(From the Pitt LiveWire Practice #15 Press Release)
MULTIMEDIA: Pitt Live Wire Blog
VIDEO: Coach Pat Narduzzi
VIDEO: Defensive Line Coach Tom Sims
VIDEO: Defensive Tackle Tyrique Jarrett
VIDEO: Defensive Tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith
Coach Pat Narduzzi
Opening statement:
“Saturday we had a nice scrimmage. We stayed pretty healthy getting through that, which is obviously always a main concern. You still hit, but you try to stay healthy. We had some big hits out there as well, but it was a good scrimmage. We got a lot done and we’ll just try to get three percent better today.”
On balancing keeping players healthy while getting them ready for the season:
“There’s some guys you need to see and there’s some guys who’ve made an impact already. You try to protect those guys, and there’s some guys who need work. There’s a fine line, but you have to go out and work. It’s just like the pros in preseason games. I mean, the guys are going to go out and you have to play. I didn’t watch the [Steelers] game, but I’m sure Ben [Roethlisberger] didn’t play the whole time. So you’re getting the guys that need to get reps and find out who your two-deep is going to be as you look at the season.”
On if he knows what his two-deep will look like:
“We have a pretty good idea, yeah. We talked about it before the scrimmage, ‘Hey, today is a big day for some of you guys. You twos and threes: are you going to be there still with the twos, or are you going to be a three, or are some of you going to move up to twos, and what’s that going to be all about? So it’s important and they know that. That was the last real live scrimmage so we got after it pretty good.”
On improvements from the first scrimmage to the second:
“At some positions [we did], and then at some positions you didn’t. I think that might’ve been because of some injuries or we took some guys out and who you played. You have to obviously look at the whole thing. Who’s in, who’s out?”
On outside linebacker and boundary safety positions:
“The boundary safety, I would say, is still up in the air. They’re still fighting for those linebacker spots. I think Freeze [Nicholas Grigsby] has done a great job at the Star position. We’re still looking for a really good back-up there. It’s still a work in progress. [Mike] Caprara and Bam [Bradley] are still in a battle at the [Money linebacker].”
On other positional battles still ongoing:
“I think the [defensive] ends are still battling to see who those guys are. Zach Poker has had a great camp, looking at defense. Then on offense you’ve got battles going on as well. [Receiver] Jester Weah has done a nice job. He had another good scrimmage and he’s really stepped up and made some big plays. He’s made some major improvements as well.”
On the depth at defensive tackle:
“We found some depth and we feel pretty good there. I don’t like to talk about the strengths I like to talk about the weaknesses. You guys can address some of those.”
On the offensive line:
“We’re definitely developing. We’ve got some guys who are banged up, which is okay. That’s where those guys get those opportunities. They have an opportunity to show that they can do it. We’re definitely having guys step up there saying, ‘Hey, I can do it.’ And if you can’t, then you better watch out.”
On if anyone is making a push to start on the offensive line:
“Brian [O’Neill] definitely is. O’Neill has done a nice job. He has some great athleticism out there on the field. He’s a guy that’s raw right now that’s just going to continue to get better. Comparing him to game one to game six or seven is going to be [interesting]. He has really bought in and has done a nice job at that tackle position.”
On the defense finishing better in the scrimmages:
“Yeah, we had a two-minute at the end [of the scrimmage]. Defense didn’t finish. There’s ups and downs in games. We had a two-minute at the end and the defense didn’t do as well. We’ll find out why. But they finished a lot better than they did in the last scrimmage as far as just through the scrimmage. There were breakdowns earlier in the first scrimmage than there were in this one. The two-minute, for whatever reason, we had a couple of back-ups in there at that point on both sides of the ball. So I guess you could say [the offense] took advantage of the weakness. I don’t know.”
Defensive Line Coach Tom Sims
On how many defensive tackles he would like to have in his rotation:
“As many as possible. It’s a rule that you’ve got to have eleven people on the field. You’d like to have at least three at each position that can contribute, and hopefully you can get four or five because you always want competition. You never want a guy to rest on his laurels. You always want someone behind him that’s pushing him and improving and in turn making the guy that’s starting improve.”
On the importance of depth on the defensive line:
“Well they get banged on and they’re extremely large, so they get tired, and so you need a few of them to roll through.”
On Jeremiah Taleni contributing:
“He’s improving every day, working hard, and he is definitely a part of the conversation.”
On competition between Khaynin Mosley-Smith and Tyrique Jarrett:
“Both of them are pushing for playing time, both of them are competing and giving their best every day. With those two, you have experienced guys that have been around and guys that should be contributing for us.”
