It’s been a full week of the ’15 training camp and other than a good look at the behind the scenes and how the logistical side of things are running let’s take a look at what other’s are saying about the past week of camp and who is doing what.
Halfway through the week Peterman was moved up to QB2 and that is for a very solid reason, he is very talented. Looking at the 1st scrimmage stats for the two principal QBs below we see that Peterman not only held his own but did well on Saturday. Voytik threw a Pick-6, a pass blocked by DE Blair and new DB Matt Steinbeck took it in. More on him below. Voytik apparently completed a nice TD pass to Orndoff down the sideline on a deeper throw. No mention of how the 73 yard TD to Jester Weah from Peterman unfolded. Either way, this is something we need to see more of in the regular season.
| Passing | Comp/Att/INT | Yards | % / YPA | Long | TDs |
| Voytik | 11-25-1 | 183 | 44% / 7.3 | 62 | 2 |
| Peterman | 11-16-0 | 243 | 69% 15.8 | 73 | 1 |
| Rushing | Att | Net | Long | Avg |
| Voytik | 3 | 15 | 15 | 5.0 |
| Peterman | 7 | 34 | 10 | 4.9 |
Greg Meyer of the P-G: On defense Pitt’s list of defensive players was too long to properly screenshot, but Quintin Wirginis had a team-high seven tackles, Matt Galambos, Jordan Whitehead and Mark Scarpinato each had six, and Lafayette Pitts and Matt Steinbeck both had interceptions.
If you are asking yourself who this Matt Steinbeck is who made the interception the short answer is that he’s a guy who was brought in to make interceptions. That was his specialty while playing Safety at Bucknell or, more reasonably, he’s a SR transfer who has one year of eligibility and wanted to play with the big boys.
Steinbeck’s is an interesting story as he played his HS football at local HS North Allegheny back in 2010. Here are some highlights from that part of his football career. He’s now a rsFR in his last year of eligibility. He’s 6’0”210 and can hit like a horse’s kick. He won’t be a starter but maybe he’ll get some on-field time in the Nickel Defense. Plus he looks like he on his way to this awesome facial hair.
Some other tidbits from over the weekend.
“We’re trying to eliminate role players,” he said. “We’re trying to get our players to be complete players. Then, once we start getting into the gameplan, we’ll start giving guys roles. But right now, we want everybody to learn everything we’re doing, understand the concepts and just play as hard as they can possibly play.( Meyer P-G 8/15)
Once again, Tyrique Jarrett and KK Mosley-Smith were the first team defensive tackles, with Darryl Render on the second team. Now, Render is still coming back from an illness earlier this week, so he could just be limited, but it’s still interesting to see the two big guys lined up next to each other. If you watched the video from defensive coordinator Josh Conklin yesterday, he said that’s a formation Pitt could use regularly this season, not just in run-stopping situations. (Werner P-G 8/13)
Something interesting that dribbled out over the last few days is that Blair has been held out of at least one practice by the staff and this maybe be a reason for that:
At end, Narduzzi needs at least a one-game replacement for Rori Blair (suspended for the opener), and Shakir Soto and senior Ejuan Price look like the early favorites at the bookend spots.
So what Trib’s DiPaola is referencing is the statement Narduzzi made that Blair’;s suspension may not be the end of his disciplinary actions toward Blair. Maybe we see more than a one game suspension when the dust finally settles. I kind of doubt it but we fans should be awar that it could still happen.
On defense, Ejuan Price and Shakir Soto were the first-team DEs, with Rori Blair being held out from this team session. The DTs with the first team were Tyrique Jarrett and KK Mosley-Smith, as Darryl Render was a bit limited as he battles back from an illness (he was with the second team). (Werner P-G 8/12)
The Trib weighs in on the subject also with this mid-week article. Here is what that beef up in front does:
Among those who noticed and nodded approvingly was linebackers coach Rob Harley. “To have three big-time dudes in there, it makes our job a ton easier,” he said. “When those offensive linemen have to handle those guys first, we can just run free and run and hit.”
If you are wondering about whatever position battles may be shaping up here is a good look at it by Trib’s DiPaola. During Media Day last Tuesday Narduzzi made a point of mentioning Mike Caprara a couple of times and when in discussions on the sidelines the talk turned to him a few times also. Obviously he is impressing the defensive minded coaches Narduzzi and Conklin. Here is a piece from that article:
Meanwhile, Narduzzi — for the second time this week — made sure he mentioned Mike Caprara when he referenced outside linebackers. Caprara is in a fight with Bam Bradley, but coaches will find a way to use Caprara, whether he’s a starter or not. The junior from Woodland Hills is always around the ball.
