After the Navy game, Chas tweeted how many points the offense has scored in the second half the past four games: 0, 6, 14, and 8, an average of 7 points. I decided to take it a step further and look at overall second half results the entire season. It’s uglier than I thought. If you solely use second half points, Pitt would be 0-6-1. Pitt has been outscored in the second half of every game but one: Old Dominion. To be blunt, tying Old Dominion in the second half should be considered a loss.
Broken down, it looks like this:
- Florida State 13 Pitt 3
- New Mexico 21 Pitt 14
- Duke 27 Pitt 21
- Virginia 3 Pitt 0
- Virginia Tech 9 Pitt 6
- Old Dominion 14 Pitt 14
- Navy 17 Pitt 8
Pitt has yet to outscore a single opponent in the second half. That floored me when I realized it. A team with a winning record who has yet to outscore an opponent in the second half? I know against New Mexico the coaches backed off a little, but that’s the only result that’s remotely excusable. I see three possible explanations/reasons why.
1) Depth: No one can deny this team lacks experienced depth. There are far too many true freshmen on the field. That’s not to speak ill of the freshmen, but a program is in trouble when so many players with so little experience are heavily relied upon. Most players are not ready to contribute immediately. For every Tyler Boyd who walks on the field and contributes, there are numerous guys like TJ Clemmings who need some time to grow and find the right spot. There’s absolutely no shame if a player needs a year or two to develop. Immediate contributors are the exception, not the rule.
The lack of depth translates to second half collapses, especially on defense. Guys simply aren’t getting breaks because there isn’t someone who can come in. At DE, we’re relying on an undersized Ejuan Price as a starter and a true freshman like Shakir Soto as key depth. At LB Gordon’s backup is a true freshman, Matt Galmbos. Like Soto, Galambos has a bright future ahead of him and is playing better than you could expect a true freshman. But, in an ideal world, he’s not needed right now.
If guys are playing more snaps than they should, they get tired. When they’re tired, they’re slow to the ball, they make the wrong read, they don’t go 100% on every play. If the guys who are out there aren’t ready to play, then you’re inviting more mistakes and it’s harder for coaches to pull starters out for a rest.
On offense, it’s obvious Conner is a superior RB to Bennett at this point. Outside of the ODU game, Bennett hasn’t been that great. 69 carries for 287 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and 2 touchdowns? That’s not what you want out of a starter. Devin Street misses one game and Tom Savage can’t even get yards against ODU. When the best guy goes down, there’s a huge drop off. There will always be a drop off between the starter and the backup, but it’s far too dramatic right now.
2) Coaching: What separates the men from the boys in coaching is second half adjustments. The great ones throw something different at the opponent in the second half and put them on their heels. The bad ones do the same thing or change the wrong thing. Seven games in, the coaches have yet to make an adjustment that worked.
On offense, the issue seems to be no in-game adjustments. Against Virginia and Virginia Tech, Savage was running for his life. By my math, Savage either passes, ran, or got sacked against UVA and VT 79 times. The offense ran the ball only 42 times. That’s 65% of the plays. Your OL has been dominated, your QB is running for his life, and you pass the ball with nearly a 2:1 ratio. Even worse, you call slow developing pass plays as opposed to screens and quick throws?
We saw an adjustment the past two games with more short throws from Savage and his numbers have gone up (74% completion against Navy). Those adjustments came 1.5 games too late. The fix should’ve been made at halftime against UVA. Also, it appears the adjustment was too severe. After a lot of success on deep throws, there have been two or three attempts to go deep the past three games. You add in more short throws to keep the chains moving, but you still need to take advantage of talented WRs and a QB who can throw deep like a champion. No in game adjustments plus going too severe on the short game (1.5 games too late) is poor coaching.
On defense, the issue has been very unimaginative playcalling and overall passiveness. How many times have I complained about soft coverage on third and long? Why would you have four DBs ten yards off of the ball against Navy? You can’t run a prevent defense when you only have a one score lead with eight minutes on the clock.
The overall results of the defense haven’t been bad, but in every game but UVA, they’ve collapsed at some awful point that made the game harder than necessary.
- Against New Mexico, they gave up two touchdowns in the third quarter and somehow a 42-6 lead was one play away from becoming a game again.
- I don’t need to say anything other than “the Duke game.”
- They couldn’t stop a late VT FG that gave them a 16 point lead.
- Old Dominion scored back to back touchdowns and made it a four point game.
- Navy controlled the ball for most of the second half.
Against New Mexico, Duke, ODU, and Navy, the opposing offenses made very obvious adjustments and the defense did not have a counter for them.
