Defensive Genius
- Thread starter pbrad
- Start date
They nab 3-8 or so four star recruits recruits every year. Sometimes we get zero. It helps they have coaches who are good at recruiting Michigan and Ohio..
To be fair they didn't get many 4 stars or better at all until they had a few big seasons. those big seasons were won on the back of 3 star kids.
Yes, when Narduzzi was their DC... So he IS a good coach. Were getting burnt by youth making mistakes or having to play inferior Seniors because youth isnt ready .... This fanbase just needs to come to grips with that.
I've been the town cryer for giving him multiple more years. But frankly it's the older players that are the least effective on defense, and not really possible to debate. Youth is not a valid excuse there.
IDK, depends on when you're talking.
Four star recruits on Rivals:
2004 - six
2005 - two
2006 - six
2007 (Narduzzi joins so some of his players were from the years above) - three
2008 - one
2009 - four
2010 - five (one being 5 star)
2011 - two
2012 - three
Narduzzi leaves
Yes, Im saying the same thing. But what Im saying is they are still making less errors than 2nd team younger players, thats why they are in there. But if we keep losing you will see guys like Briggs on the bench sooner rather than later. Right now we are 2-2 and the season is still salvageable. I think Briggs must be limited and Ford needs more reps at safety because you already know what you got with Briggs.
This is not accurate. We have 4 Dbacks in the NFL who looked just as lost as the guys we have now. It’s not a youth problem. It’s a scheme problem.
Narduzzi has had 4 years to correct the problem and yet it’s getting worse.
Narduzzi has several 4-star recruits that he keeps on the bench most of the game for guys that were lesser recruits and that are playing terribly or not all that great. This on top of the 4-stars who have already left due to lack of playing time.
Narduzzi has had good to very good defensive backs the entire time he’s been here, what he needs is much better d-linemen if his scheme has any chance of being remotely successful. I actually like the majority of our d-linemen but bottom line is they aren’t performing, they barely ever put any pressure whatsoever on the qb.
Narduzzi has had good to very good defensive backs the entire time he’s been here, what he needs is much better d-linemen if his scheme has any chance of being remotely successful. I actually like the majority of our d-linemen but bottom line is they aren’t performing, they barely ever put any pressure whatsoever on the qb.
Their defense, as noted is just fine without narduzzi.
Because they have a real head coacH
We don’t
Some of today's D game plans /schemes are so complicated it's almost impossible for the average to above average player to grasp and execute for four quarters.
What happened to the Keep It Simple straight up defensive football?
I realize the offenses have evolved into complicated attack machines but running a basic D with players who know and can play their positions can prevail over the course of a long hard fought games especially late in the 3rd and 4th qtrs.
With average talent Narduzzi might be better Keeping It Simple so the players don't have to overcome execution issues /blown coverages etc.
You have to adjust your schemes to match your talent!
"it's five o'clock somewhere"
Signed: Mr Buffett
Go PITT & CSU Rams!
Last edited:
I really thought Narduzzi was a good hire at the time (originally was hoping for Herman but it is a good thing he didn't come here). I thought that Narduzzi coming from the whole MSU-Michigan dynamic was perfect experience for him to come here and compete against Franklin. And the first two years it looked to be playing out that way. He was very aggressive on the recruiting trail. Remember getting Matthews to flip from PSU? Some decent wins. But there were signs those first two years that all was not well.
The defense was historically bad in 2016 and that is saying something after seeing the 2003 Rhoads edition. For a supposed defensive guru with NFL talent in the secondary it was troubling. And the chance was there to be ranked by winning bowl games both years and getting to 9 wins, but both times came up short.
And something changed with recruiting. I don't know if 2017 was a fluke or what, but it seemed to spook Narduzzi. In a way, it was kind of fluky. Usually Clairton is very Pitt friendly....except for the Wade family happens to come along in 2017 and are the exception to that rule. Maybe all that effort put into Jeter really discouraged Narduzzi. He just doesn't seem to have the same spark anymore.
It is almost like he is just going through the motions...not at Stallings levels, but approaching that.
PS. I wouldn't be shocked by a win Saturday. These are the types we win, when fans are at their lowest and the teams back is against the wall. Will fill us with false optimism though
literally NOBODY believes msu would hire narduzzi back. but besides that, great post..
This is his 4th season. Why doesn't he have SRs who can play or capable underclassmen he recruited? We start 6 SRs on defense. He has not adapted to changing offensive schemes and is as stubborn as any coach I can remember.
Graham basically tried to get himself fired and pulled an outrageous sham to get out, yet still got a better job.
Chryst did little more than go through a few cases of Levi Garrett while here. Likewise got a better job.
Walt Harris own agent went on the record that Walt had given up here. He got a better job.
Nobody else is holding failure or even insubordination against our coaches. Is generally assumed Pitt is a basket case. .500 is seen as a major success.
I think the guy will find a different and likely better job like the others. MSU or not would simply be a matter of timing.
Chryst did little more than go through a few cases of Levi Garrett while here. Likewise got a better job.
Walt Harris own agent went on the record that Walt had given up here. He got a better job.
Nobody else is holding failure or even insubordination against our coaches. Is generally assumed Pitt is a basket case. .500 is seen as a major success.
I think the guy will find a different and likely better job like the others. MSU or not would simply be a matter of timing.
Really? So what have Michigan and PSU's excuses been for losing to MSU since those days?
MSU won 4 of last 5 versus both Michigan and PSU, including ruining PSU's entire season and playoff hopes last year.
