(This is the first article in a weekly series of articles entitled “Monday Morning Quarterback”. I will try to post them two days after the football games are played so as to have our wilder emotions under control by then. It will be my take on the positives and the negatives we saw happen and a chance for commenters to agree or disagree and to add their own thoughts.)
Two days have passed since our 62-0 victory over Delaware in the 2014 season opening game at Heinz Field. As all dedicated fans do, let’s take a look at who we think screwed up and who we believe made bonehead decisions. I’ll start and then the ill-informed masses can comment with their own take on the issue.
Something that concerned me, and I touched on it in the post-game article from yesterday, was the decision making of Chad Voytik. On the face of it and by just watching him play out there everything was fine and indeed the results were good. However, when you are playing a FCS opponent and get a big early lead it is also time to work on your weaknesses in addition to scoring more points.
Since I had a chance to see and hear the offensive coaches interacting with him in a couple of camp practices I noticed some things on Saturday that he needs to correct so that he can get the best out of his own talent and out of the talent around him. Granted it was his first start but that is when the learning curve gets the steepest.
In a nutshell, Voytik was moving out of the pocket too early and throwing away the chance of deeper completions. A QB can’t really run through his progressions when he’s rolling out because in doing so his field vision is cut in half. Once that happens he’s then looking at an outlet receiver to get the ball to for any gain of yardage. He’s cheating himself of the opportunity to get the most reward out of the called passing play and as a young starter he has to learn to maximize those opportunities. Some of those QB movement plays we saw were called rollouts but on other plays he bagged too soon and, even though he may have completed the passes, he left better openings downfield. No use having Boyd open on an intermediate route down the left side if Voytik starts rolling out to his right.
We’ll see a lot of called rollouts this season because Voytik has the legs and level head for that action, but the majority of his pass formations will be either a three or five step drop or will be done out of the shotgun. That pocket passing is what he needs to feel comfortable doing. How he becomes comfortable with it is by sticking with the plan even if it is trial by fire and he gets sacked once or twice.
Another thing to consider with this is the need for him to trust that his offensive linemen will be able to counter the initial rush and keep moving outward with their defensive linemen to create a pocket for Voytik to step up into. That too comes with experience and I think we’ll see it happen as the season progresses.
This isn’t a criticism of Voytik as I’ve been impressed with his play so far but is written to point out that he’s still a bit behind the learning curve as to how Chryst and Rudolph want him to execute plays as their quarterback.
One other thing I‘ll address is the strange and unnecessary penalty on DE Dave Durham after his sack toward the end of the second quarter. If you watch at the end of this video clip he’s saying something to the QB right before the Ref threw his flag. Regardless of what instigated the penalty it was a foolish action on his part on a couple of levels. First is in the scheme of the game itself. We were only ahead 7-0, had Delaware back on their own 17 yard line and his sack put them on their own two. Then his penalty took them from what would have been a 3rd down & 35+ yards from the two yard line to a 1st down at the 26. So, instead of a great shot at a safety or at the least a probable three and out series, we gave them brand new and decent field position and a first down to keep the series alive.
OK – that’s the in-game situation itself. What really bothered me was the fact that it was a totally unnecessary show of bravado from a guy who is a fifth year senior and who should be showing 360 degree leadership to the youngsters on the team. As the youngest team in the FBS, and a team that is struggling to become a winning one, we really need senior leadership both in the locker room and on the field.
Remember Ray Vinopal hearing rumblings in the week before the game of some teammates joking about Delaware and taking the game too lightly? He did what a true leader does – got in their face and showed them the error of their ways. You think that wake-up call might have been one reason the whole team played like it was a FBS playoff game with no let up by anyone who got onto the field? That happened because the starters and upperclassmen showed the way with how they comported themselves from the end of the camp to the finish of the game’s 4th quarter.
