Fan Fest was last night, which signals the end of training camp. Practices now, are ostensibly about getting ready for the first opponent. While most of college football begins this weekend. Pitt has an extra week.
In a way this is good. As eager as I am for Pitt’s season to start. To make the trips to Pittsburgh and see my friends. It is the end of summer, and this extra weekend allowed me to avoid major screw-ups because I forgot when Pitt’s season begins and scheduled other things. For example, I don’t have to disappoint my daughter by cancelling at the last minute on a nighttime 5K we are doing this Saturday (only downside is watching college football all day without drinking).
The official depth chart won’t come out until Monday, but Head Coach Pat Narduzzi already has a pretty good idea (and to be fair, so do most of us).
Two of the spots that have been most up in the air this month have been boundary safety and “Money,” or weakside, outside linebacker, both of which Narduzzi said are still in flux. During the media viewing today, both redshirt junior Jevonte Pitts and freshman Jordan Whitehead got some time with the first team at safety, and redshirt junior Mike Caprara worked at the “Money” spot, typically on the boundary side of the field.
Narduzzi also said defensive end is still unsettled, and pointed to redshirt sophomore Zach Poker as a player who improved his standing this month. He also noted that redshirt sophomore Jester Weah is fighting for more time at receiver.
“He had another nice scrimmage, he’s really stepped up and made some big plays and he’s made some major improvements there as well,” Narduzzi said.
Wide Receiver after Tyler Boyd remains a big jumble. Dontez Ford still appears to be the number 2 receiver, but we have not heard much about him during camp. At points Elijah Zeise, Zach Challingsworth, Quadree Henderson and Jester Weah have all had moments or been noticed. Nothing, though, to be certain.
I keep vacillating on my expectations for this season. I think about it, and I get very optimistic. Fully able to visualize a 10-2 season. Then I set about to write on the expectations and it plummets to a 6-6 season.
Is some of it based on the frustrations of the past? Little bit.
A close-game record evens out over time; at least, it’s supposed to. One lucky or unlucky year hints at an optical illusion, a team that isn’t what it seems. The real team is exposed soon enough. But while I gave up on talking about curses long ago — which, as a Missouri fan, is a big deal — Pitt’s got a case.
Call it the Curse of Johnny Majors. In the last 18 seasons, since Majors retired and Walt Harris took over, Pitt has had a winning record in one-possession games just five times and has been at least two games under .500 in such games nine times. In this nearly two-decade sample, the Panthers are 35-53 in these contests, a 0.397 win percentage.
That’s incredible.
In three years under Chryst, Pitt ranked in the F/+ top 50 three times and boasted a strong offense (24th in 2014) and defenses (26th in 2012, 32nd in 2013). But they went 5-10 in one-score games and managed an 18-20 record overall.
And yet, this is one of the deeper and most optimistic previews of Pitt you will read. Especially by the numbers.
Looking at individual pieces, you can craft a pretty good front seven. Darryl Render is a quick, if movable, defensive tackle who combined six TFLs with four break-ups. Equally movable end Rori Blair showed potential as a pass-rush specialist — five of his 12.5 tackles were sacks. Khaynin Mosley-Smith is a bowling ball who gets his hands up on passes. Former four-star linebacker Nicholas Grigsby has had blitzing success, and Matt Galambos was pretty disruptive against the run.
But only Mosley-Smith and Galambos are particularly big for their positions. And even with this group, plus since-departed linebackers Anthony Gonzalez and Todd Thomas, Pitt’s defense was below average. And again, while there are former star recruits elsewhere, there’s really no such thing on the line.
This might be the perfect time for a new coaching staff. This wasn’t an awful defense, but it wasn’t good enough. And the staff has a record of fast improvement; in his first year as Michigan State’s coordinator, Narduzzi’s defense improved from 86th in Def. S&P+ to 50th. And after a single-year reset in 2013, in which his defense fell from 78th to 107th, new D.C. Josh Conklin’s FIU defense improved all the way to 61st, four spots ahead of Pitt.
