It was painfully obvious to anyone watching yesterday that the defense was woefully unprepared for Georgia Tech’s offense. Even disregarding points and blaming it on turnovers, 612 yards of total offense is so high no amount of expletives can come close to calming the justifiable anger. I’ve defended Matt House a lot this season and the narrative right now is that Pitt’s defense had high ratings due to inferior competition. Let’s explore the stats there to see how close Pitt came to holding opposing offenses to their season average.
As you can see, prior to the Georgia Tech game, Pitt’s defense was holding the opposition 61 yards and 3 points less than the season average. You can argue Pitt caught BC before they got things going and VT missing their top three RBs, but up until GT, the defense held opponents very close to their season averages at worst. That’s what makes yesterday’s result so shocking to me. Yes, the defense has talent issues, but as a unit, it has been better than the sum of its parts.
Before yesterday, 26 points from the offense would have won every single game this season. That’s not bad. Don’t get me wrong, Matt House is coaching for his job right now. Why? If this season finishes the final four games like the previous eight have gone, change will be needed. It’s hard to fire Rudolph as OC given the offense has Chryst’s hands all over it and firing him would be Chryst admitting to failure himself. The defense, while it has exceeded expectations up until yesterday, will be made the scapegoat for a failed 2014 campaign if Pitt only wins four to six games this season.
We’ll see if Matt House and the defense can recover, or else Pitt will be looking for a new DC again for the fourth time in five years.
Justin… make that a RESOUNDING “YES!”
Yes!
I hope you are right that the Cancellor isn’t a fan of smug Steve. Nothing changes until we get a new AD. Can’t understand how he keeps his job.
IF the school wants my money, Smiley must go.
And while I want Paul to succeed, nothing thus far makes me believe that will happen.
Time to stop going to the games; time to start voicing my opinion with my wallet.
They were wearing the SCRIPT!
“I was pretty disappointed; I’m still pretty disappointed,” safety Ray Vinopal said. “Guys not in the spots they were in all week in practice, that’s how you get beat. We got beat bad.”
link to post-gazette.com
That tells me they practiced for G Tech and then come game time acted as if they’d never seen it before. Maybe House knows what he’s doing, but what about accountability?
It is going to get worse before it gets better. Pitt will have a tough time with the rest of the schedule.
Matt House is a joke. Finally played a team with a real offense and PITT game up it’s most points since 1996 and most yardage since then too.
Utter Joke.
Get off the Trey kick. He is not the saviour otherwise he would’ve been playing. Plus he played primarily against GT’s subs. The backup always looks better to guys like you.
HOUSE gets OUT-Coached when up against a GOOD Coach.
The reason Pitt lost was Defense or lack thereof.
When the Offensive isn’t getting it done,it’s all on the Defense. And too many times a House led Defense isn’t up to the task.
After Akron, it was that the Zips came out with stuff we weren’t prepared for.
After GaTech, it was Guys not being where they are supposed to be.
Listen closely and here the message Vinopal is really trying to get across.
I do know that in the real world (discounting government of course) if you rule against what your clients/ customers/ alums want, that arrogance will get you fired every time. If it doesn’t, it will doom your company/ university/ non profit etc.
SP has always gone with what HE thought best, no matter what students alums want. He did the same at Nebraska and
Has personally enjoyed sticking it to all of us for years!
My personal opinion based on what I heard at Pitt this weekend is that he will not survive the year. One can hope, can’t one?
Last but not least, I like Paul Chryst and it seemed like a win win hire for Pitt…right up to this weekend. The lack of coaching, prep, recruiting, fundamentals, and organization skills would get anyone else fired. Time is up for HCPC and staff. Don’t let door hit you in the ass!
This is NOT a hobby for me!
The game is lost, if you don’t take the chance on that play, you show no confidence in your offense and you take away the momentum and give it right back to GT. You knew GT gets the ball after the half, so you are expecting your defense to hold them twice after they gave up four straight touchdowns to start the game.
Maybe the worst call by a head coach I have ever seen.