Sophomore middle linebacker Quintin Wirginis is in a similar situation — behind a veteran (Matt Galambos), but too good to leave off the field for an extended period. By the way, freshman outside linebackers Anthony McKee and Saleem Brightwell are opening some eyes among coaches. Enough for them to play a little this season? That will be determined in the next two weeks of camp.
It may just be my take on the LBs so far but I don’t think we’ll see either of the two new FR linebackers get extended playing time. Let’s hope that our defense can cover the opponent’s well enough to allow both Brightwell and McKee to redshirt. However, right now our top four LBs are this when it comes to eligibility after this season:
rsJR Galambos – 1 year; rsJR Bradley – 1 year; rsJR Caprara – 1 year and rsSR Grigsby – graduated. So the staff may look at that and see a need for one of the two to get ready in case of injury this season. A wildcard is Jamal Poteet who seems to be the invisible man so far this year. I guess I look at a two-deep LB corp with Bradley, Caprara, Wirginis (everyone loves this kid), Davis, Brightwell, McKee, etc… down the road and salivate.
I leave Galambos off because to me the only attraction with his as a starter is the cerebral side of MLB and with Narduzzi’s more simplified defense he may be expendable… especially if HCPN wants maximum speed on the field as he’s said he does.
Here is a nice background piece on the step-brothers and their evangelistic Mom. Here is the answer to the three year old mystery (Trib)…
“Grigsby, an administration of justice major, got his name as a young child for his insistence on pushing a chair against the refrigerator, opening the freezer and looking for something to eat. Ernestine calls him Freezer, but it’s been shortened to Freeze over the years.”
Since everyone is talking about who and what Jordan Whitehead is, here is a video from Werner of the P-G that sheds some light.
Something I forgot to mention in my Training Camp Report earlier is that I had a nice conversation with Pitt’s Media Relations Coordinator Celeste Welsh, a great gal and really proactively helpful, about the coming season and its press box seating requests. We get one for The Blather by the way but she also mentioned that this season’s request numbers are higher due to so many NFL scouts wanting to watch the team.
Read that as Conner and Blair, but hopefully also rsSR C Artie Rowell (who is generously listed at 6’2″ and 310) and SR TE J. P. Holtz, who we really need to see involved in the offense more. Both those guys could make The Big Show in one way or another. It would be nice to see four guys get drafted.
Note: it looks like us season ticket holders will be receiving UPS packages tomorrow with the tickets and parking passes enclosed. If you haven’t already bought tickets there is more to be had for as little as $100 for six games. That’s $16.66 per games folks… just a bit more than going to an evening movie these days.
You can also buy mini-packages for three games. Check out the availability here or you can try Stubhub here, or contact the Pitt ticket office as below.
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We love you — I’ll give you the bridge for just the six-pack!
Just Curious if you wouldn’t mind playing a game with me here —- say, if Tom Savage had been granted some sort of “Hardship Waver” and gotten one more year at Pitt — Who would you genuinely have wanted to start last year, Savage or R.S. So. Chad Voytik??
I am just happy to have a quality back-up QB. The only QB competition is in the mind of DK and maybe UPitt.
However, I do agree that comparing Voytik’s and Marino’s sophomore years add little to the debate. I don’t see Voytik ever being an NFL HOF player. In fact chances of him playing in an NFL game are pretty slim. I do think he can win 8 games for us this year if the defense is at least decent instead of abysmal like last year.
The other point I find ludicrous is saying that Voytik is a 6-7 QB. Did you not watch the games? Any defense at all and we win 3-4 more games last year.
It would have been fun to watch Marino throw to Boyd though.
Hopefully his fractured finger will not retard his development this season and put him at a severe disadvantage in the minds of this new staff. His potential is huge and Quadree would be a starter on half of the Power 5 teams in the country if healthy but not at Pitt because we have an awesomely deep and talented crew. Thank you very much HCPC. Your overall recruiting grademwas average but you sure hit some triples and home runs with the likes of James Conner, Chris James, Quadree Ollison and Rachid Ibrahim.
That is why Darin Hall should get a “Hall” pass for this season, learn the playbook, get stronger, acclimate to the college science and simply wait his turn come next year.
