Do people not realize Miami is pretty darn good?

[Sean Miller Fan]

The U is still on the helmets, they have an NFL level QB, big-time WRs, and playmaking DBs. Quite frankly, they are better than us. Doesn't mean it should have been 23-3 at half but Miami's player are better than ours. Again, this is a game Chryst lost with his poor recruiting.

Miami has had some embarrassing blowouts where they quit but their only bad loss was at Cincy on a Thursday night on Cincy's Super Bowl.

They were 7-1 against teams not named Clemson/FSU/UNC. What if Pitt played FSU and Clemson from the Atlantic instead of Syr and Lou?

 

[PittPoker]

I don't think they are as good as you are making them out to be. They are just mostly better athletes with more speed. The recruiting difference was in full effect during the game.

 

[Pittx9]

Miami has players with speed. Miami is light years better without Golden than with him, he really was about one of the worst D1 coaches ever at a major school. That's about it though. There was nobody on that team that I saw and just thought wow what a great player he is. They're a good team, they're not the old U and they're not some awesome team that is just so much better than us.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Yes, it isnt a vintage U team, but their depth of talent was apparent vs the panthers.

Does anyone seriously think they have guys like capara, steinback, galambos, webb, challingsworth, zeise, etc playing as many minutes as they did yesterday?

They played two, three backs who would be ahead of ollison and hall on this teams depth chart.

I have been a peterman supporter and like the kid, but on his best day he isnt as good as kaaya on most days ....

They just had a mutt for a head coach until a month ago.

 

[MrGee]

The U is still on the helmets, they have an NFL level QB, big-time WRs, and playmaking DBs. Quite frankly, they are better than us. Doesn't mean it should have been 23-3 at half but Miami's player are better than ours. Again, this is a game Chryst lost with his poor recruiting.

Miami has had some embarrassing blowouts where they quit but their only bad loss was at Cincy on a Thursday night on Cincy's Super Bowl.

They were 7-1 against teams not named Clemson/FSU/UNC. What if Pitt played FSU and Clemson from the Atlantic instead of Syr and Lou?

Well, if you read all the game day predictions on this board, it was obvious

 

[htp123]

Jeffburgh - exactly what I was saying to the guys sitting with me at the game. Beyond Boyd, Whitehead and maybe Holtz, who from Pitt starts on yesterday's U team?

It's not THAT we lost yesterday, it was HOW we lost that made me the most angry. Flat, unprepared and horrible fundamentals, forcing yet another desperate come form behind second half. When you are playing superior athletes, you have to have a better game plan and better heart. We didn't until half way through the 3rd quarter. Too late.

That's why recruiting is vital and recruits should see they can play right away.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Jeffburgh - exactly what I was saying to the guys sitting with me at the game. Beyond Boyd, Whitehead and maybe Holtz, who from Pitt starts on yesterday's U team?

It's not THAT we lost yesterday, it was HOW we lost that made me the most angry. Flat, unprepared and horrible fundamentals, forcing yet another desperate come form behind second half. When you are playing superior athletes, you have to have a better game plan and better heart. We didn't until half way through the 3rd quarter. Too late.

That's why recruiting is vital and recruits should see they can play right away.

Yeah, nards had to change the culture of this program, just getting them to do what they did most of the year "winning" the second half. I think this off season, he tunes them up, you want to win division or conference titles, you gotta play 60 minutes.

 

[9nationalchampionships]

The U’s talent level is better across the roster but once PITT was comfortable with the speed of the game, we made it a game. I am not sure how you bottle that for the next time?

 

[Pghfan]

they are not good SMF, got murdered against unc and Clemson, needed a miracle and horrendously bad officiating blunders to beat a below average duke team. This was a bad loss, no matter how much you try to spin it..

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

they are not good SMF, got murdered against unc and Clemson, needed a miracle and horrendously bad officiating blunders to beat a below average duke team. This was a bad loss, no matter how much you try to spin it..

You think we are better than Miami?

 

[Franb]

Yeah, nards had to change the culture of this program, just getting them to do what they did most of the year "winning" the second half. I think this off season, he tunes them up, you want to win division or conference titles, you gotta play 60 minutes.

