with me on the trip, and it’s so funny, we had no idea where the campus even was — all we knew was “it’s in L.A.” The minute we turned onto Jefferson Blvd, though, the whole scene changed … it’s hard to explain. It’s like I got this wave of a feeling.

The more we walked around campus, the more I was blown away. My parents’ biggest thing was the academics, so as soon as they heard about what a good education I’d be getting, they were sold. I remember we were sitting there, in Coach Helton’s office, and had this really cool moment — where they’re looking at me, like, What do you think?? And I’m looking right back at them, like, This is the place. That Saturday, before we left, I committed to USC and became a Trojan. One of the best days of my life. 

Read the rest here…

Also here is a nice article from Jerry D. of the Tribune Review.

176 thoughts on “A New, Slightly Used, Pitt QB…”

  1. The next OC is a bigger issue than getting Slovis. There will be QB competition regardless of Slovis’s experience. Slovis is just another QB in the room learning a new offense.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. To a comment from the last thread…

    Browne played in 14 games at USC, not three. Also, Chryst was hired at Pitt after the twin dumpster fires of DW and the SI story and subsequent firing and the Todd Graham fiasco. Not a prime situation to try to recruit star players to Pitt.

    PN inherited a much more stable program than Chryst did.

    And let’s not confuse getting a transfer through the portal with actual HS player recruiting, getting a commitment and LOI signing. They are worlds apart.

    But in all honesty, and I’m glad Slovis is here, Slovis’ girlfriend probably had as much to do with his coming to Pitt as Narduzzi did, if not more.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Still hanging on to that Chryst love, lol.

      Coaches recruit the portal hard now, it is exactly the same as high school recruiting with a very short window to solidify a relationship. If the kid moved for his girlfriend, he is an idiot.

      PN deserves all the credit on this one.

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      1. I cannot forgive Paul Chryst for losing to Youngstown St. and Akron. Wanny lost to Bowling Green and Ohio, but at least those two MAC teams regularly make bowl games. Does anyone else remember sitting in the stands and being totally dominated by Akron? Not good.

        Liked by 3 people

        1. I am not at all saying I do not think Chryst is a good football coach, but I drove a long way to see that Akron game, and watched Pitt get dominated by a bad team, and while I surveyed OUR sideline, the players were all laughing and joking around. I will never forget that. I cared far more than they did. Moreover, I realized that we could do much better than Chryst as a HC, and we shouldn’t stop trying until we do.

          Liked by 3 people

          1. That Akron game was awful. I exhausted so much domestic capital that weekend to go to that game and the Steelers game the next day. My wife was very pregnant with our second child and I just wanted to have a football weekend with my buddies before the stork arrived. I even imported my mother to come down from the Scranton area to help my wife with things while I was at the games.

            Boy, I picked a REAL bad weekend to attend football games in Pittsburgh…

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    2. Yep maybe your right about the girlfriend Reed. But you think having Addison to throw to next season might have even took priority over the girlfriend?

      Liked by 2 people

      1. I have to ask about the girlfriend……. why weren’t they at the same college before all this? Because being together wasn’t all that important.

        Wanny’s twin dumpster fires?? Didn’t PITT win 26 games his last 3 years?

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  3. By all accounts the Slovis signing was a big (ie, good) one for Pitt, and more than anything, the environment of winning along with the passing offense and returning talent is what set it all up, especially if he has NFL aspirations. Personally, I suspect the girlfriend factor was maybe icing on the cake, that’s all.

    That said, sounds like Slovis did have a knee/leg injury and is coming off of a down year, so I am not sure how he is going to fit at Pitt next year, especially given our mediocre line play; although Slovis looks mobile in the pocket, he cannot extend plays like Kenny. The reason I have at least some hopes that this will work out is that the biggest factor, the OC, is yet to be determined, so PN needs to get that right. I suspect that in Whipple’s offense, a guy like Slovis would be a sitting duck too often, but if our new OC takes the time to develop our run game and creates a more balanced attack, then there’s enough playermakers around the QB (Izzy, Addison, Wayne, Bartholomew, etc.) to have a really strong year.

    Liked by 5 people

      1. Respectfully disagree. Pickett bailed them out way too often. And my assessment of mediocre means average, not poor; I watched too many games to change that assessment.

