In the podcast I did last night, I hemmed-and-hawed for a bit before reluctantly giving Iowa a 1-point win in predicting the outcome for Saturday. Considering the oddsmakers are favoring Iowa by 3 to 3.5 points at home (and most say that homefield is worth about 3-points), it seems that most are really unsure about this game. As easily as Pitt could be on the losing end of this game, Pitt could very well win this game.
As frustrated as many of us are over the way the team has performed in the first two games, that frustration is mirrored by Iowa fans. The difference, Iowa is running its same system. It may have players in their first year of starting (like their QB) and there will be obvious improvements for them as the season progresses. Pitt is in a new system, going through growing pains and is more likely to see bigger improvement as the players get more comfortable and the coaches make adjustments based on what they see the kids can and can’t do.
Q: I wanted to see where you stood on the arguement of making the system fit the guys or making the guys fit the system. I don’t think anyone should have expected the guys to run this system as fluidly as Graham would have run it had he recruited a few classes of his own players. But, do you think it is more imperative that Graham continue to try to smash square pegs (i.e. Sunseri, the LB’s, the DB’s) into square holes, or that he try to tweak his system some to fit the personnel?
ZEISE: I agree — you should fit your system to your players and here is the thing — Graham has done that. Yes, he is running his offense and defense and yes, he has installed most of what he wants to do. But he has also tailored it to his talent and he has changed a number of things, especially on defense, even from the spring because it became abundantly clear that the Panthers didn’t have the personnel to run what he wants to run in its entirety. And we’ve seen some tweaks, like moving Lindsey back to defensive end, and having the offensive linemen pull and trap and run power like they used to in Wannstedt’s system. It is a season of adjustments and what I like about this coaching staff is they haven’t force fed their system down these players throats — they have tried hard to make it work with the players they have. This offense and defense will look completely different in three or four years when they recruit enough players that fit.
Coach Graham has stressed that the goal is to win now, not simply install the new system without a thought for this season. It helps when the players are buying into things. So, while a complete blowout would have been, um, less stressful for everyone. They did stick to trying to keep the balance between the running and passing game.
Hubie Graham was a traditional tight end. Admittedly he was stuck after transferring from Illinois. Already a year lost of eligibility, he had to embrace things. He has. Becoming a very vital key and weapon on the offense.
The initial attraction for Graham was the success former Pitt tight end coach Brian Angelichio had with Nate Byham and Dorin Dickerson, but he said the transition to a new staff has gone well.
After two games, Graham heads back to Big Ten country on Saturday for Pitt’s game at Iowa, standing second on the team in receiving yards (109) and third in receptions (seven).
“We thought he was a guy who could really take over (the tight end position) and do a lot of things for us and be able to expose the underneath coverage,” Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri said.
I wonder if there is a chance, especially since Hubie Graham added that he likes blocking that we will see Graham line-up as the TE and now reinstated Anthony Gonzalez playing H-back at the same time. Maybe…
Graham said Gonzalez is too good of an athlete to leave on the sidelines, buried behind the other quarterbacks. Gonzalez’s development while he was suspended has been better than expected, Graham said.
Gonzalez will share time with Hubie Graham and Drew Carswell. The coach said that all three have such different skills that there could be some plays when all of them are on the field.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in [Gonzalez],” Todd Graham said. “I’ll be real honest with you, we watch his development and I’m excited. We need to get him going. I think he can really help us. He’s going to play, I don’t know if he’s ready to play every play. Hubie’s done a good job, there’s definitely things that Hubie’s going to do, but Anthony is going to play at three-back.”
One thing that can help Pitt is that Iowa has shown itself susceptible to teams that run the spread (insert stereotypical comment about slow Big Ten teams). Granted, I’d be more optimistic if Michigan had beaten Iowa once in the past two years (they didn’t face each other in 2008).
The key will be how much pressure Iowa’s defense can bring. Can the Pitt O-line look better than it did against Maine? According to Coach Graham, it is more important that Tino Sunseri make his decisions much faster.
Graham’s biggest criticism of Sunseri has been an inability to get rid of the ball quickly. The offense is based on the quarterback reading the defense and making quick decisions.