On Tyrique Jarrett’s conditioning:
“It’s good. It’s coming along. Our strength and conditioning staff, they’ve done an excellent job at developing those guys and continuing to put toughness in them and challenge them. Now it’s my turn and I feel like we’re going in a good direction.”
On where they are now compared to where they’d like to be:
“We’re a work in progress. We’ve improved from the spring, but we’re still a work in progress. We have a long way to go and hopefully we’ll get there.”
Defensive Tackle Tyrique Jarrett:
On if he ever wonders what it would be like to block two 300-pound defensive tackles [referring to him and Khaynin Mosley-Smith]:
“No, I never really thought about it. I just have to do it. Football has always been something that I love, so it’s fun. I just want to learn. I’m open-minded.”
On his conditioning:
“It’s been really good. The conditioning is more mental than anything. I’m just trying to push myself, really trying to just find that inner me and really just trying to keep going whenever I’m tired.”
On being named most improved defensive player of the spring:
“[The coaching staff] pretty much just pushed me. They gave me faith and they just pretty much put it all into me and worked with me. They told me I could do anything that I wanted to if I worked for it. So I took that and I ran with it. I just want to work hard and keep getting better.”
On if he feels motivated by the coaching staff:
“Oh yeah. Yeah, it’s a lot of energy that they bring and it makes you actually want to play even harder. I mean, we already have that and then the coaches just make you want to play more. They make you want to make plays. It’s just a lot of energy that they bring to the team.”
On the coaches’ trust in him and Khaynin Mosley-Smith:
“They give us [trust]. Even during spring ball, they let us run it. They didn’t run it for us, and we pretty much did it. [Strength] Coach [Dave] Andrews says he’ll lay a little gas there and we have the match. We’ll burn it up.”
Defensive Tackle Khaynin Mosley-Smith
On how he feels after two weeks of camp:
“I feel good, a little sore but that’s the life. Honestly, it has been a great camp so far. Very competitive, physical camp. We are getting after it.”
On how he feels about the defensive tackles as a group:
“I feel like we are pretty solid at the defensive tackle positon. We are feeding off of each other’s energy. We are just working hard. When one is down, we are picking each other up. The group is solid.”
On the progress of the defensive line as a unit:
“I feel good about where we are at. But like I said, we have a lot of work to do. We have to keep cleaning things up. Each day, this is the last week of camp, we have to come out here and get better. We have to go hard. This is all we get right here, then we are game planning.”
On preparing for his senior year:
“I have prepared myself in my physical conditioning. Just working hard, pushing myself, even when I feel like I can’t go. I have my teammates behind me pushing me. We just know we have big plans this season and I have big plans for myself as well.”
Placekicker Chris Blewitt
On if a coaching change affects a kicker:
“I don’t think it really changes us that much. Probably practice scheduling, but just because of the new special teams coordinator. We have different things to work on, so it’s a different scheme, but overall it doesn’t change too much for us. We just have to be ready to adapt.”
On working with Special Teams Coordinator Andre Powell:
“He’s pretty good as a coach. He brings a lot of detail and depth to it. He definitely is on us and giving us a kick in the butt special-teams-wise. He is definitely big on the details.
“He has all these tapes from everywhere he has been. He shows us all these clips from when he was at North Carolina, Clemson, when he was at Maryland. He brings in a lot of tape and good visuals for everybody to look at and understand. He knows what he is talking about on how to scheme against specific coverages.”
On how the scheme is different:
“Normally, it seems like we played to our opponent. We would scheme specifically [for our opponent]. With him, we do our own specific thing and we know how to adapt to everyone else. So we can master what we do and do it well against everybody else.”
Looking forward to the Kickoff Luncheon on Friday. I remember how optimistic I was at last year’s Luncheon with, er, Coach Chryst… Oh well…
Go Pitt.
But this non-sense about Conner’s weight is just that. He is not a small RB, similar in stature to the guy that starts for the pro team next door. If anything, you should see a fresher, more athletic, more explosive version of the 2014 ACC Player of the Year.
As for the legit concerns… the pool of linemen contains a solid combination of pedigree and experience and was thought to be one of the deeper groups on the team.
I also think the freshman slot WR is going to help a lot as well. Haven’t really had a dynamic athlete step into that role and take advantage.
Finally – the Arkansas TEs combined for 66 catches, 900 yards, and 6 TDs last year. I think Boyd would love to see the fellas produce like that, and occupy a safety from time to time.
Bo Graham, son of Fraud and a coach on the
Arizona State team, resigned abruptly yesterday.
Later in the evening, Ryan Carpenter a former ASU quarterback tweeted out a somewhat ambiguous tweet.
“not good for a college coach to be caught with students or student athletes”.
He didn’t mention him, but it was only hours after he resigned.
