Over the many years of blogging, both sides of this Pitt-Syracuse game have noted the complete lack of vitriol and hatred. Despite Syracuse being Pitt’s (tied for) 3d most played opponent in football. And the fact that they will have the #3 spot all alone in a few years when ND starts rotating on and off the schedule, there isn’t much of a burning desire to burn their city and make them cry when it comes to football. Everyone wants the win, but no one circles this game on the calendar when the schedule is announced.
In about five years, Pitt will be Syracuse’s #1 most played opponent. Yet, they too can’t muster the hatred.
My longstanding theory is that, despite the closeness of the historical series — Pitt holds a 34-30-3 edge — the fact that neither team has been good at the same time has muted it. Pitt dominated them in the 70s. Syracuse ruled in the 80s and 90s. Now Pitt has been the force for the past 10 years, winning 9 of 10. How do you build up hate if only one side is ever playing for anything? If the other is stuck in their latest down-cycle or rebuilding?
So, instead, what has the team been up to with a bye week?
Cutting down on penalties was a stated priority for Coach Chryst.
Chryst said a goal will be to reduce the number of penalties. Through four games, Pitt (2-2) ranks 87th in Division I-A with 7.5 flags per game, costing them 69.75 yards per contest.
Not to mention, improve the kicking game.
Ray Graham is trying to get closer to 100%.
“I feel like after a full year, once I start feeling good to where I’m not thinking about anything at all, it gives me no problems, I think that’s when I’ll take the brace off and keep things going,” Graham, 11 months removed from surgery to repair a torn ACL, told ESPN.com.
The biggest change from the first two games and the next two games, the defense was getting off the field.
“It’s a work in progress, but the guys have been working really hard, and they’re staying very, very positive and upbeat,” defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable said. “They’re giving us everything they’ve got. We’re nowhere [near] where we want to be yet, not even close, but we’re just going to continue to work hard as a coaching staff and as a group of players.”
The most common refrain coming from Huxtable as well as defensive players is that players have simply understood and executed their assignments better in the past two games. The Panthers were not physically dominated in the first two games, they just weren’t where they were supposed to be.
Those mistakes are particularly evident on plays such as the 58-yard touchdown run by Cincinnati’s George Winn on the Bearcats’ first play three weeks ago. If a linebacker had been there to fill the hole, Winn could have been stopped for a minimal gain.
Um, the defense was definitely dominated. The reasons may have primarily involved not being in the right place, but they were were being overwhelmed. That they now have a better sense of what they should be doing and where is a positive, but it still frustrates that they couldn’t get the understanding sooner.
At the same time, it isn’t like the defense was the only unit to have things finally start to click after a rocky first couple of weeks.
Like most of the team, Pitt’s receivers have been trying to answer questions about what had changed during the two-game winning streak that followed the team’s 0-2 start. The passing offense — which ranked 52nd in Division I-A with 258.5 yards per game two weeks ago — now is No. 23 at 299.25 yards per game.
Receivers have credited increased practice repetitions, assignment knowledge and hard work as reasons for improvement. Shanahan, though, also said the Panthers have simplified the playbook a bit.
“We kind of scaled back on the different plays that we’ve been running,” he said. “We rep a lot of the same plays at practice. We’re just getting really good and comfortable with them, and we know what can beat certain coverages.”
And of course, since Coach Chryst is the new coach, he has a style that the players are responding well to — especially now that they have won a couple games.
Receiver Devin Street, who hasn’t caught fewer than four passes in any game this season, calls Chryst “a great teacher.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever been around a coach with so much knowledge about the game,” he said.
Senior receiver Mike Shanahan, who has at least five receptions in every game, said he appreciates the respect shown to the seniors, which allows them to adopt leadership roles in the locker room.
But another side of Chryst has endeared him to his players.
“He is always cracking jokes, making fun of people,” Shanahan said.
A frequent target is senior receiver Cam Saddler, who isn’t afraid to give it right back.
“That’s another cool part,” Shanahan said. “We can fire some shots back at him if we want to.”
Of course, if Pitt had not won the last couple of games, the narrative would not be that sunny. Instead it would be about how he needs to be the head coach. Let the players know he is in charge. Crack the whip. Etc.
Street having a great year. Becoming the complete wide receiver in terms of making big catches and big blocks.
Remember that it was Street who had the guts to step forward and speak the truth on Graham.
And to think that Graham blamed Street and the rest of the receivers for the team’s offensive problems a year ago.
By the way, Tyler Palko does a surprisingly good job of interviewing Tino on PittsburghPanthers.com.
