Just past the halfway point in the season. On the bye week, so this fits as far as time to take stock of the season to date.
Pitt could be 7-0. They could have ended up 3-4. Sitting at 5-2 is about what was expected coming into the season. Two losses on the road to teams ranked in the top-25 before the season started. Again, not unexpected coming into the season. Of course, the road to this 5-2 probably doesn’t feel terribly satisfying as 5 of the games came down to the final few minutes or less.
But then, that’s probably true for most things. We chart out a course. Have the expectations. May even meet them, but getting there is never quite as envisioned.
Most of us in our preseason thoughts were realistic in chalking up road losses to Oklahoma State and UNC, but there is no satisfying way to have those losses occur once the season actually got underway. It wouldn’t have been better to be blown out by them. Losing by two scores would hardly improve things.
The upside — and with a little more time from those games to dim the immediacy of the pain, frustration and excessive drinking that resulted — of losing the game in the final minutes. It shows that Pitt isn’t that far off, from being a legit top-25 team. From winning the Coastal (yes, I know, Pitt is still in it for this year, but unless Pitt beats both VT and Miami in the next few weeks the only way Pitt wins the Coastal is because the rest of the division went into total chaos).
Of course, if you are the glass half-empty type. You can see those other three games Pitt didn’t close out until the final minutes or play. Where the outcome could have easily been another loss and Pitt would be starting at a sup-par record and still mired in the mediocrity. Where Pitt drops at least one game inexplicably as they have done so often in the past decade plus. Regardless of the coach.
We have known, though, that Pitt’s overall talent is in the middle-of-the-pack range. Spots that shine. Others that, well, are cringe-inducing. That Pitt has won the games they should and only lost games where they were expected over this season and last is small improvement, but still an improvement. Win two of the next three and it becomes another small improvement.
Pitt still has a little more than a week before the next game and the start of their toughest stretch of games. I have no idea what to expect at this point.
I do have to say that the offense is everything I had hoped for and a little more, even with Peterman’s average play. Special teams have been very good at scoring. They have given up big plays that have hurt at times. Blewitt, while not as steady as we hoped has done the job.
The defense, as frustrating as it is, has kept us in all of the games and given the offense the chance to win.
Last year we failed down the stretch. I would say win three of the next five and we have had a successful season. Peterman has to rise to the occasion in at least one of the next three games.
VT looks to be our best chance and keeps us alive for a nine win season.
It’s not so much that Pitt lost to OSU and UNC… it’s how they lost.
Fact is Pitt has been both LUCKY and UN-Lucky in its CLOSE Wins and Losses.
But considering the INCONSISTENCY we’ve witnessed with BOTH Player Performance AND In-Game Coaching… who wouldn’t take 5 and 2 at this point?
Sports reporters asking tough questions and playing young players are nothing to be ashamed of. And quite honestly, losing all the good recruits to ND and other schools isn’t exactly a notch in Narduzzi’s belt.
Regarding our DBs, I have no idea what goes on in practice, and I understand PN makes his roster decisions based on that, but it seems pretty clear that Mitchell is an upgrade over Webb, which does make me worry that the best players aren’t always playing- it took an injury to get Mitchell on the field. I also believe Motley is playing a little better than Maddox, for that matter. And I certainly don’t believe that Coleman and Hamlin would be a drop-off from Maddox & Lewis, unless they accidentally tie their cleats together, but then again, maybe keeping the redshirts is best in the long run, who knows?
Lol TD – look at the roster. They are playing plenty of young players. What are you talking about?
What are your realistic expectations of team in year 2 of a new coach with middle of the road talent in a P5 conference.
ND stealing those recruits is because Brian Kelly has been recruiting the WPIAL for 5 years now and has established relationships with the HC’s in the area … especially a Catholic school like Central Catholic whose players dream of ND.
PN and crew are in their 2nd year of recruiting the area and WPIAL coaches have no faith in Pitt coaches after the last half decade.
it’s a process. It’s not instant gratification.