Regarding the defense, you have to play aggressively to beat the option, you have to gamble and get in the backfield to blow up the play before it starts. I have been saying for two years we need to recruit better linebackers and defensive ends. Even with the very good play from Thomas we were exposed, Ends are not good enough, Gonzo, who has played well all year, and the other LB’s disappeared and GT ran wild. Our interior linemen could not stop the Full Back. The main thing was that their O-line manhandled our D-line. Was it the worst defensive performance I have ever witnessed at Pitt, probably not, but it was in the top ten.
We need a defensive coordinator who can recruit big time players and at least yesterday one who knows and can teach his X and O’s.
I stopped attending after Akron. Will still watch on TV, but I can’t take the agony in person.
I did not have high expectations this year, but in my wildest dreams I did not expect this.
Collapse vs. Iowa, Flat against Akron, Give away any chance vs. GT.
Collectively the poorest performance from the coaches and players that I have seen in a long time, and I have witnessed many.
As far as the refs, all three of the calls that went against us were too close to overturn, the refs did their job. Unlucky but you make your own luck when you put the ball on the turf 5 times in the first qtr. On the disputed catch you could not see if the ball hit the turf or the players hand. Not clear enough to overturn.
Gonna take a lot to beat Duke, but who knows the Steelers got off the mat today, stranger things have happened.
Pitts was even worse. Those guys are actually reaching out to look like they are engaged with a blocker so they don’t look bad on film. Problem is, they look worse and I expect them both to be out of the rotation in the coming weeks.
The offense didn’t help with the maximum amount of turnovers per possession in the first quarter, but at some point, the defense has to make plays. They have to say, screw the offense, let’s do our job! That didn’t happen. For me, defending the option requires penetration. I would have probably played TJarrett, KK and Render up front for penetration.
I am hopeful that there is real talk about a new AD. Ours has been a joke when I talk one on one with other big10 AD’s but they want him to stay because he will keep Pitt irrelevant and it is one less university to worry about. Admittedly, my sample size is small(3), but they are leaders and I do trust their opinions.
This one was not on the refs although I did think that the Boyd fumble was incorrect. The others were too close. If you don’t prioritize the ball first, you will lose. Let’s go recruit fellas and keep Pederson away from that process!!
Don’t know where you got that I continually “cover” for Vinopal.
I called for him to be relegated to Special Teams his first year.
Yes, I agree that the Defensive Captain should not point fingers in public.
But he’s pointing them at HOUSE. And that’s my point.
Nordenberg knew at that time that he was ready to step down. Have the common decency to let your successor pick his or her own people.
SP fired, 2015
PC fired 2016
Wanny rehired, and having learned his lesson, finds a way to maintain discipline and recruit good kids. 10 win seasons start in 2018.
We can dream……
What an embarassment….
The PITT logo at mid field – HORRENDOUS!
The coaching and in game adjustments – HORRENDOUS!
The ball handling (7 fumbles, 3 dropped passes and 2 missed interceptions) – HORRENDOUS!
Taking my family & friends to the game Saturday – embarrassing…
Chris Dokish
?@ChrisDokish Oct 25 There’s a reason why top coaches won’t listen to Pitt. The university doesn’t give them what they need to succeed.
WVU held Ok State to 10 points at their place. That’s the 2nd week in a row with an impressive defensive showing vs an explosive B12 team.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that WVU (1) has outrecruited Pitt lately by a lot on defense and (2) has two defensive assistants that are SUBSTANTIALLY more qualified than what Pitt has.
I will continue watching but with considerably lower expectations.
wbb – I like the pick up of Nix. Might be a little bit of a “lottery ticket”, but this one might pay off. There aren’t too many human beings that are almost 7 feet tall with some athletic ability. If he can get his weight down to 299lbs, he could be a real contributer next season. I also think this a good hedge against the Power Ball tickets he is holding, Diallo and Swanigan.
The problem with coaches is that when they put their best on the field and their best can’t do the job, they are in trouble. It goes to recruiting better players. That goes to the coaches. We got better after the Wannstedt exclamation of we need to get faster during halftime. The ACC is faster and quicker than the big east, plain and simple. UConn, Syracuse, Rutgers and Pitt were all the same. USF also dispelled the notion that 2 star florida recruits are better than 3-4 star PA recruits, don’t ya think?
