Of course, FDR never had to watch the “High-Octane” offense, did he? Everybody and their uncles have strong opinions about yesterday’s game against Buffalo. Disappointed, angry, felt lied to, frustrated… Those are all valid thoughts after watching the new era of PITT football, Graham style, roll into Heinz Field, or should we say limped in.
While some fans, most fans, well let’s be honest, every fan was let down, not every fan should think that’s the caliber of football we are going to see for the rest of the season. At least I don’t think so. I believe that the offense we saw in the second half will be the norm. Not to say we’ll score 28 points in every half, we can but dream, but we’ll see strong running and better passing from Sunseri like we did in the second half compared to the first.
There is a lot to work on to make that happen though. Here’s what jumps out to me:
Obviously Graham doesn’t read Blogs or Boards as it has been stated about a hundred thousand times that Sunseri can’t throw the deep ball. He didn’t last year and didn’t yesterday either. Forget about what happens in practice, we heard it all last season about this subject. “But he’s been real accurate in practice!” over and over after games last season.
While that can’t disappear completely, it has to be modified. Sunseri hit the short game pretty well, came out of the locker room and went 6/7 for 88 yards and a TD in the second half (it was like a “Tale of Two Tinos”), and that will be the strength of his game. Perhaps miracles happen and he gets better deep by next Saturday, but he had nine months to get it right. We have the receivers for a deep game but we need a QB to execute his part before we call it into the game on a regular basis. BTW, that first play of the game was all ego on Graham’s part.
Graham has to take the “play or punt” option off the table for the QB. Apparently Sunseri had the authority to check off the called play, back up and punt, inside the Buffalo 40, for those two “back to the future’ quick kicks in the first half. Sack up and call the damn play yourself men. This is why we gave you the big money. You promised aggressiveness now give it to us. What was obvious to me that our HC was deathly afraid of losing his first game.
Everyone understands that Ray Graham is going to be featured in this offense but yesterday he had 29 rushes. Where the hell was Zach Brown? He showed power early for a six yard TD and then disappeared. Ray Graham was wonderful yesterday but he’ll burn out at this pace when there is no reason to.
Coach, it is a “triple option” not just an option play. There has to be at least a credible threat of the QB running and actually being successful at it. Take away Sunseri’s 17 yard scramble and he had -.5 yards per carry. Hey, if he can’t do it get Trey Anderson in there. He can run and his passing is probably on par with Sunseri’s. Call the QB’s number next Saturday for some running plays, really see if it can work. If he can’t get it done the choice is to change your offense or change your personnel. Myers expounds this problem by his level of mobility. His being able to throw a deep ball but then having the staff jettison the desired offense isn’t going to happen. If there is a QB change for any length of time I’ll bet its Anderson before Myers.
Our stalwarts of the DL disappeared yesterday. I was shocked when I saw Oliver only had a 3.3 ypc average when it seemed like he was getting at least six yards every time he touched the ball. We have essentially the same personnel this season as last up front so I have to think the problem rests on the defensive coaches’ shoulders. Regardless, if that doesn’t get fixed fast we are in for a long season. Buffalo put up 93 plays and 28 first downs against us. The fact that we held them to 16 points was divine intervention, and with thanks to their butter fingered WR.
I’m optimistic that we’ll pull this into shape. I saw nothing yesterday that would dissuade my predictions of an 8-4 or 9-3 record. In fact, if our offense plays like it did in the 2nd half consistently throughout the rest of the season I think we’ll have a great chance. As long as the defense gets straightened out…
Quick Facts: On PITT’s TD drives we used up an average of 1m 31s off the play clock. In the second half we scored 28 points on 23 plays. Sunseri had a 43% completion rate in the first half; an 86% rate in the second.
View From The Press Box:
I had a chance to get media credentials this season and sat in the press box for yesterday’s game (thanks Chas). It is a nice experience even though I was relegated to the 3rd tier peanut galley for internet ‘reporters’. I felt like a modern day Jimmy Olsen. The view is from the 30 yard line and it is completely soundproofed, you can’t hear the crowd or the announcer at all – the refs calls are piped in. They have a very strict ‘no cheering’ rule in the box also which is strange but I get it for the sake of professionalism.
