I’m trying not to read too much into my bag strap snapping as I approached the press gate — but if Pitt blows this I’m totally using it as an omen of doom in the recap later.
It’s a beautiful, humid day. I swear I won’t be reading anything into Pitt’s conditioning today.
Have to believe Pitt will win this game. In fact, I will shave my goatee/van dyke if they lose. Considering I haven’t shaved it off for over 10 years, this has me putting some, um, skin on the game.
HALFTIME UPDATE: Wheeeeeee
Assuming that Boyd doesn’t have anything too seriously wrong with his hand, this has been about as solid and convincing a half as Pitt has had in ages.
Yes, this is Delaware, but to see them come out and do exactly what they should is, well, refreshing.
Conner has dominated at running back. Voytik quickly settled down and looks comfortable at QB. The O-line has been solid.
The defense has been aggressive. And, my god a corner blitzy by Pitt — and it worked. Yay!
Hail to Pitt!
Comment by Emel 08.30.14 @ 1:46 pm
Snicker….he’s got his phone off…the bookie’s callin’.
Great way to start the season…..on to Beantown !!!
Dan, you’re also right on the money. 2nd qtr is way too soon to start sitting guys down. When we have a lead like this it’s a great time for the team to catch stride and play together.
Hail to Pitt!
Finally start a season the way I’ve been hoping for years and years.
Are we going 12-0, of course not, no delusions.
We could lose to B.C. in 6 days. Well aware of that.
But we finally beat someone’s ass that we were supposed too. And, beat it good.
Excellent job all the way around!!!
running a double reverse couldn’t of, or running an end sweep couldn’t of???
4th quarter of a 45-0 game. Sure, gotcha.
2nd quarter, of the first game??
Sorry, ain’t buyin’ it.
Delaware had a senior returning QB transfer from BG and wasn’t that bad.
Very impressive for our new D.
Now you have to resort to personal attacks and politics! Try growing up big boy.
And for the record in the last 2 elections I voted for McCain and Romney – you figure it out.
Up 21-0 PC realized it was time to replace Tyler with Spoon. Spoon fumbles, next time Boyd is back there again with PITT up 28-0.
Perhaps if Boyd had to be in there, (if no one else other than Spoon was ready), Boyd should perhaps have been told just to ‘fair catch’ the ball.
Wisconsin usually beats rent-a-wins like this by just overpowering and pounding them.
Which is exactly what we did today…PITT with 407 yards rushing in the plucking of the Blue Blue Hens.
PITT covers large.
BC won’t have much tape to go on other than PITT power runs and some bootlegs.
Now the worries. This is a very young team. They have to learn to handle success and stay focused. Supposedly we don’t have a lot of depth. Will this and the youth of the team plus the back loaded schedule wear us down as we get into the second half? Will we lose one or more games we shouldn’t because of inexperience? We won this game so totally that do we need to worry about players not taking the coaches’ identified improvements needed seriously? Sorry but as an old Pitt fan it’s hard not to worry about this stuff. To paraphrase what one of you said the other day “are really allowed to have such nice things?” Oh hell, let’s just enjoy this for a while. By the way there is a really good craft beer brewed in Delaware and popular in Maryland, Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA. If you haven’t already experienced it it is worth trying. It’s really great to have Delaware for lunch! H2P!
Having dislocated many a finger in the past, doubt he catches any passes in practice this week but will play in the game. Would be a short week !
Northern Iowa gave Iowa all it could handle before finally succumbing 31-23, it was 24-23 until Iowa scored with 6 minutes to go in game.
UCLA 28 Virginia 20
UCLA’s defense scored 3 TD’s (2 pick returns and a 75 yd. fumble return) for the win in C-Ville.
NC State edged Georgia Southern 24-23
Trailing 17-23, NCSU scored a TD with a minute and change on the clock. Dave Doeren must have been gagging.
GA Tech 38 Wofford 19
Tech scores 28 in 2nd half after only leading 10-9 at half.
you know if you’re forced to use Spoon, I like the kid, had a huge catch to save the win at Duke last year, etc., however on punt returns he really doesn’t have the moves/shakes/wiggles whatever to break off big runs. So if you’re forced to used him and knowing in a close game, you can’t afford a fumbled punt turnover, just tell him to ‘fair catch’ the ball.
Cause this situation is bound to happen again this season.
PC did use Ronald Jones as the PR on Delaware’s last punt. So……..