Pitt fans hate waiting but that’s what happens EVERY (PoD shout out) time you hire a new coach. It generally takes 3 years to start reaching potential and 4 years to actually get there. See Chris Peterson (from Boise St) at Washington (who had more on roster talent then Pitt) as an example.
The guys in the secondary are playing because they are practicing the right way. PN’s building a defensive system that requires certain disciplines. Primarily stopping the run first and putting pressure on the QB. He’s going to play the guys that are disciplined in these areas over talent because he’s building a culture. Practice the right way and the more talented kids will get in. That simple.
Next year is when we should start to see some progress on defense. Year 4 (2 more years) is when it really should take off.
However we do have the firepower on offense to win most games. In the UNC game the defense got enough stops to win if the offense just got a few more fourth quarter first downs. To me that was a bigger fail than our D giving up that last drive. With those few more first downs, the D isn’t put into the position to lose.
We have won 5 games with a very poor pass defense, because our offense is really good.
When they go into a shell in the fourth quarter we lose, or nearly lose (PSU)
VT #7
Miami #14
Clemscum #9 (many people in the Carolina’s reference clemson as that, since it’s a football factory ala miami of the 80’s and 90’s.)
The UNC loss was quite painful to bear as it reeked of SOP. I guess the Pedo State save, equaled that out. Would have been great to have both, since I can’t stand the Tarhole cheaters, almost as much as the Pedders.
And PN seems to get real chippy with the local reporters–constantly taking shots at them.
That’s how it works in college.
I think part of the problem with Pitt is it being in a pro-city. The way you fix a college team isn’t the same way you fix a pro-team. It requires much more patience. In college you have a lot more system coaches on offense and defense. They don’t adapt to the players. The players adapt to them until they have a team full of kids they recruited. Because of the constant rotation in and out with the graduating recruiting classes the scheme is greater than the personnel.
In the NFL, it’s the opposite. Coaches have to adapt to the talent around them because of the salary cap and player contracts. It’s not a 100% turnover every 4 years. Coaches have to be a lot more reflexive and reactionary than they do in college. It’s also why you see less creativity and more copy catting.
Regarding the play calling in the 4th, it has been much better since UNC. I was at the GT and UVA game and the both were called beautifully. Even going back to the OKST game, NP was main culprit there as well as against UVA.
Coaches built him up a year ago, only to see him disappoint.
His POOR tackling was on exhibition this past weekend.
“I don’t want to play for a mediocre school,” he said. “I don’t want to play for a team that goes like 7-6. I want to go to a school that plays in the big bowl games or plays in the College Football Playoff. I don’t want to go to an average school because I don’t think I’m an average player. I want to make big time plays on a big time stage.”
If someone mentioned it I apologize…
Kevin Stallings lost out on another recruit. Many people had 4 star F Kimani Lawrence Pitt bound. Today he tweeted his top 3 and Pitt was not in it. This class is so important with the losses of Artis, Young, Jeter, etc. So far not looking too good.
We aren’t good enough to be 7-0 yet (this year). It is harder to recruit at PITT. It takes longer to get really good.
Nick, I’m 74 and PITT has been mediocre “MOST” of my life. All big league cities support winners. That’s not new. Nick, also the Steelers were not always good. There have been a few long periods when they were scraping in the 60’s and especially after the 70’s super bowl wins
My grandson is a freshman at Rutgers. Man he is in for a rough 4 yrs. ride. Well, at least, he can send some weekends in the Apple absorbing some world class exposure to life.
People recruiting against us has had a field day stressing the instability of this program. It’s a wonder we are where we are IMO.
And BTW … for you that think Pitt FB can get back to the the level tha it enjoyed in the late 70s, I suggest you become an OSU or Michigan fan. Those are the only 2 schools in the North who has a chance of maintaining such a status.
BooBoo – Penn State sucks.
