Pitt Head Coach Pat Narduzzi Transcript
Georgia Tech Postgame
October 1, 2022
PAT NARDUZZI: Tough loss. One thing about our kids is they never quit. One of the big keys to victory was being plus in the turnover margin and we weren’t. We were minus 3. Disappointing we had three turnovers in a row in the second half. Pretty much gave ’em the game with that.
Got to give Georgia Tech credit. They came out and played hard. I knew we’d have a brand new team out there. Those guys played with energy. Give them credit.
Jeff Sims is a heck of a quarterback. He’s an athlete. He outran us to the edge a few times. Took bad angles. Didn’t make tackles when we needed to. We got to get him down, period. Just overall, disappointing performance, period.
But all our goals are still ahead of us. I think it will make them a little hungrier. We have to take it. We have to take what we got, what we paid for, and it just wasn’t good enough. And we didn’t start fast like we needed to and we left them in the game too long and, again, the offense really didn’t get started until the last two series of the game. If we would have done that the whole game we would have had a chance.
But again, it starts with me. There’s no finger pointing in our locker room. It starts with me. Number one, obviously I didn’t do a good enough job getting them ready. We’ll go back to work tomorrow at 2 o’clock with our kids and go back to get on to Virginia Tech.
Q. How to explain a performance and result like this?
PAT NARDUZZI: There’s no finger pointing. We didn’t win. We lost together. We win together and we lose together. We didn’t make enough plays. Defensively, I thought we played a solid game. We held them to four field goals to begin with. Then they scored two late TDs. Put it in position. I don’t know what the time of possession was, but it probably wasn’t very good. It looks like they add up to 31 minutes. But, hey, got to regroup and start over again. It just wasn’t good enough.
Q. Any explanation for the slow offensive start?
PAT NARDUZZI: I’ll have to go back and watch the tape to see exactly. We just didn’t play good enough, period. We didn’t get in a rhythm in the first half. It was three and out, three and out, and just couldn’t get in a rhythm. It’s hard to call a game when you’re going three and out. You can’t set a play off a play. Just not a very good performance.
Q. How would you evaluate Kedon’s decision making today?
PAT NARDUZZI: Decision making at the end was really good. Early, he needs some help. We’ll look at the tape. But it’s how we finished. Probably the way he finished, he threw some nice balls. Did we protect him a little bit better maybe in the last couple drives than we did earlier in the game, I don’t know.
Wasn’t seeing it good early? I don’t know. We’ll have to look at the tape and find out exactly why. I don’t want to make a comment right now.
But again, he shows he can do it. We just, again, we didn’t get it done in the first half as an offense, period.
Q. Did you see that the problem — late in the game, it did click. You saw the talent was there. But early on it seemed like there wasn’t any chemistry. Even when he threw some passes there was either a drop or a penalty.
PAT NARDUZZI: Yeah, well, that’s a problem. We had a drop or a penalty. We had way too many penalties. Special teams and on offense. I mean, even on the last 99-yard drive we had two illegal procedures and thank God it only cost us like six inches.
But just details. It wasn’t detailed enough. It starts with me.
Q. The defense dropped a number of potential interceptions.
PAT NARDUZZI: They’re all big. None of ’em were easy. But Tylar had a chance. Got his hand on it. Obviously 31, Erick Hallett had a chance. We got a chance to make plays. And in position.
I mean, the first — second play of the game I think we had a chance to probably get a pick six. You got to make those plays. They made ’em. They got the ball out. And we didn’t make them. It doesn’t matter if you stop them or hold them to a field goal. We have got to make plays on defense like that and we have to finish the play off and we can’t turn the ball over.
Q. Was emotion the problem again tonight or do you feel they were fired up?
PAT NARDUZZI: I think we were fired up. I think emotionally we were ready to go. Again, we’ll look at it. But I think we played good on defense. It’s hard to say half the team was fired up and half didn’t. The defense was ready to roll. Just couldn’t get in a rhythm in the first half. We’ve got to do a better job on offense. We’ve got to do a better job as coaches on offense, putting our kids in position to make those plays. And we got to make plays as players. That’s their job is make plays and it’s our coaching job to put them in position to make plays.
Drops you can’t have. There were some balls that were right there, getting hit as they caught it. Looked like sometimes it was a little early. But we’ll look at the tape. But we got to make plays.
Q. They ran for a lot of yards tonight. Do you feel at some point maybe that they were more physical than you were?
PAT NARDUZZI: I don’t know. We’ll watch the tape. Maybe. They’re a good looking football team. They got players too. They got guys on scholarship. And certainly the quarterback is a big athletic guy. We bounced off some tackles, there’s no question. Especially on that last one. We got to 1:57 to go. We debated whether to kick an onside kick or not. And we trusted our defense. And we were going to kick it and get them pinned down there and get good field position and go down and score. We probably would have. But we didn’t — we had a four-minute situation on defense and we didn’t stop it. I guess we did stop it. We stopped them at the goal line, I guess. But we gave them too many yards. And we had to go 99.
So hindsight, geez, 1:57 with three timeouts. Three timeouts, three runs and get them to punt the ball and feel like we would win the game. But obviously a bad call by me.
Q. Kedon took a hard hit early in the game. Could that have had a lasting impact on him the rest of the game?
PAT NARDUZZI: It may have. It may have. I don’t know. I didn’t see the tape. My eyes were down the field. I didn’t see it. I think any hit on a quarterback takes an effect on a guy, period. When you’re sitting back there and you’re unprotected, you’re in a passing stance, when you get hit like that it will definitely affect you. But it didn’t affect him enough that he came back and played really well in the second half.
Q. You mentioned all the three and outs. Do you think that had an effect on the defense in the fourth quarter being on the field as long as they were?
PAT NARDUZZI: I looked at the time of possession, it’s not good. It’s not that bad. But two extra minutes — we had three set changes in the third quarter. We turned the ball over three times in a row. Three straight series in a row. We had two fumbles and an interception. Yeah, the defense is going to get tired when you go three and out yes.
Q. Penalties were a problem for the second game in a row?
PAT NARDUZZI: We’ve got to get the right guys that we can trust that aren’t going to do that. We had a couple guys out there that got some penalties. And they have done it in the past. And we’ll have to find replacements for them if they can’t do it the right way. And then there were a couple, you know, you question, but we got to do a better job. Get the right guys on the field.
Q. Four different offensive linemen starting today. You had Branson at left tackle. Matt start at right tackle. Gabe swapped in. That shuffling of the offensive line, do you think it negatively impacted you guys tonight?
PAT NARDUZZI: Not having Carter Warren out there, yeah, you know, always affects you. But that ain’t the reason why. Turnovers are the reason why. I can’t sit here and say it’s because of that. Next man up. Didn’t affect us when Nate Yarnell was in. We made plays. And it can’t affect you, period. We got a lot of trust and faith in Branson Taylor and we got to go.