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  4. If the OC from USC comes to Pitt, I think we have our answer as to a deciding factor for Slovis. Regarding mobility, Tom Savage wasn’t too mobile but I’d take his accuracy and deep threat capability if Slovis can replicate it.

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    1. And that’s another thing, I sure hope Narduzzi didn’t hire the OC from USC just because of Slovis. I doubt he’d get roped into that, but just sayin’

      If the USC OC has merits on his own, that’s another thing, but I’m not going to pretend to know that.

      H2P

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      1. Totally agree there is no comparison between Browne and Slovis. The dude already showed he has great talent…USC was train wreck this year. The stability of the Nard Dawg and a great supporting cast will lead Slovis and this Pitt offense to success in 2022.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. If Slovis got demoted under the USC OC in question, he may not be anxious to play under him again. Time will tell.

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  7. Browne threw 19 passes prior to his junior year when he started the 2016 season. Slovis was a three-year starter. Huge difference.

    Does it matter? Slovis is better and the two suiting up in the USC uniform is where the comparison ends for me.

    The portal is now just as important as high school recruiting. Oklahoma feasted off transfers: Baker, Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts. The Slovis acquisition might just bridge to Yarnell taking over in 2023 or ’24.

    Narduzzi recruited Slovis personally. Pat continues to show he has the chops as a coach and Pitt is lucky to have him.

    Liked by 4 people

  8. Max and Slovis share the same running ability. That is, they have none. LOL.

    No comparison in passing ability. Slovis has a very good arm.

    One thing helping Slovis’s stats, he played in an air raid offense. I’d be shocked if PN hires an air raid guy. Anae is labelled an air raid OC also. Then again, tons of teams run a variation of it now as well as NFL teams using concepts from it.

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  9. “And … man … getting to throw the ball to the guy (Jordan Addison) who just won the Biletnikoff?? That’s something you don’t pass up.”

    Kedon Slovis (Not to be confused with Max Browne OR Kenny Pickett)

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    1. USC had a really bad O-line along with very poor recruiting, especially for USC. Transfers are tough. I’m happy with the addition but by no means am I expecting Kenny Picket 2.0. I hope it’s a QB competition in camp. The fact they brought such a high caliber name in, however, I think tells you the confidence that they have in their current QB’s.

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  11. And in the NIL is just not enough categories :

    Abdul-Malik McClain, a Jackson State linebacker and former USC football player, was arrested Monday morning in Los Angeles for allegedly orchestrating a fraudulent scheme in an effort to obtain “hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-related unemployment benefits,” according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

    McClain, 22, is facing 10 counts of mail fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. He was released on a $20,000 bond after pleading not guilty and will re-appear in court on Feb. 15.

    The justice department said McClain allegedly had a hand in at least three dozen fraudulent applications during the summer of 2020, seeking at least $903,688 in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits and led the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to payout at least $227,736.

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  12. Ugh. Not Chryst, again. Good riddance. So glad he’s not running our program. To imagine, we could have had Cristobal instead … SP was actually about to hire Cristobal until a revolt by boosters, lead by Barry Alvarez who has deep ties to Western PA, put a stooge in place so we could groom him to be the next HC at Wisky for Alvarez.

    The excuse for not hiring Cristobal was that his pretty, model, wife would not like Pittsburgh and he’d flee after a couple year … hmmm … what exactly happened with Chryst?

    Forget that bum.

    The ascent to HC at Wisc probably was quicker than even Barry expected but let’s not pretend it was anything else but a grooming job. I’m still not a big Duzz fan but at least you know where his loyalty is.

    Greg Ward was on TV last night for the Eagles and I still have PTSD from that Armed Forces Bowl where he lead Houston back from a 25 point deficit … I still have friends who text me Greg Ward to shut me up about Pitt.

    Chryst over-purged a program that actually, despite the HC carousal, had very good legacy talent from Wanny’s days on it … He created a lot of the instability himself and put a very bland product on the field. He still puts bland products on the field at Wisc, which should be better than they are.

    I hate the “he brought stability to the program” argument. It’s just not true. Any coach that stayed more than one year at that point could have claimed the same. He was boring. His team was boring. His record was boring. His departure was boring.

    Liked by 4 people

      1. Actually Chryst’s departure was not boring. He left without addressing the team, just like Todd Graham. Both are cowards.

        Exactly, he added to the chaos, he brought no stability. PN brought stability.

