masthead.jpg

switchconcepts.com, U3dpdGNo-a25, DIRECT rubiconproject.com, 14766, RESELLER pubmatic.com, 30666, RESELLER, 5d62403b186f2ace appnexus.com, 1117, RESELLER thetradedesk.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER taboola.com, switchconceptopenrtb, RESELLER bidswitch.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER contextweb.com, 560031, RESELLER amazon-adsystem.com, 3160, RESELLER crimtan.com, switch, RESELLER quantcast.com, switchconcepts , RESELLER rhythmone.com, 1934627955, RESELLER ssphwy.com, switchconcepts, RESELLER emxdgt.com, 59, RESELLER appnexus.com, 1356, RESELLER sovrn.com, 96786, RESELLER, fafdf38b16bf6b2b indexexchange.com, 180008, RESELLER nativeads.com, 52853, RESELLER theagency.com, 1058, RESELLER google.com, pub-3515913239267445, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0
January 7, 2013

At Least It Is Over

Filed under: Bowls,Football,Opponent(s) — Chas @ 10:21 am

Thank goodness Tyler Boyd verballed to Pitt on Saturday. Otherwise I don’t want to think about how angst-ridden we Pitt fans would have been Saturday night. As it was, it wasn’t pretty.

Starting with some football. Because, at least it means the season is officially finished.

Let’s face it, the signs and portents were there from the start. Doakes being suspended to make an already weak link spot on a weak O-line that much worse. With Ray Graham and a couple others unable to go, it was even less promising. I know Graham would never have done it, but if I were Graham and watching the O-line during the week. I might have been grabbing my hamstring and gimping up to avoid any stupid chances in this game.

And on the fifth play, the interception-free streak of Sunseri came to an end to at least try and snuff out hope early.

It was almost a distillation of everything we’ve seen bad from this team in 2012. The O-line was horrid -as feared/expected. Sunseri held the ball too long. The defense slept-walked through the first quarter. Then had their end-of-the-half-does-not-mean-halftime moment to allow Ole Miss one more score. Not to mention being unable to get off the field on 3d and 4th down plays (Ole Miss converted on those downs 12 out of 23 tries). Questionable special teams play.

Then to see Hubie Graham go down once again, because he hasn’t had anything but bad luck this year.

Any (very, very, very faint) hope there was that Pitt might make a game of it in the second half was excruciatingly snuffed out by Ole Miss never getting off the field. Pitt had two 3-and-outs, but Ole Miss had two drives that ate up over 11 minutes of the quarter. Yes, they only managed one TD out of it. But up 21 with one quarter left. Versus this Pitt team. That was more than enough.

As so often this year, the game was lost on the lines. Pitt’s undermanned O-line was overmatched, and only exacerbated the known issues on offense. On defense, the D-line couldn’t get any real pressure on Ole Miss QB Bo Wallace — who has shoulder and hamstring issues — but rarely had to worry about getting hit.

Pitt‘s defense, forced to retool after the pre-bowl departure of defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable to North Carolina State, allowed Ole Miss to rush for 224 yards while sacking Wallace (22 for 32, 151 yards) only once.

“They beat us in almost every phase,” coach Paul Chryst said. “They were clearly the better team today. I thought the guys prepared well, but they outexecuted us.”

Flashing back to the first couple games of the season where Pitt was not ready to play. That’s what it felt like when watching this one. Just not ready. Slow to react.

“We knew they were going to go up-tempo all game,” Pitt safety Jarred Holley said. “Ole Miss did a great job getting ready to play.”

Couldn’t do anything about it, but they knew what they were going to do.

This had be the last time Pitt makes a trip to Birmingham in January. So, there’s that.





pittofdreams, you do not remember correctly —

(1) I have said time and again that Pitt has more problems than Tino, which seems to the ony focus of quite a few on this site. The Oline is not very good much of the time, and was even worse last year, yet everyone thinks all the issues will be resolved with another QB.

(2) The other point I tried to make is to blame the other QBs and/or the coaches than blaming everything on Tino. All he has done was prepare for every game, and take a beating the last 2 years like I’ve never seen a QB take in my 40 years of watching FB.

(3) If he is not good enough, then replace him … yet 3 coaches did not except for the utah game last year when Anderson went 5 for 19 with 2 interceptions.

