After sleeping it off.....

[cpc247]

1. Its a horrible game and it sucks losing to the "school of touch & cover". It hurts even more that guys that we had a shot at committing played a huge part in it, but it's still only one game and there is still a lot of season still ahead.

2. I know it's almost impossible to see any positive from this game, but the reality is that we do have a few.
* We have a legitimate running game and stud RB. It doesn't excuse the fact our OC needs to find a better balance with Pickett and the passing game (sprint outs, RPO, play action, etc) (Almost in the same way we needed to help Ben D - KP is way better player).

*Pickett is a stud (we will all agree with this by years end). His ability to escape pressure early in the game was amazing. You can not blame him for the passing game when they run zero pass plays.

* We have a pretty nasty run defense. Our defense created turnovers and really dealt with terrible field position all night.

3. Special teams created a special night for the "school of touch & cover" last night, but over HCPN's tenure special teams have been solid and I look for that to return.

4. It is true... the Oline is not good enough... Bookser needs to return to guard and move a young guy to right tackle. Going forward they will need to fix this. With that said this group is athletic enough to run the ball, however they

5. Pitt does not have elite talent we all know this, but this team is talented enough to compete for the coastal and even win a bowl game.

6. Not letting HCPN off the hook completely...he needs to recruit better PERIOD...he is not getting it done with the elite talent (4-5 star studs). At least HCPC pulled Boosker, Dojo, Boyd.


H2P

 

[Mikefln]

2) you are correct. Watson sucks. Last year he played to Ben D weakness not strengths and he is doing the same this year. But I do disagree with you on RPO. That play got crushed every time we tried it. Now your suggestion of play action is superb. We are a smashmouth team, play action is the way to go.

We do not have a good run D we, we have a good MLB something we lacked recently.

3) The SP teams was the worst I ever seen. It really was the difference last night. It can only get better. How can it get worse?

4) the line is an old fashion run straight ahead line. Pass pro is ok, but straight ahead running they can open holes. I do agree, get Houy in there at Tackle and move Bookser in.

5) the talent is sitting on the bench because the younger talent doesn't know the shity system as good as the horrible older guys. Every game will be a dog fight. I say 7-5 at best 5-7 at worse.

6) I was always a fan of his. Now he needs to be put on the hot seat.

 

[rmf05]

Kenny Pickett sucked last night. His performance passing the ball was no better than the worst performances we saw from Tino, Stull and DiNucci. He has great feet which is nice and the weather certainly played a role. However, he's been a turd for 6 quarters now.....which is half of his career. He may yet be a stud but he is not one now. He did remind me of Marino though. Dan sucked in any game that wasn't sunny and warm.

 

[PittPanther44]

I’m high on Kenny overall, and I agree he was running for his life. But he needed to make some plays with his arm to keep the threat there, and he never did.

Ollison came to play and looks like a different back

 

[Burgh15]

A lot of good stuff from the ground game and the defense played a respectable game given how it played out. Special teams, coaching, and the passing game were awful. I love Pickett, but I can't call a guy a stud who struggled to complete a forward pass.

 

[Mikefln]

A lot of good stuff from the ground game and the defense played a respectable game given how it played out. Special teams, coaching, and the passing game were awful. I love Pickett, but I can't call a guy a stud who struggled to complete a forward pass.

What the receivers were giving him, I understand not completing a pass. The happy feet he had is what worried me.

 

[Somerset Panther]

Kenny Pickett sucked last night. His performance passing the ball was no better than the worst performances we saw from Tino, Stull and DiNucci. He has great feet which is nice and the weather certainly played a role. However, he's been a turd for 6 quarters now.....which is half of his career. He may yet be a stud but he is not one now. He did remind me of Marino though. Dan sucked in any game that wasn't sunny and warm.

It was still only his third start, and more and more it’s looking like Miami hurricanes are not a good football team or much better than Pitt. So let’s give him a little bit of time and see how things progress and if the offense of line can write itself we may have a quarterback for the next couple years

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Not sure, but don't think the problem is him more than a learning curve. But something f'd up that he didn't throw anything long v albany and nothing at all ps with a 200 yd running game.

 

[rmf05]

Oh, I think KP is going to be good. He just isn't right now. Palko and Rutherford sucked in their 1st 3 starts and had great 4th starts if I remember right. We need KP to respond on Saturday. It would inject some NRG into this team.

 

[KnightWhoSaysNit]

Why didn't we see Pitt going to a short passing game (often referred to as "dink and dunk?) I thought the game was competitive at half time and really expected to see some ball control passing in the 2nd half. Pitt ran very well in the first half and PSU came out in the 3rd to stop the run, which they did.

PSU opponents have routinely had success with short passing. It would have tested a young linebacking group in conditions that make it tough to cover. A head scratcher....??

 

[thebadby2]

1. Its a horrible game and it sucks losing to the "school of touch & cover". It hurts even more that guys that we had a shot at committing played a huge part in it, but it's still only one game and there is still a lot of season still ahead.