There appears to be other options along with the freshmen Maddox.
I must have stepped out of the room for a moment, Spoon fumbled another punt in the 3rd quarter, which thankfully he recovered but…….
2 fumbled punts in one game !!!
I think we roll BC on Friday nite.
My liver says a big thank you to PC, players and staff.
Damn shame for Villanova.
Not a Monday morning quarterback, I’ve never bought into the go for a win on the road automatically, I think a lot depends on the situation. There are times when I’d say do it. Didn’t think last night was one of those situations.
Especially, when you’ve looked the better team and moved the ball.
Maybe if you’re in some kind of hostile environment and you’re lucky you’ve been hangin’ in the game.
The Carrier Dome was not hostile in the least.
Kick the point, reset.
Gutsy, ballsy, but I was disappointed they went for the win.
And that play for the win??? What was that??
Went out for happy hour and didn’t get back until late.
And then was engaged in another type of indoor sport 🙂
Voytik completed exactly the same passes I saw him completing in camp. He had one longer pass completion that was very nice on that 20 yard out. Other than that – and you’re going to not like this – he didn’t really do what the staff wanted him to do. He was still taking off out of the pocket with almost no pressure on him from the front. There were two called runs by the staff and some called rollouts that he did OK on. Boyd made a great catch on that rollout TD pass but no one else gets that.
Voytik looked good considering the opponent but that total of 92 yards wasn’t the staff holding him back – on some of those rollouts he had Boyd on one play and Garner on two others open on intermediate routes and he dumped short but that will get better with competition. I would have liked to see him air a few out when the score was up but he went short instead.
All in all I liked what he did but just like last week I’ll caution us fans to wait until he plays some D1 competition on Friday to form a solid opinion of how he’ll play this season. He’ll be a good one though and we’ll win ballgames with him under center.
The game itself was satisfying in the sense that we finally get a opening game where there was no real trepidation, or a loss, involved. Conner is a beast and I like him getting the ball 65% of the time. James looked good, Boyd was Boyd, the defense played way more aggressive than last season and showed success with the three turnovers caused. Nice day at the ball park as they say.
I give him all the credit and am really excited about how the team was prepared. But if you are defending kick return at 28-0 with absolutely no risk then you know nothing about football and are here by mistake. Stupid move on every let and every angle.
We were up 28-0 when Boyd was put back in to return punts. PC EVEN REALIZED AT 21-0 THAT IT WAS TIME TO TAKE BOYD OFF OF PUNT RETURNS AS HE HAD SPOON DOING.
At 28-0, the game was pretty much a rout at that point. There was no sense in putting him back there AT THAT TIME ! As the game didn’t hinge on Boyd having to be in there. We could have absorbed a misplay on the PR there, just as we did at 21-0.
I have no problem at all with using Boyd as PR, but not when you’re up 28-0 against a FCS team, when he is not needed.
We apparently did have someone else on the roster that can catch punts, as Ronald Jones caught and returned the last Delaware punt.
Again leading an FCS team 28-0, there was no reason for Boyd to be in there. And then no reason for him not to told to call a ‘fair catch’.
We beat a team we were supposed to beat.
We beat the pants off them – as we should have and as expected.
The team executed well and made only a few mistakes.
The 2nd string QB came in for mop-up duty. And plenty of it.
These are things many said were necessary preconditions to become a good team. Today we were a good team.
It’s a start… and I will celebrate this nice start with a few cocktails this evening.
Bring on the Eagles.
There’s the answer right there, even at 21-0 PC knew it was time to relieve Boyd of his PR duties.
It can work, Chad seems to be a gamer.
As if you needn’t, why would you, with BC coming up.
We could have thrown it deep since we had over 400 yards rushing. Don’t think it was a question of being afraid at all. 🙂
As far as Boyd returning the punt goes, everyone would have been ecstatic had he run it back for a touchdown! Can’t Monday morning that decision. I am concerned that the punt return game will be “fair catch city” in a game against a stronger opponent on a going forward basis when Boyd is not back there.
I too am concerned with Voytik going short. I get managing the game but you need to get better and the blue hen defense gives you the opportunity to do so. I will stick with a Bertke sighting if the OL continues to improve and give a great pocket to the passer. He has a cannon. Let’s see what happens during this short week but a convincing win against anyone is a great start. Other teams struggled in the same scenario! 1st year startubg qb’s struggled yesterday (bama,ucf,pitt, osu, etc.).