3) Conditioning. I’ll throw this oddball out there because it’s something that could be the problem. Does anyone else see guys who are flat out tired in the fourth quarter? The OL especially seems to lose steam as the game goes on. Maybe the issue is we have too many guys who aren’t in proper football shape. Given how many players have been put in a less than ideal situation, maybe the coaches have spent too much time on schemes and plays and not enough time on conditioning.
I have no way of backing this up and it’s probably entirely baseless, but I am concerned that it appears as if the team wears down as the game goes on. They lose a little bit of their energy and don’t seem as productive. It’s possible this could be a reason for the second half failures.
There’s no way to pinpoint exactly what the problem is. It could be one of these, all of these, or none of these ideas. It’s a terrifying proposition that this team has yet to outscore an opponent in the second half.
If you want some bit of positivity, at least the Duke win looks good now after their victory over VT. Duke could end up 9-3 this season (with victories over NC State, Wake, and UNC). The close win doesn’t look as bad anymore. I’m just really sad the bad Logan Thomas came out a week too late. Duke picked him off four times.
Stupid me thinking maybe we can get over the hump!!! LOL
Stink, Stank, Stunk!!
My dad worked with Pitt in the 1960’s, when i was a grade schooler. Even though he could have got us in for free, he never took me. Why, well we were the laughing stock of college football in the Dave Hart era, 3 wins in 3 seasons. Wasn’t much better under Carl DePasqua.
Then like you said Cas brought in “A Major Change in PITT Football”. Johnny was one of the most sought after up & coming coaches in America then.
Took Iowa State to their very 1rst ever Bowl game.
Gotta spend some cash like we did then. We stole him from Iowa State. They went back to crap.
Pitt became Great again !
We need to steal another very good to great coach.
Don’t know about you but I could care less about playing another 6-6 or 7-5 team in some joke bowl game.
They made the investment in basketball, over $200 to $300 million. MAKE IT IN FOOTBALL. IT WILL net more of a return on your investment than bball as well.
Not that Oklahoma doesn’t either, but they are getting a little inpatient in Norman. They aren’t dominating quite like they use to. They’re not in the NC conversation anymore.
They might be more willing to let Stoops go than say Ohio State with Meyer.
I think it would be really hard to pry Meyer from OSU.
Whoever you hire, the guys got to be a very good recruiter with ties to either Florida, Texas or the deep South. That was the blueprint with J. Majors & Jackie S.
$23 million minus $10 million = $13 million
We hardly netted anything in the BigEast.
Even stealing a top flight great coach for $10 mil a year we’d steal have $13 million more per year than we’ve had previously.
Let’s do it !
it’s either that or stay a nobody playing in schmuck bowls and even losing in them.
Are we going to be apart of that or a spectator ?
From our own history & experience, we went from a laughing stock in 1972 at 1 win and 10 losses.
By 1976 we were National Champions at 12-0.
4 short years ! It can be done. We’ve done it !
They certainly did (see it) by investing in the basketball program.
Perhaps they were waiting for the transition period to be behind us and for some of that ACC cash to start rolling in BEFORE they make another.
‘Major Change in Pitt Football’.
Anybody know when that ACC money starts arriving ?
Or has it already ?
Funny stuff though.
After 30 years(actually more like 50) of PITT football. Perhaps.
Makes both economic and university sense.
More money is loved by all, the non-revenue sports benefit by being able to get better athletes as they want to play for schools that have good football teams since that then usually produces better facilities for non-revenue crap.
Struggle to beat or lose to FCS teams. And continue to play in front of 35-40,000 pitt fans dressed a yellow seats.
Don’t know about you but I’m kinda just a tad tired of that. Not my cup of tea !
No I mentioned in a post up above, until they get serious about this program and hire a real coach like we’re discussing. I will view this football program for the sit-com it has been and is currently.
** Passionate – Nope
** Good Recruiting Skills – Nope
** Package that allows good money – wouldn’t matter since prerequisite must include friend/pal/crony
** Not offensive genius – Bingo
It’s a toss up in my mind!!
Man overboard!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A Program with no direction would need a Compass right ?
And to really zing us they sent us 3 straight years with 3 different HC’s or was it 5 or 6 HC’s.
My head is spinning…oy vey…stopppppppp
That Navy coach is a protegee of his.
I would imagine those two will be sharing info this week on House’s grand schemes.
The 73-7 sounds about right ! haha
No doubt the collective vent is more than justified.
Just didn’t think that after all we have been through, that Navy would be the tipping point.
I am sincerely enjoying the rant.
No sane man would attempt to defend the program this week.
If you’re going to bring in 600k plus as a salary, don’t you think you at least ought to be remotely visible?
That he is getting a pay check is criminal. Whether he is a shill for Nerdy or self impotent is no excuse.