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      2. I know but fans forget the really great kids he recruited and or signed with Pitt. Signed Connor, Boyd, Dorian Johnson, Whitehead, Hall, Ollison, Winslow, Orndoff, Blewitt, Bookser, Q. Henderson, etc…

        Maddox, Dane Jackson, Brightwood, etc on defense.

        He left some very good players for PN.

        Liked by 4 people

        1. Chryst definitely left Duzz with some talent but he cut a lot of talent unnecessarily IMO that set him back.

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        2. I always commented on here how Wannstedt recruited a ton of great kids who stayed through three coaching changes and it was dismissed. Why does Chryst, and not Wannstedt, get credit?

          Liked by 1 person

        4. PSU was on probation! Wanny would have had the best classes here in 25 years if the administration would have kept him.
          Steevie and Markie together burned it up

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      3. Regarding the new transfer qb, Yogi Roth was pretty much impressed with him.

        If I can find the article I’ll link it.

        Also any POV get togethers or functions being organized or under consideration for the Peach Bowl?

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    2. Well said. You gave me chills.

      Paul’s last year, look at these losses. Akron, the Georgia Tech homecoming disaster. One of the worst losses in program history that for some reason is never brought up. It should, five turnovers in the first nine plays and giving up 465 yards rushing.

      Then the Duke game. Ball centered inside the Duke 10 with seconds left and he runs Voytik on a boot that goes to the right and out of bounds. Wide right hash kick and Blueitt was flummoxed and shanked it wide so bad.

      Win the Duke and Akron games and 8-4 looks so much better.

      The bowl loss to Houston was total good riddance to that staff.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. and a loss of $300 I thought was in the bag…3 onside kick recoveries in a row…gotta be a Guiness World record…….

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  13. Of course there is a games played difference. Does that mean there is talent difference?

    We just saw a Pitt QB have three average seasons with some progress shown – then break out to a great year. On the flip side we have seen college QBs do the opposite as it happened with Slovis.

    His rating went from 167.6 to 144.1 to 132.7 in his three years at USC. His pass attempts over that same period were 392, 264 and 297 so he was still playing a lot of ball…just getting worse at it. A 35 point QB rating drop is very dramatic.

    I just hope PN and the new OC give the returning QBs a shot at competition in Spring Practice and not just hand the ball to Slovis as starter.

    Liked by 5 people

    1. His regression was in line with USC, too. It’s a tough evaluation. Helton was a historically bad recruiter for USC so there was a talent gap at some point. He was still getting some QB’s on USC’s brand recognition with Pro QB’s but that was drying up too.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. Was USC OL bad or is Slovis a sack magnet?

    The best QB will play period. The coaches jobs depend on it. They owe Slovis nothing more than a chance.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’d be shocked if that happened. Although, I hope he sticks around because I think he is the future…interesting to watch.

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  17. Some random thoughts/reactions…

    We are burying the lead here. I think the real story is that Pitt has become a highly desirable place for a QB to go. While Slovis may have been influenced by his girlfriend or hi NIL with American Eagle Outfitters (HQ walking distance from the South Side facility), it would seem Pitt was able to choose who they wanted. Imagine that.

    Will Slovis succeed?… who knows? The arm looks good, but he does not have Kenny’s ability to take off running. How many drivers was Kenny able to sustain by scrambling? Don’t see that in Slovis.

    Patti has done OK in spurts but I don’t recall seeing him in extended action. He has a Bernie Kosar throwing motion, but appears to be more mobile than Slovis. Don’t know if this is due to a lack of game time, but he seems to panic at times when under pressure.

    The OC choice and the offense itself may have a been role in who gets the nod next year. A total overhaul of the offense and new terminology that an OC might bring could set back the existing QBs – not to mention the entirue offensive units. But if the offense and terminology remains the same, it would seem that Slovis will have to actually beat Patti for the job, because Patti has the advantage of knowing the playbook.

    Speaking of the offense, I liked it the past couple ears. My only gripe with it this year was the pay calling. Not enough running to close out games. Anyone think that changes with the new OC?

    Spring Game should be fun this year.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Good point … having a possible number one QB off the board certainly helps but Pitt still had to close the deal. I always tell my friends, the recruits want the nice shiny toy. They big stadium. The bright lights. The sell out crowds. Transfers have already had the wool pulled over their eyes and want to go somewhere where they’ll be given a chance and set up for success.

