33-15 Pitt wins.
Well, Revis needed that interception at the end run back for a TD. If for no other reason, his confidence had to be somewhat shaken after a bad game handling punts, missing tackles on coverage and just having to play soft the entire game with the defense.
This game had more of a feel of the wins Pitt had last year. Just shaking your head and muttering that, “hey, it’s a win.”
The entire team seemed to start sitting back at some point in the 3rd quarter after going up 23-0. They came out in the second half fired up, but once they got the lead everyone coasted. And that included the coaches who seemed to encourage killing the clock to killing the opponent.
That Pitt didn’t finish Cinci and put them away before the end of the 3d quarter meant the starters had to stay on the field for the entire game. When Blades cramped up, I got sweaty palms. This game should have been done. We should have seen Stull at QB, Dickerson in the backfield, just more players out there because the game was completely over.
Just frustrated feeling right now. And this was a win.
Well, we are guaranteed 2 out of 3, and we can be 3-0 next week – at home. And possibly better than 7-5 at the end. It’s a great start and I’ll give the kids, and the coaches, credit.
Clearly this is a better Pitt team than last year, with higher expectations. First game on the road and a win… I’ll take it.
I hated the coaches ultra conservative game plan again but what else is new. These guys make Pat Robertson look like a forward thinking liberal.
They refused to let Palko do his thing till the end of the second quarter and again in early part of the third quarter. During that time we get up big on the score board. So what do you do when something is working well?
These coaches stop it and it’s time for 20 up the middle running plays that everyone in the country who is half awake knows is coming? I had to get a muzzle for myself tonight so my kids wouldn’t hear the F-bombs pouring out of my mouth tonight when we tucked our head inside our shell and waited for the clock to run out with an entire quarter and a half to go.
I say when your whipping up on a team keep pouring it on. Give them no hope! Someday I hope to see our offense open up for a full game but I don’t think it will be this year.
I thought we showed so nifty play calling in the Virginia game but it was much of the same old same old for most of the night tonight.
A win is still a win and we still don’t know how good we are. Next week should tell the tale.
link to sports.espn.go.com
One more thing: Cincy could use faster receivers.
Good article (great headline!) on ESPN this morning – might sway some poll voters and get us moved up a few spots.
Anyone else notice the downfield blocking by our WRs? Very good, and I really liked the way our D line has put constant pressure on the opposing QBs in both games – very different than last year.
Our speedy D has produced some highlight worthy, crushing hits, and are beginning to create an identity for themselves.
The worst sign is the running game reverted back to last year. Sorry, but Cincy’s D reminded me of Pitt’s in the mid-90’s, 1 or 2 decent Tom-Tumulty types and a lot of gibrones. Our OL (even with Simonitis out) should have had more of their way, especially once Cincy was down and out at 23-0. That’s when you want to see the OL assert itself. Yet Cincy’s DL seemed to pick it up instead. I’m not sophisticated enough to know why but discouraging (we really didn’t put it away against Virginia last week either). Too impatient I guess. Lastly, glad to see Conor Lee kick well again.
The D is faster and the front 4 is light years ahead of last year. They will only get better.
I agree with the conservative play calling in the second half. The West Coast O is predicated upon a 5 yd pass being the same as a 5 yd run. I know Cincy was playing close to take it away but it is what it is. Perhaps the shell O game in the second half was predicated upon getting Brooks more carries for experience. I did notice that as the second half went on he seemed to run better.
Eric Thatcher’s hit on the TE was sick!
The game would have been a rout if not for Revis’s two punt return miscues. The second gave Cincy the MO and ensured Pitt would not get the shutout.
It seems that for every big play we get, and their’s been a lot of exciting ones so far, we have had some miscues – but if you look at the box score we have had only two turnovers per game. That’s not great, and we meed to minimize it, but it surprised me to read that. Also, DW needs to work on the penalties – Otah has had some that hurt us, but in the past we always seemed to get the ‘personal fouls’ penalties – excessive roughness and facemasks, mostly out of frustration. The ones were getting now are procedural & fundamental and can be worked on.
PITT is playing like they expect to win – and overcoming some adversity in each game so far, and have risen to the occasion each time. Palko has been excitable, but still leading as a 5th year senior should. The young guys are seeing that they can contribute on every play, and are succeeding – not many rookie mistakes that I’ve seen. Regardless of what happens Saturday (and I believe we certainly can take the match) this team feels like a winning program, and how refreshing is that after the let down of last year.
