Pitt Spring Practice #12   April 11, 2015

First off the bat please watch this 1m45s  scrimmage highlight video.  It, I suppose, captures the best plays of the scrimmage.  If so either it was a very short scrimmage or the video camera broke down right after the scrimmage started.

At any rate it is fun to watch and they are some answers to a few questions PITT fans have been asking via their comments on here.  Here I’ll write out my play-by-play breakdown of the video:

– #29 SR RB Rachid Ibrahim inside carry for nice yardage

– #7 rsFR QB Adam Bertke pass to #41JR FB Anthony Rippole (2^nd team)

– #85 SO WR Jester Weah reception

– Strong inside cut and run by #5 SO RB Chris James for a TD

– Voytik to Boyd

-#6 SR DB Lafayette Pitts with an INT in front of WR #80 SO WR Zach Challingsworth

– Challingsworth with a catch down the sideline

– Pass to Tyler Boyd on a crossing route for a TD

– #11 SO QB Nate Bossory (transfer from the Air Force) pass to #30 FR FB Stephen Ezekoye (3^rd team)

– Bossory to rsFR RB Quadree Ollison for long yards after the catch TD

– Bertke almost intercepted by #38 JR DB Ryan Lewis in front of Weah

– Long TD pass from Bertke to #28 rsFR Elijah Ziese

– Zeise from Bertke in right flat

– Diving catch by Zeise from Voytik

– Voytik on a keeper down the right sideline for a nice gain

– Nice inside run by Ezekoye; waits and follows blockers for a long gain

– TD pass; Voytik to Ibrahim

– Best play of scrimmage: Quadree Ollison on a nice cut inside then speed for a 60 yard TD

DiPaola of the Trib-Review comes in with two articles this morning; one on the relationship between Chaney and Voytik along with a ‘notebook’ piece on the scrimmage.

The first article is pretty detailed explaining the process of how Jim Cheney went from being a nose tackle at DII Central Missouri State to the offensive Coordinator at PITT.  This excerpt is interesting:

Central Missouri offensive coordinator Rob Bollinger, who spent many long bus rides talking football with his all-conference nose guard, pointed Chaney toward Cal State Fullerton.  Bollinger, whose son Brooks was Pitt’s quarterbacks coach in 2012 and ’13, was friends with Fullerton coach Gene Murphy and made a call on Chaney’s behalf.  The graduate assistant position offered no pay, but Chaney didn’t care. Like many young people, he just wanted a chance.

“I got to California in December of 1984,” Chaney said, “and I drove by the office, and they were having a coaching clinic the day I got there.  “I went in and introduced myself to the coach. He said, ‘Well, we’d love to have you help out around here. Now your first job, go get those two cases of beer and get them over to the coaching clinic.’  

It is a small world in college ball isn’t it?

DiPaloa also touches a bit on the difference Chrsy and Cheney have in approaching teaching the QB position.

How will Chaney’s background help Pitt junior quarterback and incumbent starter Chad Voytik? Chaney has worked with several good quarterbacks, including Drew Brees at Purdue, so he can be demanding. That might be just what Voytik needs.  “He’s definitely a jokester,” Voytik said, “but also on the field, he’ll get in your business and let you know what you did wrong.”  That runs contrary to former coach Paul Chryst’s laid-back style.

“Coach Chryst was more like sitting back and letting you take it and kind of deal with your problems,” Voytik said. “But (Chaney) is going to let you know.  “It’s a different style I have to get used to, but I think it’s good. It’s definitely going to put more pressure on me during practice, which hopefully will prepare me for the pressure I’ll experience in games.”  Chaney said his offense is similar to what Chryst employed at Pitt.

“Paul taught a lot of concepts,” he said. “I think the kids have a good understanding of what we’re trying to get done.”  

Regardless of style points Chryst did an excellent job with the three QBs he had to work with at PITT and Cheney is getting a pretty good QB in Voytik to start his tenure here.

In his ‘notebook’ piece DiPaola has a section titled “New Faces” where he says:

Seven starters return on defense, but several players who played little or not at all last season have emerged.  Allderdice graduate Tyrique Jarrett (6-foot-3, 335 pounds) has stepped into a starting job at defensive tackle next to Render and drawn regular praise from Narduzzi.

Shady Side Academy’s Dennis Briggs continues to impress with how quickly he has made the transition from running back to nickel back.  “He’s physical,” Narduzzi said. “He made some plays out there. Mentally, he’s still trying to figure it out. He sacks the quarterback one time, and the next thing, he’ll be in the wrong spot.  “He’ll be a guy you’ll be watching on Saturday afternoon, for sure.”