I get that Durham was happy, especially with the criticism he seems to get from all sides, and that play was a great one. I also get that it was a bush call for almost nothing untoward but we see PITT players do great things all the time without showboating. Conner runs for four TDs and celebrates with his teammates while jogging back to the bench; Boyd has amazing catches and stands up and gets with his teammates to celebrate on the way back to the huddle.
This is part and parcel of what Paul Chryst is trying to teach and instill in his younger players, respect for the game and the opponent and he’s depending on the upper classmen to help with that – we hear it all the time from him and that’s a big reason us PITT fans are so happy he’s the HC. Durham made a mistake and his position coach leveled the verbal shotgun at him on the sidelines. I’ll bet a dollar we don’t see that behavior from him again even with the other good plays he’ll make this season. Live and learn and be an example of what a senior is supposed to act. I know I sound like a prude and I’m really not, and I’m sure Durham is a good leader, like this guy, but I do think that penalty was kind of a big deal. That said, I thought the gesture was pretty funny but knew he’d get the flag.
I guess I’d have like to see Anderson throw more passes but his nine yard run from our own one yard line and the ensuing 99 yard drive was pretty nice. BTW, he’ll be the QB we see if Voytik get injured. The PITT fans wanting Bertke put in if that were to happen are not thinking straight.
Finally, I really can’t think of any more “Monday Morning Quarterbacking” to be done. The subject of Boyd as a punt returner has been beaten to death and I won’t address it because there really isn’t any pat answer and won’t be until the end of the season IMO (Sorry Dr. Tom).
good one !
All the ACC weekly awards, poll votes, change in the point spread, etc… hell, its gone to MY head. Well, I just hope HCPC get those kids in the right frame of mind to come out fast and execute as well as Saturday.
As for all this uniform talk, I was in the bookstore Sunday before heading home from the game and noted they are marketing some throwback wear, sporting the Pitt logo with the large “P”. No sign of the script in the display though. With this being the 125th anniversary year, one would think we might roll out a throwback uniform of some sort for the VT prime time game?…or not?
It’s OK to celebrate when you make a good play just NOT in the opponents face. That is what Durham did but I don’t expect he will do it again. When the CB made a sack you saw him running away from the QB and THEN celebrating… and that is the way to do it.
As far as the ‘Johnny Reb’ color announcer… I had some trouble with ESPN3 and got a link with Hillgrove and company and was listening to that until the ESPN3 link stabilized… and they were running about a play ahead of the ESPN3 feed… and so you knew what was gonna happen and then got to see it. You can get this link right off the official site.
Lastly… as far as BC is concerned… like us they run, run, run the ball but their running game is very different. Instead of a power running game like ours theirs is more of a ‘trickery’ running game. Hard to tell who has the ball… so the idea is to get penetration and bust up their plays… and stay at home in case someone other than you think has the ball.
Watching the replay on ESPN3 of the BC/UMass game, I saw at least one option play and saw Murphy scramble at least once but most of his yardage, were on designed QB runs. It would look like he had handed the ball off to one of his RBs on a sweep to one side but turned out Murphy still had the ball and swept to the other side with one pulling guard and had major space to run… even without the guard. UMass was probably unprepared for this but this is something we have to be ready for… in no uncertain terms.
This game will be won or lost in the trenches. If we get our running game going and stop theirs… game over… and vice versa. If it is even they had the home field advantage and thus we will need someone to make some big plays.
A letdown ? Really.
Can’t really say that thought crossed my mind. I guess it’s possible.
We really can’t be that impressed with ourselves for beating the snot out of an FCS team, to have a letdown…… can we ?
I mean I’ve played on some ‘stacked’ teams where we expected and did destroy the opposition but it never really lead to a letdown in the next game.
Especially if we knew we were actually playing ‘real’ competition.
But who knows, last year’s coaching staff didn’t exactly motivate last year too well against either Navy or Ga. Tech. Lackluster efforts in both games which were certainly winnable.
Hopefully the additions of the new coaches will help in overcoming any lackluster efforts and having more of PC’s recruits on the field, although of course AD didn’t hurt.