But speaking of a freshman named Quadree, I have been reading in a few places about Henderson making an impact. I expect him to see on the field this year as a natural frosh.
I think Chad will start the season at QB but Nathan will be relieving him on a regular basis to inject a deep pass threat into the offense.
Remarkable that Pitt has won on average 24 games in Dixon’s tenure. Much of that stat is helped by his early dominance in the Pitt East. The rend is definitely down over the past 5 years. So stability only gets you so far. After a while, you may reach the ceiling or actually start hitting the floor. I’m afraid that our basketball program will crater the floor but I’m giddy that our football program may bust through the ceiling.
I wasn’t trying to give you a smack down ala PoD or The Batman or Joe D 😉
Much respect for your opinions, sir.
But having said that, I am concerned by our recent recruiting efforts, or more precisely, results. Losing Heron and Rowan were one thing … but continually losing out on even 3-star prospects is concerning.
Thus, far we only have Mannigault, I would hope we’d be able to attract at least another promising commit, hopefully a quality PG, for next year.
Heck, he was a just baseball player (college and one year in minors) but had his share of aches and pains. I read where even Mike Ditka, the epitome of the tough guy, doesn’t want his grand kids playing football. Probably has something to do that it takes him nearly 10 minutes to get out of a car.
With that being said, if Peterman gets in the game or even ends up starting, I have no problem with that.
I would expect him to lead the team into the 40 and 50 point area though.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Voytik was the qb of an offense that averaged
37 points the last 5 games for Pitt.
Those points should have been enough for a team
to go 5-0 with even a C- defense.
Instead, we went 2-3.
“there’s more to QB’ing than just points” blah, blah, blah. We all know that, and Voytik became better and better as the year went on. Not throwing interceptions, extending drives with his legs, becoming a pretty smart quarterback.
So, in the end, it does boil down to points.
A long bomb can change a game, sure, how much more changing do you need when you’re scoring in the 30’s and 40’s??
So, if and when Peterman gets in, I will be expecting even more scoring and ppg. Otherwise, what’s the point??
So, if he can do that, I’m all for him.
The 1985 Chicago Bears embodied hard-nosed football, but three decades later their equally tough-minded Hall of Fame coach — who once famously declared, “If God had wanted man to play soccer, he wouldn’t have given us arms” — is rethinking his game plan.
That’s right: Even Mike Ditka is questioning the violent nature of the sport in the wake of advancements in concussion research and his own experience with veterans plagued by health problems.
perhaps the 1st team O, had a tougher time, because our D is getting better??
Dare we hope?
The potential for greatness has been the missing ingredient over that time period, replaced with knack for snatching defeat out of the jawsmof victory which has earned our Panthers with the undesired acronym moniker of SOP.
But in the face of all this dysfunctional frustration us Pitt fans have had the privilege of experiencing the trials and tribulations of the sports soap opera over the last three decades commonly known as thee Pitt Panthers football program. It has not been all bad.
Consider the Pitt alumni that we’ve had the honor of watching in Pitt Blue & Gold during this period, Curtis Martin, Antonio Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald, Tyler Palko, Jonathan Baldwin, LaRod Stevens-Howling, Darrelle Revis, Shady McCoy, Dion Lewis, Ray Graham, Aaron Donald and currently Conner and Boyd. Sorry for those that I missed, it’s an exhaustive list.
And during those 31 seasons since Jackie left us for Texas A & M Pitt has still had more winning than losing seasons and have gone to 16 post season bowl games. All of this accomplished while we have endured, University administrations that have not kept their eye on the ball concerning athletics, the loss our OCS, a continuous stream of football coaches and a bad spell of poor public relations due to exposure of the criminal factor of Pitt’s roster on the national media’s stage.
It’s been a wild ride, as any intriguing soap opera worth it’s weight should be! So here we are today a new season with just another new coaching staff. SOP? Another year of sqaushed expectations an lackluster performances or rather something different other than Mediocrity?
Back in the day, Pitt was coming off!a 8-4 season when the magic happened. Yes it was a talent filled team that had good fortune on their side even in the face of tribulations. A year that was undefeated! A National Champion year.
To those who say such accomplishments can never be obtained at Pitt because the College athletic landscape has irreversibility changed and Pitt will be forever left outside looking in, I say BS! Anything can be accomplished by this University if and when the people in charge decide!on the goal!and all!workmin concert to achieve it!