…
But if Pitt can break even in the luck department, the Panthers could be dangerous enough to keep an eye on. A top-35 team could win nine or 10 games against this schedule, but with four home opponents projected between 28th and 46th and three road opponents between 26th and 57th, the Panthers will need to hop up to have a good year.
They can do it. Their quarterback had a late-season breakout, and if their No. 1 receiver is in uniform, he is one of the country’s best. They have an efficient run game and a secondary that should hold its own, even against a decent set of quarterbacks. If Narduzzi and Conklin can make something of the front seven, this team won’t have any devastating weaknesses.
And from the coaching staff to the players on the field, Pitt has more exciting components than a majority of the ACC. The program made what seems like a great coaching hire, and he has players to work with. We’ll see if that is enough to overcome the rain cloud that has followed the Panthers for two decades.
We start to find out in a little more than a week.
It is indeed a curse
I’ll preface this by saying that Narduzzi is a defensive wizard and i really like the staff he’s hired and playing press bump-and-run coverage will help the corners a good bit. With that said, having avonte maddox (who i think can be a solid player) and lafayette pitts on an island all game scares the sh*t out of me…
On offense, like defense, we’re learning a totally different system, no WR has really stood out at camp, and what was to be our strength – OL – is now in serious doubt with JJS gone, Rowell questionable, we now have two rsFR starting on OL in Bookser and the converted TE O’Neill.
We’ll win the first two, but after that I expect 5-5 against major conference teams. We can get to 8-5 with a good bowl showing and that’s a good enough start for Duzz to build on.
VA Tech will be tough but they’re a lower scoring, time of possession team which means Pitt should be able stay in the game.
GT will be difficult but they are one dimensional and the mission statement from PN is stop the run.
ND will be tough but Pitt always plays ND well and I think they’re overrated once again.
DUKE is another team I’m not sure we match up well with. I just think Pitt can out shoot them.
Miami is Al Golden coached and I don’t see them living up to expectations.
Good news is that there is depth at RB and Rachid has a redshirt year open.
We are really in the back weeds.
Take care of business on Homecoming, and vs a crappy Cuse… and even if the tilt with the Ramblin Wreck doesn’t go well, they could still go into the final stretch with more than a puncher’s chance at the Coastal at 6-1.
Although this says it all, really…
To me, this underscores in part why were are not a great home team. Not to reopen the OCS argument because I am NOT trying to do that…but obviously the team has no comfort level at Heinz if they only see it once before actually playing a live game there. No?
I would guess that most teams do not practice in their stadium at this point. Almost all have separate practice fields/facilities.
Not to shoot you down, but I just don’t think that line of thinking holds much water.
Narduzzi has stated he wanted the team to get to Heinz several times. If the coach thinks that, then it is a factor.
God has a plan for everyone.Gunna be tough not being out there with my brothers this year, but you best believe imma come back stronger #H2P
Retweeted by Sam Werner
——————————–
He apparently has a torn achilles
Although Ollison has been battling a hand injury. Hopefully Hall’s knee is 100% healthy because that redshirt is looking less likely…
35 George Aston FB RS FR 6-0/240 Stephens City, VA (Sherando)
24 James Conner RB JR 6-2/240 Erie, PA (McDowell)
30 Stephen Ezekoye RB RS FR 5-9/175 Kensington, MD (Albert Einstein)
22 Darrin Hall RB FR 5-11/215 Youngstown, OH (Austintown Fitch)
29 Rachid Ibrahim RB JR 6-1/195 Rockville, MD (Avalon)
5 Chris James RB SO 5-11/210 Chicago, IL (Notre Dame College Prep)
43 Joey Kerle FB RS FR 6-0/235 Harrisburg, PA (Bishop McDevitt)
40 Colton Lively FB RS SO 6-0/240 Lake Dallas, TX (Lake Dallas)
37 Qadree Ollison RB RS FR 6-2/230 Niagara Falls, NY (Canisius)
41 Anthony Rippole FB RS JR 5-10/230 McKees Rocks, PA (Montour)
Listen I am all for anyone getting help for alcohol or substance abuse. Probably everyone on this board knows someone who has struggled with an addiction. I just don’t know how he isn’t suspended or fired. It may sound harsh but this guy represents a major institution and is responsible for 85 kids.