Would you like your starting five out there? Yes. But you’re down two starters on the O-line. We trust those other guys to go make plays, but we just didn’t get it done.
PITT POSTGAME NOTES
Georgia Tech 26, Pitt 21
Oct. 1, 2022
TEAM
- With tonight’s 26-21 loss to Georgia Tech, Pitt is now 3-2 overall and 0-1 in ACC play. The Panthers dropped their ACC opener for the first time since 2019, when they lost 30-14 to Virginia.
- The Panthers are now 11-6 all-time against Georgia Tech, including 6-4 in ACC games.
- The loss halted a four-game series winning streak for Pitt. Georgia Tech defeated the Panthers for the first time since 2017 (35-17).
OFFENSE
- Kedon Slovis threw for 305 yards on 26-of-45 passing with two touchdowns and one interception.
- It was Slovis’ second 300-yard passing effort of the season and 13th of his career.
- Jaden Bradley had the first multiple touchdown game of his career, catching scoring strikes of 26 and 18 yards. (He finished with two catches for 44 yards.)
- Pitt did not have a 100-yard rusher for the first time since the Sept. 1 season opener against West Virginia. The Panthers’ leading rusher was Vincent Davis, who netted 80 yards on 15 carries (5.3 avg.).
- Branson Taylor started at left tackle in place of the injured Carter Warren. It was the first start of Taylor’s career. For Warren, his streak of 18 consecutive starts was halted.
- Pitt completed a 99-yard touchdown drive (nine plays, 1:54) in the fourth quarter to pull within 19-14. It was the Panthers’ first 99-yard TD drive since Nov. 21, 2020 against Virginia Tech (four plays, 1:12).
DEFENSE
- As a team, Pitt collected a season-high 11 TFLs. The Panthers’ four sacks matched their season high (Rhode Island).
- Tackle Calijah Kancey compiled a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss. His TFL total included a seven-yard sack.
- Tackle Devin Danielson had a career-high two TFLs.
- Safety Brandon Hill tied his career high with 11 total tackles (Clemson, 2021)
pittpov.com 
Here is the final game info on ESPN. Note that GT had 12 (!) QB Hurries against our OL. Many of those were in the first half.
https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=401411129
Get this from the ESPN site:
“Georgia Tech (2-3, 1-1 ACC) ended a nine-game losing streak to FBS opponents — the last five by a combined score of 210-20 — by frustrating the Panthers (3-2, 0-1) for long stretches and making the plays that mattered late.”
GT was outscored 210-20 in previous five FBS matches. Those previous five games points total translates to a 42-4 average score.
So they score 26 in one game against us…
Not good my friends.
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I made a particular point of watching the offensive line closely last night. They weren’t just bad. They were TERRIBLE. Throughout the first half I just watched GT push our line right back into the backfield. It was pathetic.
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The worst of all possible worlds. A QB with a slow release who stares down his receivers paired with an O line who couldn’t block a Girl Scout Troop!
A 8$$ million coach who runs his QB and leading rusher into the ground in a meaningless exhibition then wonders why they can’t function at 100%.
Add to that an OC who sets up his offense with the imagination of a first grader and you get the GTech result ! Pitt was outhit and outplayed on both sides of the ball!
Disgusting and embarrassing !
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I said a week ago that we had no idea how good this Pitt team is due to injuries. We could be Alabama or Bowling Green.
Bowling Green it is!!
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We’re not that good.
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“Got to watch the tape.”
There’s a cadre of coaches upstairs watching every facet of the game. If HCPN needs to ‘watch the tape’ to have a clue what went wrong, he needs better coaches.
I don’t need to watch the tape (and risk burning my retinas) to see a team that was ill-prepared to face the ACC doormat.
Dropped balls (offense and defense).
Penalties.
Turnovers.
And horrendous offensive play calling.
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Pitt has averaged 7.2 flags per game so far.
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12 last night.
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And, let’s address the elephant in the room: sub par recruiting.
If Izzy is hurt, we’re down to two tailbacks.
The offensive line (Great news! They’re all coming back) has been a sieve and the replacements have been putrid (25 hurries vs Tennessee ).
2/3 of our starting wide receivers are transfers and mediocre.
The linebackers are out of position more than they are in position.
We all scoffed at the National recruiting rankings, but this year we are playing just as those rankings predicted.
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Watching the tape often means
We’re less talented than the other team
Our coaching staff put together a poor game plan
We didn’t make the proper adjustments
We didn’t execute
We didn’t play disciplined
We weren’t ready to play
We made too many mental mistakes
We just aren’t as good as we thought
Pitt got stung by the new coach rally affect. Tech really is a bad team right now but it does have some very young talent and a promising new HC.
Has to be in the top 5 of worst Pitt losses. Pitt was a 21 point favorite.
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Our wonderful D gave up an average 98 rushing ypg going into last night. GT ran for 232 against us.
On a cold & wet night when we knew they were going to run first, pass second (they ran 80% of the snaps).
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Copied this from Nick Farabaugh’s twitter account (Pitt podcast fame on PSN):
“Listen, there’s not much mincing you can do with this one. Pitt looked badly coached throughout this game.
It was a bad loss by Pitt to a bad team that just had its HC fired. That’s inexcusable.”
===
Comment: Penalties, FG decisions, 3 for 15 on 3rd & 4th downs, player execution (poor routes, dropped balls, lack of blocking, celebration dances during a drubbing), time out management, post game presser answers “I’ll have to watch the tape”.
It was a poorly coached game that has followed several in 2022. You do the math…
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October 2, 2022 at 8:30 am
The game was so bad that I did something that I NEVER do……I turned it off with about 7 minutes left in the final quarter. I quit and for old Isnore to walk away that really says something.
It will not surprise me to see this pathetic excuse of a team lose another 3 or 4 games. If anybody has seen lowly Syracuse play just remember the name Shrader. A QB with feet.
I would NOT put the loss on Slovis. Our receivers were not getting separation and the pass dropsy disease has returned in full force. But, two things are obvious, Slovis does not have the quick reaction time needed after surveying the field to make a decision as to when and where to pass and he is not able to get out of harm’s way……no foot speed.
I will not bore myself by typing a dissertation regarding our inept coaching. To put it simply// overpaid and under achieving.
Oh, but Tech played for the new coach…true, but our pussycats did NOT PLAY FOR THE OLD COACH (think about that for a few seconds).
So, this train wreck (WE ARE THE RAMBLING WRECK) started me thinking about basketball.
Yeah, we picked up a 4**** commitment yesterday and will need time for our mostly new team to play together, but we will be better (despite Semi-Coach Capel).
Ah, but my Penn Quakers are now 3-0 FIGHT ON PENNSYLVANIA
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natebailey4
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Isnore – you know I respect your knowledge but Slovis did NOT survey the field. He made one read, stared down his receiver and threw ! He’s the same QB he was at USC …. He’s horrible!
