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November 22, 2007

Football Notes, 11/22

Filed under: Assistants,Coaches,Football,Opponent(s) — Chas @ 7:28 pm

Yeah, I’m not working particularly hard on the titles. Considering the way my brother-in-law and I have been hitting my dad’s Scotch selection so far, just be happy I can spell and post. Yes, I’m enjoying Thanksgiving.

USF Coach Jim Leavitt is either blowing smoke or smoking something.

University of South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said the Bulls will face a “tremendous” challenge when they visit Pittsburgh on Saturday.

“Offensively, their offensive line is as good as we’ve seen this year,” Leavitt said. “They are a very good group. LeSean McCoy is a tremendous running back. They’ve been going between two quarterbacks who have got a lot of talent.”

[Emphasis added.]
Right.

Here’s the catalog of offensive problems in story form the last few days. Here, here and here.

Meanwhile, Paul Rhoads has appeared to have saved his job.  I am now starting on the Macallan single malt Cask Strength (117 proof).





I read the QA with the same disgust. This was a true jaw-dropper…

ZEISE: … I will say now what I have said countless times before — Paul Rhoads is a good football coach. He is … If you talk to other coaches, they’ll tell you as much and if you watch the guy teach every day, it is clear he is a good coach.”

WTF, did he just say what I think I thought he said?

Zeise was once a good read, but he’s increasingly irritating (from about midway through 2006), and now this hypocritical portrayal of what a great coach we have in Rhoades?

(And just a tad selective in the questions he decides to answer as of late.)

Chas, you mind looking-up the last time he went on record about the DC? I forget, was it late Sept., or sometime in Oct.?

It certainly wasn’t that long ago.

Comment by Neil 11.22.07 @ 10:17 pm

its official, zeise is a moron, and pass the scotch. FIRE PAUL RHOADES

Comment by matt in orlando 11.23.07 @ 12:10 am

I said earlier that I was done bitching about football this year and now I have to hear that has support among the local press? Please tell me that there is no chance of Rhoades is coming back.

Comment by Tony In Harrisburg 11.23.07 @ 12:31 am

That’s the ultimate bit of ‘coachspeak’ from Leavitt, although I think the O line has been OK for run blocking for the most part.

Rhodes will be around next season, he’s done and is doing all the things DW wants him to do. Cav will probably be gone.

Comment by Reed 11.23.07 @ 5:57 am

DW should just run the Defense. We all know that he is more then capable. Rhoades sucks and has to go. I will be happy to see Cav gone as well.

Comment by Tony In Harrisburg 11.23.07 @ 8:15 am

Now some of you guys want to blast P. Seise because he doesn’t support your point of view. You think PR has better players this year than last???? Lou Holtz [I can’t stand] said earlier in the year,” this is going to be a very good team next year”. At the time I though he was crazy but I changed my mind.

Pitt could not overcome all the injuries they suffered this year but they still were in a few games they could have won. Pitt will be back next year and some of you will have more egg on your face that a 20$ omlett.

Comment by joel 11.23.07 @ 10:27 am

Leavitt sounds a little like joepud.

Comment by joel 11.23.07 @ 10:35 am

DW blows tons of smoke about the other team too but sadly, by game time it turns out our team seems to buy into it. See the week before the Navy game … DW made them sound like the equivalent of the NE Patriots…and our defense treated them that way. In retrospect one of the top 5 worst losses ever for Pitt (sadly I’ve seen the others too).

The Resurrection of Paul Rhoads was in full force with those 2-part puff pieces by Zeise a few weeks ago and continues. The D has gotten “better” in that it isn’t 30-0 after the first quarter any more, but it still folds up into the fetal position on key drives. Lost to Louisville because the D was unprepared in the first two drives, and then bared it’s naked heiny on the final drive. Should have lost the SU game (if SU has 15 more seconds, they win). Played quite well most of the game but then gave up key FG drive and a huge run to Rice to RU last week at the end when it needed a big stop.