“We are a timing passing team — 1-2 and out on our quick passing game; 1-2-3 and out on our drop-back passing game,” Graham said. “The play has no chance because we are not reading what we are supposed to be reading, and we are not getting the ball off on time.
“There are about 10 or 12 plays a game like that. Then, the play breaks down, and it becomes a mess. Fans get frustrated. We get frustrated.”
Graham said he counted eight sacks in two games while Pitt was aligned in a maximum seven-man protection scheme.
“I would tell you we haven’t been sacked four times in four years (in maximum protection). That tells you where we are at. We, obviously, don’t understand that.”
The coaches aren’t saying that Sunseri is playing for his job (only the fans are saying/hoping for that). Trey Anderson will definitely see work, but barring injury or some complete meltdown, will not be taking the reins.
Sunseri is maintaining that he will get it together.
So how close is the offense?
“Inches,” Sunseri said.
How about his confidence?
“All-time high,” he said. “I feel confident in the plays, confident in the coaches calling plays, confident in every area of our offensive game plan. I feel we’re close. We’re really close. Cut out the mistakes and it’s a whole different story.”
Yeah. Cut out the mistakes. That’s all.
Back to Iowa. The mistakes are what they see as costing them the last game.
From below average kickoff coverage to dropped passes to fumbles to minor breakdowns defensively, the Hawkeyes know it wasn’t much more than a handful of plays that cost them dearly against the Cyclones.
“There were probably 15 plays during the regulation period if we were able to go back and do a better job, change coaching decisions – whatever it may be – it doesn’t go to overtime and that is true probably for most of our games,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said. “And I’m sure they (Iowa State) are saying the same thing. Had they done a few things differently, there wouldn’t have been overtime.”
An area of weakness for the Hawkeyes — as seen in their Iowa State loss — punt and kickoff coverage.
Q. Punt and kickoff coverage, is that a personnel issue or just a coverage issue?
COACH FERENTZ: Well, I’m hoping it’s not an issue on the punt team, but it was Saturday. A couple things involved there, but I think we will be okay there. I’m concerned about our kickoff team right now, mainly because we’ve been riding a roller coaster. It seems like forever, but it’s been at least going back to last year. I can’t remember much past that.
And we’re — when we hit, we hit pretty well, but when we miss, we miss badly, and with the work that we have to do defensively right now, to think that we can let somebody start with the ball on the 40, 45, 50 or the other side of the 50 week in and week out, it’s just not very realistic. We’re going to have to try to figure something out there and do a better job certainly.
With Pitt’s new-found competence on returns, this could be a big X-factor.
I’m surprised. Seriously, the team’s success rides on it getting resolved.
The Tino factor is 800 lb gorilla in the room. Why the coaches are sticking with Sunseri as the starter at this point is a mystery to me. The multiple issues of poor mobility, slow decision making, inability to throw an accurate long ball and his lack progress shown in the no huddle system up to this point in the season I find very disheartening. Nothing against Sunseri, he appears to be a team leader and has apparently worked his butt off this summer and in camp. That however does not make up for the fact that he is just not getting it done on the field when it counts.
What no one has addressed up to this time is that with this retarded QB development in the no huddle system how it negatively influences the development of the entire offense.
This system demands to be run quickly and if it isn’t, all different aspects of the offense malfunction. The receivers routes can’t be honed to a fine timing, blocking breaks down and drives get snuffed before the offense can find their tempo, eliminating the offensive reps required to further develop the entire offensive system.
Graham has backed up Sunseri so far but he has stated that Tino needs to make quicker decisions and has to run the offensive system at the tempo demanded to be successful. Now honestly if he can’t accomplish this after over 3 weeks in camp taking the majority of 1st team snaps and in 8 quarters of live football against inferior opposition then when WILL the light come on?
This team needs to have Anderson get in there and be given the chance to see if he can do better. As is common knowledge, he ran this type of offense in high school with enough expertise to take Pearland HS from no where to the 5A Texas State Championship, so I would think that he could at least give it a pretty good shot if given the opportunity.
Graham says he has a “one year plan” and that he “wants to win now”. Well he at this point is tying his hopes to an also ran in Sunseri point just at the time when he has available a talented freshman that is chomping at the bit to get on the field and contribute now.