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You are probably 100% right …my bad. Even if he surveys the field he is slowww to react
to what he needs to do.
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What I can’t get over is how bad Slovis’ footwork was/is for a supposedly top flight QB prospect. Didn’t Pitt’s coaches watch ANY of his old film??? And why is he still feet-yipping after 3 starts?
How can a kid still be considered a top prospect with such lousy footwork? That is either inability to be coached or inability of his coaches to teach.
IMO it’s got to be costing him anywhere from .2 to .5 secs on his release times. Add that to his inability to look off the defenders and you get what we see: A tentative QB with a lackluster release time who hangs his receivers out to dry more often then not. IMO that is why he can’t scan the field well, he’s too busy dealing with yip feet.
Holy clothesline, Batman, no wonder the targets have the dropsies – they are constantly looking over their shoulder waiting to get creamed on a high or inaccurate throw because his feet are not quite set.
He may get a nibble in the upcoming post draft free agent market, but I would be shocked if he actually made an NFL roster at this stage of his development (or lack thereof), much less got drafted.
And I believe he too was guilty of joking and smiling inappropriately – check out the film as he walked of the field after that 4th quarter 4th and 29. He is not a good leader either – no wonder the other kids were goofing around too.
Just my opinion. Could be a long season.
H2P
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Had to copy and paste this effort from last thread(with a few edits)
hard to know where ALL the problems are on offense(there are so many I’m overwhelmed with available options 😦 ) as different parts overlap and one weakness relates to another but one thing that stands out for me is WR’s inability to run SHARP routes to get separation
thinking of JA, he was extremely shifty and able to change direction where none of these current guys have THAT and THAT affects route running and RAC
on top of that, other than Wayne, their hands are average at best, even Bradley dropped 2 before the very good catches late, the TE needed to go get the ball rather than wait for it(even though the hit was slightly early leading to the INT)
back to the “shiftiness”(lack thereof) think about the throw(I think late 3rd) to Mumpfield in the flat to the right where he was wide open in space and turns up field only to run straight into the defender who easily tackles him
defender gets comments crediting him with a great open field tackle, IT WASN’T, Mumpfield simply has ZERO change of direction ability, ANYONE(well, except any of our OTHER receivers) should’ve been able to make 1 guy miss
so there’s that, but we could also focus on penalties, drops, fumbles, fumbles, penalties, lack of good protection, drops, crap play calling, terrible play design, fragile Izzy, fragile entire team, etc., etc.
oh, and the LB’s outside #7, the G#% D@&% linebacker(#11)
my kid FaceTimes me as the game ended and thanked Pitt for being such nice hosts and giving them something to cheer and he finishes saying GT’s still terrible and now he’s kinda’ disappointed thinking there’s no chance he’s headed to a nice bowl location(with the family to watch Pitt, not that we would’ve anyway 🙂 )
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First time that I have repeated a post. I feel cheated as an alum and rabid fan by this coach, team, and administration. Players laughing on the Pitt sidelines say anything more than I could possibly write…A DISGRACE!
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To think I opened a new bottle of Crown Royal Reserve in anticipation of celebrating our 4th victory….thankfully and mercifully the Crown gently rocked me to sleep at half-time….
This OL has been suspect all year long. They have used the last 2 weeks to focus on run blocking….man, how’d dat work out!!! Seems the OL recruits always come very late in the recruiting process and never at the beginning where we usually load up with 5’10” DBs…maybe that has something to do with what we see on the field of play.
Just a disgusting display of FB for the 2021 ACC Champs.
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I wasn’t touching my Balcones for this game. However I do feel good about the other Tech next week for Homecoming.
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Put the Carolina game back in the loss column…Drake May , true frosh, is a stud QB and is lighting it up every week and their D is improving.
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And Syracuse. And probably Louisville.
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In over 50 years of following Pitt football, that was the worst game I’ve ever seen. Worse than the 2008 Sun Bowl.
I shall comment no further. I have things to do. Important things. Like trying to grow ear hair.
H2P!!!
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Pitt’s approach to this game was a classic combination of conservatism and arrogance. They went in with the idea they could run the ball down Georgia Tech’s throat, throwing only on obvious downs (if then) and ride the defense to victory. No need to test the defense downfield, just ground-and-pound and prevail through attrition.
Problem with that (beyond the fact Pitt isn’t good enough to win pulling punches – something that should have been obvious after Western Michigan and Rhode Island) is you’re working with a thin margin for error. And then when things start to go wrong, you can’t get back into gear fast enough.
I don’t think Pitt is great by any means, but they were good enough to win the game if Narduzzi/Cignetti had more faith in the offense and took some shots. Instead, they’re committed to the idea of doing just enough to allow the defense to pull out a victory. This is not that kind of defense! It’s good, but not shutdown and when the offense keeps it on the field all game, it will crack — much like the other team in town. This game was like the watching the Steelers in blue jerseys, all the way down to running backs cutting through the fourth quarter D like a hot knife through butter. wonder if something is catching on the South Side.
At the end of last year, I thought that Narduzzi might have experienced some personal growth that allowed him to shake some of his essential conservatism and attachment to having everything revolve around his defense. Obviously, I was wrong and success has led to backsliding. I understand that Pickett and Addison are gone, but you simply can’t consistently 24-20 games in modern era college football and when you’re dealing with less talented players, you need to be more creative – not less. Yet, Pitt has taken a step back in both areas. Extremely concerning.
Didn’t think it would be easy to top the disappointment of the Western Michigan loss, but mission accomplished!
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The problem, I believe, was in the ACC Championship game last year, when Bates changed the defense halfway through the game. We all thought that wooden-head was abandoning his obstinacy and in-game changes were here to stay.
But alas, it was simply a trick. Lucy again pulling away the football from Charlie Brown.
HCPN gonna do things his way, regardless. And when the results aren’t what he wants…going to look at the tape.
Another example of his extraordinarily high salary to neuron ratio.
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A reporter in the post game presser asked Duzz this question: you said prior to this game that your offense takes what the opposing defense gives you – what did the GT defense give you tonight?
A: I’ll have to go back and look at the tape to answer that question.
===
Folks, he is highly paid to know that answer and his OC and other coaches up in the sky booth are paid very well to ID these things during the game so adjustments can be made to help win a ballgame.
I find it hard to believe he can bumble through a press conference with very little accountability.
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Why so hard to believe? IMO he has bumbled through all aspects of his whole coaching career at Pitt, nothing to see there.
That presser was the last straw for me. No more defending the yard puppy for this guy.
Narduzzi is a stubborn condescending narcissist who cannot ever admit HE made an error, (the obvious insincerity of him ‘taking’ the blame at his pressers is comical – he then proceeds to throw his kids or peers under the bus every single time – it’s never REALLY his fault) and just an average coach who thinks he is the second coming of Lombardi.
