If I digged through the schedules for the other 64 major conference teams, I might find another program that plays as many if not more teams that run the triple option as Pitt does this year. But I’m not sure. Georgia Tech, Navy and New Mexico. 25% of Pitt’s schedule. And in a perhaps well-planned layout, the quality of the opponent increases each time Pitt faces it. Unfamiliarity with the style will not be an excuse by the time Pitt goes to Atlanta in November.
That does mean that the defense will have to be disciplined, and a lot of pressure on the linebackers to make plays.
“It’s a totally different offense,” defensive ends/linebackers coach John Palermo said. “Florida State, they spread you out more, they use more four wideouts. This crowd wants to run the football.”
Palermo said stopping an option offense starts by playing “alignment, assignment football.”
Sometimes, that might even mean a defender going against his natural instinct of swarming to the ballcarrier. If a linebacker is assigned to stop the pitch man, he needs to stay with the pitch man.
“You better do what you’re supposed to do or else you’re going to get gutted,” Palermo said. “I’d like to tell you there’s a fine line, but if I’m supposed to squeeze and take the dive, or if I’m supposed to take the quarterback, if you don’t do it, you’ve got big issues on defense. You really do.”
Yes, the same linebackers who have been highly criticized for their performance against FSU will have to play a big role in the game against New Mexico. Even — presuming this — with safeties coming up to help on a team that primarily keeps it on the ground, the linebackers will be vital.
On the bright side, against New Mexico the linebackers aren’t going to be stuck on receivers.
Chryst said Wednesday there were reasons for the wide gaps between Florida State pass catchers and Pitt defenders that led to the 41-13 loss to the Seminoles on Monday.
“I think whether it’s the depth by (linebackers), by the secondary at times, a little bit of — I don’t want to say uncertainty — jumping a short guy, creating the space behind it,” he said. “Certainly a lot of things like that.
The bad is that it was believed before the season that Pitt’s linebackers would be stronger against the pass than the run with converted safeties like Anthony Gonzalez and Bam Bradley.
Presumably, Pitt has moved on from the FSU game. With nearly 2 weeks off, they have to. They can’t dwell on it that long (unlike some of us).
Can I skip the whole, Bob Davie coming back to the area storyline? Thanks.
Just watched Coach Palermo’s interview, he is pretty much the same.
BTW, Savage will not continue to struggle. He will have a bad game here or there, every QB does, but he will improve.
The number of whiffs the Pitt defense put out there for all to see against FSU was simply UNACCEPTABLE!
With the exception of a couple breakdowns due to mental errors, he says they opened up holes and gave Savage protection.
Pretty obvious that Pitt’s offensive woes against FSU were on Savage.
He should improve this week. There is no reason for him not to have a BIG game absent of sacks or interceptions.
As for defense… this year’s group is either more experienced in the case of returning starters or more athletic overall than what Huxtable had to work with last year.
House’s ridiculous game plan did not give Pitt a chance.
Better game planning on defense and better quarterback play… and Pitt would have been in the game.
Not saying they would have won, but would have had a chance to win.
I think many would agree with this assessment.
Heck, if it came down to a field goal… no question Blewitt would have made it!
“Can they (the Pitt players) walk down the street and somebody says something? I don’t know,” Hueber said. “The thing that saves you is the Pirates are hot, the Steelers are opening. There’s a lot of people out on the street that didn’t really care.”
The context of the quote is Pitt players moving on from the FSU loss, and I get where he is going. But that last sentence is an awkwardly revealed truth about the pecking order of Pitt football in this town. To say it another way, “Well we stunk, but we’ve been ablt to move on because fortunately nobody gives a $hit about Pitt football right now.” Ouch…
Wardapalooza, I rather blindly defend him rather than not give him a chance to prove himself on the field. As a matter of fact, I like what I see so far. As I said, ask Street what he thinks. I’d say he already had a semi-decent game. We didn’t have much of a running game. The decision to play Savage was pretty apparent by the Spring Game. Obviously the coaches didn’t think there was much of a competition.
I disagree with POD, although Savage made three bad passes (by the way they were both exceptional interceptions) the running backs didn’t help much. The D was pretty much non-existent.
The question mark imo, is the defense, are they going to put up a fight against the good teams? Will they create some turn-overs? Again, POD blames the coach, maybe so, we’ll see. But I saw a lot of missed tackles, people get blown off the line, and guys that didn’t look like they could cover anyone. Was it the scheme that allowed #35 to catch three wide open touchdowns or was it missed assignments?
We’ll use Pitt as the example. Do the position coaches and coordinators talk amongst themselves.
Even a little bit???
Does the HC have meetings with the coordinators and position coaches and offer advice??
example. Running backs coach sees something the defense doing wrong, or showing a weakness, will he mention it to him?