      Liked by 4 people

    2. Right JoeL, the fact that PITT could pluck the best available QB from the transfer portal is the story and right from under Notre Dame’s noses.

      Liked by 4 people

      1. So Iek, a hypothetical, if Slovis”s GF was playing VB for ND does he come to PITT or ND???? “Crazy little thing called Love!”

        Like

        2. Sure he would still come to PITT, one point he emphasized was that he wanted to play for a winner. PITT’s ladies VB would kick ND’s butts out of Fitzgerald. BTW, which young lady is on the team?

          Liked by 1 person

    1. Autocorrect AI is not my friend. Haha. Apple’s choice of words for me is so off. And I don’t catch the autocorrect 80% of the time.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Proof reading is for sissies. I’ll send you one of my infamous dictated text messages. I’ve sent messages in another language without knowing it. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Breaking news: Carter Warren announced he is returning.

    Drexel was always coming back.

    Minor was one of the few players Slovis spoke to, so sounds like he is returning.

    Houy is still the wild card on a return. Having his mom in the stands one more year would be nice, too. 🙂

    Liked by 8 people

  20. Can’t wait to find out who the OC will be. I’m assuming a more run oriented play caller but I’m hoping Duzz doesn’t go Shawn Watson extremes again.

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      1. I would like to see Zubovic get a shot to start on the line next year. I thought he acquitted himself well enough when he played and as a local recruit (Belle Vernon) it could help solidify getting more good locals to stay home.

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  22. Warren was invited to the Senior Bowl and so it was likely he would be drafted this year. For him to come another season is definitely a surprise. Also I thought Minor would move on and would have been likely a late pick in the upcoming draft also. I centrally wasn’t expecting the top 7 OLmen for Pitt to return. Solves and the other QB’s that stick around can’t be too unhappy.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. See, right there is an great example how Pickett still has a big influence on the PITT team. KP a mover and a shaker.

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  24. Good to see the OL coming back, but need to get the back-ups playing time. Also, I wonder how much portal capital the back-up QBs have with almost zero tape?

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  25. You beat me to it Larry. Two things I am hoping for out of the OL, now that they are all coming back:

    #1 – I hope our young, talented depth linemen get worked into games and get tons of relevant playing experience, and

    #2 – I hope our existing OL improves after really challenging themselves in the offseason.

    More than anything though, as has been pointed out elsewhere, is the obvious positive reflection this has on the culture, a credit first and foremost to coach Narduzzi. No two ways around it.

    Liked by 4 people

  26. Do you think Pitt will give us back-to-back seasons of nationally relevant, ranked football? I want to think so, but I’ve gotten my hopes up before.

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  27. Nothing better than an experienced O-line that just had a great season. They should only get better and give the young guys one more year to mature.

    Liked by 2 people

    2. The team had a great season, I would say the OL had a pretty good season, but in fairness to them the offensive scheme did not allow them to develop further, or develop continuity. I think they can be a lot better with a strong offseason and perhaps a different scheme if Narduzzi chooses wisely.

      I am happy for the linemen, they have the type of team chemistry and love of the game that makes us all proud.

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  29. I never worry about playing backups. You just have to trust the depth. They’ll get their shot when they’re ready. Playing just to play is pointless. Play the best and hope the off-season is enough to get them ready for the real thing.

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  30. Can’t believe Warren is returning having a Sr Bowl invite. I was thinking he was going to be the next guy skipping the Peach Bowl.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I may be well in the minority, but I would have been shocked to see Warren make an NFL team. He has improved a bit each year but still has a ways to go, IMHO…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  31. Borbs started rotating guys last year. It is a must to get guys reps these days. Most OL don’t last a season without missing some time.

    Liked by 1 person

  32. Before the bowl game someone asked Narduzzi if Pitt would try to run the ball more to keep the WF offense off the field. He said no, they will do what got them there. Pass and score fast if they can.

    I hope that reflects his change in philosophy. No run heavy offense!

    Like

  33. I know nothin’ about nothin’, so this is pure conjecture. But I believe that reading a defense is the most difficult talent for a quarterback to develop. And by reading a defense, I mean from the chaos of a collapsing backfield in the middle of a play. Not from an overhead camera video in a quarterback room. You can have arm strength, mobility, large hands, no we’re not going there again, but unless you can correctly read and properly react to what the defense is doing, can you really be an effective QB? That is the part that I thought put Kenny over the top in his fifth year. I believe they called it the game slowing down for him.