To leave your old man scrambling for a replacement 2 weeks before the season, there has to be more to this. Whatever it is I just hope Toddy is involved and negatively impacted…
This is good, especially on the line where it takes big guys time to mature.
Conversely the O-line is somewhat young again with Artie and Bisno being the most experienced.
When you asked, I said that my big question was about special teams. This part related to Chris Blewitt helps answer some of the questions. It is interesting that, in Sam Werner’s aricle below, Powell’s analysis of last year has also led to more S&C work. Thanks, Sam.
H2P
Ah, the ‘net.
Another 1st team All-American pick for Boyd – ESPN.
Let’s get a strong arm in there and hit Boyd 30+ yards downfield from the LOS in stride… Boyd would rack up a hell of a lot more than 8 tds like he had last season.
I’m for a leader. Not stats. Team sport. Just win baby. Chad’s a leader and a winner. Why mess with that?
I’m for a leader. Not stats. Team sport. Just win baby. Chad’s a leader and a winner. Why mess with that?
Comment by TX Panther 08.25.15 @ 7:52 pm ”
LOL, MATH —- 6-7 is SUB .500, i.e., less than 50% —–
Sub- 0.500 for a starting, Power-5, Division 1 QB (against the weakest Power-5 regular season football schedule — FCS Delaware, MAC Akron (5-7 — 1 Win against Pitt at their home!), and only Duke and Georgia Tech in the ACC Coastal!) — that’s a LOSER!
Seriously what is the combined-IQ (….that stands for “Intelligence Quotient” — a kind of “Barometer for Intellectual Capacity) among some?? Or, more fairly—what’s the “Football IQ”?? Well, that’s rhetorical lol. (among SOME, not all clearly lol).
Plus dunno if any have heard of where good College Players go after their University days — it’s called the National Football League—lol, kinda, players who play the Position of “Quarterback” are valued — in fact these pro teams all worth a minimum of $500 million plus dollars (psh, and that’s Bargain-Basement, like the Jacksonville Jaguars maybe haha) — they’ll Mortgage their entire team’s futures trying to get that one Quarterback…
Pitt has a QB so limited it’s a joke to even think about him as an NFL QB (ha, lol, Tino Suneri had more Physical Arm talent and, gulp, “NFL Potential”) —-
**** What really great Power-5 Football teams are there without at least a really physically talented Quarterback (even if the “Underachieve” based on their talent)??
*** Look at Top-25 year-in, year-out Power 5 teams the last 5 years — It’s an Utter EXception-to-the-Rule to find teams that don’t have Very Talented, NFL-Potential QB’s ever succeeding.
—- Get “With It” if you claim you want Pitt Football to be a better product and get National Attention — because you live in your Tiny “Pitt World” – to everyone else in the nation (heck, in Central PA) they’re only 2 offensive players at Pitt: Tyler Boyd and James Conner — “The Incumbent” was a joke to everyone but you “Voytikettes” — (Sorry, to his 3-or-so biggest cheerleaders, good-golly “Miss Molly” lol)
It’s like talking to a (Dense, Stubborn, stuck-in-it’s ways & refusing to Learn or Grow) Wall but at least someone has the guts to talk about tangible change.
Otherwise this becomes a Ci*cle J*rk (like it was when I got here lol) where no one says the same-thing over and over.
Conversely if Voytik falters, he can replace him with Peterman who can play the hero, or not since we really have never seen him play much.
No coach with half a brain is going to bench an incumbent who has played a whole year and done a decent job. Too much pressure on the new guy and the coach who does that.
Most QB’s, other than Winston and the guy at tOSU, take some time to learn the ropes. Voytik has had a year plus of experience and should only get better. If not Chaney has another guy ready and that is all good.
My guess is pass protection is going to be a little shaky early in the season, another reason to go with a guy that has experience and can run a little.
There is a decent chance that Peterman gets a shot during the course of the season, we will see then whether he lives up to DK’s high expectations. But there is a lot more to being a QB than just being able to sling it. Does Peterman have those skills, no way to tell till he plays. A lot of big arms have thrown a lot of interceptions, just sayin.
When (if) OC Chaney says Peterman is the guy, then I’ll know he’s beat out Chad, and will be the best for Pitt. OCC and HCPN see both EVERY day. They don’t base their decisions on high school clips and 2-3 pass videos from practice. Relax. We’ll know what’s best for Pitt very soon.
Hopefully they will enter the season neck and neck, so whichever is the 1, the other will be a superb change of pace, and backup.
Until then, you have to suck it up and cheer for the QB we have. Are you going to be rooting for Voytik to fail? …come on, maybe just a little, deep down, lol
6’6 JaMarcus Russell and 6’3 Kyle Boller was reported to have the 2 strongest arms in the NFL combine over the past 15 years … both 1st round busts.