Will the head coach, say, “hey, this is what I want done on this situation”.
I’ve always assumed it was a collaborative effort (at least an open door to ideas), but do ego’s get in the way, and every one does their own thing??
I realize time is valuable, and the jobs are on the particular coaches and they don’t have much time, but are they openly chatting if there is a problem, and someone else knows what to do or has a suggestion??
link to cardiachill.com
In either case it appears that the run option is their go to offense. This should be the time that House gets Todd Thomas into the starting line up. Thomas has the best lateral movement of all of our LBs and his presence can make a difference in this kind of game.
Matt House should have no problem anticipating what New Mexico is going show us come Saturday. We should be able to handle this team with ease if the defense is what we thought it was preseason. If Pitt’s D struggles against New Mexico there are going to be many who will be calling out Chryst on his DC hire. This is House’s chance for redemption after getting thumped by a good FSU team and a great performance from Jameis Winston. Let’s hope that House can make us all proud this Saturday.
Ya, I would hope everybody tries to help everyone, and people are open to help and ideas.
Watched a lot of football in my years, never really heard anyone talk about it, and I just thought about it, with House being a new DC, not having the greatest D last Monday night (allthough FSU is no punching bag of course), but wondered if some other coach saw something, is he encouraged to share the info, or is that stepping on someones toes.
Not really looking to criticize anyone, actually wondering about the inner workings.
Played 4 years of ball in HS, that was 25 years ago though, and I know those guys used to just bs to each other all day long during school, during practice, and went out together and talked football non-stop.
For I fear that House has no clue how to stop a Triple Option.
I believe BYU ran an option against a much superior Texas team this past weekend, and ran all over the 4 & 5 star recruit Longhorns for over 500 yards rushing.
It was a good thing, I guess that we had 2 weeks to prepare for this.
We shall see on Saturday. Assignments Panthers,
assignments. And no arm tackling.
Comment by notrocketscience 09.12.13 @ 2:51 pm
PC doesn’t wear a headset, lol
I’m thinking that if Savage struggles mightily in the 1rst half and Pitt only has 3 points or no points. You have to yank him and put Voytik in.
We can’t afford to lose to NMU.
Comment by rhyno527 09.12.13 @ 1:51 pm
That’s funny, the non-con is substantially tougher this year than the last 2 years.
Just some espn a-holes that dislike Pitt.
There are many !
Glad to hear, offensive coaches can give House ideas and thoughts, and he’s not out on an island on his own.
Know what you mean, do the coaches just do their own jobs and not mess with any of the other areas of the team. Ala a Union Shop.
Or are they worried about the greater whole of the whole project.
I’d like to think it was the latter.
You summed it up nicely. TY
This isn’t like Russell Wilson or even Dayne Crist at Kansas last year.
We have a 1 year player who hadn’t played a down in a game for 3 years.
Unlike most 5th year seniors who are coming off starting at least the previous season and more likely the previous several seasons, our 5th year senior has not.
Our 5th year senior lost his job to a true freshmen (chas dodd)in 2010, who went on to start the rest of the games that year. Which ended with 6 consecutive losses.
Not exactly a ringing endorsement, losing the last 6 games of the year, yet Savage chose not to come back in 2011 and compete for the job.
I hope the kid has a good game against New Mexico, but it does us no good if he gets better by November and we lose a bunch of games in the interim. He’s gone after the last game in Dec.
It’s so Pitt ! (you gotta laugh)
I definitely am putting the farm on the Bungels -2.5 as well.
Thoughts?
FWIW
The Patriots enter this Thursday night affair owning a 4-18 ATS mark as favorites of more than 11 points, while head coach Rex Ryan carries a 3-0 ATS mark as an underdog of 9 or more points off a victory. The Jets are also 10-3 ATS as double-digit division dogs.
Any thoughts on TCU-Texas Tech ? Twas a high scoring affair last year. Pachall broke his arm, but the other QB is just as good.
Pats/Jets
Thinking the Total bet 42 might be a safer play.
I saw TCU in person against LSU. They are legit. The other kid is WAY better as a QB than Pachall. Not sure the line…Klingberry is highly regarded but haven’t watched them play. Without knowing much….Tex Tech is 2-0 but TCU manned up against a good LSU team. I like TCU -3 buddy. But crazy shit happens in Lubbock and it is a Thursday nighter…Still like TCU. Think they will win by 9
Vereen is definitely out & Amendola is questionable.
If you think the Pats are still going to score a lot of points, then the play is the OVER.
Screw the line, lol
Games are more fun if you have a little riding on it ! 🙂
Thomas.
Please.
DD – I agree Thomas should start. Chryst put your pride on the shelf.
Keeping Thomas on the bench makes me wonder about his eye for talent.