    That is the big advantage that I see to a transfer portal guy who has three seasons of looking over defenses from the comfort of his pocket. Our returning QBs surely have to be behind him in that regard. And I see little benefit to reading your own defense in practices. You probably know what they are going to do just from their alignment or having heard the defensive coordinator yell out the defensive play call.

    Liked by 7 people

  34. I think 90% of us(a guess)have a positive outlook for Pitt in 2022. Obviously, we have no idea who the OC will be and whether the new guy will favor a more balanced offense (we have some rb’s who can move the yardsticks). Having the O line come back intact is amazing and an enormous plus for 2022.

    My question is: CROWDED QB ROOM WHO TRANSFERS OUT? Patti, Beville, Yarnell, Yellen, and the walk-on kid plus Slovis lots of chairs to fill. None of us has any idea whether Beville, Yarnell, or Yellen have any starting talent because their paying time has been almost non-existent. Patti is capable of being a game manager, but in my opinion, he is not going to lead us to the end of the rainbow. Slovis clearly has high-level in-game experience, however, will he fit the new OC’s system?

    We have a schedule that is more difficult next year (thanks Heather), so it will be extremely entertaining to see how 2022 works out….I think we are headed to a very good season assuming we avoid the lurking injury monster!

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Gator Bowl on the brink of being cancelled. Definitely won’t include A&M and an alternative would affect another bowl game.

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    1. I’m not surprised. And I expect to hear this about other bowls – except the CFP bowls which it’s possible could be played without fans in attendance. Will the Peach Bowl be played?

      Case rates declining in South Africa but we’re lagging them by about a month.

      H2P!!!

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      1. I was just reading that the Peach would be postponed first and tried to be played within 7 days before being cancelled.

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  37. I suspect that Slovis is faster than people think. He has had a couple years of injuries which can slow players down. If he can get into the new program in Spring ball, and then work with the S&C coach over the summer, we might have a pretty good QB who can extend plays on occasion when necessary. And throwing for 7,500 yards already can’t hurt either.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I don’t think Nate Peterman was that fast or elusive and he did well for Pitt although Pitt used the “Oh-lay” bullfighter defense that year

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  38. There is some concern with Slovis. He regressed two years in a row and lost his job to a true freshman. But, there are a lot of questions about that USC program in general. Hopefully, he’s not damaged goods.

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    1. Slovis had a Lower Leg injury from the ASU game and hardly practiced and didn’t even suit up for the Cal game, So lost….with a caveat.

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  39. Watched quite a bit film on Pantherlair on Slovis. I can pretty much say we won’t be seeing too much of him running with the ball. He moves well enough to buy time in the pocket but 95% of the time he is going to throw the ball to someone or out of bounds before he even considers running. With Slovis we will definitely miss Pickett’s ability to get the first down by running with the ball.

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  40. Harrell played for Mike Leach and then coached with him. Would be a crazy but bold hire for Duzz.

    Harrell is looking for a head coaching job, so he probably wouldn’t be here long if he came.

    I hate the players having to learn a new playbook – we have Whipple’s playbook – I say make the new OC keep using it and just tweak it…

    Go Pitt.

    Like

  41. Narduzzi’s press conference…last 19 minutes.
    Unlike some others, you can hear both the questions and the answers.
    Thought it was interesting to listen to him discussing Kenny, the O-Line, Patti, the bowl game and Slovis.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I don’t think so. You can’t take the ball out of Addison’s hands too often. Running should be an after thought just like this past season. Too many good receiving option at Pitt which also includes our RB’s.—–And if the new OC just eliminates half those side line passes he will well ahead of the game in my book.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I agree to a point. Patti is a very good runner. I would run a bunch of read option plays and mix them with the tradition pass offense. They are in the playbook.
        The coaches rarely used it because they did not want Kenny hurt.

        Liked by 3 people

    1. This “interview” of Narduzzi, I believe, shows exactly what kind of guy he is and why the kids love playing for him. As the younger people like to say, “He always has your back.”

      I, for one, feel bad that I briefly jumped onto the “replace Narduzzi” bandwagon after the Western Michigan game. Shame on me. Extend him give the WR coach (Marion) either a big raise or a promotion.