2. I know it's almost impossible to see any positive from this game, but the reality is that we do have a few.
* We have a legitimate running game and stud RB. It doesn't excuse the fact our OC needs to find a better balance with Pickett and the passing game (sprint outs, RPO, play action, etc) (Almost in the same way we needed to help Ben D - KP is way better player).

*Pickett is a stud (we will all agree with this by years end). His ability to escape pressure early in the game was amazing. You can not blame him for the passing game when they run zero pass plays.

* We have a pretty nasty run defense. Our defense created turnovers and really dealt with terrible field position all night.

3. Special teams created a special night for the "school of touch & cover" last night, but over HCPN's tenure special teams have been solid and I look for that to return.

4. It is true... the Oline is not good enough... Bookser needs to return to guard and move a young guy to right tackle. Going forward they will need to fix this. With that said this group is athletic enough to run the ball, however they

5. Pitt does not have elite talent we all know this, but this team is talented enough to compete for the coastal and even win a bowl game.

6. Not letting HCPN off the hook completely...he needs to recruit better PERIOD...he is not getting it done with the elite talent (4-5 star studs). At least HCPC pulled Boosker, Dojo, Boyd.


H2P

You heard it here first-we do not have a “legitimate running game”-the O line was woeful for much of that game. Q peeled of a 65 yarder, Pickett had a lot of broken play yardage but we were not able to run the ball consistently, we did not win the battle along the LOS on either side, and the O line couldn’t block anyone when it mattered-like on that 4th and 3.

I’m not ready to be too critical of Pickett Bevier tvose playing conditions were abysmal and our $hity O line couldn’t protect him at all. It was a joke especially in the second half. He did not play well regardless but I’m not sure who would have under the same circumstances .

I felt the O line would be a problem this year as it was last year. It may be worse than I even thought.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

You heard it here first-we do not have a “legitimate running game”-the O line was woeful for much of that game. Q peeled of a 65 yarder, Pickett had a lot of broken play yardage but we were not able to run the ball consistently, we did not win the battle along the LOS on either side, and the O line couldn’t block anyone when it mattered-like on that 4th and 3.

I’m not ready to be too critical of Pickett Bevier tvose playing conditions were abysmal and our $hity O line couldn’t protect him at all. It was a joke especially in the second half. He did not play well regardless but I’m not sure who would have under the same circumstances .

I felt the O line would be a problem this year as it was last year. It may be worse than I even thought.

I don't know, they ran the ball fine in the first half. After PSU realized that Pitt was unwilling or incapable of completing a forward pass, they shut it down in the 2nd half.

Hard to run when the other team has zero respect for the pass. Watson and the Pitt coaches did nothing to help.

 

[Tbone0001]

Last night just made me miss the excitement that Matt Canada brought as a OC. Wow, how far we have fallen since then. One thing is for sure he knew what to do with the talent he had and create an exciting offense.

 

[Pittcrafton]

Last night just made me miss the excitement that Matt Canada brought as a OC. Wow, how far we have fallen since then. One thing is for sure he knew what to do with the talent he had and create an exciting offense.

The money to keep him would have been a good investment, but Pitt doesn't see things this way

 

[Jsr862]

For the lack of passing game it is fair to say for most part receivers where covered very tightly almost every pass play, that with our o-line not giving alot of time in not sure Pickett is at the point or comfortable yet to thread the ball. Passes just weren't there and throws would had to be spot on and the right timing to be completed and with the Weather and I'm more sure how confident Kenny was in that aspect. PSU played very good coverage defense last night. End of 3rd QT that's all I was looking at once ball was snapped was the WR routes and I seen absolutely nothing or when I myself found a target the play was over.

 

[pitt_fb_9x1]

Kenny Pickett sucked last night. His performance passing the ball was no better than the worst performances we saw from Tino, Stull and DiNucci. He has great feet which is nice and the weather certainly played a role. However, he's been a turd for 6 quarters now.....which is half of his career. He may yet be a stud but he is not one now. He did remind me of Marino though. Dan sucked in any game that wasn't sunny and warm.

Pickett sucked last night because of three things...none his fault..
Looking at the half time stats, Pickett really wasnt a factor good or bad.
Statistically pitt outplayed state in the first half

1. Receivers had zero separation.
2. Watson used zero play action to offset the running game.
3.field position Blew.....starting inside you 15 most times limits play calling


Jmho, but this game very little to do with Pickett. If Narduzzi doesn’t lay an egg
with the dumbest call of the year..pitt may be up 9-7 at half......

Jmho of the game........

 

[DruidTM]

Correct.... you won’t see a great passing game when you’re constantly starting at your own five yard line... and or your receiving Corp is covered well

Both were happening... your best hope was to break a long run for a first down to get out of there then start trying to mix in some play action stuff

That wasn’t happening

Oh and of course kick the damn FG to go up goes without saying

 

[pitt_fb_9x1]

For me, Narduzzi lost the game, momentum, and team by not kicking that fg. I was literally yelling at the tv when he decided to go for it. For a guy who had confidence in blew it vs Clemson and showed belief in a fg kicker...last night was a total joke. He/Narduzzi could have given his special teams and team confidence by kicking the fg and going into half up..or potentially up...