Narduzzi said defensive end Ejuan Price, who missed last season with a pectoral injury, is playing with confidence, and outside linebacker Nicholas Grigsby, who played mainly on third downs last season, is an every-down contributor. “He is playing with a little bit of an attitude,” Narduzzi said.

He also mentions this that should get the PITT fan’s blood racing: Woodland Hills four-star running back Miles Sanders, who has committed verbally to Penn State, visited practice with his coach, George Novak.

Jumping over to the Post-Gazette Sam Werner has a nice background piece on Shadyside Academy’s Dennis Briggs who is a converted RB sent over to bolster the defensive backfield.

Just like at any new position a player has to adapt to Briggs has found some bumps in the road:

Briggs was the first to admit that he is likely close to the team lead in mental errors this spring, but is working diligently to cut them down.  Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi is taking a slightly more optimistic outlook with the up-and-down nature of Briggs’ transition.   Sounds like Briggs will be firmly ensconced in the backfield two-deep by the start of fall camp.

In his Redshirt Diaries Werner has posted a nice set of five videos from the scrimmage.  In the text part of the article Werner talks about the MLB and Nose Tackle positions:

It looked like Bam Bradley was back with the first team at linebacker today, ahead of Mike Caprara. That seems like a pretty fluid situation, though, and I’d expect them to go back and forth all the way up until August unless someone really seizes the job. Similarly, Tyrique Jarrett has passed K.K. Mosley-Smith on the depth chart at nose tackle. He was working with the first team next to Darryl Render.

That Money position is getting to be a very interesting issue in this early practice session.  Caprara has taken the lion’s share of snaps in that time period and it shapes up to be he and Bradley being put in the competition for the job by the staff.  Early days of course, but if this holds into the august camp then it will be a major shift in the defense.  Wirginis has been practicing at MLB2.

Lest we forget the little cousin in the media coverage of the Panthers The Pitt News chips in with this bit of good news: Aaron Donald is putting his name on a restaurant in Oakland to grab the beer & food money from poor undergraduates who really can’t afford to eat out but want to do a lot of name dropping…  “See you at Aaron’s, right?”

The Pitt News also has one of the best pieces of Sports journalism I have read in ages with this insightful look at one of the football team’s stars titled: Boyd Begins Transformation to Football Cyborg.

With the operations and the transformative training our HC sees news opportunities for Boyd. “Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi also placed Ty-Borg on the special teams hands team, as he reeled in an estimated 98 percent of opponent onside kicks. Ty-Borg’s new extendo-forearms give him an added eight inches of wingspan and the ability to reach around defenders’ bodies in order to reel in passes from quarterback Chad Voytik.

…and then this: “The rods have also given Ty-Borg superior punting and field goal-kicking strength, entering him into an unexpected battle for the starting place kicking position against incumbent Chris Blewitt. At a recent spring practice, Ty-Borg reportedly kicked a 70-yard field goal on his first attempt.

Blewitt was not present for the rest of the practice.

Here are the interviews and transcripts.

Coach Pat Narduzzi’s impressions on today’s scrimmage work:

Video: Coach Pat Narduzzi

“I think the defense played really well today. I think the offense did some great things. The thing I noticed most out here today in the scrimmage, and maybe I noticed it because we didn’t have the music out here today, is our kids are doing a great job communicating.

Communication is so huge in the game of football, whether it’s offensively or defensively, talking about splits, talking to each other. If you can’t talk to each other on the field then you have problems. You can’t play all by yourself. There’s 11 guys and you need to talk. I was really impressed with all of the communication that I heard out on the field today.

“Hey Helper Bees, could someone show Coach Narduzzi where the volume knob is for the indoor field house?  Thanks…”  To think, our defense may be as bad as last year’s due to the Player’s Union demands that loud music is mandated and to be played during practice sessions.

Intensity was good. There were guys flying around making plays. They’re having fun playing the game. I’m just listening to the intensity and the fun they’re playing with out there. I’m really impressed with the way they’re playing. Obviously it’s the first day outside. I think that caused our offense some problems.  That’s why I was happy to get out here today. I didn’t want Highmark Stadium to be the first time we’re outside throwing it in the elements. There was a pretty good wind out there so I think it affected our passing game and we had some things open. I think the wind took some balls, but that’s part of the game.

You can’t be playing indoors. We don’t play the game indoors so we have to come out in the elements. I think it affected some of our passing game, but overall, I’m happy with where we are after (practice) number 12.”

On if he thinks playmakers are emerging on defense:

“I really do. Across the board, I’ll start inside, I think we have some pretty good defensive tackles here. Tyrique (Jarrett) is playing really well, Darryl Render, K.K. (Mosley-Smith), (Jeremiah) Taleni is playing good. We’ve got some guys really playing good inside. Ejuan (Price) is really turning it on–I think having confidence in what he’s doing and how he does it. And Rori Blair.