      On a slightly different note, it’s interesting that Borbs at one time could teach/coach run blocking but not pass blocking. Then he could teach pass blocking and not run blocking. And suddenly he could teach both! Wonder if it had anything to do with the personnel he had to work with?

      Liked by 1 person

  45. That is some powerful positive stuff, can’t remember ending a season and starting a new one on these kind of vibes. Just hoping Omicron doesn’t grab us by the nutsack.

    You have to hand it to Narduzzi, when teams are having wholesale portal losses our O-line wants to come back for another year because they are having such a great experience. Just a big wow.

    Liked by 5 people

  47. My question is how did Pat Narduzzi, a defensive coach, convince a QB to transfer from California to Pitt. And he did it without the assistance of an OC…

    H2P!

    Liked by 1 person

  48. It appears that there is indeed a family atmosphere for the FB program. Maybe it’s a lack of 4 and 5 stars, I don’t know, but whatever it is, it works

    Major, Duzz indicated on Packer Durham this morning that Patti is starting, and that the team will play hard for him

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    1. A lot of us were wrong. He still has a ways to go but for the first time that I can remember I feel it’s going the right way.

      Liked by 1 person

  57. WF may have dodged a bullet by A&M dropping out of the Gator Bowl. Now I see the bowl may be looking for another opponent for WF…

    Rutgers declined. Illinois’ coach wants the Illini to get the game…. Would be a better opponent for WF.

    Go Pitt.

    Like

    2. Not being bad here, but Boyd was targeted on a two point conversion, the ball hit him square in the numbers and he dropped it. Not sure if 2 point conversion targets count as it is not considered an actual play from scrimmage, but he definitely had a solid drop last week. He was mad about it too. He really didn’t get to enjoy his td because he turned around and dropped the conversion! Very good game for him.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Only one that I recall. Ridiculous. I called him out and almost got chased off the board, though. So there were more.

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  60. By the way, Slovis can play well next year but it may not perceived as such if he is measured against Pickett 2021

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

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  61. So Slovis girlfriends last name is PITT? A little confusing.

    People, these days will be known as the good times at PITT or the good ole days, please concentrate and let it all sink in. These days are like the Steelers super bowl dynasty days and in contrast… Marino’s one super bowl appearance. It’s like a box of chocolates.

    Liked by 6 people

    2. ike – I’m still processing in my head the Pitt Panthers having a record of 11-2 and convincingly winning the ACC Championship!

      Hail to Pitt!

      Liked by 4 people

    1. Minor ended up being quite a catch as a transfer. Played well, seems like a well-spoken leader, and comes back for a second year…

      👍👍

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  64. GC, just off the top of my head, I can remember 4 who spoke poorly about Boyd. 2 of which who no longer participate here

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It’s not that Conner wasn’t good enough for the Steelers. The NFL is a money game. You have to know that the steelers had no money space for conner, simple as that. Not many pay their RB’s big money due to salary cap concerns. In addition, RB’s are a dime a dozen in the nfl. That is why you do not see many drafted in the first round.

      We shouldn’t act like the Steelers did him a disfavor. The steelers gave Connor a stage to highlight his skillset and cash in with Arizona. He could not cash in with the steelers because of cash/salary cap. Let’s not make a story where none exists.

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  66. To be mobile, a QB doesn’t need to be fast. He/she needs to have complete view of the field, the ability to evaluate the opportunities in front of him/her, make the correct choice in a mere fraction of a second, and the mobility to execute that choice. It’s the difference between fast and quick.

    H2P!!!

    Liked by 5 people

    1. Depends on your definition of mobile.

      Being able to sidestep a defensive player to extend a play a few seconds.
      Or
      Being able to run for 15 yards when everyone is covered.

      A mobile QB these days can run for substantial yards in a game like Picket. A very good mobile QB like Lamar Jackson changes a defensive plan.

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    2. I have heard it called pocket awareness. Some guys have that sixth sense of when move up in the pocket or get away from the rush, throw the ball away, avoid taking a sack etc. A crucial survival skill for a QB.

      It took KP 4 years to perfect some of these skills. How much was personal development vs having skilled players surrounding him is impossible to calculate, but having time to throw and a wide open Addison to throw to doesn’t hurt.

      That is why Slovis has to be the favorite going in, he has that actual on the field game day experience going for him. However the other guys have been in the system and know the playbook and the personnel.