IMO, Graham should start Anderson against Iowa and keep Sunseri in reserve, just the opposite of what he SAYS he is going to do. Who knows, maybe that is his biggest surprise that he is going to spring in this game, starting Anderson when everyone is expecting Tino to start. That bait and switch would be clever for sure and has very little down side IMO.
Pitt often seems to start slow, this might just be the jump start required to get the game’s momentum rolling in Pitt’s favor early. If Trey knocks it out of the park, great, keep him swinging, if not, then Graham has given him the reps he promised Anderson and Tino comes in to try to save the day, a perfect roll for the team’s leader.
The main point is, who has more upside potential to help this team win now and into the future? Until Trey Anderson is given an adequate opportunity, we will never be able to answer that question factually. The “Try Trey” chant is getting pretty loud, now is the time while we can still produce that stellar season of “High Octane Football” promised by Todd Graham, maybe we just have to put the right kind of gas in the tank?
I do not think you can count on a freshman who has one good drive under his belt with little game pressure on him. Further, it was not a hostile crowd and Pitt comfortable lead when he came in.
I know he played in front of a large crowd I the 5A title game …. but (1) itwas not necessarily a hostile crowd and (2) this was the 13th, 14th or 15th game that he had played with (and led) th same group of guys.
I cannot blame Graham at all for starting Tino but must confess my confidence in his has waned.
That was the thing about Anderson’s two series last week. He came in when we had only a 13 point lead…that wasn’t mop up time by any means. Those were two meaningful series, and he extended the lead with them. Would have had more too if Long John Silver wasn’t kicking for us.
Put the kid under as much pressure as possible, I’m thinking he can handle anything. But by all means get him as ready as possible to take the reins over if needed. Hell, one unlucky shot on Tino and Anderson could be the starter for the duration.
The only way to do that is to get him on the field.
You don’t sit your starter based on two good series by the backup, when as Reed said, he hasn’t lost you any games. I’d also like to see if (1) he responds to better competition and (2) if he plays better on the road. Remember, he was on the sideline when the home crowd booed Stull mercilessly at the beginning of ’09, so that may be playing with his head a bit too.
However, as I said in Reed’s QB thread earlier, Tino’s leash is about 1 quarter long. If he doesn’t respond and we see the Tino of the first two games, Anderson gets quarter 2, the better performer starts the 2nd half and perhaps beyond.
This is a pivotal game in Pitt’s season, IMO – so pivotal that I’m skipping my normal golfing day to stay home and watch it on TV. I think you could see many lineup changes on both sides of the ball based on what happens in this game.
Supposedly, Alabama is a master of changing a defensive alignment after the offense has changed the play .. a big chess match.
Unfortunately, Myers just doesn’t seem to be a fit here but would love to see him prove me wrong. He is tall with a strong arm and has some degree of athleticism since he rant the hurdles and played basketball in high school .. so maybe he will come around in another year.
We get on the first tee, set up the bet for the day’s round and then he can’t hit a pressure shot from there on out to save his life. Tino is proving to me to be a very good practice player but he wilts under pressure during game situations.
I’m predicting that when Trey Anderson gets his opportunity that he will prove that he is a game day player. Whatever “IT” is, this kid seems to have it. I’m committed to the idea that the quicker we get him into the game the sooner Pitt develops it’s next great QB for Graham’s system. Trey is a winner, mark my words.
I agree with starting Tino and I think Pitt will win…and win easily. This offense is made for teams like Iowa.
I still remember that Oregon/ Michigan game 3 years back when some QB named Dixon just embarrassed the bigger slower Michigan team.
We need to take it one quarter at a time and our defense needs to come to play, but I like Pitt by 7+ points…with both QB’s playing a lot.
Yes, it might be a stretch to think a walk on qb could do well, however, if your starter is stinking up the place, what’s the difference???
I hope Tino does well, but, if he overthrows people, caves in because a DE’s arm touches his shoulder, or throws picks, yank him and give the frosh a chance.
I have seen now, that he is no threat, the d does not have to worry about the qb position faking the hand off, and running, or faking the handoff, and dropping back and throwing.