One interesting thing was the guys sitting directly in front of me were doing the live computer feed into ESPN’s Gamecast website; they worked fast as hell with both the teams running a no-huddle offense. There was also a very nice buffet with roast beef carving station and chicken and at the half they throw out hot dogs and hamburgers. No beer that I could see though. Bottom Line is that as nice as it was, and air-conditioned, it doesn’t feel like you are at a real football game – kind of like watch baseball being played indoors.
The D has a huge weak link and it is the linebackers. They were horrible against Buffalo.
Our Season ticket prices are one game for most other schools, maybe we’re just spoiled.
When I was a full-time Pitt student (undergrad degree in 69′, grad degree 72′) Pitt was still very heavily a commuter school. Also, very very many who resided in the dorms came from less than 100 miles away and went home nearly every weekend. The towers and campus were a ghost town on weekends. The commuters and the not on campus on weekend crowd were focused on their high school FB team’s Friday night results and getting home to see family and their high school sweet heart. There was no way that the vast majority of these future alums would even consider being in Oakland on a Saturday for a FB game even if the team hadn’t been awful in that pre-Majors I era. Is it any wonder that so many of these older alumni remain poorly connected to Pitt football and Pitt fans travel so poorly?
On the bright side, the future may be better as Pitt is no longer the commuter school it used to be and the campus is no longer deserted on weekends (as I know from personal observation
plus reports from my kid who just graduated in May).
The atmosphere is made by the fans. Win, fill the stadium and the atmoshpere will be great.
Bowl stadiums are made for viewing football games including the fact they are elevated and less onstructed by the benches and all of the sideline patrons. Heinz may have it beat in every other way — but every time I’m at Heinz, I wish I had the sightlines I had when I was the old stadium
Heinz can rock. Just shut up an win, and people will come and make the place rock. You can brand the style of play all you want, sell people on offense or gimmicky crap, but winning will be the only measure for filling stadiums in a Pro Town. And, do to the relative low cost for season tickets and close proximity to other regional schools, you will always have a faction of visiting fans “invade” the stadium. Get over it.
Just win. The rest will work itself out nicely.
agree with Dr. Tom on the LOTS problem. Pregame traffic (from East)is bad enough, then you hit the Prowl and lack of open lots close to stadium. But its OK if we win 9 games a yr and the big ones at home. Porta potties on the Parkway East and downtown would be nice.
Nice idea from Melvin about covering those 15K seats, with a panther logo (not a rabid chipmunk). Image is everything. And can the ill timed music.
that P-I-T-T cheer with the signs must go. terrible. go back to unified LETS GO PITT initiated by cheerleaders/dance team.
get a big lead and let us see the back up QBs this SAT. Stop making excuses for Tino. I will support him but he needs to improve if this team wants to compete for the BE title. He misses too many scoring opportunities with erratic deep throws and off target crossing route throws. Not a threat to tuck and run.
Enough talk. topic has been addressed ad nauseam.He needs to improve or be replaced. Get the ball to Street and Shahanan on target and hand off to Graham and Brown and all will be well.
Bring on the Bears (not Chicago, Maine). Improvement from game 1 to 2 critical to beating Iowa away. LETS GO PITT (no signs).
pitt192, a major factor is also the enrollment. The current enrollment is what? 5 or 6 times the enrollment during your freshman year.
As for the game, ad-nausea is accurate. I expect steady improvement for this team. I did like seeing Coach Graham’s comments. He expects Koreans I expect to see it starting Saturday!
Hail to Pitt!
They struggle with attendance too. Granted, they don’t have Pitt’s tradition, but they have a much bigger enrollment. It’s a common problem for college teams in pro towns, as TX Panther said.
However, when they win, they sell out. They sold out for Central Florida when they rose to #2 in 2007 and for their first Big East game of 2008 when they were undefeated and #10. That’s when our Pitt Panthers knocked them off. It was extra sweet because I was sitting among people from the USF Athletic Department. But I digress…
Like many have said, it’s really all about winning. That brings out the bandwagon fans who only support winners. Unfortunately, you need those people, especially in today’s tough economy.
comment by , tired of the crap.
I’m thinking that Charlie would help attract the bandwagon fans because many would show up to see what 20-something porn star he brought with him. They could do a pre-game autograph session at each home game.
I think you’re on to something. Let us know what Pedey and Nordy say. LOL
Yes the low bleacher seating at Pitt Stadium was much more easier to fall down, fall over or fall off of. haha
Heinz Field has the seat backs, you have to be really blitzed. Possible yes, likely….no
Yes I agree with need a mass email sent to Pitt admin concerning the nonsensical overly loud noise that they play between plays.