Damn, this negative spinning posting style is kinda fun…
H2P
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I have finally learned ( I am slow) to avoid Duzzi’s pressers. Coachspeak bibble. babble nonsense. Let’s go to the tape>>>>open up your eyes you overpaid buffoon and watch what is happening in real time!
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Disgusting game that can ruin a season.
I wonder if the coaches were asleep during the game as they obviously sleep walked thru it.
Credit to GT as they came to play.
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As of 5:55 pm yesterday I was planning to gear up and head to the game. Thankfully, my wife and my grandson vetoed that plan. That was hard enough to watch from the couch, warm and dry.
Duzz continues to believe that defense wins championships. He has said it and it is inherent in his coaching style and decision making. Last year was an aberration because he had an OC who defied his wishes. I am not a Whipple fan but without him last year there would have been no ACC title, and probably no Kenny Picket.
I expect another near break-even season and many more to come with Duzz at the helm.
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I liked tvax1’s description: fragile. That describes this team’s demeanor. I saw Hammond laughing on the sidelines. He needs to get over his hangnail and get back out there. This team is soft..
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who doesn’t “like” this comment?
.
after reading it I have in my mind MY well choreographed and repeatedly practiced celebratory dance to celebrate VoR and MYSELF – aren’t we awesome
any others here joining me with that sickening imagery?
maybe the team should FOCUS slightly more on other important performances needed ON THE FIELD, DURING THE GAME, WHILE YOU ARE BEING BEATEN!
smh
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So when you lose the second best QB to ever play at Pitt and the second best receiver to ever play at Pitt and also lose Mack and Krull two other explosive guys and replace them with three transfer guys you cannot expect anywhere near the productivity.
It obviously starts and ends with QB play. Almost always the QB that has the best game wins. When you have three turnovers and miss 5 turnover opportunities you get the result we had yesterday.
The underlying problem remains when you have to replace three key guys with transfers you have a deeper problem than one bad loss.
Not having a QB ready to take over after KP’s 5 years and having no depth in your receiver group is inexcusable.
Obviously this is all compounded by the injury plague this year.
If there is any good news it is we are not as bad as we played yesterday and hopefully this will serve as a wake up call. At least we can hope.
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Totally agree GC. I personally would start our QB with the best passer rating to date against VATech. Ummm….that would be the freshman Nate Yarnell. If we can’t beat GATech on our worst day then we probably don’t have a bright future for the rest of this year. Let the freshman play and we’ll find out if he can carry the load or not. If he’s highly successful you have your QB for the rest of this season. If not, then Slovis will at least avoid another concussion for one more game.
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This is pittdad2. Don’t know why I’m anonymous since I’m signed in?
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Pittdad2 here. I’m signed in so I don’t why I’m Mr. Anonymous
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I keep reading, in places other than the Pitt POV, about how well that Slovis did in the fourth quarter. Georgia Tech went into prevent mode which is why Slovis was able to operate as well as he did on those two last drives. I mentioned this before the season and still would like to know why everyone thinks Slovis is or will be a great quarterback at Pitt? He could not cut it at USC. What makes Pitt so different than USC? It sure as heck is not better coaching. Asking for a friend.
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Tell your friend it is $50 fee to have questions answered on the POV.
I wrote all summer that when Slovis lost his starting job after his production worsened over his first three years that we were getting an average at best QB.
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Gordon, we had 9 then 10 wins with Bill Stull as starting QB. You do not have to have a star player there.
What you do have to have is strong recruiting so that the QB’s supporting cast can carry the load. We have not recruited like that on offense for some time.
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While I agree on the recruiting, average QB’s don’t win 11 games anymore, especially with Pitt’s scheduling. Stull had Dion Lewis. Ray Graham and Henry Hynoski. also first rounder Jonathan Baldwin.
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Wanny was quite a recruiter
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Can’t stand it how after every loss he says “they got kids on scholarship too you know”. It’s so pathetic and is the attitude that will keep you mediocre. You were a three touchdown favorite. You should be pissed of beyond belief but you’re not.
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Ugh!
Slovis could eventually figure things out and improve his decision making but that’s not happening anytime soon. He’s still going to be average.
We’ve seen too many other opposing average QB’s burn us with better athleticism.
Kenny turned into a heck of a QB: accurate, athletic, confident, and able to play fast.
The truth is that there only a handful of starting QB’s in any given year that can consistently lead their teams. Typically these are at the top of the food chain (Bama, tOSU).
But, sometimes you find these guys elsewhere and it really does matter. See Wake Forest.
That becomes the difference between good seasons and not so good seasons. Up to about eight teams can routinely expect good seasons. The rest try to catch that lightning in the bottle every 5-10 years. For Pitt, every 10+ years unfortunately.
So, I am not a coach nor an experienced evaluator of QB talent but, the one data point from QB Yarnell seems to suggest he could be above average to great at some point.
There is a fluidity to how he moves. He appears to be a better athlete, has a cannon for an arm, and calm in the pocket.
That higher ceiling should be something to potentially build off of. That could create an opportunity for a good season sooner rather than later.
Once the offense failed miserably on each of its first half plus possessions, I was sure a QB change would take place, if for no other reason than to try to generate a big of a spark with the rest of the offense. Really, what would be the negatives to trying?
Ugh!
H2P!
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Excellent post Greg. And this is exactly what the Steelers did today inserting Pickett. I posted somewhere that I firmly believe that Nate Yarnell should be the starting QB for VATech—a game that may be the easiest one left on our schedule.
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It bothers me that Narduzzi isn’t pissed off after losses like this. I get it you have to move on, but the day of the loss he should be absolutely fuming. To me it shows that his expectations are not that high. You know “they got scholarship players too”. A pathetic statement that he always uses. Dude you were a three touchdown favorite.
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Look, because Pitt is just mediocre in getting solid talent across the board we do not have that high level of recruits in all positions (or even most). Aside from the DL we have dropped the ball on having quality two-deeps lately.
Here are the 24/7 recruit rankings for last four years (couldn’t get into Rivals on my tablet)
’22 – 63rd
’21 – 29th
’20 – 45th
’19 – 55th
For a four year average of 48th out of 130. Which isn’t what a program like Pitt needs for sustained 10+ wins.
Also, Pitt followers/athletic donors have a small bucket of cash to entice high-quality players through the portal. So that is not going to help us with future transfers either.
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As mentioned by others, our linebackers are really awful, with the exception of Dennis. But I would be remiss if I didn’t single out Bangally Kamara. He’s so bad, he couldn’t start for Robert Morris. And keep in mind, our defensive line played pretty well for most of the game last night, which hides some of the obvious warts of the linebackers.