Is he not doing this on his own, have the coaches told him not too?? Isn’t that part of the offense, deception?? Keeping the D off balance.
He may be a freshmen, but, one thing I saw with Anderson, he can run like the wind.
Also, allthough a freshmen, and you can’t compare high school to college, certainly, there has got to be a comfort level, that may make up for that, in having been in this offense since the 8th grade.
We will see. Hail to Pitt!!
1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total
PITT 61 78 82 121 0 342
Opponents 48 70 58 68 3 247
This offense is sputtering along with 189 yards passing against UB and a little over 200 against FCS Maine with 2 picks to boot. TG has admitted that over 20 plays weren’t even run correctly because the QB didn’t make the decision to throw the ball. (this is something you CAN expect with a true freshman walk-on player, haha) The QB knows the only way he’s benched is if he throws picks (which is exactly what happened after the 2 thrown in the 3rd Q). So therefore he hesitates. And hesitation is something that can infect the whole team. And if I have to tell you that hesitation in this ‘timing’ offense is going to prove disastrous, then you are truly beyond help. Go watch soccer !
Now to reality…..Tino still starts, for whatever reason they want to dream up. If/when the offense is sputtering along, and Pitt has missed scoring opportunities like in Games 1 & 2 and through out last season as well. AND there is still no QB change at that point, then you can deduce that this season will be a washout. Enjoy the trip to the Beef O’Brady’s Bowl… if that.
Well, at least that is what I hope.
As for Tino, I’ve given up on him. His decision making is terrible, and the way he scrambles and holds onto the ball just kills the offense and the receivers.
Ferentz quote.
Funny when I look at our inside linebackers, I think really slow, couldn’t hit a cupcake out of a RB’s clutches and real liabilities to this defense.
Pitt 28 Iowa 20
For that matter, he has done pretty well at Iowa .. more often than not, they have a vey good team
Jones has a great day returning kicks and takes one for a td and sets up another.
Harper actually makes all of his kicks within 45 yards.
The coaches have been telling Sunseri not run (protect his health and hide his ability) the 1st 2 weeks, he runs 6 times for 30 yards. Just enough to keep the defense thinking.
It finally clicks with Sunseri and he plays fast football, hitting receivers quickly so they can at least try for YAC.
Gonzalez and H. Graham prove to be potent weapons when on the field at the same time.
R. Graham goes for over 150 with 2 td’s and maybe gets some publicity outside of the Big East.
The defense actually looks fast and aggressive against bigger, stronger and slower traditional offense Iowa.
We actually create a turnover or 2 on defense with one of those leading to a td.
Shanahan continues to show he has hands of gold and get 7 catches and a td.
Sunseri throws quick enough that he only gets sacked twice.
Trey Anderson gets to play at least 3 series and leads 2 scoring drives and shows that he is at least a worthy #2 and worthy competition for Sunseri.
Now the reality is: All of the above could happen and we win by 3 scores. Or, 1 or 2 of the above happen and we look like we did against Miami last year. I think it really is that wide open.
Either way, this game will go a long way to determining where this season goes. Just the same, there’s still a lot of football still to play after this game. We can recover or crash and burn.
The answer he might be looking for is a guy with the #12 on his away uni.
Haven’t been a Pitt fan long, have you? haha
A win Saturday, at Iowa, would be huge!! Doesn’t matter if they’re down a little this year or not. Beating Iowa, in Iowa would be huge.
However, the first two games have everyone on edge a bit, and has made the rest of the season look a bit ominous!!
We’re 2-0, but most of us were at the games, or watched the games, hence, the jitters.
Definitely a big game, would love them to suprise me. Can’t wait.
“To be quite honest with you, we haven’t played well at quarterback,” Graham said. “We’ve done great things at that position at times, and we have great potential at that position. I have belief in Tino at that position.”
On one hand he is being (refreshingly) honest about the QB play to date and on the other he’s trying to keep Sunseri’s confidence up. But it doesn’t lay groundwork for a QB switch if it’s made… he can always point back to ‘…it should be no surprise to anyone, we’ve played Anderson and I said Sunseri wasn’t playing well.’
