It was hard fought but we proved to have a bit more ineptitude than Notre Dame in giving away the game 15-12 yesterday. But hey, there is enough blame to go around for every PITT fan to be able to point fingers somewhere if you are so inclined.
It was, quite honestly, a pretty good display of defense in the first three quarters… until we lost our appeal to the referees to be able to donate $125 million dollars to charity if we could forego the fourth quarter of play. That was a harbinger…
A key turning point was in the third quarter when we finally put a TD on the board after a solid 80 yard, 19 play drive. We then held ND to a three and out and on our next series it seemed like we could finally take the momentum and build a lead that would hold… only to go three and out on a penalty and two Sunseri incompletions. That was it right there and we all knew it. Any advantage or positive emotion PITT held disappeared like air from a balloon.
The actual death spiral started on our first drive of the final quarter. We dicked around and put together a 29 yard drive in nine plays; read again folks, 29 yards in nine plays for a 2.7 yard per play average. There couldn’t have been any remaining doubt in PITT or ND fans at that point what was going to happen next, just as Graham had emailed Kelly the night before…
“Remember, you’ll have the fourth quarter, save your energy!” To which Kelley replied… “OK, if you’ll remember that we don’t have anyone who can catch a pass other than Michael Floyd. Seriously Todd, I wouldn’t kid you about this, Floyd is it as far as that goes. Good Luck!”
Then, of course, after our punt ND scores the winning TD by completing nine consecutive passes including a two point conversion. NINE STRAIGHT COMPLETIONS! And where in hell did this kid Eifert come from? He caught five of those passes and scored both the TD and the conversion. “Number 80? I don’t have 80! Antwuan, K’waun, Jason and I have Floyd, dammit!! You linebackers have 80!”
PITT fans began to sweep up the floors, stow away the booze and dimmed the lights as the party was over right about then. But Wait!! We had one last shot at this thing. We valiantly put together a 12 play Keystone Kops drive that ended up with us going backward, like High Octane but in reverse gear, finally netting two yards per play. You read that correctly… two yards per play that ended on a failed 4th and 26. Nothing in fiction writing can compare to this.
Our final two drives in the 4th quarter combined for 21 plays, 53 total yards and zero, zilch, zed points. No way to put lipstick on that pig. It’s as if after Sweet Caroline finishes the entire PITT team turns to the student section and holds up three fingers; “WE OWN THE FIRST THREE QUARTERS!”
It’s getting to the point where it seems that Tino Sunseri isn’t going to be able to catch a break no matter how hard he tries. After giving us a poor showing by not converting on critical 3rd and 4th downs in the fourth quarter last week; he shakes that off yesterday, does a pretty good job of passing in 4th quarter crunch time by having nine completions with three 3rd down conversion passes… only to take two sacks on our final drive which killed our chances to at least tie the game.
But the bottom line for PITT is that at QB is that we don’t have a guy out there who can finish off the game when it’s needed. For whatever reason it just isn’t happening. That was the difference between ND’s Rees and Sunseri yesterday, Rees took the reins firmly in hand and Sunseri could not. It is a pattern that has been repeated late in the games over the last three weeks.
I was astonished that the match was so low scoring and in that I had to wonder then why in the world Graham would try a two-point conversion when going up 12-7, which allowed ND to put us in the position of not being able to win with a FG. That, and PITT continually believing that Ray Graham has to be ‘ridden’ to victory, really bothers me. In his last three games Graham is averaging 4.3 ypc. That isn’t bad but you can’t build an offense only around that as some pundits continually harp about.
One bright point was, and this has been a talking point for me since the season started, the fact that Sunseri actually used the third option off the triple option play yesterday when he pulled the ball back and chose to run a few times. I’ve wanted to see this out of him all season and he has to continue to do so if we are going to have any offensive success with him at QB. Take away those sacks and he had 42 yards on six attempts for 6.5 ypc. Not too shabby at all and it’s what Graham wants his QBs to be able to do. That will pay dividends down the road, especially after we complete a trade of our defensive back eight for any other Div I team’s back eight. Our GM is on the phones as we speak.
Going into the match I don’t think any of us was expecting what we saw as far as scoring went. On this blog alone the predictions averaged 35-30 for ND. The fact that we held ND to 15 points is commendable; it really is. The fact that we couldn’t punch our way out of a paper bag on offense is not.