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Pitt women’s volleyball off to a slow start against High Point. 10-9 Pitt in the first set after Pitt calls their first time out. Rachel Jepsen starting as our second middle over Nwokolo for some reason. Pitt now up 12-11.
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Pitt wins first set at High Point 25-18. Pitt pulled away with 6-point run at 17-16 Pitt with Rachel Fairbanks serving and setting. Akeo not playing either. Ennis is the second setter.
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Pitt women average blockers it seems, many chances missed in the 2nd set
and that point that tied it at 22 seemed like could lead to redemption but then fizzled
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tvax1 I am only using the Stat feed. You must be watching it on ESPN+. Did the announcers say why Pitt’s lineup is so strange?
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yeah watching but oddly the feed volume is so low that even on 100% volume I can barely hear the commentators
ironically, or maybe not so, the opponents really seem to High Point their hits while our hitters swing hard but either don’t get quite so vertical or really just don’t time things exactly to hit the ball aggressively and earlier
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and while I’m a fan, I got to go play some Ultimate frisbee now after they smoked HP in the 3rd set 🙂
wouldn’t happen with football game so wVB has a way to go for my fandom 🙂
thankfully the ladies didn’t do a tiktok dance during the 2nd set loss after every point they won while dropping the set – humble is quite attractive and far preferred entertainment imo
H2P wVB!!!
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Thanks for the report. Enjoy the outdoors!
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Biggest problem I see with our offense is the WRs. They don’t create separation with their routes and they drop a lot of throws. Maybe the reason KS’s decision making looks slow is that he has no decisions to make because no one is open. Maybe we run so much because we practice like we play. Cignetti said before the season that he would design his offense around his best players. The WRs need to step up.
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Pitt loses second set 23-25 to High Point. Klika is the libero today for Pitt. So far Pitt not playing Nwokolo, Akeo, or Browske. Pitt having problems because of that.
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RIP Jim Sweeney dead
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Pitt wins third set 25-14 over High Point. Pitt up 2-1. Louisville and Georgia Tech playing a super match on ESPN. Presently tied at 1-1 in sets and 21-19 Louisville in third set.
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I sure do hope that this game exposes Pitt as a Fraud. Charlatan. Penny Graham. Best to not deny reality and stay away from sugary drinks that will rot your brain. Pitt just isn’t very good without Whipple, Kenny and Jordan. All by the way helped King Pat make EIGHT million per year with a lifetime contract extension.
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It will be interesting to see which team Pitt really is the rest of the year. Is it the one that beat West Virginia and gave Tennessee all they could handle or the one that played against Georgia Tech and Rhode Island?
The team that played against Tennessee would have won the game last night by two touchdowns. Pat Narduzzi’s post-game press conference reminded me a lot of Rich Rodriguez’s press conference after the 13-9 game. Narduzzi had no idea why his team stunk out the stadium last night. Hopefully he figures things out!
Before the Rhode Island game Reed was asking if Pitt was really any good. My answer to him before the Rhode Island game was I thought they were half decent. After the Rhode Island game, not so much. After last night, they stink! One thing for sure is that there are a lot of “hot dogs” on the team who celebrate their individual splash plays while the team is losing by a large margin. That is not a good look for Pitt or Narduzzi!
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Kenny Picket starting the second half
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Whitehead intercepts KP’s first pass.
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Strange but true. A Pitt guy intercepts Pickett’s first NFL pass.
Pickett threw 13 passes too ! 10 completions to Stillers & 3 completions to Jets.
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That’s a 100 percent completion rate. Joe Montana like.
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I think Claypool contributed significantly on one of those
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Pickett sneaks for a TD after a Fitzpatrick INT
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Pitt wins the fourth set 25-22 and the match. Kept track of the match against High Point only with the Stat feed so I have no idea why Coach Fisher used the lineup he did. No individual or team stats posted from High Point at this time.
Louisville loses the first set against Georgia Tech but comes back and wins the next three for the win. Julia Bergmann had a tough day hitting -0.068 for the match. Shutting her down is the key to beating Georgia Tech.
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John, in response your questioning the lineup changes, I think Fisher is trying to get some the back-up players some playing time. Nwokolo was rested- until she wasn’t. Same with Browske. Jepsen is young and needs some seasoning. Gray, Starks, Buzzerio and maybe Nwokolo and Browske will be gone next year, so the backups needs game experience. So far Pitt hasn’t been blowing teams off the court so PT has been limited. Note that Posada hasn’t seen any PT (or very little- I can’t remember seeing her on the court). She is one I would see getting pushed to find another program. I’ve just not been impressed with her at all.
Fisher knew this team wouldn’t be as strong after losing Lund and Ndee, hence the number transfers into the program. Hopefully his recruiting classes will help, but it is tough for freshmen to make a splash at the collegiate level. I’m thinking Akeo hasn’t fully recovered from her injury and they are trying to give her more time to rest. This might end up being a relatively sub-par season compared to our raised expectations from last year. I don’t expect us to blow through the ACC schedule like we did last year. We may have struggles with every team for a set or two. Hopefully that tough schedule will prepare us for the tourney. Initial rankings from the NCAA committee has Pitt at #5. Louisville was #2, SanDiego (who we lost to) I think was #3, tOSU #6. I was surprised that Pitt was ranked that high. Strength of schedule and RPI helped that.
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Annie: I agree that is probably what Coach Fisher is doing. Akeo, Nwokolo, and Browske should all be able to come back next year due to the Covid year. I do not see any of them leaving for any better programs.
Posada must definitely not be a keeper as she has seen no playing time this year nor last year.
Next year’s freshman class will have three outside hitters and a setter so far. For 2024 we have a middle committed and a libero. We will probably pick up a middle transfer for next year to go with Jepsen and Nwokolo. On outsides we will have the three freshman, Flood, Vazquez Gomez, and Dalton. We will have three experienced defensive specialists and two experienced setters along with a freshman setter. We are losing Gray, Buzzerio, Ennis, and Starks. Those four will provide spaces for the freshman. Unless we expand the roster someone else will have to leave to make room for the third middle.
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I’m kinda thinking 🇨🇦 is not the problem. Kenny and H2P
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I could not understand why some people were picking Pitt to have a good season (9 wins or better). I thought this was a 7 win team at best. When you have a new OC + a new QB you have to expect struggles on offense. If you struggle on offense, you are going to struggle to win games. I expect many will struggle to watch this team struggling in this Season of Struggles.
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Maybe because the coastal is soo bad this year. Otherwise I agree. Fans tend to under-appreciate just how good Kenny and Jordan were. And that Whipples whispers were key to success. Marion is also a huge loss. He’s doing wonders at UT. No apologies to Vols fans. There is only 1 UT. There can be only One.
Tex – a Highlander.