The next AD job description on Monster will read as follows:
WANTED! Experienced person needed for high level position in athletic department. Successful applicant will be required to hire outside firm to totally botch hiring of head football coach. Humiliating fans, friends, alums, employees and students a plus. Candidate is expected to let head women’s coach approach record for consecutive conference losses, ensure neither men’s nor women’s soccer teams win a conference game (salary bonus for any team that fails to win single game), lie about attendance at home football games, take established brand and ignore it, market your team to a city of fewer than 350,000 and ignore the rest of the world, when the going gets tough hide and most importantly claim a major coup for answering the phone when PSU calls to throw a bone but blame everyone else for your mistakes!
That gets this loser 600k plus a year. Man, that has got to be bad for morale at Pitt.
Dave Hart Jr comes home from school in tears because the kids are telling him that his dad ain’t a good football coach.
And mom says ‘You know better than that Davey. Dad isn’t a good football coach’
(I’m sure I paraphrased, it’s been 45 years)
what’s the chances that WVY goes after Stevie?
Do you think that Nordy, SP, or Jerry Cochran were at the game, and I’ll even go this far, did they even watch it??
Nordy: I could understand not watching it, he’s got a whole university goin on, and he’s on his way out.
SP: Was he there?? Was he glued to the tv?? Or just pick up the score on his cell phone??
Jerry Cochran: Supposed big time athletic guy. I really have to wonder how big he is if this is what we get.
I’m being totally serious. Does anyone know, if these guys are actual sports fans?? Actual college sports fans?? Pitt football fans??
Or were they all out to dinner schmoozing with people and doing their thing, and the football game to them is at best, an afterthought???
Hope? Sure. But hope alone doesn’t work. Our coaches have to improve and so do our players.
Losing is one thing and Pitt is certainly no stranger to that, but the lack of discipline and enthusiasm is a very bad sign!
I did not watch OSU whip on PSU, but I don’t sense that their worst defeat in a century is as demoralizing as the lack of effort and acumen exhibited by Pitt.
My real dear this week isn’t losing to Tech. My fear is another snatching defeat from the jaws of victory type loss that will cement our mental status as losers.
Face it: Pitt football has a legacy of miraculous losses.
Jerry? Doubt he was there. If there is a public spectacle to be made, or points to gain he will be quite visible. But when all is not rosy, he dwells in his bunker.
Candidly, of the three, two of them are the kind of people who make you want to take a shower after being in their presence.
Great last two posts. UPMC is not going to get any branding beyond our existing footprint anyway. Plus, the entire country is pissed off about healthcare so no need to hitch your wagon to that star.
Take a look someday at the athletic programs of the IVY league or the near IVY’s. They have twice the number of varsity sports. ELON, RMU, ODU are small schools that get it. “WE ARE”, “OH..IO” are universal greetings among our near neighbors. They may have started on the gridiron but they have become synonymous with their universities….which, to be candid…out rank Pitt in national rankings.
Pitt athletics has been cheated by those who run her and this includes intramurals.
There is no brand leader at Pitt and thus it finds itself at the bottom of the grocery shelf…out of sight to most and out of mind to as many.
hope and something else floats !!!
still lol
Annapolis Yacht Club, post game.
Apparently he has a Rubber Dinghy moored there.
Justine – great article and I know this is a bitch but you, as the author, can edit comments to make them more readable. I can’t do it unless I write the piece myself.
“If you want to know why Chryst needs more time, look at the 24 players in the 2010 class. This should be the bulk of your 2 deep. Out of those 24, I count 15 guys who are doing nothing for the team this year. Nothing. Over half the class has contributed nothing of value this season.”
Out of the 24 there were 4****, 19*** and 1** start players. That on paper is a great class but it’s not really panning out.
Give these young guys time and this team will get better. Though I do agree that the Pitt Admin needs to ++ up the money for the program, especially in assistant coach pay. Its been an issue for a long, long time.
H2P!!!
Now, when it comes to paying assistants, we clearly have a salary issue. At least 2 people turned down the Dcoordinator job before they offered it to House. The assistant level is where the salary problems are. There are plenty of new head coaches were make what we’re Chryst. Money’s not a panacea for headcoaching failures.
The problems with the teams conditioning can be attributed almost completely to his non-sport specific training plans.
He is a yoga instructor passing himself off as a real S&C coach.
Pitt went from one of the most respected coaches in the country in Buddy Morris to one of the worst in Todd Rice.
When Buddy was running the S&C show Pitt was in shape and beating teams in the second half. They were stronger and in better shape than anyone they played. The Pitt S&C program was the envy of all of major college sports.
Now we guys doing yoga. It’s ridiculous.
Bring back Buddy.
Gotta spend the money and hire a big-time well known coach.
Then all the other crap that’s gone on here the last 3+ years becomes insignificant.
It suggests to EVERYONE, PITT is serious about being good to great in football again !