If he had been either a “NR” or a “one-star” recruit given a spare scholarship at the last minute would that make you feel any better?
Regardless – once a player hits camp, and then the regular season, he’s judged by the staff on his merits, not on whether he had a scholarship or not. Obviously Graham feels he’s worthy of the #2 spot and to get playing time and even more importantly, a coach widely recognized as an expert in QB play, Todd Dodge, has felt the same way.
I know that you feel Myers should get PT and I’d love to see him in action also. But I’ve watched him in some practices and I’ll repeat what I’ve said before. In using him for any length of time means almost a real devation from the emphasis on the triple option play – which is the rock bottom basis of this offense.
Our HC is try to accomplish two thing here. One is to win for today, this season. The other, and equally as important to me and IMO to the administration, is to get his offensive system in place as running smoothly soon as possible this season so that he can move forward with it as he’s preparing and recruiting for the future.
In doing so, putting Myers in, aside from a series or two, would be a step backward in that effort. Especially not when we have a starting QB who really hasn’t failed in it yet (no matter what some fans think) and a QB2 who fits the system perfectly.
One last point – if you watched the game on Saturday can you honestly say that Myers could have thrown the ball any better than Anderson did? All Anderson’s passes were right where they should be, delivered quickly and with speed on the ball. This kid can pass very well also and he has, by far, the quickest release of any QB we have. That is imperative in this “One, Two, Go!” passing scheme.
I don’t think Myers could have done any better, especially keeping in mind that another big requirement for this offense is that the QB must be able to throw on the run (designed plays off the triple option, not scrambles). That is an opinion based on his practice play I saw of course because we haven’t seen Myers in gameday action action yet.
We’ll see Anderson more tomorrow and we’ll see if he produces like he did last week. But for now I don’t believe Graham is looking past his first two QBs going into the rest of the season yet.
I also feel the Pitt defense shows up in a major way this game. Depth on the defensive line will be our key to that, Iowa is going to try to ram it down our throats and our guys know how to respond to that, we have enough troops to stay fresh on the D line, plus it will allow our backers to concentrate more on stopping the run (a strength) as opposed to picking up pass coverages (a weakness). Really, based on the performance in the first two games, it should be pretty easy to perform better than they have up to this point anyhow.
Back up on my Trey Anderson soap box. Go ahead #12, make my day. show me up as a know nothing blow hard and have a fantastic game. Rush for 50+ yards and show me a 70% completion rate with 200+ yards, I’d love it. I just don’t see it happening.
On Saturday just compare the diffence of the offensive tempo and decisive play making of each QB and then let me know who you think should be on the field first come ND. IMO, every play that Anderson is kept out of is one more squandered opportunity to get our “No Huddle Spread Option QB” game experience, in case you haven’t already heard, that’s Trey Anderson.
BTW, @ BomberSunshine, take off your rose colored glasses and quit smokin that hippie lettuce, Hello? in case you haven’t been watching, we are 2-0 over inferior competition and looked bad doing it. I am a diehard Pitt football fan for 40 years but I am not blinded by a w-l record. I look at the team’s performance and come to my conclusions. My analysis for this week is ALL about the key position of QB. Iowa ain’t no Maine, we stink the place out there and once again we crap our pants on national TV. I’m not saying that we are going to lose, all that I’m saying is we had better bring it a lot more than we have or else we are going to get spanked by a very physical opponent. That my friend is what everyone in the know are worried about tomorrow. Good luck to Tino, his play will be key to victory.
Maybe I’m wrong but that’s the impression I got from last week.
Miss St runs the spread, LSU looks to run a more traditional offense, but, still no huddle.
Like one poster said yesterday, a lot of looking to the sidelines for the plays, as the offense is allready set.
Only 9-6 LSU going into 4th qtr. Miss St. just tired out, they gave their all, LSU too big. Think it ended up 19-6???
He wrote that it is natural for college kids to focus more on tougher competition. He also pointed out that last time we played Iowa (08), nobody thought Pitt was going to win being that we lost to Bowling Green and played shabbily in a win over Buffalo .. (not to mention Iowa was prettty good with Shaun Green at RB)