Whatever, this wasn’t Sunseri’s fault. That said, don’t absolve him of continuing his bad habits of indecision, poor decisions and holding the ball too long after the snap, which was still evident. There was no real progress being made in that area.
It wasn’t necessarily Graham’s fault either. It was one of those weird games that we just aren’t equipped to win at this point. I don’t believe the staff is adept at building the player’s confidence that they can play a complete 60 minute game and win. I also believe the players are in a wait and see mode about this transition to a different offense. It’s one thing to be excited and ‘buy in’ during camp, it’s a whole other thing when you struggle with it each week during the season.
ND’s Rees, Sam Bradford, Danny Wuerfel (sp?), our own Dan Marino, and a slew of other freshmen QBs over the years have won when they were clearly in the first year of a system. Tino’s been in college four years and can’t make the adjustment that more than a few freshman have. Difference: They had it, and he doesn’t. Insult to injury for Pitt fans — he seems pretty pleased with himself considering everything he’s done badly and the fact he’s never beaten anyone good. Why do we have to put up with that sh#t when we have two legit talents biding their time on the bench yet getting no chance?
1) Tino would have replaced Stull 2 years ago
(I imagine if Tino would have been ready, they would have, they didn’t want to because he wasn’t ready to play and really embarrass the kid on the field, anyway he still had 3 more years of eligibility after Stull graduated)
2) Wanny probably wouldn’t have been fired since he backed Tino (turning that around Tino is STILL being ‘taken care regardless of who is coach, because he is a son of a coach and it doesn’t hurt that his father ALSO played at Pitt and was an All-American LB at Pitt, that’s called being a legacy)
3) Sal, who applied and was interviewed, would have been hired as head coach. (again Sal being Head Coach doesn’t matter in the coaching fraternity world and how their sons are handled by each other)
Maybe you never played sports and saw this up close and personal. Go learn how Big Ben of the Steelers almost never played QB.
The thought that Graham is under mandate to play Tino makes no sense especially since his predecessor was fired. (again he’s not under a mandate, it’s how the coaching fraternity take care of their own, is this so complex an idea you can’t fathom?)
Comment by wbb 09.25.11 @ 7:44 pm
It doesn’t work that way wbb. Sal doesn’t have to be hired as coach of Pitt or even have much influence at Pitt. ( He does have a little since he did get an interview, even if it was due to courtesy and if it was due to courtesy, why did PITT feel they had to be courteous to Sal?)
Some of you guys are like the 3 Wise Monkeys proverb, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
In case some of you don’t really understand what this proverb means:
In the Western world the phrase is often used to refer to those who deal with impropriety by looking the other way, refusing to acknowledge it, or feigning ignorance.
Fin
Not defending BigGuy or Wanny…..
However that’s the highest ranking PITT has finished the season at #15 in 2009 since 1982, when Pitt finished the season #9. (Dan Marino’s Senior year) That btw is 27 years. And I’ve suffered thru most of those 27 years since then.
Wanny’s last 3 years resulted in 27 wins and 12 losses. Again the best 3 year run at PITT since
1981-1983 when Jackie Sherrill led PITT to 28 wins and 7 losses.
Of course Jackie had Dan Marino at QB and a whole host of complimentary players who becomes NFL superstars and All-Pro’s and college and NFL hall of famers. Wanny had Bill Stull and Tinny.
So taking that into account, Wanny did pretty good with no outstanding QB and certainly he didn’t have anywhere close to the ‘other’ players that were on those 1981-1983 teams. Not even close.
Wanny’s biggest problem was he was steeped in the coaching fraternity and coaching cronyism: ie.
Cronyism is partiality to long-standing friends, especially by appointing them to positions of authority, regardless of their qualifications. Hence, cronyism is contrary in practice and principle to meritocracy.
And he was so steeped in that kind of garbage he hitched his wagon and his future at PITT to Tino.
Fin
684 wins
484 losses (update that to 485)
43 ties
Equates to a 58% winning %
Crony capitalism is a term describing a capitalist economy in which success in business depends on close relationships between business people and government officials. It may be exhibited by favoritism in the distribution of legal permits, government grants, special tax breaks, and so forth.
Crony capitalism is believed to arise when political cronyism spills over into the business world; self-serving friendships and family ties between businessmen and the government influence the economy and society to the extent that it corrupts public-serving economic and political ideals.
