In the simplest terms, for Pitt to win the offense has to produce like it did against Duke and the defense has to perform along the lines of what it did against Virginia. Ever game so far has been a test. Has had importance in a different way. This is the latest and feels like the most important — in no small part because it is the next game.
It would be Pitt’s biggest win since, well, last year against Virginia Tech. But a quality road win? We probably have to back to South Bend and four overtimes in 2008. Even then, ND wasn’t ranked. To find a road win against a ranked team? There’s that win over USF in 2008 when the Bulls were actually believed to be a top-10 team.
Now, there haven’t been a lot of chances to beat ranked road teams in the Big East the last few years (okay, there haven’t been any), but that bleeping ND game last year still pisses me off. Iowa a couple years ago. Utah before that. Road games that Pitt didn’t get. That were there for them.
This isn’t about showing how Pitt belongs in the ACC. This isn’t about firmly lodging Pitt in the psyche of Tech fans. Those are just perks. This is about getting a big win. About doing more than show potential and possibilities.
Contrary to what some posted here, VaTech’s Defense is as GOOD as advertised. Again, a team leading the nation in both sacks and interceptions does give some indication of a team playing REALLY GOOD Defense.
And contrary to popular opinion this morning, the Offensive Line is NOT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM facing Pitt’s Offense.
Are they playing great? No. Are they a major dropoff from the O-Line of a year ago? Absolutely not.
What they are playing with are a couple of MAJOR DISADVANTAGES that last year’s line did not face.
One is a quarterback who CAN’T READ DEFENSES, is a SACK MAGNET, and consitently INNACURATE when it comes to throwing short or intermediate.
But this is no surprise. It was well known at Rutgers and posted here at least a couple of times even before the season began.
I know, I know… but last year it was Tino! Not being the biggest Tino fan, I am not blinded enough with disdain to overlook the fact that Mr. Savage is not executing the Chryst Offense as effectively as Mr. Sunseri a year ago.
Certainly playing into that is the other disadvantage. With no Ray Graham, no Shell and now no Connor… the O-Line is blocking for runningbacks who put absolutely NO FEAR in a Defense.
Never mistaken for being an explosive back who can take it the distance, Bennett looks like a shadow of himself, possibly due to a weakened knee. And given the opportunity to showcase his talents, well, Ibrahim was disappointingly ineffective… and that’s being nice.
Now, where I was surprised was by the play of the Defense. Definitely looking a bit more like the En Suite with Bidet than the “OUTHOUSE” of early in the season.
But let’s not get sucked in just yet.
Remember that while VaTech’s Defense may be the BEST Defense in the Nation, the Hokie Offense, while improved under its new Offensive Coordinator… is still VERY AVERAGE.
Against Virginia and now VaTech… Pitt’s Defense is showing that it can PLAY WELL against teams with NO RUNNING GAME.
We are exactly at that point of the season where the decision must be made whether to settle for mediocrity or go for the gusto.
The decision facing Chryst and Co. is whether to stick with Savage or make a move to get Voytik some playing time in an effort to make this team more competitive down the road against the tougher games later in the season.
At this point, Savage has shown himself to be a “One Trick Pony”. When unhasseled and having all of the time in the world to throw the ball… he is absolutley one of the best deep ball throwers to wear a Pitt uniform. Deadly accurate when throwing to an open Tyler Boyd or Devin Street running free behind coverage.
But, GOOD Defenses… and REALLY GOOD Defenses like VaTech and Florida State… have shown the One Trick can be stopped. When it is, the Pitt Offense guided by Mr. Savage is rendered totally harmless.
Take away Boyd… PRESSURE Savage… GAME OVER!
Now, it’s not at all clear that Voytik is the answer. But Chryst and Co. are at the point of no return as far as this season goes. With Old Dominion next week, the time has come to see how the Chryst Offense operates with Mr. Voytik taking some snaps.