Your narrative needs revision. There are plenty of valid criticisms of Narduzzi as head coach of Pitt, but trying to minimize what he did as a defensive coordinator anywhere he's been isn't going to fly.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
There's no narrative. MSU had double-digit win totals those four years they beat PSU and appeared in the CFP once. PSU was ranked higher at the end of the season last year because MSU choked at 3-OT game at Northwestern and let OSU blow them out. Honestly not terrible for a program coming off of a 3-9 season.
No idea why Michigan is pointed to as an upset type win. The only year Michigan was any good MSU went 3-9 and UofM still finished third in the East.
A
anon_vmuicqnzlyp3u
Guest
We are getting burnt due to less talent on the field. Other teams play freshman and sophomores.
But Graham didn't slog through 4 years and get worse along the way. Harris majorly upgraded the program. Chryst went back home to a situation where he is the HC, but pretty clearly 2nd in command.
HCPN would likely have to majorly rebuild his reputation through lower level or coordinator positions to land another P5 HC job. Although, Auburn did hire Gene Chizik.
G, let's not revise history too much here. Walt wanted to stay. He wanted his contract extended, Pitt didn't want him to stay and told him his contract wouldn't be renewed and that he was free to coach in 2005 and fulfill his contract but after that he was out. Typical Pitt, rather than ponying up and firing him, they were willing to take a hit on the program by paying for a lame duck coach. Walt's agent was rightly frustrated by this and made those comments, without Walt's approval (and Walt fired him shortly after that).
Stanford wasn't the power it was today when Walt went there. He took the job since he had no choice and he didn't give up at Pitt although I think he grew weary of recruiting in the post raid Big East.
How do you call ASU a better job? They don't fill their stadium and rarely contend for the Rose Bowl.
Man, I know you are down, but let's not twist facts too much.
Walt fired his agent for saying what he did about Pitt. His only mistake was doing it too slowly instead of immediately dumping him. Walt clearly cares about Pitt, it's a shame how it ended.
yeah, it needed to end though. Walt had his chance and blew it in 2003 and recruiting was slipping. The way we handled the ending wasn't the greatest. Should have just outright fired him if that's what they wanted to do, but I guess they felt it would look bad firing someone who went to a BCS bowl. But WVU fired a coach who had three straight 9 win seasons and no one batted an eye. The Wannstedt hire on paper was a home run.
Talent has nothing to do with RB's running free down the middle of the field w/ nary a defender within 10 yds of him allowing some QB who spent most of his time at 5 Guys in the offseason to easily complete a TD pass.
There is no narrative, and it's not a criticism of Narduzzi. MSU got better around the same time PSU, Michigan and OSU were having struggles in regards to scandals, sanctions, and coaching issues. That isn't to take away anything from MSU, but it's not a coincidence that they were able to succeed at that exact period of time.
Sure it is. A middle linebacker who doubles the flats with an outside linebacker instead of picking up a running back right down the middle of the field isn't mentally talented enough to play in any defense. Blown coverage can happen in any scheme, at some point Narduzzi didn't recruit good enough linebackers to do their jobs.
It was never a home run hire. The last 3 candidates were Pelini, Cavanaugh, and Wanny. The admin. did not like the Pelini interview. Cav was supposedly in the lead, and then Wanny ended up getting the job. People were very worried that Cav was going to get the job, so when Wanny got the job people were happy, but more relieved that it was him instead of Cav.
Yep. I remember a lot of fans upset that Walt was booted in favor of a guy who had a pretty mediocre NFL tenure as a head coach.
There were definitely some boosters, former players, and local high school coaches who instantly took to Wanny (he is charismatic, especially to "football guys") and many remained loyal to him throughout and even past his tenure. That gave him a recruiting boost at least, though then he too often squandered that talent on the field.
I really didn't mean to disparage Walt himself, just pointed out that was a pretty ugly statement, might have caused another coach a chance for a good follow up HC job, but it didn't. I imagine many across the land who read or heard the agents statement likely nodded in the affirmative, as they did when Graham pulled his junk, when Chryst got a prime job despite a relentlessly colorless performance.
As for Narduzzi, my biggest peeve is a coach who doesn't change what is obviously failing over and over and over.
Losing because of being overmatched by talent is no disgrace, if you earnestly attempt to leverage the limited talent you have to the fullest. Note i say "attempt", I hold no illusion that there's an AA on the bench they're willfully holding back. But these are constantly failing guys on D, who have failed for 2-3 straight years in some cases. And the hopeless scheme that absolutely fails without relentless DL pressure, which he doesn't have, and he KNOWS he doesn't have ... so change it up!
Heather should bring a tape of the games leading up to the 13-9 game, and then that game, to Narduzzi and implore him to watch.
Not sure I buy that. I've always supported Duzz too and I am definitely not calling for him to be fired, however, he needs to make some changes. His Michigan St defense performed well because of the lack of teams that ran an RPO and because most Big 10 teams don't have the speed of the ACC teams. Duzz's D hasn't worked in the ACC, but to this point he is too stubborn to make big changes. Hopefully he figures it out, but my guess is probably not.
That defense had Kennard Cox, Scott and Chris McKillop, Adam Gunn, Greg Romeus, Mick Williams, Aaron Berry. Eric Thatcher could struggle in coverage but was good against that spread to run.
Miami/4-3 over scheme be damned, wasn't the real thing that defense had going for it that Walt and Wanny recruited better players than we have since? "We ran faster" = you can't coach speed.
Similar threads