Which takes us to HCPC. Nice guy, probably a good offensive coordinator — but not a good head coach. The team has taken on his personality – listless, with no emotion. Punting on your opponent’s 43 yard line, down by 4 touchdowns says it all. Play it safe, take no risk… Chad Voytik – nice guy, not a D-1 QB. When you have trouble passing for 100 yds in a D-1 college game, you’re either playing for Army, or you don’t belong in D-1. Put Anderson in there and leave him there. He has vision and can see downfield. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
Stop the insanity!!
H2P!!
Now on to the defense and boy do I have a lot. House has done a good job overall with this group but they make young mistakes as well and he clearly does not have a proper plan to play the triple option. Until he does, we will be smoked every year by them. (We do need better athletes as well)
Here we go:
1.) How can you play with only 7 in the box (4-2-1) against the triple option (In the 3rd quarter went to 8 sparingly)
2.) If you were going to play this, then at least move the middle linebacker up. Bam Bradley was too deep in his stance and alignment all day and because of it was consistently cut. The result, GT’s QB and A backs ran wild. Grisby did much better when he was in as he moved up to 5 yards and all of a sudden he could not be cut as easily. Funny how that works. Once Bam was 7 yards of the ball on 3rd and 1 with a triple option team. WTF. If he did not realize it the safeties standing beside him, should have pushed him up into alignment.
3.) D-Line did not fire low and give themselves up enough or in the opposite stay up and get your hands up when you don’t get to the QB.
4.) Our corners when playing cover 2 read too slow and are nowhere physical enough to squeeze the alley. Theoretically, they have help over the top and this is versus a heavy run team so it should not be that hard to do. The other primary reason GT ran wild in the “alley”
5.) DB’s rarely “high point” the ball when thrown at them. Pitts is frequently in position against the other team’s best and if he would just get up, would become the player we all think he could be.
6.) Overall too many blown assignments, poor reads in obvious situation. Our safeties are decent, Vinopal and Webb both take bad angles to the ball and do not follow their proper read progressions all of the time. This is why they look so good and then so bad. Vinopal as a senior and leader must do better. He is the QB of that group.
7.) Finally, on the positive, Todd Thomas was fantastic and if other followed their keys he would have been even better. He is perfectly suited for GT. (Still challenged on the pass) Gonzo was his usual solid and again like Thomas would have played even better if others followed their keys.
7.) I love Galambos and his toughness. He is a little slow, but believe he may well be his mentor Scott McKillop by the end of his career. He may make a big leap up next year.
In any event, I still love the Panthers and positive is better than the negative. Unfortunately, they are still on the learning curve. Regardless of record, the play will improve next year. H2P!
It amazes me that when I look for football tickets there is nothing available in the lower bowl between the 20’s. Yet when you see the stadium there are lots of empty seats. I would venture a guess that our wonderful AD still thinks he can sell more season tickets. The only good thing he has done is not mess up the basketball program, and God help us if JD ever leaves.
But, it will make no difference whatsoever. Paul Chryst is a great guy, a high character guy, the type you’d want around your kid. But he’s a lifetime coordinator. He’s a Charlie Weis. He does not have what it takes to a P5 head coach. As a Broyles award winner from a great program he was worth taking a chance a on. But it’s over. He’s done. He’s shown us who he is. He’ll be a great coordinator at Minnesota or Iowa in two years, but he’ll never be a head coach again after next fall.
As long as we have Paul Chryst as our head coach, who we have on the rest of the staff is irrelevant. No prospect that he’s fired this off season unfortunately, but he should be next season.
VT Stinks and had 3 RB’s miss the game
Iowa Stinks
FIU and Akron – Do I even need to say they stink.
UVA is a legit pretty good team.
GT is down this year but a decent D1 team.
Simply put we play nobodies.
House sucks. Can’t coach, make adjustments or recruit.