It is disappointing that this year is looking very badly for local success. Especially since it is one of our bitter rivals that is getting the lion’s share. Maybe because I was at Pitt for DePasqua and Hart, and when Majors came that the team we most wanted to beat was ND, much more satisfying than PSU or WVU. TD’s 303 yard game still my most cherished memory.
wbb, while I agree that It is very unlikely that Pitt will ever be in the hunt for a National Championship like they were with Majors and Sherrill, I think we could be a top twenty team if Narduzzi sticks around.
When Jeter selected ND, it was obvious he’s looking for national exposure. Some kids just want to get away too.
Nick – the professional sports mentality is still there. You can have quick fixes in the NFL. It’s not the case in college. A great recruiting class will still take a few years to be a HR. You can’t just sign someone to plug and play.
Whatever happened to the buck stops here?
Pitino even invokes 911 in his remarks, sickening.
Pitt is still in play for some other talented D Lineman. I would hate to see us lose out on any of them pursuing Jeter…
College Football has changed since we were an elite program. We will be very lucky to sneak into the top ten once a decade.
Nard Dog may be asking for a bump in pay next year.
But if Pitt does want to be elite, it needs to pay elite and thats $5M/year for a coach. Pitt will never do that. And nor should they because Pitt is not a football factory and academics means something.
And we dont have the wealthy boosters like these big state schools whose identity is football.
Pitt’s in a good conference…finally. Our admin is committed to the front porch. Facilities are being built or upgraded. We are on the right path and have reasonable expectations.
Why not challenge for the ACC title every 4 years? I’d be totally fine with that. But top 10 every year is not sustainable without big time money, cheating and selling your soul.
If Pitt is as you say, committed to the front porch, then they better be prepared to get in the 5 mil a year neighborhood or it’s going to be a delapidated eyesore of a front porch. Salaries aren’t going down. With ACC and hopefully soon to come ACC Network money, Pitt should be able to pay a coach in the 4 million a year range. If not then 7 to 8 wins a year is going to be the ceiling…
If Duzz is the coach we think he can be, he is going to want paid. I truly believe he likes it here and could maybe make Pittsburgh home. But if he starts winning 10 games a year and playing for ACC Championships, Pitt will have to pony up or essentially let the fan base know they are not serious about big time athletics.
Pitt would probably be around 50th on the list. I think Narduzzi makes a bit over 2 million a year. For a 1st time head coach that’s fine. But if he starts winning, either pay the man or accept mediocrity…
Not saying it is happening but if it did then we are in the NC conversation real fast!!!
FWIW The dairy school isn’t getting what they are paying for!
HAHAHAHAHA
1) Pitt has bigger name players in the NFL. So you have a much better chance being on the field at Pitt than being on the 2 and 3 deep.
Ask Robert Foster.
2) Pitt has an easier route to the 4 team playoff provided it get’s Sherrillesque again.
3) The city of Pittsburgh offers many more corporate job opportunities than even wobegone forlorn Michigan or Columbus.
I can also design a defense better than Conklin 🙂
New recruiting job I see. LOL
This morning it was “Trumpian” , and now “Sherrillesque”
Love expanding my vocabulary!
I would imagine that to be true. The Wall of Constantinople guards the U-P.
Both of these Teams spell TROUBLE.
Both bring a WHOLE LOT of Pressure on the Quarterback… and they don’t have to use the ACC’s BEST Tailback to do it!
jk… Lot’s of time left.
530 Total Yards, 258 on the Ground.
Don’t remember VT having this good of an offense since the Dick Vick days.
Their defense gave up a bunch of yardage thru the air, to the tune of 323. So as I mentioned in another post, we’re going to have to move the ball via the air some or we’re going to have a tough time moving on the ground.
Of course we’ve had their number, especially at Ketchup Bottle, but they have a new offensive minded coach now. Should be interesting.
We’re going to find out if Pitt’s Offensive Line is really as “Good as Advertised” or possibly OVER-rated as some here have suspected.
And oh ya, we are going to learn a lot about Matt Canada’s Offense.