Palko’s line of questioning sounds more intelligent and reveals far greater insight than any of the usual “milk toast” coming from the local contingent of “professional sports journalists.”
They should sit up and pay attention.
Obviously playing the Orange 67 times hasn’t done it so what makes anyone think one will develop with any of the ACC schools?
We once tried to hire their basketball coach but was rejected and ended up ‘stuck’ with Jamie Dixon. And the poor guy we tried to hired died of a heart attack a few months later.
Now if you actually want to get my “back up” just bring up the mention of that fu*king scarf wearing feline from Child Molester U and then you’ll have a cat fight on your hands. I’m hoping that O’Brian can continue to irritate me with his holier than thou attitude so that I can really get into my “penn state sucks” rant in a couple of years when we begin playing them again.
Now thats the one I’d like to keep on the schedule! With JoePa pushing up daisies, it should be a little easier to schedule home-home games against ped state for years to come now.
Lots of things to watch for. I hope that we can pull out another win to get the home crowd out to Heinz Field for that early homecoming game. That one should really mean something if we do.
This Syracuse will be test, I do think this bye is being a little overrated just because Syracuse is going through the same thing. If anything the bye will help us more then SU. (I hope).
PSU – ND – WVU (no more) – Miami – ?
Just to show how bad that Syracuse is not a rivalry game, I myself, would much rather start playing Maryland every year. Even if it didn’t develop, much closer, and opens up a long weekend to doing other things.
I was a member of the Pitt Band in the early 60’s and will never forget going to Syracuse in 1960 (old Archbold Stadium, the concrete monstrosity)to see the Panthers take on the undefeated Orange.
Yep, we won 10-0 and Ditka and Company stopped one of the greatest football players of all time, Ernie Davis!!
Pitt//Syracuse was (make no mistake about it) a huge rivalry.
No way would I put ND in front of WVU as a Rival of ours…In the here and now its WVU in front of all of them. I don’t even really think of ND as a rival. When Pitt and ND play its a nice, cordial affair. There is near zero animosity between the two schools. Back in the day it went PSU-WVU. I don’t like losing to ND, but it makes me physically ill to lose to WVU (or PSU back in the day).
This was the game we would have been #1 in the country in the Brandon Knight years, when he hit a mid court shot that would have won the game.
BUT IT WAS A SPLIT SECOND AFTER THE BUZZER.
The Cusers were revelling in keeping PITT from being #1 for the first time in school history.
And I always couldn’t stand them when Bill Hurley was their QB, what a frickin irrantant. And then in the late 90’s we had them beat, only to have frickin Donavan McNab lead them in a last minute drive to victory. And who didn’t despise Derrick Coleman !
Screw the Orange, into OrangeJuice !
1) Ped State (just because, and we’re the two biggest Universities in the state and our past history with them and of course Diaper Joe, lol)
2) Hoopie U (can’t put hillbillies as our major rival, just doesn’t seem right, imo) (plus they’re not even scheduled in either major sport atm)
3) Syracuse (see above)(**plus only school going forward we annually play in football & basketball therefore start developing a dislike for them if you haven’t)
4) Notre Dame (was a huge rival in the 1930’s as Pitt dominated to an extent ND took us off the schedule, however in Modern Era they have thoroughly dominated us)
Had PITT stayed as a National Power, as when I was in school, we would have many more and deeper hatreds of various schools. And those schools would have much more hatred towards us, naturally.
We’ve been so mediocre mostly, horrid at times that no schools other than Hoopie U, despise us.
And that’s more due to kids from Pittsburgh and surrouding areas, going to Morganhole, due to their grades and Pitt not accepting them. 🙂
Or they were just born to be a billie. haha
All the clowns at ESPN that are alumni of Cuse.
Plus the Albert brothers !
If that doesn’t build up some hate, nothing will,
lol 🙂
understand why the recent generation favors the wvu rivalry more, but as much as i dislike them, i’ll never attend another away game with them because of the “few” who make it dangerous to my person and property. behaviors seemed to become more negative in the early 80’s when the new field opened. i never had a problem in their old horseshoe.
it will take time to develop true acc rivalries. va tech seems most logical since we have a head start and a winning streak against them. a md rivalry will take longer unless it develops on the bb side first. i’ve heard they’re not happy with pitt as the bb crossover rival. let’s take it personally and start from there.
keep calm
hail to pitt
Another to reason to hate them, lol.
What’s not to hate about Cuse I ask you.
1) they are new yorkers
2) alot are worse, they’re New York Citiers
3) they think Syracuse is alot better than it is academically.