That was a terrible decision.......

 

[DruidTM]

Correct me if I’m wrong they took a time out too using the same formation?

I mean maybe they thought it would look bad to kick it after a time out thinking that would look weak but if that’s the case come out with a different play at least?

 

[pitt_fb_9x1]

Correct me if I’m wrong they took a time out too using the same formation?

I mean maybe they thought it would look bad to kick it after a time out thinking that would look weak but if that’s the case come out with a different play at least?

They did come out in the same formation.......it’s even a worse decision given that Narduzzi had time to really think of the magnitude/ implication the fg would make on his team before half....

Play action would have been gold there......

 

[Pittx9]

There were people last year that wanted to give Watson time. I think we need coaching stability at the top, I’m not willing to just keep an awful coordinator just to stop a revolving door though. Watson shouldn’t have been allowed on the team bus after that catastrophe at va tech last year.

Look at the guy’s career resume, it sucks. Look how many times he made a completely moronic call in just one year here. And then last night, how in the hell do you call a timeout just to run off tackle on 4th and 3? A peewee football staff would get uncontrollably laughed at for something that stupid.

The Pickett bootleg against Miami was a great call, cool. He’s done absolutely nothing else positive at pitt and he belongs coaching quarterbacks at a D2 school at best. And to be honest the fact that narduzzi keeps allowing such ridiculously awful calls to go through is extremely terrifying.

 

[Farnox]

Correct me if I’m wrong they took a time out too using the same formation?

I mean maybe they thought it would look bad to kick it after a time out thinking that would look weak but if that’s the case come out with a different play at least?

Pitt had the momentum and the PSU was back on their heels. But then they called the timeout on 4th and 3.
This gave PSU time to regroup. You have to go for the field goal at this point.

 

[PittAU]

Watson is terrible.

 

[DruidTM]

Pitt had the momentum and the PSU was back on their heels. But then they called the timeout on 4th and 3.
This gave PSU time to regroup. You have to go for the field goal at this point.

Thats a whole other issue too you’re right... taking the damn time out in first place? Why? Then... no kick..? Same obvious formation and play? It was nuts ... this after the goal line pick earlier too ...

They needed points it was just insanity

 

[Pittx9]

Thats a whole other issue too you’re right... taking the damn time out in first place? Why? Then... no kick..? Same obvious formation and play? It was nuts ... this after the goal line pick earlier too ...

They needed points it was just insanity

I think that they really had no confidence they could successfully convert... snap, hold, kick. Which in that case, you absolutely in no situation ever, ever, ever call a timeout.

To be honest not converting wasn’t all that bad, rainy night pinning penn state deep on a turnover on downs wasn’t the worst thing in the world. But after getting a good bit of momentum, slowing things down with a TO and then unsuccessfully running right into a stacked box just killed it all. I noticed several players on the bench dejectedly throw their hands in the air as if they were wondering “why the hell did we just do that?” And it didn’t appear there was much fire from anyone after that.

 

[pittmeister]

1. Its a horrible game and it sucks losing to the "school of touch & cover". It hurts even more that guys that we had a shot at committing played a huge part in it, but it's still only one game and there is still a lot of season still ahead.

2. I know it's almost impossible to see any positive from this game, but the reality is that we do have a few.
* We have a legitimate running game and stud RB. It doesn't excuse the fact our OC needs to find a better balance with Pickett and the passing game (sprint outs, RPO, play action, etc) (Almost in the same way we needed to help Ben D - KP is way better player).

*Pickett is a stud (we will all agree with this by years end). His ability to escape pressure early in the game was amazing. You can not blame him for the passing game when they run zero pass plays.

* We have a pretty nasty run defense. Our defense created turnovers and really dealt with terrible field position all night.

3. Special teams created a special night for the "school of touch & cover" last night, but over HCPN's tenure special teams have been solid and I look for that to return.

4. It is true... the Oline is not good enough... Bookser needs to return to guard and move a young guy to right tackle. Going forward they will need to fix this. With that said this group is athletic enough to run the ball, however they

5. Pitt does not have elite talent we all know this, but this team is talented enough to compete for the coastal and even win a bowl game.

6. Not letting HCPN off the hook completely...he needs to recruit better PERIOD...he is not getting it done with the elite talent (4-5 star studs). At least HCPC pulled Boosker, Dojo, Boyd.


H2P

Outstanding post!

Saturday was a humiliating defeat that I hold the coaches responsible.

As far as talent is concerned, we have more than enough to play more competitive than we showed Saturday night. Nobody is going to tell me that App St has more talent than Pitt. It's on the coaches.

Believe me, Lyke could not have been happy with what she saw. You have a national TV audience, with important donors, alumni and recruits at the game and you have that performance??????? Humiliation by your in-state rival????

No, she ain't happy... You're going to see less of Heather at the practice field being chummy with Narduzzi. He better turn this around FAST.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

* We have a pretty nasty run defense. Our defense created turnovers and really dealt with terrible field position all night.

They had 33 carries for 211 yards. 6.4 yards per carry.