It would kind of hard for me to imagine it, in ONLY the 2nd game of the season and in the first ACC conference game of the year.
But who knows…this is PITT after all !
They were 1-11, in their debut season in the MAC.
With their only win coming against quite possibly the worst team in FBS last year, winless Miami of Ohio (0-12). Idaho, Western Michigan, FIU and New Mexico State (not the Lobos who we played) would also be in that conversation.
First Bowl predictions are up. (Looks like El Paso again) Dust off your blue & gold sombreros.
College Football Playoff: Florida State
Orange Bowl : Louisville
Russell Athletic Bowl: Virginia Tech
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Clemson
Belk Bowl: North Carolina
Hyundai Sun Bowl: Pitt
New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Notre Dame
Military Bowl presented By Northrop Grumman: Duke
Duck Commander Independence Bowl: Miami
Quick Lane Bowl: Boston College
BITCOIN St. Petersburg Bowl: Georgia Tech
I was hoping for PITT to be in the very first BITCOIN Bowl !!! 🙂
Bowl swag for that has to be pretty good.
Another poster earlier said that this BC game is a “must win”, I disagree. This game is anything but a must win!
However, if we hope for that magical season when the momentum starts early, producing a tidal wave in our favor, when one good fortune builds on the next for weeks at a time, to produce an unstoppable force, then the BC victory is very important.
This team COULD be 6-0 going into the nationally televised contest against Virginia Tech in October, but it won’t happen if we fail to beat the Eagles.
Pitt could stumble on Friday and still produce that 8-4 season most have stated would indicate that we’ve had a successful season, but with a victory at Chestnut Hill, well then all bets are off, because all of a sudden this team starts to develop a team swagger that has been absent from the Pitt locker room for like,,,,,,,,,,,FOREVER!
With the young talent on this team, and a couple wins under their belts, possessing the youthful enthusiasm that’s obviously apparent, with a dash of ignorance, not to know any better, then, just then, these Panthers might just end up being a force to contend with for the remainder of the season.
But first things first, taking care of business on Friday night.
Hail to Pitt.
Love your thinking. A strong start and improvement each week would make for a great season.
Love the all white uniforms and I bet the players do as well. I hope they wear them for every away game. They need to add some flare to them like Wisconsin and Michigan State.
Notre Dame has an alternate jersey this year. It’s one f the most hideous things I’ve ever seen. Under Armour threw a buttload of cash at them & tradition went out the window.
@Dan, I don’t recall you jumping on me but no worries. Despite my best efforts to hold debate form, I’ve cut loose a couple times on here myself. I always feel bad after, but I probably shouldn’t. It’s all part of it as long as it doesn’t cross the proverbial line. In all honesty, 99% of the posts are well-considered (well ok, maybe 90%). More often I’m thinking, “good point” than “what a jag-off”.
I’m also proud how well he has done academically. At least, I haven’t heard of any problems. I believe he was in the last graduating class at Paterson Catholic before it closed. You guys not from Jersey may or may not know Paterson, while not Camden or Newark, is not the “safest” place to grow up. Our two players from the Preppy Don Bosco (classy Bergen County) did not do too well in academics at Pitt (Soto and Murphy).
I’m more than a day late and probably a dollar short but I’m great with what you have been writing. Hell this blog is my Pitt football fix and you have been a major part of that.
My comment on your comment on CV’s timing for leaving the pocket. I think you summed it up.
The perfect timing is going to depend on a couple of things, one being the specific game and individual personnel match-ups and the other being the film room. Chad will have to leave earlier if Bruce Smith or equivalent (in his heyday) is over his tackle than he would if I was lined up there. So it is a game dependent calibration thing. The film can move him in the right direction for improving his timing but each game is going to require specific calibration for when to cut and run. Film will help and being sacked a couple of times helps too.
I think if we want a good shot at winning 8-9 games winning this Friday is essential.
Also to be taken seriously we have got to win.