Otherwise the rest of the season is totally predicable… BEAT the team’s with Bad Defenses… lose to the teams with Good Defenses with the ability to scheme to take a talented freshman receiver completely out of the Offense while pressuring a quarterback who becomes DAZED and CONFUSED when they’re BRINGING THE HEAT.
If Pitt cannot run, the opponent blitzes more. Pitt should run screens, draws, even a trick play now and then. ODU and Navy are thinking new blitz schemes and maybe even some deep passes.
Maybe those were the best two D-lines that we will face, but our O-line showed nothing. It was like we were facing five Aaron Donalds. There was no forward push and it doesn’t make sense. They looked better vs. FSU. They should be getting better not worse. They should have won some of the battles. They were completely dominated.
Our D looked better, but against no running game and a journeyman QB. They gave up some bad 3rd down plays.
The score did not indicate the thorough beating we took.
It was our first real road trip against a hostile crowd, so that counts for something, but I saw few positives to take from this game.
We said that this would be a good game to tell us where we stand, I think we pretty much flunked the test.
We should be able to manhandle Navy, not sure about Old Dominion. Only the true faithful will be there. I will be one of them. I don’t go cut the grass when things aren’t going our way.
I hope someone is reading the riot act to the O-line and challenging their collective manhood. They showed no emotion out there yesterday. Someone needed to kick someone in the nuts and get thrown out of the game. They look like they took on the personality of the coach.
The offense still needs some work. Savage and the coaches are going to have to develop some better safety valve options. They also may want to start moving Savage around a bit as well. He seems to be able to move better than most people think.
I am confident that we will be at least 7-5 and have a good shot at 8-4 assuming no major injuries occur to our key personnel.
BTW – did anyone else catch that minute long discussion between Chryst and Anderson yesterday on the sidelines? Perhaps telling him to get his head ready to play in case of injury to Savage in the 2nd half? I think maybe so.
Before you freak out – imagine what it would be like throwing Voytik in against that defense and especially the DL VT had playing yesterday. That could turn him off football forever. The knock on Voytik has been his troubles with reading defenses – yesterday wouldn’t have helped that one bit.
Big difference between going in for one mop up series against an already beaten VA team and that buzz saw VT defense.
Just saying…
I do blame it on the absence of overall team speed.
I hope this is a recruiting priority.
I’ve felt like you do for sometime – that PITT has looked like it was playing in a mud field when the opponents are on AstroTurf. That’s an exaggeration but I think Chryst understand that the ACC is a faster conference (just look at FSU and VT’s defenses).
Some fans want more ‘stars’ but he’s looking at speed, inherent athletic ability and coachability. We’ll see how that pans out but the Clariton kids all have it (just look at Boyd); Jester Weah has it, Avonte Maddox is a 4.39 kid, WR Davidson at 4.5 and DE Roy at 4.7 etc…
I know people hate to hear “building a program” but the reality is that Chryst is doing it on two fronts – both on and off the field. The on-field side is going to take a year or two to come together after his hire in 2012. He’s played 18 FR so far and 12 have been getting major PT. That is a commitment to building a foundation that will pay multiple dividends.
I remind fans that we are in a (much IMO) worse situation than DW was when he inherited an 8-4 team in 2005 then went a few years before he had a winning season. Chryst didn’t inherit much talent at all save a handful of players who have carried over. The roster he did get was populated by a lot of Graham recruits who found themselves in a completely different type of football then they signed on for.
Bottom line is that I expect faster play on the offense next season and certainly on the defensive side of the ball.
I thought the Anderson farce was buried 2 years ago it may be the biggest joke ever played a Pitt football
I will say that putting Voytik in cold against the VT DL would have been a tough thing for Voytik to handle as his first real BCS competition. I believe he is the type of QB who needs a week of taking 1st string snaps in practice to be ready to play.
Again, pure speculation on my part as I made clear in my comment.
BTW – exactly how much “credibility” do I have to lose? Not much I think. Everything I write is my opinion on these subjects just like everyone else. This ain’t journalism, but only conversations about PITT football. Now, if I wrote that in an formal article for this blog and presented it as being factual that would be a different thing, but I’m not.