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If you are not watching KP’s debut you are missing something special
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Ouch Lifelong JETS fan (back to days prior to Jets when NY had the Titans). Huge KP fan//rough way to lose his 1st NFL game..I lose on both ends…..and after last night I am getting ready for Pitt Basketball (Glutton for punishment).
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PITT BASKETBALL – John Hugley Injures Knee in Practice; Out for Several Weeks
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Kenny will learn from this game. The offense has more chemistry with him. The D let the team down today. KP will be something special. And that’s good for steeler and panther fans.
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10/13 for 120 yards with 0 TDs and 3 INTs…great feet for 2 rushing TDs though. Also KP didn’t get sacked but the starter Trubisky was sacked thricly.
KP’s 3rd INT was last play of game Hail Heather pass.
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Agree Reed. One Int was largely compliments of the space between Chase Claypool’s hands with another the Hail Mary toss up desperation. Third one was bad on Kenny.
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Hail Heather?
Was that deliberate or a typo Reed? 🤠
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Jim Sweeney, one of the most durable offensive linemen ever to line up for the New York Jets, died Saturday at the age of 60.
Stretching from Dec. 9, 1984, to Christmas Eve 10 years later, Sweeney started 158 consecutive games for the Green & White.
“I wanted to play in as many games as possible and I understood that there aren’t a whole bunch of opportunities,” he told Jim Gehman in a story that appeared on newyorkjets.com in 2018. “I just loved to play the game. It was what I was meant to do. So, if it was what I was meant to do, I didn’t want to waste a little bit of God’s talent because I don’t want to show up at the pearly gates and have him say to me, ‘Hey, you wasted my talents.’ I wanted to make sure I utilized every gift he gave me. I figured play as long as you can, play as hard as you can, and play as often as you can.”
“Jim was a typical Pittsburgh guy. He was tough,” said Marty Lyons, the Jets’ radio analyst who was Sweeney’s teammate from 1984-89. “He was tough to practice against every day. You could count on him every single Sunday. He had a different personality as soon as he crossed over the lines, though. Hard-nosed, tough-football player, a loving caring friend off the field.”
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Didn’t he have a short stint with the Steelers too?
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taken from:
https://www.newyorkjets.com/news/longtime-jets-o-lineman-jim-sweeney-dies-at-60-i-just-loved-to-play-the-game#:~:text=Longtime%20Jets%20O%2DLineman%20Jim,Loved%20to%20Play%20the%20Game‘
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The pass to the Penn Stater….and him volleyballing it up for the interception…..was the killer for the Stillers…….Stillers were driving, at the NY 36 yard line, up 20-17, clock was down to 3:34. Funny how a Penn Stater factored into that ; )
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The toss to Warren the play before was a killer. Why have the QB toss it when he took zero to few reps all week? Just hand it off and let Warren grind out some yards. Could’ve still ran it despite it being 2nd and 15.
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Sweeney should be on the Pitt hall of fame for linemen.
This years Pitt team reminds me somewhat of the WVU team the year Pitt beat them 13-9.
Dare I say the common denominator?
Double dare me?
Do recall the Hoopies were 28 point favorites. Pitt was 21 in this game. Pitt was Tech that year and the win helped extend wannys contract.
We’re stuck with King Pat thanks to yellow 👚
My apologies to yellow.
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Hail Heather!!
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That’s what I thought. 🤠
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Pitt completely out of Top 25 rankings – not even in “Others receiving votes”
https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/10/02/pitt-drops-out-of-ap-poll-following-upset-loss-to-georgia-tech/
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Duh! They stunk so bad last night they would have to win 5 in a row to even get considered again!
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Looks like they dropped to the mid-40’s – HUGE drop, maybe the biggest one week drop this year so far by any team previously removed from the top 25.
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When kids laugh and smile after badness or just shrug off things, it’s the sign of bad coaching. Because a good coach prevents that kind of mentality. Pitt players have no pride and no sense of team. That comes from the top. Maybe the King should have been paid more than Dabo. That’s the jester in me.
I’m just sayin that I learned in the fifth grade about teamwork and pride playing basketball. This team doesn’t have it. It’s one hundred percent on coaching.
And it’s one thing I incorporated when I coached. Losing should hurt like a root canal.
I still will pay for the kings one way trip back to Youngstown or rhode island or wherever else is needed as long as it’s outside da burg and the King never returns.
That offer is always on the table.
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Chris Peak’s post mortem:
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The problem starts and ends with Slovis. He’s an incompetent QB and a statue behind a horrible O line
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Dunno man. As we saw with Kenny the back to back years he only had 13 TD passes and 9 picks……it starts with no pass blocking on a lot of pass attempts. When Kedon got the time in the final possession of the first half and the 2 at the end of the game…..he was throwing Dimes. Kenny could have not throw to the 2 TD passes to Bradley better !
FWIW
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Paul Chryst just fired. Good guy. Mediocre coach.
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Karl Dorrell fired as HC at Colorado.
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Order of blame ..,
Chryst 😬
Cignetti and the slog offense.
Slovis
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Wow, Potato Paul out.
We’re a 14 point favorite next week. Why do I think last night’s loss was no fluke? Seems at least once a year we fall to a lesser team. Will look at the tape to know for sure.
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Duzz to Madison?
DC Jim Leonard probably gets promoted…
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And as far as Slovis is concerned, yes it seemed that his processing was a tad slow.
However, the O-line is a mess, they couldn’t run the ball, there seemed to be no separation by the receivers and the play-calling failed to stretch the field.
Anyone see things differently?
And, I think he’s next year’s QB…no NFL team will take a chance on him after this year’s performance.
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Slovis is handicapped from every angle – bad OLine, conservative run oriented coaching staff, WR’s who are not taught the fundamentals of catching the ball (Wayne learned from Marion and is an exception), WR’s who are bad route runners (except Wayne) and an OC who left Blue Mountain Bart on the sideline for a critical 3rd down and six late in the game when the score was less than a TD.
Oh, forgot to mention he plays the game slowly (feet, mind and arm release).
Other than that, he was pretty well thought of at USC…
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If Slovis is back next year, hopefully he progresses and gets the ball out quicker to avoid the hits. I understand four WR recruits coming in. The underclassmen on the roster won’t all be back next season.
It is amazing how poor the guys up front are blocking. Minor seems so heavy and slow it is as though he gets zero push. Glad Branson Taylor is getting experience and I’d like to see Gonclaves get some time at guard if Houy is slotted back at right tackle.
This team really needs Hammond back and Izzy getting healthy. Huge drop after those two.
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From ESPN
8hBill Connelly
Chryst, 56, finishes 67-26 in seven-plus seasons at Wisconsin, his alma mater. He won 10 games or more in four of his first five seasons with the Badgers, winning a Cotton Bowl and and an Orange Bowl, and three Big Ten West Division titles. But the program fell off beginning in 2020, going 4-3, before a slow start to the 2021 season, in which the Badgers finished 9-4.