It kills whatever little crowd noise or crowd buzz there is. AND IT has stopped any fan driven started cheers. WTF
If you go to a USC or UCLA game, the band has there little short pieces to get the crowd clapping, cheering or whatever. And then their really hot cheerleaders & songgirls dance to that and get the crowd even more excited. Pitt needs to send someone (me, I suggest..haha) to USC & UCLA to observe…. take notes and implement something similar at Pitt games.
But that loud noise between plays & timeouts GOTTA GO !
They’d probably still want Campus buses to take them up there.
Buffalo’s Offense probably shouldn’t have had 16 points, but they have a decent qb and a decent offense.
The D will adjust, the Corners are athletic and need to get used to being aggresseive..years of a soft 4-3 to an attack D.. .lets hope they adjust after film. Linebackers are a concern…
If Tino comes out flat again… I would start to question the coaching staff’s choice. I understand of why Tino is starting (imagine the teams morale if Grahm came in and benched Tino right away) I pray it was nerves on Tino.. but thats a fading excuse to a second year starter, regardless if is a new system.
Why was Trey Anderson under the radar.. he was a good QB, won a state championship in 5A texas. I would think he would have some better offers.
We should put enough up by half so others can get in against Maine.
Tino gets better, oline adjusts and we pressure the short passing game… could be an interesting year. Lots of IFs i hope we figure out.
I also hate the 3rd down song by Soulja Boi. It’s terrible.
My suggestion for 3rd down songs:
1) IRON MAN – Black Sabbath
2) WE WILL WE WILL ROCK YOU – Queen
3) ENTER SANDMAN – Metalica
The Tale of Two Systems:
Wanny had a pro style offense with very good receivers and had a QB who couldnt deliver the ball to them.
Graham runs the spread with very good receivers and has a QB who can’t deliver the ball to them….and in a system that is designed to have the QB run threat as a viable option…has a QB that can’t run….and he’s lousy punter as well
The QB is the same guy….Sunseri
WHY WHY WHY are we sticking this O with a guy who literally can’t do anything they need him to do?
In ANY system? Its like tying them up with a lead weight. His limitations are clearly visable in BOTH systems…which were light years apart.
He can’t run either one! SOOOOOOOOOOO……
My daughter went to Maryland and actually knew the kid who started Under Armour.
Say what you want about your personal opinion of those garish new uniforms…
They did ONE thing loud and clear…
They ILLUSTRATED physically that a change had been made in the program….that the new regime was going to shake things up, be flashy, emphasize team (no names) and that this was in fact a VERY different Maryland team from the past bland offerings…and it was a direct purposeful attempt to engage their fans, media, and college football watchers nationally and draw attention to the new program.
You can talk all you want about Change…first you actually HAVE to change….and then you have to create the perception with your base that CHANGE has happened, and will continuet to happen.
Say what you want about the Maryland Uniforms…they certainly signalled the above LOUD and clear.
What has Pitt done to do the same with the new Graham regime? Nothing but TALK….
Nothing else has signalled any real change….
Same Uniforms, same Field stuff, same cheers, same old same old….and guess what…the team play and the results were pretty much same old as well.
If you are bringing positive change…do something to SHOW it and dont just talk about it.
RE Heinz Field…agree WINNING is the great equalizer and Pitt fans have been yearning for that to return to the football program for years.
This program under several different coaches has had a cloud of bad luck, underacheivement and a whatever will go wrong will go wrong history.
Its like there has been some black cloud over it.
This new coaching regime was a chance to try and shake all that off….and I dont think they thought the whole presentation off this to Pitt fans out very well at all.
There are many pros and cons to playing at Heinz vs on Campus. Personally I had season tickets at Pitt Stadium for many years and I travelled 2hrs to get there. I enjoyed the return to the Pitt campus area for gameday….going to familar places, seeing what changes had been wrought, hitting all the old haunts…seeing the Cathedral overhang the whole campus…it gave you a sense of coming back and belonging to the University.
It was a chance to reconnect with your Pitt past.
You just dont get that at Heinz….
Its a venue where they play the game….period.
No winning tradition established there…no sense of this is OURS….no icons to see our old haunts to visit…no reconnection with our School exists there. And you wonder why more fans and alums dont come and fill the seats or why the students leave early…TO GO BACK TO THEIR CAMPUS!
Nuff said…..