It’s killing this country with ineptitude.
Perhaps you might know someone who benefits from this kind of garbage. Which is maybe why you’re afraid to admit it exists. Ya think !
“The population migration to the south and more importantly desegration of the colleges in the southeast and soutwest in the mid nineteen nineties has kept the best players from these areas close to home.”
“Pitt’s recruiting base will always be the northeast and midatlantic states.”
Comment by DRW 09.25.11 @ 11:27 am
Um, what planet are you from DRW. The colleges in the southwest and southeast were desegregated WAY before the mid 1990’s. The 1990’s, really?
That happened, let’s see, like in the 1970’s einstein. Ever hear of Herschel Walker of Georgia who played at Georgia (you know in the South) in the late 1970’s and won the Heisman trophy in 1982. You say you went to Pitt, ever hear of George Rodgers of South Carolina who PITT played in the 1979 Gator Bowl, yea he won the Heisman Trophy too in 1979 and guess who finished 2nd to Rodgers, remember a guy named Hugh Green, you know he went to PITT. How about Chuck Foreman, Tom Jackson, Wilbur Jackson, Bennie Cunningham of Clemson ring a bell, Condredge Holloway was the Tennessee Volunteers starting QB in 1974, Wes Chandler, Art Still, maybe you heard of Earl Campbell or Louis Lipps, well you get the point. All of these guys played in the South at major universities WELL before the mid 1990’s, in fact most of these guys are from the 1970’s and only represent a fraction of the black players who played in the 1970’s, let alone the 1980’s.
Your 2nd stmt above is equally as ludicrous, to be blunt about it.
“Pitt’s recruiting base will always be the northeast and midatlantic states.”
Pitt currently has about 10 players from Florida.
In the last glory years(1975-1984)we had an abundant number of players from the South and from Florida. Ricky Jackson ring a bell, Hugh Green, Rooster Jones, the starting QB of Pitt in 1975 & 1976 was Bobby Haygood, he was from ah Georgia, last time I checked, that was in the South. Don’t want to wake you from your deep slumber though.
I can understand cronyism for Wanny’s hire since he is a friend of Chan Galey but they are one of the 3 undefeated teams in the NFL.
Melvin, you totally skated around the nepotism argument.
Tino has become unwatchable and High Octane offense is a big scam.
The fact is that Graham with all of his talk and big salary, and Pedersen who fired a winning coach and paying his replacement a much higher salary are both under the gun to produce.
Graham isn’t required to, it’s just how things work in fraternities. In this case the coaching fraternity. I’ll spell this out. TG is in the college coaching fraternity, Sal is in the college coaching fraternity since the mid 1980’s. They both belong to the same college coaching fraternity. They all take care of each other and their son’s, if they’re players with any ability at all. Members of fraternities give other members first priority and that includes their sons, especially their sons.
So in Review, Tino has two things in favor of him over the other QB’s.
1) His father is a member of the college coaching fraternity for over 25 years. (plus he coached at Pitt for 7 years) He also coached in the NFL at the Carolina Panthers under …guess who…Former PITT asst. Coach John Fox
2) His father was an All-American at Pitt and a 3 year starter, which therefore makes Tino a legacy at Pitt.
Guess what, the legacy will be a 3 year starter as well.
Neither Anderson, Myers or Gonzalez have either of those two factors working for them. And yes, it makes a difference. You see it’s not what you know or how good you are, it’s who you know.
The 3 kids above might be the 2nd coming of Dan Marino, but more than likely we’ll never know.
Just like had Joe Flacco stuck it out at Pitt, he might have never played and therefore never would have been in the NFL at all. End of story
Fin
• DW left the Miami Dolphins with the best won – loss record of any Dolphins coach, including Don Shula.
• Although his record with the Chicago Bears was not good, he was the UPI NFC’s Coach of the Year in1994.
• As Melvin pointed out, his record for the last three years at Pitt was the best in since 1983.
• His 2011 recruiting class was ranked by some as 20th best in the nation.
• Seven members of last year’s team were sufficiently schooled in football fundamentals to make NFL rosters.
If you would have said that DW does not belong in either the College Hall of Fame or the Pro Hall of Fame, no argument from me.
