Defense Shines In Pitt Football Spring Game;
The sun was warm, the stands were overflowing with people and - surprise! - the Pitt defense looked presentable Saturday during the Blue-Gold game at Highmark Stadium. So why was coach Pat Narduzzi talking about putting his "foot somewhere" late in the fourth quarter of the Blue team's 17-10 victory before an announced crowd of 5,325?
Two carries of 11 and 12 yards will do that for a coach such as Narduzzi, who isn't just offering sound bites when he talks about the importance of stopping the run. When backup running back Qadree Ollison, a redshirt freshman, had runs of 11 and 12 yards for the Blue team in the fourth quarter, they didn't impact the outcome of the game, but Narduzzi still voiced his displeasure. And he wasn't shy talking about it later. "I had to go scream at the Gold defense," he said. "They were letting them run the ball. (I said), 'You can't do that. What are you doing?' "They were kind of going through the motions. I just had to put my foot somewhere."
The next series? Ollison was stopped for consecutive 3-yard losses by defensive tackles Tyrique Jarrett and Darryl Render.
Overall, Narduzzi couldn't complain much about how his defense played after both offenses were held scoreless in the second half. "There have definitely been strides," he said. "I'm happy with where they are." Yet there should be a big, bold asterisk next to this defensive effort.
For example:
• The first-team offensive line was broken up onto two teams, ripping away the continuity built during the previous 14 spring practices.
• Running back James Conner didn't play after the midway point of the second quarter. He scored the Blue's first touchdown on a 2-yard burst, but he carried only five times for 11 yards while playing with a sore shoulder.
• Receiver Tyler Boyd had no receptions during the second half after an impressive first half that included six catches for 112 yards.
Both teams averaged 1.9 yards per carry, led by Ollison's 54 yards on 20 carries (he also lost 17 yards). Overall, there were 14 recorded tackles for a loss by both teams, more than usually occur in a regular game. Jarrett, named by coaches as one of the Conway Award winners as the most-improved defensive player this spring, had three TFLs, tied for game-high honors with linebacker Bam Bradley. "That's what's it's going to be like during the season," Narduzzi said, pointing out that his Michigan State defense held Michigan to 61 yards rushing and Baylor to minus-20 last season. "I know we are going to try to outman you in the box."
In that context and in Narduzzi's mind, a 1.9 per-carry average isn't bad. "I thought (offensive coordinator Jim Chaney) did a heckuva job today," he said. "I've seen a lot less coming out of the spring game." The defense can be praised for how it handled the passing game.
Quarterbacks Chad Voytik and Adam Bertke, playing on opposite teams, completed only 25 of 55 attempts. Voytik was 11 of 25 for 177 yards and a 26-yard touchdown to Elijah Zeise. Bertke was 14 of 30 for 162 yards and a 34-yard touchdown to Zach Challingsworth. Junior free safety Reggie Mitchell said his group has something to prove.
"The first day we came in here, they called us a no-name defense," Mitchell said. "We took that personally. We met as a group before we came out here, and we said, 'No matter what team we are on, we want to play well.' "A lot of people had their eyes on us saying we are the weakness of the team. We wanted to prove them wrong." The trick is to carry that attitude into the season. In the event anyone slows down, Narduzzi's foot is sure to be ready.
Notes: Wide receiver Dontez Ford was named the spring's most-improved offensive player. He finished with two catches for 52 yards. ... Narduzzi said he liked the atmosphere at Highmark Stadium, but he said he wants to play future spring games at Heinz Field. "I want our guys playing in the arena they have to play in," he said. ...
Cornerback Lafayette Pitts lined up at wide receiver in the fourth quarter and made a 25-yard reception but was called for pass interference. It was just for fun. There are no plans for Pitts to play both ways. ...
Along with honorary coaches Larry Fitzgerald and Aaron Donald, there were more than 50 former Pitt players introduced at halftime, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, LeSean McCoy, Jimbo Covert and Rod Rutherford.
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at @JDiPaola_Trib.
Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/8169995-74/yards-blue-game#ixzz3XjDBHWPF
This post was edited on 4/19 1:10 AM by CaptainSidneyReilly
The sun was warm, the stands were overflowing with people and - surprise! - the Pitt defense looked presentable Saturday during the Blue-Gold game at Highmark Stadium. So why was coach Pat Narduzzi talking about putting his "foot somewhere" late in the fourth quarter of the Blue team's 17-10 victory before an announced crowd of 5,325?
Two carries of 11 and 12 yards will do that for a coach such as Narduzzi, who isn't just offering sound bites when he talks about the importance of stopping the run. When backup running back Qadree Ollison, a redshirt freshman, had runs of 11 and 12 yards for the Blue team in the fourth quarter, they didn't impact the outcome of the game, but Narduzzi still voiced his displeasure. And he wasn't shy talking about it later. "I had to go scream at the Gold defense," he said. "They were letting them run the ball. (I said), 'You can't do that. What are you doing?' "They were kind of going through the motions. I just had to put my foot somewhere."
The next series? Ollison was stopped for consecutive 3-yard losses by defensive tackles Tyrique Jarrett and Darryl Render.
Overall, Narduzzi couldn't complain much about how his defense played after both offenses were held scoreless in the second half. "There have definitely been strides," he said. "I'm happy with where they are." Yet there should be a big, bold asterisk next to this defensive effort.
For example:
• The first-team offensive line was broken up onto two teams, ripping away the continuity built during the previous 14 spring practices.
• Running back James Conner didn't play after the midway point of the second quarter. He scored the Blue's first touchdown on a 2-yard burst, but he carried only five times for 11 yards while playing with a sore shoulder.
• Receiver Tyler Boyd had no receptions during the second half after an impressive first half that included six catches for 112 yards.
Both teams averaged 1.9 yards per carry, led by Ollison's 54 yards on 20 carries (he also lost 17 yards). Overall, there were 14 recorded tackles for a loss by both teams, more than usually occur in a regular game. Jarrett, named by coaches as one of the Conway Award winners as the most-improved defensive player this spring, had three TFLs, tied for game-high honors with linebacker Bam Bradley. "That's what's it's going to be like during the season," Narduzzi said, pointing out that his Michigan State defense held Michigan to 61 yards rushing and Baylor to minus-20 last season. "I know we are going to try to outman you in the box."
In that context and in Narduzzi's mind, a 1.9 per-carry average isn't bad. "I thought (offensive coordinator Jim Chaney) did a heckuva job today," he said. "I've seen a lot less coming out of the spring game." The defense can be praised for how it handled the passing game.
Quarterbacks Chad Voytik and Adam Bertke, playing on opposite teams, completed only 25 of 55 attempts. Voytik was 11 of 25 for 177 yards and a 26-yard touchdown to Elijah Zeise. Bertke was 14 of 30 for 162 yards and a 34-yard touchdown to Zach Challingsworth. Junior free safety Reggie Mitchell said his group has something to prove.
"The first day we came in here, they called us a no-name defense," Mitchell said. "We took that personally. We met as a group before we came out here, and we said, 'No matter what team we are on, we want to play well.' "A lot of people had their eyes on us saying we are the weakness of the team. We wanted to prove them wrong." The trick is to carry that attitude into the season. In the event anyone slows down, Narduzzi's foot is sure to be ready.
Notes: Wide receiver Dontez Ford was named the spring's most-improved offensive player. He finished with two catches for 52 yards. ... Narduzzi said he liked the atmosphere at Highmark Stadium, but he said he wants to play future spring games at Heinz Field. "I want our guys playing in the arena they have to play in," he said. ...
Cornerback Lafayette Pitts lined up at wide receiver in the fourth quarter and made a 25-yard reception but was called for pass interference. It was just for fun. There are no plans for Pitts to play both ways. ...
Along with honorary coaches Larry Fitzgerald and Aaron Donald, there were more than 50 former Pitt players introduced at halftime, including Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, LeSean McCoy, Jimbo Covert and Rod Rutherford.
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at @JDiPaola_Trib.
Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/8169995-74/yards-blue-game#ixzz3XjDBHWPF
This post was edited on 4/19 1:10 AM by CaptainSidneyReilly