According to Chryst’s contract, Wisconsin will owe him $16.4 million if he is fired without cause, although a different settlement could be negotiated. Wisconsin’s athletic board in January approved the rollover of Chryst’s five-year contract through the 2026 season.
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Maybe Slovis had a good offensive line when he threw for 7500 yards at USC.
Just sayin’
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And 58 TD passes. Kenny had 38 in his first 3 years. Kenny wasn’t close to being all-conference anything his first 3 years.
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Paul is due $16.1M (probably negotiated down).
That’s good fishing boat money.
My guess is he’ll be an OC in the League.
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Bart would have caught that ball that was intercepted. Why was he on the sideline at that critical time? There is no blitz pickup and the QB pressures are way too high. They need to throw on first down more.
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More insult to injury John Hugley injures his knee in practice today. Out 4-6 weeks. Nothing but good news!
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The twins, the twins. Need to gain like 30 lbs each. They were gonna lose to WVCC & Michigan anyway !
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In a Cigs offense…..you don’t get the ball out in 3 seconds. It’s a lot of play action passing….like 15 years ago in the NFL.
Plus in this offense, the QB drops are not deep enough. Go back and look at Kenny last year….his drops were a lot deeper, giving the QB an extra second or two or three
to get rid of the ball.
It’s the same O-line as last year…..what’s different is shallow drops, which make less time
to throw the ball and the play action crap….which almost nobody bites on anyway.
Deeper drops also allow the QB to scan the field better. Cigs is a dinosaur in a Spread Age.
Pitt doesn’t have the talent to just pound the ball….as were mostly outsized along the line.
As well as being out-talented. It was a easy hire, rather than go out and get a Spread OC.
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Exactly. Whipple knew how to spread the D out. Dinosaur is a good description. His scheme is horrible.
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Does Kenny Minchey start looking around?? If you had a choice between homestate josh huepel open offense for qb’s or cignetti’s, which would you choose? I think nobody is picking up on this, but it might lead to a change, especially if hooker is graduating and slovis comes back.
Seems i got wordpressed earlier today. In a nutshell it read that we will probably still win coastal, we are still very mediocre, flea is a 4th stringer talent wise, good effort tho, cignetti is using a 1980’s offense. Great hire for wannstedt era, but kids want rpo and open offenses to showcase athleticism. Nard did win the timeout battle. We finished with more unused timeouts then they did. Most of our defenders quit. Hallett, Kancey, sometimes Hill and sometimes Dennis played well. Defense was bad.
Offensive line improved but opposing defenses improved more. We had no heart or desire to win game! Hammond was my number one back last year. He is built different mentally. Izzy to the hizzy disappears in real games. So does flea. Flow Rider is not fast. I don’t see him doing well against fast defenses. We will all be overconfident after we beat a very bad vt team.
Beville played terribly during the oklahoma game saturday. Pickett only had 3 interceptions in his first action which is three less than peterman had in his first start, so he has a chance!
Ticketsales looked poor but i am sure we announced 50k. Shenannigans!
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I just watched Kenny Pickett’s post game interview. That guy really gets it. All he expressed was that he wanted to win and he wants all his guys to win and he’s just disappointed it didn’t happen. He plays with an edge and wants all his guys to play with an edge. He said all the bad stuff (interceptions) was squarely on him (despite what we all saw) and HIS offensive line is so much improved that they are carrying the offense, along with the terrific wide receiver room.
That’s how you get a team to want to play for you. (And that was all before he got a look at the tape😎)
Despite whatever attributes Slovis has, it doesn’t appear that he has that kind of interpersonal ability…….but I’ve been wrong before….
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Slovis has no attributes. He’s simply not a D1 QB
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total leader, Narduzzi probably learned from him, the Pitt team definitely did
granted, he got time to develop his play on the field and it did but the leadership part is mostly hard wired
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Announced:
Attendance: 46,972
69% of capacity.
If Tenn somehow beats Alabama (and they are beatable) & UGA (beatable after Mizzou game) and win the East. Get to the Conf champ game….losing Minchey is a real possibility.
As far as I know he hasn’t been offered by the Vols or any SEC schools as of yet.
The Vols are avg almost 50 ppg (2nd in FBS)
You’re right about the Defense folding in the 4th quarter….had they stopped them
after Pitt scored to make it 14-19 with 1:57 left. Pitt might have pulled out that game.
Pitt’s overrated D gave up 17 points in the 4th Q to a scrub avg’g 6 Points a GAME
against FBS schools.
Cigs was an easy hire…..but the wrong hire when you’ve run a Spread for 3-4 years.
The Spread is the great equalizer on Offense….when you recruit like Pitt does. 3 star city.
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Lol. I told a buddy of mine that there were about 35k in the stadium, but that Pitt would announce 47k. I was only off by 36 fans. My guess would have been a great Price is Right bid, but I went over!
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New math: 28 fans.
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Pulled this from Chris Peak’s 5 Takeaways from the GT Game on Panther-lair:
“The 2022 Pitt Panthers came into this season with sky-high expectations, and maybe there were some skeptics from the outside after losing Kenny Pickett. But internally, this team expected to win a lot of games this season and not only that, but they thought they would look good doing it (insert tic-tok jokes). There are a lot of players with NFL aspirations, and in a lot of respects those guys are not showing up as well as they did last season.
Through five games, this team just feels like it is underachieving to me. In theory, Pitt can go out and win the next couple of games and still be in contention to win the ACC Coastal. As Pat Narduzzi always says after a loss, ‘Our goals are still in front of us’ and that’s certainly true. The ACC Coastal is still very much a mess from top to bottom, but I think Saturday’s game with Georgia Tech will be a wake up call in that they can’t take anything for granted for the rest of the season.
Pitt wasn’t able to stroll onto the field and win a game on Saturday. They actually needed to put forth a better game plan and execution and FOCUS on the little details, all the things they preach quite often. Virginia Tech looms next week. The Hokies (1-1 in ACC play) seem like another beatable opponent, but as we saw today, Pitt (0-1 ACC) can’t go into that game with the same mindset.
===
Comment – coaching is an everyday thing, where you have to show up and do something right to improve your team. Saturday vs GT our coaching staff did not show up. You could make a case that they didn’t show up the entire week prior and you could even go back to the week of the Rhode Island game and ask yourself “did the coaching staff take that week off teaching and trying to improve this team?”.
Note to Duzz – when you finally get around to watching the tape, you’ll see the the GT D stacked the box with 8 & 9 guys to stop the run and your WR’s were not open very often because they don’t run good, crisp routes, nor catch the ball when thrown their way.
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So, playing off my “Note to Duzz” – VT will stack the box on D and do what GT did Saturday to steal a win from Pitt. To counter, use Blue Mountain Bart as your slot receiver, Reggie Wayne out wide, FB Carter in the backfield and the transfer TE Karter Johnson tight on the line to block and release.
