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2019: The first four

Saboteur

All Conference
Jan 15, 2015
5,902
3,936
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Many places. but not all
UVA, OHIO, PSU, UCF
4 straight weeks
4 bowl teams from.2018
We will have our hands full with these games out of the gate.
Assuming our OC has his offense well organized, we will be tough to scout.
There is little margin for error.
But if we shine....then we will be on the map early.
 
UVA, OHIO, PSU, UCF
4 straight weeks
4 bowl teams from.2018
We will have our hands full with these games out of the gate.
Assuming our OC has his offense well organized, we will be tough to scout.
There is little margin for error.
But if we shine....then we will be on the map early.

I'll cite past performance which would just about guarantee a start that is no better than 2-2. And I hate that it feels optimistic to say that.
 
UVa has some type of awful road record. We go 2-2.
With a proven or at least an experienced offense, I'd be comfortable with that prediction. With the expectation for a really big initial struggle on offense, beating anyone with a pulse will present a challenge week 1... and probably month 1 for that matter... is another story. Perhaps only barely, but I expect UVA to at least have a pulse.
 
With a proven or at least an experienced offense, I'd be comfortable with that prediction. With the expectation for a really big initial struggle on offense, beating anyone with a pulse will present a challenge week 1... and probably month 1 for that matter... is another story. Perhaps only barely, but I expect UVA to at least have a pulse.

What really blows is that UVA feels like a more winnable game than UCF. That's just really hard for me to accept.
 
PSU and UCF are virtually guaranteed losses. UVA and Ohio are coinflips. This is year 5 of Narduzzi. Pitt is not any better or worse than it usually is.
 
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OHio U is not a coin flip. Stop this insanity.
No, with vulnerability of the offense in the first few weeks, any team beyond your Delaware St level of FCS, it really is a coin flip.

A team with wholesale changes at OL (and none or few of them 4 star dudes) and TB (though it's probably our best talents), and especially a really questionable QB like us, not even Don Coryell or dare I say Matt Canada can have them sharp in the first couple weeks.

And frankly the defense might be incrementally better but there are few elite talents theyre either, esp LB, which still looks pretty dismal honestly. Expecting them to suddenly be lockdown artists seems unwise.

Any loss to any decent team is definitely possible in Sept this year I fear.

It's nauseating but the sad reality of being an unblue blood program.
 
Anything less than a 3-1 start in this staff’s 5th year is an indictment of them and the state of the program.
 
Del is correct, and this could easily devolve into a another thread of woe and hand wringing but what good is that ... hell given all that PSU has lost its hideous to think that one is a guaranteed loss... not to mention CUSA and MAC and one of the weakest ACC foes.... have to remember that the opponent is a significant variable each week. They have holes and weaknesses too. We could steal wins even if not running on all cylinders.

We have to hope Whipple has a dramatic impact (a good one, that is), and that Pickett captures major mojo we all hoped at one time that he had . I have faith the tailbacks have a lot of natural talent, they all have good pedigrees, maybe one or two break out as stars, like Dion and Graham did after Shady left. The OL will need time, but there are at least a fair number of bodies there with a couple late moves, no stars but some with potential, and Morrissey seems a kid who can inspire them and hold them together.

Ther defense definitely did improve, mostly, since early last year and certainly from the years before, maybe Duz vision hopefully finally is taking hold. I already said and own the statement, i'm appalled we can't attract good linebackers, but there is some talent on DL and the secondary has some dynamic kids. Hopefully D will at least be solid most weeks now.

The specialists are experienced, kicker delivered long kicks last year, the punter rallied with some good performances near the end of the season.

Just trying to bring it around to some positives.
 
Del is correct, and this could easily devolve into a another thread of woe and hand wringing but what good is that ... hell given all that PSU has lost its hideous to think that one is a guaranteed loss... not to mention CUSA and MAC and one of the weakest ACC foes.... have to remember that the opponent is a significant variable each week. They have holes and weaknesses too. We could steal wins even if not running on all cylinders.

We have to hope Whipple has a dramatic impact (a good one, that is), and that Pickett captures major mojo we all hoped at one time that he had . I have faith the tailbacks have a lot of natural talent, they all have good pedigrees, maybe one or two break out as stars, like Dion and Graham did after Shady left. The OL will need time, but there are at least a fair number of bodies there with a couple late moves, no stars but some with potential, and Morrissey seems a kid who can inspire them and hold them together.

Ther defense definitely did improve, mostly, since early last year and certainly from the years before, maybe Duz vision hopefully finally is taking hold. I already said and own the statement, i'm appalled we can't attract good linebackers, but there is some talent on DL and the secondary has some dynamic kids. Hopefully D will at least be solid most weeks now.

The specialists are experienced, kicker delivered long kicks last year, the punter rallied with some good performances near the end of the season.

Just trying to bring it around to some positives.

A lot of "if's".
 
What I like about the first four games the offense pretty much has to open it up from the get go and come game #3 they should have a better feel against the nits offensively than they have had the last two years.

I'm not saying Pitt will win but the nits will be breaking in many new parts and can be had. Don't know much about UCF but can't imagine their offense being close to what it was last year without their QB.
 
I’m never one for moral victories but after the last 2 years, I sure hope they show up and are competitive against PSU.
 
PSU and UCF are virtually guaranteed losses. UVA and Ohio are coinflips. This is year 5 of Narduzzi. Pitt is not any better or worse than it usually is.

meh, not necessarily. PSU loses a QB, RB, some others. I think Parsons is a stud on defense. The game is there so that makes it hard. Depends on what Whipple does. If he can develop Pickett in a short amount of time, we should have a shot against them. Last year we were controlling for most of the 1st half. Terrible 4th and goal call when a FG would have given us the lead going into half. Plus there was no passing whatsoever and to his credit Franklin adjusted at halftime to stuff the run game. Then a series of mishaps in the 3rd Q and it just got away.

UCF, didn't they get the transfer QB from ND? Not sure if he is a plug & play replacement for Milton. Plus it is a home game and maybe the mojo is wearing off UCF a little in year 3. It was quite a 2 year run for them and Frost was a heck of a coach. Jury still out on Heuppfel.

UVA, seems like Narduzzi has their number somewhat. Hopefully they aren't due for a win here. But given that Narduzzi hasn't lost to them I like our chances.

Ohio....not sure but how about some revenge for the loss in the first stages of the Wann era.

I'm going to be optimistic and say 3-1. 1-3 is very disappointing and cause for concern. But still need to schedule better at all costs.
 
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If Narduzzi starts out 1-3 this will likely end up being his last season at Pitt.
No excuse to lose to UVA or Ohio in year 5...none.

Also need to beat either Ped St or UCF either team will be as good as a last years team.
 
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