(This is the first article in a weekly series of articles entitled “Monday Morning Quarterback”.   I will try to post them two days after the football games are played so as to have our wilder emotions under control by then. It will be my take on the positives and the negatives we saw happen and a chance for commenters to agree or disagree and to add their own thoughts.) 

I told Chas I’ll try to keep the MMQB articles posted.

Four wins and one loss, with those wins including our first two ACC conference games is nothing to sneeze at and is a real ‘feel good’ generator for almost ever Pitt fan save a few disgruntled ones.

We held on, and that is becoming a mantra that isn’t real positive in itself, to win Saturday’s game against the University of Virginia at Heinz Field in beautiful Pittsburgh, PA.

Before getting into the game specifics let’s acknowledge something that is different with this season. There is a positive and growing sentiment among the Pitt football program, the university, the fans and, surprisingly, the local media, that sets this year, with this brand new staff, apart from the others seasons we have slogged through over the last five years.

What separates this year from all the other recent years is the solid belief that something good is not ‘about to happen’ but actually is.  Yes there are areas of the team and coaching that have to grow and mature.  I think we’ll all agree that even without Conner in the backfield our offense has to better come together and play more consistently.

Our defense is exciting and, for the most part very effective, but their good works seem to come in come in fits and starts also. We stack up very well nationally with our defensive statistics: 6^th in rushing defense; 7^th in total defense; 12^th in passing efficiency defense; 27^th in passing yards allowed and then we drop to 39^th in scoring defense giving up 20.6 ppg.

Before anyone looks at that 39^th tag for scoring consider this.  Last season we gave up a 26.3 ppg and ended up 58^th nationally.

POSITIVES:

Our defense is certainly the difference maker when it comes to winning games this season.  For one thing we aren’t engaging in ‘shoot-out’ games this season like we had in 2014.  Last year four of our seven losses had scores like this: 51-48 (Duke), 40-35 (NC), 56-28 (GT) and 35-34 (Houston).  In future games if we score 48, 35, 28 and 35 points almost certainly our current defense will give us wins.

The offense is starting to show the ability to diversify, specifically our passing among the primary players in the receiving corps. Take a look at this table which lists how our QBs have distributed the ball to the Tight Ends  this game, thus far in 2015 and through all of 2014:

Along with that, our WR opposite Boyd, Dontez Ford is starting to come into his own.  Saturday he had 3 receptions for 63 yds which is a fine 21 ypc. So far this season he’s had 7 catches for 143 yards at a 20.4 ypc clip.  Contrast that with our #2 WR of 2014 at the same point in the season, Manasseh Garner, who had 9 catches for 107 yards at an 11.8 ypc.

That is a result having a QB who is seeing and using the whole field and can hit his 2^nd and 3^rd progression receivers on a regular basis. If anyone is wondering where Tyler Boyd’s catches and yardage has gone this season all you have to do is look at what those other three receivers mentioned have done so far as opposed to last season:

We also have to realize that Boyd was out for the opener so he’s played only four games this year vice five last.  Looking at all that and factoring that missed game in, Boyd’s numbers are not all that different after five games.  While we fans all want Tyler Boyd to get bigger numbers than last season to position himself for the NFL draft,  it is a team game and this season’s passing game has spread the ball out well enough to put up better results with one more win under its belt…which is what really matters.

NEGATIVES:

We are still giving up big plays on defense.  Against VA we allowed big gainers on rushing with a 72 yard run that led to their first three points.  In the passing game we gave up two 32 yard plays, one for a TD and the other on a 4^th & 23 conversion on Virginia’s last drive.  The problem with this habit is that one or two big plays can completely negate a fine defensive showing and cause us to lose the game. Luckily that didn’t happen against Virginia, but in the 4th quarter when they completed that 4th & 23 down with a long pass you were worried… yes you were.

The offense gave up points to the opponent. Nate Peterman’s fumble deep in Virginia’s red zone was taken in for a TD which closed our 2^nd quarter lead from a comfortable 17-3 to 17-10.  Peterman has been very good about not throwing interceptions in his last three games (1) but his error had the same results as a Pick-6 in that it didn’t give us a chance to erase the turnover with stout defense.

But Peterman has been pretty stingy with the INTs over the last few games, save the 1^st quarter of the Iowa game (From the Trib):

Peterman said he missed a few reads that could have resulted in bigger numbers on his stat sheet, but he passed for a career-high 222 yards with two touchdowns for the second time this season. He hasn’t thrown an interception since the first quarter of the Iowa game — a stretch of 65 attempts — and he is third in the ACC and 23rd in the nation in passing efficiency (152.0). Passing efficiency is determined through a formula that accounts for completion percentage, yardage, touchdowns and interceptions.

He has a way to go to match Voytik’s single INT over the last six games of last season though – that is a very good achievement.

As I did last week here is a running comparison of the two QBs as the seasons progressed.  I’ll try to do this each game to see if the ‘Peterman Experience” has really taken hold in production.  Oh, I’m wondering if anyone still think Peterman can’t run with the ball?  Not on CV’s level but not too far below that either.

Note: Scott Orndoff is fast enough and has good enough hands to play the Mike Shanahan role if needed at WR.

We stand at 4-1 now and that is something that Pitt football hasn’t done since 2009. Not a bad way to start the season, especially with a new staff and some new starters, at all.  On to Georgia Tech in Atlanta next week.