 I’m really feeling good with those guys on defense. (Nicholas) Grigsby is making plays out there and playing with a little bit of an attitude. He was a third down guy last year. He’s becoming an every down linebacker, not a third down defensive end rush guy. There’s guys making plays all over the field. We’ll see the tape and continue to get better.”

On a learning curve with the new verbiage and system:

“There’s a verbiage thing that we’re trying to teach to use. You have to identify formations on defense. On offense you have to identify coverage. You have receivers talking and pointing blitzes out, you have a quarterback making checks, I’m talking first, second, and third quarterbacks talking and changing plays and still getting the ball snapped with time on the clock.

There’s all those things that I’m listening to out there. Even with one ear on the headphone and going, `Wow.’ Near the end, I had to take my headphones off just to listen. It was just some good stuff.”

On Dennis Briggs switching from running back to cornerback:

“Dennis (Briggs) is doing a good job…He’s made some plays out there. Mentally he’s still trying to figure it out. He’ll sack the quarterback one time and the next thing, he’ll be in the wrong spot. He’ll be a guy you’re watching on Saturday afternoon, I can tell you that right now.”

On who made an impact on the offense today:

“Tyler Boyd always makes an impact. Rachid (Ibrahim) ran the ball well today. We held out James (Conner) just for precaution. He’s fine. He could’ve went, but he’s a little banged up. He’ll go next Saturday, I can promise you that.

It was good to get a look at some of those other backs. Qadree (Ollison) had probably a 60-yard run and was probably the only big, big run on the defense. I think Chad (Voytik) ran the offense well. Again, I think the wind had some effect on some balls today. Hopefully the rain stays away this week.”

On trying to be outside again this week:

“I’d like to be out here every day. I wanted to be out last week too. As long as the sun’s out and the fields aren’t wet, we’ll be outside.”

On the importance of winning the blue jerseys to spark competition:

“I think you have to play for something. If you’re going out just to practice, there’s nothing you want and nothing you’re striving for. The defense gets up on the offense and then we had some opportunities on the short field offensively we have to take advantage of to win the game. The offense had a chance to win the game and couldn’t pull it out. The defense stepped up and played with some emotions and that’s what it’s all about.”

On the importance of the defense having success:

“The offense has confidence. I think there was a little lack of confidence in the defense when we got here. Obviously we want everybody to feel good. It’s a two-way street. I think the offense is playing against a good defense. They have to make plays together. I think it’ll be a solid look.”

Quarterback Chad Voytik on the production points the offense is judged on during practice:

Video: Quarterback Chad Voytik

“Each day we will have an emphasis, like third down conversations or turnovers. (Coach Narduzzi) will give us a stat, like say we were 42 and 18, we had one fumble or less in a game. He will give stats like that and each day we will have a different stat. So, it’s something to focus on.”

On being outdoors for the first time this year:

“It felt nice. It was tough to throw, it was pretty windy today. I’m used to being in the indoor the past 11 practices. It was definitely different throwing the ball, you have to judge the wind some.”  

On who is making plays for the offense:

“The guys that you would expect (like James Conner and Tyler Boyd). Zach Challingsworth made a few plays today. Dontez (Ford) was out and Zach made a few plays. It was good.”  (Note to Chad: Conner wears #24 and wasn’t on the field today. Suggest you memorize that number.)

On the performance of the defense:

“They are playing well. They are stepping up and bringing energy today. They’re creating big plays and it’s good to see from them for sure.” 

Defensive Lineman Darryl Render on the new defensive system:

Video: Defensive Tackle Darryl Render

“It’s fun, man. Everybody is flying around, getting to the ball and everyone is making plays. So, it’s not different, it’s just more exciting and more fun. Everybody is enjoying it and everybody wants to make a play.”

On which unit won the scrimmage today:

“The `D’ won today. We are going to keep the blue jerseys (given to scrimmage winners) until next week. So it’s all good.”

On plays that stood out during the scrimmage:

“I think (Lafayette Pitts) pick early was a big one. The fact we didn’t let the (offense) score when they got down into the red zone. Everybody was making plays and you can’t be mad at that.”

On if the defense playing with a chip on their shoulders:

“Oh yeah, no doubt. Everybody is counting us out and doubting us from last year. But, we are going to come out and do what we have to do and keep it strong.”

On becoming a leader on defense:

“I’m trying. Trying to lead as an example. I want to keep everybody’s spirit up, so everyone can just keep going.”   So, remember that whole thing about college players and coaches not reading and listening to media reports?  Yeah, they do.

SPRING GAME ON SATURDAY, APRIL 18^TH, RIVERHOUND STADIUM STATION SQUARE