Throw the ball to anyone of those 4 on first down to set the tone, play with pace and win the game going away.
It really is that simple – those 4 have proven they can catch the ball, play hard and don’t celebrate when the team is losing.
Sorry, I’m old school, I see what works and apply logic. Pitt has to be better than what your (Duzz) coaching staff has delivered to date in 2022.
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Hope Heather is starting this week scrounging around for buyout money. It can’t happen too soon.
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Slovis throws a beautiful ball but if he can’t/is unwilling to run, this offense is screwed. It’s 2022 and you need a mobile qb in college. We are running a 1980’s like pro style offense with a pee poor offensive line. If the line was good as it was supposed to be, this offensive scheme would be perfect, but that is not the case. Pickett and Chad Voytik could run their tails off and that created many additional first downs per game. We aren’t getting those extra first downs now.
In our qb room I love Patti because he is very mobile, but it seems like he gets hurt every time he is on the field. Yarnell looks like he is about as fast as many of us readers on the POV, and Slovis prefers to stand in the pocket forever.
Kenny Minchy will be the starting qb next year after week three much like Pickett taking over for Tribitsky yesterday with the Steelers.
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“They got guys on scholarship”
Nonsense, I tell ya.
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Really don’t understand why they don’t have Slovis throw a couple of deep balls to keep the defense honest. It is rare that he would get enough time but he has the arm and Barden has the speed so what do they have to lose. I also don’t think they use the outlet pass often enough, when the big rush is coming.
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agree, and screens sprinkled in
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Gordon and tvax1, totally agree with you. I coached 8th grade football over the last few years but stopped because it is too time consuming due to being a first time father. Kids that are 13 and 14 are very limited in what they can do…especially in the passing game. Our 8th grade offense looks very similar to Mr. Cignetti’s…mostly runs, bubble screens, and the occasional but rare long pass. How is Frank not more creative? He has d1 athletes for goodness sake. Where are the end arounds, rpo’s, and more play action? Why are we not using the middle of the field more in the passing game?
I am frustrated but second Reed with a Hail to Heather.
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He has no time to throw deep due to his lack of talent to do anything quickly and an O line who couldn’t block Carricks 3rd graders!
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can anyone teach me how someone taught Bradley to catch the 2 late TD’s but not the early 2 drops?
smdh
to EE, if you go with those 4, which player opens up the field as none are very quick so you are then relying on Cig to have plays creating open receivers and they have been few and far between
am I wrong on that as I haven’t seen the tape?
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If you watch the tape (lol), Bart, KJohnson and Wayne get open, while Carter is vastly underutilized.
Let Carter take the pill hard up the middle, block for the QB a few times and then spring him on a wheel route and let him truck the safety for a big game.
H2P!
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I warned last week about taking any ACC team lightly. When you add fumbles, dropped passes by offense and defense, plus numerous penalties this is what you get when you let a wounded team hang around too long. By the way their linebacker played one heck of a half, he singlehandedly took over the game.
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GT’s Thomas will play on Sundays.
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If you don’t believe me
https://pittsburghsportsnow.com/2022/10/03/unforced-errors-loom-large-over-pitt-following-loss-to-georgia-tech/
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I think the team is a a crossroads. There are so many errors going on that if they are not corrected quickly, I could easily see this team losing out or coming close to doing so. Everything from coaching (every one of them) to individual player performance is in question.
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PN made a HUGE mistake hiring Cignetti. He could have had someone like Robert Adae from Virginia who actually had success in the last 10 years, who understands college offenses, who spreads the field.
Cignetti’s game plan was a joke.
He has no imagination, no deep ball threat.
He doesn’t spread the field, he actually runs these triple option looking plays with every player within three yards of the OL. There is little threat of a pass out of it and if it is a pass it can only be for five yards. It resembles my peewee football playbook.
He has run the ball on third and five on more than one occasion this year.
His packed backfield only works if another back actually gets the ball occasionally.
He is horrible.
Cignetti must go. 😀
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The other thing…as a fan, the GT game was unwatchable. Poor, frustrating product was unwatchable. I honestly don’t know if I can stomach watching another game.
I would think the same thing goes for in-person. Many yellow seats this Saturday. Home game for VT.
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Sadly, I was almost hoping that we would take another 2-3 illegal procedures when we took 2 half the distance to the goal penalties. I wanted the refs to bring out their measuring tapes to get it right…….
Lots of coaches already being fired. I see that Joe Rudolph has surfaced as the OL coach and run coach for…..VTech! I think he left Chryst’s staff when the pressure started to mount in wiskyville. Rudolph has a brother in WPa and his wifes family is from NC so VT is a good midpoint….ish!
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🤣
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We almost always lose a game like this every year. Hopefully this was it. If not ….
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Watson must go
Whipple must go
Cignetti must go
Do I sense a trend here?
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Clearly, the OL is not where it should be. All other offensive problems flow from the poor offensive line play. Slovis isn’t getting sufficient time to complete passes. The huge number of QB pressures shows just how poorly the OL is performing, and it basically eliminates their 4 WR sets. Yet the RBs don’t seem capable of protecting the quarterback even if they stay in to protect. Inquiring minds should be asking why the OL is so lousy. Is it talent or coaching?
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Most of you know I don’t get all caught up in hyperbole game reactions. Though, most of what I read, I totally agree with. Of course, there were a few who couldn’t contain their excitement in a PITT loss. Forgetting anything and everything that doesn’t fit their agenda. Que Sera, Sera
PITT deserves a verbal spanking though and this team has me worried a bit. PITT 100% took this game to lightly. With GT finding a reason to play hard and actually looked better than I thought they would, PITT was caught by surprise.
Laying low right now but wanted to check in and show everyone I wasn’t rolled up in a ball crying my eyes out after a PITT loss. 🙂
ike/iek
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I hear ya Uncle Iek..
Stay strong buddy!
Looking forward to the VT game…should see some old friends at the homecoming tailgate.
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Last year, ACC title and 41 ppg with the same OL. It’s the scheme, not the OL. Part of it is on Slovis, I think he is a second or two slow pulling the trigger. That makes a huge difference. He is a tough kid, I’ll give him that. Also, V Davis is as tough as they get.
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VD – tough runner, poor blocking and where did the slippery hands come from?
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Pitt should fire Cignetti and bring Paulie back as OC. He’d coach circles around Frank. LOL.
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Something that I pondered on my walk around the neighborhood this afternoon. Last year we were a pass blocking team. This year we are trying to be almost solely a run blocking team. Perhaps the changeover is harder than most coaches think it is, especially Cignetti. I hate to say it, but maybe we need to go to 60 or 65% passing plays.
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As for Slovis, it is not one or two seconds too long making decisions, it is four to six seconds too long. If he has problems again Virginia Tech, we should see other options!
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