I just wonder if it’s Zeise being stupid (which I don’t think he is), or orders from Jerry Micco (PG Sports Editor who is a Nit and would love to see Pitt stay on the suicide path). It’s uncanny how the PG has gone out of its way to help Rhoads.

Comment by geeman2001 11.23.07 @ 11:57 am

That’s a good point geeman, as someone who only lived in Pittsburgh for college, I’ve never seen any city’s paper come to the aid of an underwhelming coach (much less a COORDINATOR!!) time and time again like we keep seeing for Rhoads. There is no rationale for it, and while he may be amazingly enthusiastic (or whatever Zeise says) so is the kid in the fucking Mickey Mouse costume at Disneyland – that doesn’t qualify him to be president of Disney. Get Rhoads out.

Comment by Greg in Columbia 11.23.07 @ 1:25 pm

JOEL??? you are an idiot for using holtz to prove any point…. WOW

Comment by bill 11.23.07 @ 3:37 pm

Heard rumors that some trustees for pitt want to fire wanny…

Comment by Pittbballguy 11.23.07 @ 3:40 pm

Zeise is a Pitt shill. He writes whatever they tell him to.

Comment by Mark 11.23.07 @ 3:54 pm

the same lou holtz was blasting rhoades for his ‘read and react’ defense against navy! we have been ‘looking good’ lately on defense because we’ve played the worst teams in the big east, and also because we’ve been able to eat some more clock on offense. our defense was piss poor last year and rutgers only put up 20pts on us, basically b/c of their ball control offense.

PR has had a string of NFL talent to work with and has underachieved. we had THREE NFL players on defense last year, and we were pathetic. Before that was Walker, Spencer, Gerald Hayes, and a few im forgetting. im willing to give Cav a pass because of all the bad breaks with injuries and a terrible Oline, but PR has consistently stunk since hes been here. what part of that says that he should stay?

Comment by matt in orlando 11.23.07 @ 4:27 pm

Exactly right Matt. The very best of Paul Rhoads defenses have been nothing better than mediocre. Pitt can manufacture stats showing “10th in passing yards allowed in games after 7 PM” or crap like that … and I’m sure they will when they retain him … but at his very best, he has had mediocre defenses that don’t produce many turnovers or score any points and certainly don’t intimidate the other team. Last week, that might have been one of the Top 10 defensive efforts I’ve seen in the Rhoads era (sadly, it’s been so long it warrants that word) … yet it didn’t actually score any points itself and didn’t rise to the occasion and stiff RU on its final drive when it needed to.

Is he the worst ever? Sometimes, but not every week. That’s good enough to keep his job? No, not at ALL. Just about any other DC would be at least as good, and I’m sure dozens would be far better. WE KNOW WHAT HE CAN DO AFTER 8 YEARS AND IT JUST ISN’T THAT GOOD. FIRE HIM.

Comment by geeman2001 11.23.07 @ 6:34 pm

Getting sick…second worst nightmare may come true…..WVU in national championship….ugh…worthless LSU…

Comment by Stuart 11.23.07 @ 7:08 pm

No trustess want to fire DW and Rhoades and Cav will be back next year.

Comment by TMGPanther 11.23.07 @ 8:25 pm

The basketball team looked good tonight. 5 Panthers in double figures. Benjamin and Biggs look better this year even if the competition has not been great. Young is putting up All Big East numbers and close to All-American.

Comment by Panthoor 11.23.07 @ 9:25 pm

West Virginia? In the national championship game? Pah! They still have to play Pitt and the top-rated Paul Rhodes defense! (Meaning, it is the best defense coached by a Paul Rhodes.)

Comment by Brian of Brooklyn 11.23.07 @ 9:30 pm

Holy effing shit…this AAAA game is amazing.

Gateway with the huge comeback to force OT.