Comment by wbb 01.08.13 @ 4:07 pm

Rhyno, FWIW, PSU had 7 players start in Jan which may count against this past year … not sure

Comment by wbb 01.08.13 @ 4:09 pm

Bama more talented and speedy than ND to be sure, but ND is perennially a top 25 recruiter and did absolutely nothing with it in the last 25 years. Coaching matters too. Brian Kelly is no slouch – he has already done better at ND than every coach since Holtz…but much like Belichick, despise him if you must, but Saban is the best HC going right now, bar none. How much of the credit goes to his staff is open to debate. Some coaches are great position coaches but lousy coordinators, or great coordinators but lousy HCs. i.e. great engineers don’t necessarily make great managers.

Moody nice get. Someone mentioned earlier I like the breadth of this class, little something for everyone, not ten 5’9″ 175lb. Receiver/athletes with speed speed speed.

Comment by Iron Duke 01.08.13 @ 4:16 pm

penn state will have and play with just 65 scholarship players beginning with the 2014 season
and it will last till the 2018 season

there will be a only 15 per year but my take is
they dont have to be to that till 2014

but what is clear is that in 2014 they must be at 65 every one else has 85

if you sign with them now will you have a place
on the team when they must go down to 65.

Comment by FRANKCAN 01.08.13 @ 4:34 pm

@wbb, Cincy losing 3 or 4??? That’s impossible. I came on hear last week and said that whether I am a Pitt or not, I can only say, what I saw, and that Pitt looked absolutely horrible, losing to Cincy at home. (I was far from the only one.)

I was ambushed by a couple blue and gold colored only glass wearers that told me that Pitt had just fought tough against a top 10 powerhouse.

Your info, I must object too.

Comment by Dan 01.08.13 @ 4:44 pm

@wbb i love how you mentioned that UT took one of Sabans Defensive contributors and stunk but left out the forbidden Sunseri name…

I’d like to see a DC come in with some experience as a DC. I don’t want some SEC position coach who has top flight talent year in and year out. Give me someone who can coach up talent and work with schemes to get this team going.

I know ND is used to having top recruiting classes, but I think it’s clear that Bama is heads and shoulders above almost every team as far as talent, size, and speed are concerned.

Comment by BCPITT 01.08.13 @ 6:22 pm

@TX Panther
Given the high rating of USC recruits, how long do you see Kiffin keeping that job?
Ask me, he is a younger, creepier version of Paul Hackett.
Haden will not sacrifice his job for Kiffin.
Point being you can can coach talent up AND down.
Plus, I think Kiffin looks like a golf caddie wearing those silly hats.

Comment by SFPitt 01.08.13 @ 6:33 pm

Frankcan, Pitt can actually 10 more if they choose to – at least as I understand it. Four of the recruits signed LOI and are enrolled, thus counting against last year.

Comment by marcus of schaumburg 01.08.13 @ 6:33 pm

I liked Dokish’s “State of Pitt Football” address. He did an excellent job running through each area and detailing the progress. Dispite his earlier criticism of Paul Chryst’s recruiting, he gives the Pitt staff credit for doing a good job. It’s really a nice detailed commentary. He seems more positive than at any time since Paul Chryst’s hiring.

Comment by Justinian 01.08.13 @ 7:02 pm

If USC blows away other schools on the recruiting front and believe me they do based on avg stars, those stars had better translate into wins and championships. Just wonder what type of ceilings these kids have or if they are already there. I think there is more a danger in coaching down that type of recruit. I would much rather have a few 4 and 5 star players in a few key positions than an entire team of them. Can’t see how a high school all star team can play together. That’s what USC has got. Is there a thing as too much talent?

Comment by TX Panther 01.08.13 @ 7:50 pm

Looking forward, my only question is Tino who???

Comment by Dr. Tom 01.08.13 @ 9:03 pm

25 days and no DC for pitt.

Comment by FRANKCAN 01.08.13 @ 9:44 pm

Maybe the DC is with a pro team that is still playing…

Comment by markp 01.08.13 @ 10:08 pm

Wondering if Tim Lewis might be under consideration for DC? He is defensive backs coach for Atlanta. Does he have any connection to PC?

Comment by DJS 01.08.13 @ 10:21 pm

What about Rob Ryan? Talk about bringing some passion and attention to a program desperately in need of some headlines and more NFL connections. Haha.

Comment by tedsptman 01.08.13 @ 11:13 pm

@ FRANKCAN, can you provide any insight on this new Pitt commit’s mental attiude, I’m concerned because, I glanced at at recruiting website’s headline on the matter and it said that our most recent recruit was Moody?

Comment by Dr. Tom 01.09.13 @ 11:26 am

Powered by WordPress © PittBlather.com

Site Meter