Frankly I don’t think BC was very good last year as they lost to Syracuse and they got routed in their bowl game by a 7-5 Arizona squad. And that was WITH a 2000 yard rusher.
And I don’t think they’re very good this year either as the season plays out.
We really need to win and win convincingly….like by at least 2 TD’s.
H2P !
That is indeed disturbing news. Just as I believe ND has finally let advertising into Notre Dame stadium.
Almost getting to the point, where watching college football and the more and more advertising and sponsors of this and that, make you want to turn it off.
Almost to the point where I don’t care to watch any of it anymore except PITT games.
Coach Chryst will be keeping these kids well grounded. He has been plodding along building this team from the bottom up. This team is not the “same old Pitt”. Exactly what this team’s identity is remains to be determined but it’s something different from the past.
Chryst has this squad pointed in the correct direction. I sensed a change last season but it was tempered by lost games that resembled that “same old Pitt” but the team played hard all season long with no quit in them. This season all of those Freshmen newbies are still young but now have valuable game experience to draw from, and don’t discount the benefit that the entire defense has in playing the same system for a second year in a row.
Especially young teams improve the most between the first and second games of the season. The confidence gained by the Panthers in their crushing defeat of a lesser foe will add enormous confidence to the equation, but I doubt it will go to their heads.
The Panthers realize that they still have to prove themselves worthy, they’ve accomplished little yet, really. Coach Chryst is all about that anyway and always has been. “You feel you’re good, fine, then show me”! This BC game is not a must win for us but it is an important one. This is Pitt’s “show me” game.
Show me you guys are through playing like the “same old Pitt”. I feel they’ll be up for that task in a couple days. We’ll know soon enough.
I think we may have been typing at the same time, and your post came up right before mine, and it wasn’t there before, when I was answering back the other fella.
Glad you didn’t take it that way, or didn’t even see it.
I believe the Delaware game was a significant step in the progress.
Said it before, it’s only one game, against an inferior team. No one is talking National Championship. We could lose to BC, we could go 6-6. I get all that.
However, how many times we’ve played a lower Div 1 or Div 2 team and got upset, or been in a dogfight in the 4th quarter?? Too many.
We finally beat the crap out of someone, that we should have beat the crap out of.
I believe there is progress being made in Oakland.
Huge game. Not the end of the world, but like you said, if we’re adding up to 8 or 9 wins,
BC and Syracuse have to be in that count.
Dr Tom – you’re not the first commenter/poster who I have heard say Chryst is ‘plodding along’ and I don’t really get that. A friend of mine at a tailgate said “Yeah, but what does he DO?” in reference to HCPC.
Chryst’s made more changes to the program, facilities and roster in his first two years than any other HC in my memory going back to Majors maybe.
He hit the ground running and hasn’t stopped. Hell, look at what he did last season because he thought Voytik wasn’t ready to start – went out and got a SR QB to transfer in. He’s gotten a lot of other transfers also, changed the culture of the program almost 180 degrees and rebuilt the Weight & locker room with very positive results.
In addition he has tweaked his coaching staff in each of the last two years which is a big deal for a first time HC. I think he’s been proactive as anything at PITT and its starting to show.
Those who only wanted results in the win-loss column would be questioning Chryst on if he has accomplished ANYTHING in those two years, I know better. He has a plan that I feel will produce results soon, maybe this year with a little luck.
The same standard he holds his players to applies to him as well though, maybe not this season, but next year for sure will be time for Coach Chryst to SHOW his Panther fan base that all his ground work, done behind the scene for three years, is paying off. Until then, whatever he has accomplished is academic until it shows up on the field and results in more Ws in the win column at the end of the season.
link to bleacherreport.com
We can see the focus and momentum just picking up speed as PC spent the last two years in the basement and foundation of this program getting the critical things right inside.
Now we will see what the building starts to look like.
I remember way back in the day playing BC was usually a win. and rare would they beat us.
hopefully those days are returning…. now!