4) Some have an attitude I don’t care for
5) did I mention some are from NYC
And if you haven’t noticed in football, when they’re good we stink. SO THEREFORE THEY MUST ALWAYS STINK. yep I hate em !!
Due to all this Cuse hate building up inside me.
I really hate they became a Fruit too !
As when I first noticed hatred towards them they were the Syracuse Orangemen. Boy did I hate them then. Even as a small child at Fitzgerald I hated the Orangemen. I mean how could you not hate a team with an old bald guy on it(back then nobody had bald heads but Mr. Clean), that being Marty Head. (yes that was even before Kojak) lol
And now they have that putz Boeheim and have you ever seen his gorgious wife. WTF is she doing with him. And they had a pedophile asst. coach.
Any team that changes their name, always good to hate. Redmen to the lame Redstorm, Indians to the Cardinal, pick any MAC team with a current lame name. And the Orangemen to the Orange.
I mean what’s not to hate about Syracuse.
P.S. Did i mention they play in the worlds worst football stadium. The Carrier Dump !
Scout his him listed as a 3-star safety. 6’3″, 190 lbs., he also plays quarterback and there’s some talk on Twitter that Pitt also has some interest in him as a wideout.
Has offers from Michigan State, Boston College, Rutgers, NC State, Temple, UCF and IMass.
And Skip Prosser, a Canonsburg native I believe, was their basketball coach, and he died, tragically, just a few years ago. Not right after Pitt tried to hire him (that was in 2002). He was a total class act. Pitt did try to hire him before they hired Dixon, and wisely so. I am pretty sure he could have gotten Pitt past the sweet 16 and even the Elite 8 without monumentally choking, at least once or twice. Though, he would not have coached that kind of legendary rugged, tough, smothering blue collar defense that Jamie Dixon features.
Dr.Tom. The Orange Irish and the Green Irish have a long standing feud. I will quote Sir Paul McCartney “give Ireland back to the Irish” as my clue on how some people might hate Syracuse Orange.
But, for being the only D1 team in what has been our most populous state until recent history, I have to conclude that Syracuse, much like Pitt, has underachieved for large time periods.
I only hate Syracuse when they beat us…that doesn’t qualify as a rivalry in my book.
but i would sure like to see a couple of OT or OG
insted of DB. or a big DT and at this stage i dont care if they have any stars just as long as they are over 6 foot 4 and at least 300 pounds
But remember, Tino often falls apart in games that are close or where Pitt is behind in the 4th quarter.
Let’s see if he can right that, because the situation will come up again this year.
keep calm
hail to pitt.
Got nothin’ against Wake, and frankly, can’t wait for Pitt to play them in football, will be there. Heard the campus is magnificent.
Marv Albert, was he the one that was tied up in a hotel with claw marks on his back?? Or something to that effect years ago. Maybe I’m thinking of someone else.
I was well aware that he (Prosser) was a local, class guy and actually met him once at the Palumbo Center during a WPIAL playoff game. He was coach at Xavier at the time.
2001–02 Wake Forest 21–13 9–7 T–3rd NCAA 2nd Round
2002–03 Wake Forest 25–6 13–3 1st NCAA 2nd Round
2003–04 Wake Forest 21–10 9–7 T–3rd NCAA Sweet 16
2004–05 Wake Forest 27–6 13–3 2nd NCAA 2nd Round
2005–06 Wake Forest 17–17 3–13 12th NIT 1st Round
To really make me a believer I also want to see Tino lead that come from behind pull a victory out from the jaws of defeat type of win. Of course I’ll be satisfied if we just keep on winning, but I’m still skeptical about Tino’s ability to keep it going. We easily could end up 3-9 by season’s end with the arrival of new bad Karma.
This game on Friday will be a real tester for the entire team and coaching staff however. An away game in a noisey stadium after a week layoff is a recipe for defeat if you look at Pitt’s recent history. A win on Friday gets me one step closer to believing but I’m not there yet.
I sure would like to be exposed as a Tino hater blowhard however. Make me eat crow Tino, all season long.
Rivals have to have equal(or at least some) hatred imo. Miami fans do not have any hate towards Pitt. Cause we hardly beat them.
And the way we layed down in that end of the season, winner gets the Orange Bowl game in 2003, they should love us.
And they have Florida & Florida State to hate first. Then probably ND and then some more ACC schools, Pitt would hardly register on the Miami Hurricane hate meter.
With moving to a new conf. the only way to guarantee to generate hate, is to come into the conference and win it.
While you might think yourself pretty good at vocabularly, syntax is obviously not your bag.
Quotations provide opportunity for uniqueness and variation.
Just thought this might help.
Who could blame their heads spinning like tops?