I’ve got to tell you, I thought I had calmed down. Thought I was ready for some measured critiquing, analysis and perhaps even a cogent thought or two. Dare I say, a few pearls of wisdom. Then I was looking over the comments again, thinking about what I saw, and it all went to hell. I’m still pissed and I’m in a foul mood. I’m perfectly willing to keep my ire trained on Rhoads. I take a backseat to no one in my distaste for the job he has done. I nearly lost my mind when he was very close to getting the HC job.
In a piece that lauds the performance of Drew Stanton, it is just as much an indictment of the job done by Defensive Coordinator Paul Rhoads.
The Panthers had permitted a total of only 87 rushing yards in their first two games. Michigan State had almost four times that yesterday — 335.
“I think we responded real well to a some adversity,” Stanton said of Pitt’s 10-0 lead.
“We never intended to run so much option, but a team that plays a lot of man defense like they do has no one to account for the quarterback.
“We just kind of adjusted to things as we went along. Our line was really doing a good job blocking, and our wide receivers did a tremendous job of blocking downfield.”
By the time the Spartans erased that 10-point Pitt lead, the physical momentum had swung so violently that the Spartans felt they could move at will.
“By the third quarter, we just felt like we could go right down the field,” Stanton said.
“There were some plays that we could have made, some throws I’d like to have over. But I kept looking over [to the sideline], and they kept calling that option, so, you know, let’s just go with it.”
[Emphasis added.]
Imagine that. Making an adjustment. Taking advantage of the defense.
The thing we used to mock Walt Harris for most, was his unwillingness and/or inability to adjust his gameplan. That trait is gallingly part of DC Rhoads. Sure, the MSU receivers were coming up small for most of the game with drops and bad routes (aside from Reed), making the option and running more important. Sure that 6’6″ WR (Trannon) was playing more like he was 5’6″. Sure, all that is true, but it just shows that the pass defense is working. Losing the game to a ground attack and and a mobile QB? That’s just crazy talk.
MSU converted 11 of 15 3d downs. That’s pathetic. Time of possession was MSU 35:38, Pitt 24:22. What makes that worse, Pitt held the ball in the 1st quarter for nearly 10 minutes. Meaning MSU held the ball for about 30 of the remaining 45 minutes of the rest of the game.
Once MSU knew it could move the offense at will on Pitt. Knew it could score points, it afforded the defense the chance to gamble. To just blitz the hell out of the Pitt offense because they knew Pitt had to score and throw the ball.