He put USC in a real position. Completely embarrassing…
I doubt he will do any kind of treatment… again like Sandusky and PSU.
Group: Hello Jerry
JS: Yesterday I went to the campus and took a shower
(the rest of the meeting minutes have been deleted)
Tough for Ibrahim, lucky we have depth. Hope Hall is ready.
Walt Harris — look at his career at Stanford after he left Pitt. He did a lot of good things when Pitt was really down: but Jeff Long was correct — he really showed his ceiling as a coach.
Dave Wannstedt — He “Was what he Was”. Never, ever coached college before and was not known as a good NFL head coach. He just Ran Ricky Williams 400-450 times a season and ran the tread off his tires.
He just could not be the Leader Pitt Football needed, and reach his Kids. The Cincinnati loss, along with the beginning of the 🙁 “Reign of Tino Sunseri” 🙁 Football-wise led to his “Downfall”.
— Discipline?? Lol if Tino Sunseri was the “Pitt Drew Brees” people dreamingly-envisioned for him, and he started off by Crushing Utah and leading Pitt to 10 wins, Home-wins vs. Miami and WVU on national TV and a Big East Title, “Wanny” woulda been-going Nowhere.
Haywood / Graham fiasco — this all still falls under the “Reign of Tino Sunseri” category lol.
Paul Chryst — definitely helped set a new-foundation for sure ——- BUT there is one common, undeniable thread to all of this:
No one here will argue my Overall-Point—
This “Same Ol’ Pitt” – thang (i.e., otherwise what supporters of other Weak-to-Mediocre Power-5 programs call: “Not being very good” ) —- is ALL DUE to one…..drum roll…… ****Steve Pederson****
Just one of the *Many* articles over the years (the numerous ones from Nebraska-sites during his tenure+after his firing are doozies —- Resounding-frustration that Steve Pederson Sabotaged his own Alma Mater)
link to bleacherreport.com — most telling are the comments.
—– The Man was a “Scourge” to Pitt Athletics and he just kept doing serious Damage to Pitt Football — So thank Goodness Chancellor Gallagher (hopefully a bit unceremoniously) Kicked him to the Curb.
Me-thinks with Scott Barnes running the ‘Show’ the future is bright —- brighter than I ever expected for Pitt Football and (Women’s now too with coach McConnell-Serio!) Basketball . The Future of Pitt Football and Bball is so bright, ya better Grab your Ray-Bans or Oakley’s (for the “Upitt”s out-there along with all you guys who live down-south, I mean lol…I don’t need them there are no windows in my Troll-Cave).
As I said yesterday Ibrahim led the team in yards per carry with 8.0 on 33 carries… take away his one big 50 yard run and he still averaged 6.6 YPC. In his career so far he’s 60 carries for 400 yards which is also 6.6 ypc. He’s not a small back either at 6’1″ and 195 lbs.
This is a kid who could easily get 1,000 yards if he was a starting HB and I’d have expected to see him getting around 75 touches this season, but running the ball and receiving. His loss combined with Jaryd Jones-Smith being out for the year are two players who were very productive for us. I’m still thinking this years offense isn’t going to match last years and that will be a problem for us.
Also there are two more days of camp, today, this evening and tomorrow. Camp ends on Friday with the Kickoff Luncheon.
Right-Right, and that is also why earlier We were Clamoring that Ibrahim simply had to get on the field no matter-what, even if that meant Chaney incorporating him into the Slot-Receiver, “Percy Harvin” role just to get an Elusive, Agile, Explosive player (with totally-underrated size too like you said!) the ball I his hands for this offense.
Yes — losing Matt Rotheram and T.J. Clemmings along with the athletic, NFL-Prototype Mountain-Man Jaryd Jones-Smith (hurts so-bad right now) all is Tuff’.
….Add to that Jim Chaney’s offense NEEDS a solid (at least Legitimately-Threatening) Deep-Passing game to Flourish (footballs thrown accurately 20+ yards downfield which means 30+ yard-travelling passes).