Gallahger, Barnes, Narduzzi and supporting cast just might be the injection of new blood that can project that vision once more for this football program. This just might be the start of something big.
In any case it will be another opportunity for us diehard Pitt fans to cheer on our boysnto be the best that they can be. I love the smell of a Panther Pride on game day. Enjoy the ride!
1) they are surrounded by quality college FB teams and are a bit jealous
2) the humid, 90 degree plus days are really getting to them
Probably some of both.
The problem is that the NFL wants offense and the way you create better offense is to increase spacing. When you have more space the likelihood of launching increases and that’s why you have all of these defenseless WR penalties.
With the current rules favoring offense, eliminating launching would kill defenses. Trying to wrap up these guys in open space is a tall task. You might as well just be playing flag football.
They would have to revert some of the rules back in favor of the defense to prevent players getting in open space … but we all know that won’t ever happen.
If Nard Dogg’s staff can just get this Pitt defense to play “adequate” defense we are going to see a bunch of Ws appear in the win column this season.
Emel – I love your rants and stats they always get people fired up and I respect your opinion. Speaking or Reed and his alter ego Dark Knight, has anyone seen Reed and Dark Knight in the same room at the same time? LOL
TT- I agree that it is not easy to replace a QB who is popular with his teamates and that can be a domino affect on the team. If NB or AB deserves to start then as long as they are the best that is all I have been hoping for in the past years. HOwever, if that happens, I look for it to be gradual transformation especiallyl in the situation of a first year coach.
IMO while I dont want musical QBs is there something wrong with making sure the backup gets a real series or two a game or that if the starter is tanking in a game, unless there is a superstar at QB ie Marino, putting in the backup as a potential spark. It’s been too long since we had this option. My rapidly fading memory recalls both Bobby Haygood and Cavanaugh starting in 1975 or 6.
Y’all – As to CV record, so 6-7 as a first year QB was his fault now? I thought it was the atrocious Outhouse and his defense or Paulies conservative play calling, or Paulie failure to motivate or lack of good players, etc etc. I am so confused now, then again that wouldnt be a first. 🙂
However there is discussion to be had about the DL, LBs, the DBs and the QBs… especially the defensive units where we most probably will see new starters in place of old ones who get benched.
Remember, this is what this blog is for – discussions about Pitt football and basketball. It isn’t like some other blogs where there is a short piece and maybe a comment or two. Everyone on here has strong views and different levels of interest in different parts of the program, but the nice thing is nobody who is stating their opinion on here is wrong because opinions are not wrong or right… they just are.
If you have been following this blog you’ll know that sometimes I take a contrarian position to stimulate your brains into commenting (although my take on Peterman is not that way – I think he’s a viable substitute for the starter if needed).
Anyway, Emel’s just taking a break on this subject I hope.
thought I was wrong once, but as it turned out, I was mistaken.
Loving the reports on what appears to be good
depth at LB and DB this camp — major change from the last handful of years and that alone might be good enough for 1-2 more wins.
The 1st one can be contributed to the offense, and CV, where it averaged 16 ppg. The 2nd one was definitely on the defense, giving up an amazing 49 ppg.
(never got past Pop Warner myself)
Was away on golf trip so just getting caught up, hey Emel, don’t take it so seriously, everyone on this board gets shit, such is the way!
Upitt, always good to read the Southern Yinzer take!
60k for YSU!!
Do we have a full-time, dedicated “special teams” coach this year? Or, is it a secondary duty for someone?
H2P
As for Voytik, he’s a solid QB who I think will get better and be a productive QB and strong overall leader at Pitt for the next two years (but is highly likely to never see a snap in the NFL).
And Dixon’s leash had better be very, very short. He needs to start meditating or doing yoga or something to loosen up, and stop losing top recruits to the likes of Auburn.
This kid is one of those players who if he never plays regularly in college could still get drafted by the NFL just because of his size and speed.
I can’t decide whether we have a talented and deep WR corps, or we don’t have much of anything behind TB. We need to see results – I guess we learn a lot in the opener…
Go Pitt.
I know Ben’s NCAA record wasn’t good either but he truly inherited a shaky program and turned it around fast…I give him some leeway for that as its really hard to build a winner in such a tough conference. Jamie has been a miracle worker during the regular season but 12 years of nearly all embarrassing exits from Bracketville has to stop. Time to give another guy the reins and let Jamie start fresh somewhere like the Pac 12 or Big Ten. Great guy and good coach, but time to try something different.