How in the world did Pitt beat the 'Canes last year, with our inferior talent and the "culture" that needed to be changed? Was Chryst that good of a game day coach?

 

[GT74]

How in the world did Pitt beat the 'Canes last year, with our inferior talent and the "culture" that needed to be changed? Was Chryst that good of a game day coach?

Miami had basically quit on the season. Add to that, it was a 'bowl game' qualifier for Pitt. Sometimes it is not the talent or coaching as much as motivation and 'timing'. Pitt is better coached overall this season, but Miami got a shot in the arm with the mid-season coaching change. They have played better since. They are talented, and with a quality coach, will be a force again in cfb.

 

[Jeffburgh]

How in the world did Pitt beat the 'Canes last year, with our inferior talent and the "culture" that needed to be changed? Was Chryst that good of a game day coach?

I addressed that, "They just had a mutt for a head coach until a month ago."

Point stands - Miami wasn't running the likes of Caprara out there yesterday.

 

[vegasgreed]

lets not forget we were a td favorite in this game

 

[thebadby2]

they are not good SMF, got murdered against unc and Clemson, needed a miracle and horrendously bad officiating blunders to beat a below average duke team. This was a bad loss, no matter how much you try to spin it..

They still have players, way more of them than we do. That's the point. Gokden was atrocious. I have never paid much attention to the U and Golden but I saw his pregame address to his team in the locker room before the Cincinatti game. Total stiff. clearly detached from his players. Told them to "fall back on their training" in some kind of half assed effort to channel his inner Army Ranger. They were instantly better when they canned him. Larry Scott has done a nice job getting the players to play for themselves and their pride. Looser, faster, better. If we had come out and played better we absolutely could have won that game. But when you get into an early hole against a team that has better athletes at every position, and they play mostly sound and mistake free and don't fold up when the momentum swings, you're gonna lose.

Our offense lost the game yesterday. The D wasnt great, but it was the first several offensive possessions where we couldn't sustain a drive and score that really killed us. We turned the ball over inside our own 30 on the first possession of the 1st Q. Our last possession of the first half we moved the ball all the way inside the Miami 10 only to bog down with a couple of minus plays on first and second down, causing us to settle for 3. That has been a problem throughout the year especially against the better teams. The D spent most of the first half on the field chasing superior athletes, not a good formula.

When you have to kick a FG in the red zone, that's a win for the opponent. When you go 3 and out after the other team scores early, that's a win for the opponent. Chaney really needs to do a better job across the board, but especially in the red zone. The Whitehead screen was as bad as it gets. Everyone on the planet knew to was coming, it never had a chance. That whole red zone sequence was a mess. As a play caller you gotta be better than that. Amd we have a QB who can manage a game adequately, but who can't make a play when you need one. Lots of room for improvement, but for the first time in years I feel like we're gonna see it, and sooner rather than later.

 

[Jeffburgh]

lets not forget we were a td favorite in this game

I can speak for myself that I liked Pitt's chances, but it was based a lot on the assumption that they would not show up.

They did, and to the Miami coaches staff's credit, they played like they had nothing to lose - went on fourth down, gadget plays.

Yes, the Panthers once again did not start the game like they should, that is a very legitimate criticism.

But, end of the day, the point stands - Miami wasn't running out Caprara, Steinback, Webb, Galambos, Challingsworth, Zeise ... Their RBs were clearly more talented and their QB was MUCH better ...

It may not have been a vintage Miami team, but it was clearly a deeper and more talented team than than the Panthers.

 

[runthewildcat]

The U is still on the helmets, they have an NFL level QB, big-time WRs, and playmaking DBs. Quite frankly, they are better than us. Doesn't mean it should have been 23-3 at half but Miami's player are better than ours. Again, this is a game Chryst lost with his poor recruiting.

Miami has had some embarrassing blowouts where they quit but their only bad loss was at Cincy on a Thursday night on Cincy's Super Bowl.

They were 7-1 against teams not named Clemson/FSU/UNC. What if Pitt played FSU and Clemson from the Atlantic instead of Syr and Lou?

Agree. They are 1 good head coach away from being very good again. The talent is there. Bring in a coach that can mop up the south Florida area and they'll be miami of old.
The question is can they hire the right guy for the job.