Whatever, we’ll see! Youngstown State is going-down, the date is set, so the Offense will get their chance to show what they’ve got.
P.S. 🙂 Some fresh-Livewire Vids, including a cool Ultra High-Def Drone Pitt Facility-flyover goody.
Darrin Hall — man some of these young freshman seem ridiculously mature. James — Ollison — Hall : No one else gets that “Spidey-Sense” that Running Back U is continuing? I feel like these are 3 future-NFL Backs right here at Pitt. Embarrassment of riches.
Another poster was right though!! Love all of these Defensive Commits, but We’re spoiled by Chryst / Hueber / Rudolph the last few years — let’s get some more of these huge, athletic Blue-Chip Offensive Lineman here to Pitt this Recruiting Class — someone else said that the Offensive Line is a major “Backbone” of the entire team, Agree! 🙂
Pat Narduzzi at the very-least Holds People (And Himself!) 10X more accountable and that’s a huge-start.
Imagine Pat Narduzzi after a loss like Cincinnati 09 to lose the Big East, of after losing to UCONN in 10′ to lose the Big East —
This man acts like he let everyone down losing to eventual champion OSU 49-37 — This man Take ACCOUNTABILITY. That’s a tremendous Evolution for a Pitt Head Coach 🙂
who ya got?
Has anyone actually seen the contract Pitt signed to play at Heinz? Was it with the Steelers or the sorts authority?
If Pitt can’t practice at Heinz then all that the trustees, Nordenturd, anCorn hole sold about it being equally Pitt’s home is utter bullshit.
I can see why the geriatric Dapper Dan, that no one gives a flip about, gave Nordenturd a sports award.
I know my HS practiced at a field across the street from the stadium, but had a dress practice (no scrimmage) on Thurs night at the stadium
Couldn’t agree more about this staff’s enthusiasm and ability to motivate. It has been a missing essential ingredient for success. Hope that Narduzzi can get it done!
Best of luck young man.
Most big time programs do not use their respective campus stadiums for daily practice. However, they do use their facilities during recruit visits. The kickers for Pitt I believe, do go over to Heinz one day per week.
If our athletic department was really on the ball, they would have one field on the South Side Practice Facility as an exact replica of what the players will be playing on at Heinz, so that they can be comfortable. Some big time programs have their practice fields manicured or setup exactly like their competitors fields so that their players have all the advantages when playing on the road. From grass cut the same way, to turf choice, it is happening and we are probably behind the times.
From the ESPN All-American list:
TE: Hunter Henry, Arkansas
Henry is a rarity in today’s game in that he’s a tight end who plays with his hand in the dirt and can actually block. Even though he’s stuck in an offense that doesn’t throw the ball much, Henry has found a way to lead all SEC tight ends in receptions over the past two seasons.
Henry was the TE in OC Chaney’s system the past two years. We may see our two TE’s from the 412 area code have banner years compared to the Chryst era. Remember though, there are only so many touches in a game and we have Conner and T.Boyd (well not in game one).
I’d like to see Pitt make the YSU game a one sided slug fest with the Penguins posting a big fat zero on the scoreboard.
We have lots of weapons – let’s hope our road graders up front on the O-line are a weapon that allows our “others” to destroy the enemy.
HTP!
Is this Offensive Line up to the task?
In my opinion, this is the BIGGEST question going into the Season.
Offense sells tickets DEFENSE wins games, or in Pitt’s case, loses games. If Narduzzi fails to find the answer to Pitt’s defensive let downs from last season and we produce another pathetic unit that can’t get the job done, then this program is doomed to years of future mediocrity.
There are a half dozen recruits waiting to see if Narduzzi can produce a winner this year. His recruiting success for the 2016 class will be directly proportional to his success on the field. Nothing less than an 8-4 regular season record and going to a mid level post season bowl will be acceptable. Otherwise guys like Matthews, Pugh, Gilbert and Hamlin end up turning their nose up at Pitt and accept their offers from other elite programs that are in contention for their services.
Fix the defense and the wins will come!
No where to hide, we should no right away, first two games. Teams are not slouches to start like the first game last year.