Comment by Dennis 11.23.07 @ 10:13 pm

WVU will kill this team. Rhoades has NEVER, EVER been able to account for mobile QB let alone a team that can run the ball. WVU’s D is not great against the pass but we can’t pass the ball either. I hate to say this but, Pat White will have to get hit by a bus and we will still need no less then 5 or 8 turnovers to win that game in Morgantown.

God I hate this…. I really hate having to admit that we don’t have chance against the Hoopies.

Please anyone give me a reason why I should believe we can beat them.

Comment by Tony In Harrisburg 11.23.07 @ 10:20 pm

That AAAA game was fucking insane. Unbelievable.

I’m just hoping Pitt comes up with that one game where it is perfect. That seems to be the only chance we have. If we even had just a semblence of a QB, we could try to outscore them. But it’s not looking too good… The line HAS to be over 20 for that game…i’m just hoping that Uconn takes care of it tomorrow…maybe the refs take care of it for us…WVU has always crumbled as soon as the path was clear….please, just one more time…

Pitt BBall looks pretty good. I guess we’ll find out in a few weeks if we’re for real or not…

Comment by Stuart 11.23.07 @ 10:38 pm

Wait – I figured out why we’re going to win. WVU will be #2 in the polls at home against an unranked team. If there’s one thing we’ve learned this year – its destiny for us to knock them off. That’s just the way it is – we can’t fuck with destiny. It’s a lock. We’re going to win.

Must…keep….drinking…

Comment by Stuart 11.23.07 @ 11:01 pm

Here, proof:

link to sports.espn.go.com

“Oregon (was) the the fifth No. 2 team to go down to an unranked opponent in seven weeks, and none of the previous four (USC, California, South Florida, Boston College) went down as hard.”

Comment by Stuart 11.23.07 @ 11:03 pm

Louisville just went down to BYU in basketball. I guess losing Padgett is going to kill them a bit. As for Football, it could be Kansas vs WVU? Talk about crazy. I would rather see OSU vs WVU.

Comment by Panthoor 11.23.07 @ 11:10 pm

I’d rather watch OSU too…even though a OSU/Kansas game is going to be are boring as can be. Stupid SEC league games…

Im sure LU will be back to full strength in time to play us…

Comment by Stuart 11.23.07 @ 11:43 pm

Hey Bill it matters little whether you like or dislike Lou Holtz, but he does know football. And the best you can do is call me an idiot. You better never give up you day job to coach college football.

Comment by joel 11.23.07 @ 11:53 pm

I agree with Bill – Lou Holtz is a moron. He loses all credibility with his senseless ND ramblings. Anyone hear him talk about how “amazing” they were after beating douche? May was screaming “but its DUKE!” I can’t stand him, and pretty much book the opposite of what he says. You’re an analyst, cut the homerism – it makes you look even more foolish.

WVU played #7 Tennnessee to a 2 point loss….they may be tougher than expected, especially at the home game…

Comment by Stuart 11.24.07 @ 12:17 am

oh – and USF is down to a 9 point favorite from 10.5….wonder why that is…

Comment by Stuart 11.24.07 @ 12:18 am

You gotta give Holtz his due for what he accomplished. The problem is that it feels like it was a lifetime ago. I respect him just for the fact that he knows that May is an intimidating man that knows his shit yet Holtzie sits there and plays hard(tries to, succeeds most of the time).

The fact that Holtz hasn’t Joepa’ed his pants yet is a miracle. I’m waiting for Holtz to turn around and hit Mark May, I just hope I have a coffee and the volume up high when it happens. Does Mark May gotta choke a bitch!

Comment by Panthoor 11.24.07 @ 1:12 am

wow. lou hotlz was once a great coach and i have to go with bill on this one too. The man is mentally a mess… old age got to him and using holtz to prove a point is like asking my daughter to pick teams for the the final four. ( a complete MESS)

Comment by Adam 11.24.07 @ 5:00 pm

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