      Another question is, how much does that playbook change with a new OC?

      Should be a competitive Spring Camp.

      Liked by 2 people

  68. Speaking of UPitt from above. I tried to get a hold of him with no luck. Anyone else heard from the man, is there anybody out there?

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  69. The few that ripped on Boyd were desperately looking for something bad to say about Pitt football. It was their way of saying the talent on Pitt wasn’t good enough for the NFL. They are entitled to their wrong opinions, lol.

    Liked by 1 person

  70. Their is no Boyd vs Foster debate. Boyd crushed him on everything. Fosters choice to go to Alabama was most likely a mistake. He got lost in the shuffle and couldn’t develop. Boyd had a great Pitt career and is having a great NFL career.

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  71. So PN said he will address the OC hire in January. Zero follow up questions from the terrible media.
    Do you have a short list?
    Will internal candidates be considered?

    These guys ask the worst questions. They seem to never be prepared at these interviews.

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    1. I agree. A good question would have been – I presume Slovis wouldn’t come to Pitt without knowing who the OC would be, so does he know who the OC will be?

      Go Pitt.

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    2. I disagree with that. You can see how Jerry always has his follow-up questions ready to go as was the case yesterday.

      There may be questions you and I would like to hear, but the guys covering the team understand when the coach doesn’t want to pursue.

      Ever see the Cowher glare, or Tomlin’s dismissal of certain reporters from time to time? They need to keep the dialog going and build a relationship.

      Believe that has occurred with Jerry, who through his style has managed to get favored treatment from Duzz. And even Jerry’s charm itself probably wasn’t enough at first as many member of the Pgh media were enraged with how Duzz treated him. I’d bet money that EJ – and Heather – coached him on media relations or sent him to charm school.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. I was told that privately and separately at the time by two fellow journalists of Jerry’s treatment…. people who are in print and on air radio/TV.

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  72. Right on from John up above…. well that doesn’t sound right at all. John from a comment above. Yeah, surprised me a lot that the way PITT just crushed Wake Forest wasn’t discussed much, at least not as much as we should have. That was a whuppin like I’ve never seen, a team surrendering and giving up early in the fourth quarter?

    At the beginning of the game my wife jokingly said I use to look like Sam Hartman. By the end of the game on the sideline, Sam Hartman looked like he belonged in an insane asylum, then I did look like Sam Hartman.

    Good call Angie. 😦

    Liked by 7 people

  73. Slovis already mentioned that having the starting OL return was a factor in his decision. I think if the new OC has some commitment to the running game, Slovis (or whoever will be the QB) will appreciate the running skills of Izzy, Hammond, and VD even more.

    I agree Reed, there better be an open and honest QB competition in spring practice, may the best man win.

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    1. I think there will truly be an open competition at QB. But it is going to be extremely difficult for anyone already on the roster to beat out Slovis. His starting experience gives him a huge advantage. I, for one, thought Davis Beville would be our next starting QB before the KS signing.

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  74. Since the whole O-line is coming back & we have the transfer kid from Ohio State as an addition.

    Perhaps he can start practicing to play Center as Drexel was somewhat erratic.

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    2. I guess I’d have to ageee that 2 or 3 snaps over (or almost over) the QBs head per game might be considered “somewhat erratic.” It somethimes seemed that Owen was concentrating on his blocking too early. But we don’t know how good he might be in calling out the assignments for the other linemen. That’s an often forgotten job of the center—-one that Morrissey excelled at (even if sometimes those linemen looked like they didn’t hear the calls😁)

      Liked by 1 person

  75. Nick Patti highlights from the spring game if you want them.

    Here’s what I see with my untrained eye:

    1. Better “natural” pocket presence than KP had early in his playing days. Seems to “feel” pressure very well.
    2. But… also has happy feet
    3. Seems accurate but arm strength lacking. Good touch as Addison mentioned.
    4. Stares down receivers, doesn’t appear to be getting to 2nd or 3rd read
    5. More of a “one look and run” guy if you ask me.

    With all that said, the west coast offense was originally designed in Cincinnati (of all places) to play to the strengths of a weak-armed-but-accurate quarterback. (although also one that can make multiple reads).

    I’d expect him to throw a lot of short passes to try to get the ball to our playmakers, and look for Run After the Catch. A strong running game wouldn’t hurt either.

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