Bama recently won 3 titles with AJ McCarron at QB.
The point I’m getting at is just because a QB has the physical skills doesn’t make him a great QB, it doesn’t necessarily make him one.
And when a younger QB who was lower rated in HS bypasses a more gifted QB to win the starting job .. like what happened to Savage at Rutgers and Peterman at UT .. then maybe you have to reconsider the values.
None of us are privy to practice or the film sessions, or can observe how the QBs interact with their teammates, but just because someone has a stronger arm does not guarantee success.
Thus, once again, if the OC and HC decide who is best fit to start, then I will trust their decision.
I watch two separate interviews with coach Narduzzi and he stated the team would get over to Heinz field to practice. He also mentioned the importance of such practices because it is your home stadium…your house, as they say.
Weeks later, it is apparent that his plans were crushed by the Steelers because they are worried about the playing surface.
This is complete bullshit and a disadvantage to the Pitt team. They may as well play in West Virginia’s stadium. Every early game must feel like an away game to the players because they are so unfamiliar with the surroundings. Especially the freshman that may play.
I don’t buy the fan excuses…the game day atmosphere sucks, it isn’t on campus, the stadium is built cheap, blah blah blah. I get limiting access, you can’t practice on a grass field all the time and I am sure the Steelers don’t either but ONE freaking time before the season starts is complete BS.
The University needs to make this a public issue. They are paying rent and it is a public funded facility. The Rooney’s want grass because it is cheaper. Don’t buy the BS that it is better for the players.
OK, I am finished.
OK can’t resist…National Champion QB’s since 2000:
Josh Heupel
Ken Dorsey
Craig Krenzel
Matt Mauck
Matt Leinart
Vince Young
Chris Leak
Matt Flynn
Tim Tebow
Greg McElroy
Cam Newton
AJ McCarron x2
Jameis Winston
Cardale Jones
I count one maybe two legit NFL QBs on that list, with the jury still out on Winston, and a couple like Vince Young with NFL talent but not an NFL head. You can win in college without top talent at QB. It’s proven every year.
I will grant you that a top tier QB can have a huge impact on a middling program like Pitt. A guy like that can raise a program up, and I’d love to see one of those guys find his way to Pitt. But that guy is not on the current roster.
And as Iron Duke pointed out above … college ball is different than the pro’s. You don’t need a big armed QB to win.
College is scheme driven not QB driven like the NFL is.
My point has been we have a poor deep passing game because that is the truth. A good passing game relies on the QB reading the defense correctly, waiting for his deep receive to get open and,most importantly, getting the ball down there with a timely and ACCURATE pass. That is what Voytik hasn’t been good at.
You say he wasn’t asked to do so but that is not necessarily the case… on most pass plays one of the three main receivers is asked to either go deep right off or break off his route and go deep based on that receiver’s opinion if he can get open deep or not.
That is why we saw Boyd or another receiver open deep so many times when Voytik chose to get the ball off before he had a chance to get the ball downfield. Very few called pass plays have the primary receiver on a deep route so the QB has to understand that staying in the pocket and waiting is the best chance of success when he wants/needs to throw the long ball.
Towards the end of the season you could see the frustration in Boyd as he was getting open deep on a regular basis and wasn’t getting the ball thrown to him. Voytik got comfortable NOT throwing deep so he defaulted short all the time.
As I did a month or so ago, go back and look at all the pass plays we had last year that went for 40+ yards and you’ll see only a handful of completions that were on a genuine deep (25+ past LOS) post, seam or corner routes. Almost all of them were much shorter passes where the receiver had long yards after the catch.
I believe this limitation of Voytik’s impacted the ability for a full use offense… points scored be damned. Yeah, we scored a lot of points but really James Conner and his running in the red zone accomplished that. We had zero ‘quick strike’ scoring capability when the defense was ripe for going long.
If we need to come from behind in the 4th quarter, which we had to a lot last season and lost games by less that 7 points, then having that ability greatly helps to move the ball from here to there in one play.
Voytik has his strengths but this aspect of a passing offense isn’t one of them… so far.
– he wasn’t even accurate on the medium range passes — this hurt us in 2nd half vs Iowa, vs Akron and 1st half vs UVa.
– he was too focused on one receiver for much of the year, and having Garner as the other WR certainly did not help. Later in the year, he did look for the TE and RB which seemed to help.
Note that Pitt ran the ball 610 times last versus 308 pass attempts. This is likely the highest in the NCAA for a non-wishbone team .. and personally, I don’t have a problem with that as long as we are moving the ball.
It remains to be seen what we will see from the new offense but I do expect a better passing year from CV, despite his issue with the long pass.