If you would have said that DW was a competent coach; however, Pitt could do better with another guy, well Chas has established this forum to debate comments like that. However, when you continuously make venomous remarks against DW and call him mediocre, I question your motives and your character. Perhaps the most valued possession of any of us is our reputation. I take great offense at anyone who purposely tries to unjustifiably sully someone’s reputation.
If Pitt doesn’t improve, it looks like a 6-6 season. I thought 8-4 at the beginning of the year.
Now I can’t resist this Wanny talk. My definition of mediocre is not winning the Big East and getting to a BCS bowl after 6 years. You can’t argue with that. Wanny just wasn’t getting it done. Graham won’t be given 6 years. Wanny is the past and Graham is the future whether you agree or not. Let’s move on people.
I’m sure there are sevral examples of this happening everywhere but you don’t know about it because they never or hardly ever play .. you only know when they do play (like Andrew Luck.)
Jason was the PG for that VA Commonwealth team a couple of years ago that made it to Elite 8 — their big star was Curry (I believe – can’t remember his 1st name.)
Jason is the son of Tom Richards who was the starting PG for that 1974 Pitt team that reached the Elite 8th and finished ranked 7th.
Now I do believe there is a lot of neoptism whenit comes to coaching.. just ask ask any PSU fan right now.
As far as the Tino thing is concerned, I’m over it. As much as we might like to see another QB, how much do any of those guys really know the offense? 1 or 2 sets? 3? Maybe 4? I honestly don’t know the answer to that, and I’m guessing the only one that does is TG. Tino “is what he is”, and while he’s clearly NOT the QB for this system, we’re probably going to have to wait at least a year to see any real change. If the coaches felt like they had a better chance to win with another guy, we’d be seeing it. I firmly believe that. If there ever was any nepotism, it was Tino coming here in the first place. DW may have shown some preferential treatment, but I can’t see where TG benefits by kissing Sal Sunseri’s ass.
Not so fast TX Panther. Only two coaches have won the Big 10 outright within the last six years: Jim Tressel and Joe Paterno. Therefore, according to your definition, during the past six years, the Big 10 had only two competent coaches. All the others were mediocre coaches. Do you also wish to extrapolate you definition of mediocrity to the SEC, the Big 12, the ACC, the PAC 10, etc.? Your definition of mediocrity is certainly not the same as mine.
But if our AD had said i will bring in a coach who will rip the system apart and post a worse record than wanny how many would have wanted him gone. would you melvin or dan or wbb tex panther well not me high octane offense my ass. WE are 6and 6 at best and that sucks.
Calling a coach mediocre is venomous. You and I must have a different definition of venomous.
The only time I post anything about him, is when I see your posts questioning the present coaching situation, wondering out loud how Pitt would do with the old coach etc. etc. What was one of your remarks, “oh, he’ll be ok in a few years, he might get up to Dave’s winning ability” or something like that.
Yes, to some others, and Big Guy, I’m tired of talking about him too. Quit bringing him up. Some of you talk like he was Johnny Majors or Jackie Sherill.
He was in the worst, and therefore, the easiest conference out of the Big 6 BCS conferences.
He only went to 3 bowls, never got us a BCS bowl, and only got us in the top 25 once, finished with a %58 winning percentage, in six years, in the worst conference.
Sully his reputation by calling him mediocre. First, medicore means average, what’s wrong with that??? Venomous??? Really???
Second, I think his reputation has been made over the last 40 years or so of his coaching career.
I really don’t think a poster, on a blog, has any say one way or another on his reputation.
I didn’t know I was that powerful.
Enough of Wannstedt??? I’m all for it. Quit bringing him up. He’s gone, done, not here anymore!!! Move on!!!
As for people jumping on Graham, after 4 games, that’s kinda funny. People used to tell me, Harris and Wannstedt didn’t have enough time, after 8 years and 6 years respectively, now suddenly we know he’s no good after 4 games.
Some of you are really beautiful!!!
I’m still looking for all this talent you said the previous coach left us with.
Just heard the announcers on the game Saturday and Saturday evening even say, that Pitt is overmatched at every position on the field.
Man for man, outmatched, at every position!!!
Not just an off the cuff remark, made it several times. Believe it was Urban Meyer, think he knows a little about football.
Said the only reason Pitt was in the game, was because of ND’s miscues and mistakes. With Notre Dames superior talent, this shouldn’t even be a game.
So, again, I ask, thought we were really loaded with talent??
