Article Ffrench gets weekly ACC honors - and should probably get the ball more (check out the numbers)

[Chris Peak]

After his 99-yard kick return TD at Notre Dame, Maurice Ffrench was named the ACC Specialist of the Week.

On the season, Ffrench has scored five touchdowns and is averaging 10.5 yards per offensive touch. He also has 589 all-purpose yards this season, and his average of all-purpose yards per touch is 17.3 (boosted by two 90-yard returns).

The problem is, he's only getting the ball 3.4 times per game on offense. That doesn't seem like enough for a guy who has averaged more than 50 yards per play on his 7 career touchdowns.

https://pittsburgh.rivals.com/news/ffrench-gets-weekly-conference-honors

 

[McKee Place]

Two years back after the 76-61 game, Narduzzi proclaimed that all that offense made him sick. Since then, he was ok with Pitt letting Canada go, hired his underwhelming buddy as a replacement who had failed with a team of 5 stars, and turned Pitt into the most boring, easy to defend offense in America. The player on the offense who was punished the most by this was Henderson, the player most like Ffrench.

Heck I read that Ffrench overrided the coaches mandate for more fair catches to return the second half kickoff at the ND game! If that's true, and given the cowardly approach to the kickoffs in the Cuse game, I have no reason to doubt it ... how utterly mentally challenged is this coach and staff???

In other words I would say it's probably not worth holding one's breath that they'll start to unleash Ffrench.

 

[Chris Peak]

Two years back after the 76-61 game, Narduzzi proclaimed that all that offense made him sick. Since then, he was ok with Pitt letting Canada go, hired his underwhelming buddy as a replacement who had failed with a team of 5 stars, and turned Pitt into the most boring, easy to defend offense in America. The player on the offense who was punished the most by this was Henderson, the player most like Ffrench.

Heck I read that Ffrench overrided the coaches mandate for more fair catches to return the second half kickoff at the ND game! If that's true, and given the cowardly approach to the kickoffs in the Cuse game, I have no reason to doubt it ... how utterly mentally challenged is this coach and staff???

In other words I would say it's probably not worth holding one's breath that they'll start to unleash Ffrench.

A few minor points:

- Narduzzi wasn't okay with letting Canada go; with him pushing for it, Pitt offered Canada more than it has ever offered a non-head coach.

- Ffrench didn't override the coaches; he himself said what the rules are and that the kickoff returned was returnable as per the rules.

 

[thebadby2]

After his 99-yard kick return TD at Notre Dame, Maurice Ffrench was named the ACC Specialist of the Week.

On the season, Ffrench has scored five touchdowns and is averaging 10.5 yards per offensive touch. He also has 589 all-purpose yards this season, and his average of all-purpose yards per touch is 17.3 (boosted by two 90-yard returns).

The problem is, he's only getting the ball 3.4 times per game on offense. That doesn't seem like enough for a guy who has averaged more than 50 yards per play on his 7 career touchdowns.

https://pittsburgh.rivals.com/news/ffrench-gets-weekly-conference-honors

You could have written the same piece last year on Q. From All-American to non-factor.

Pretty obvious at this point that we have an OC issue.

 

[McKee Place]

A few minor points:

- Narduzzi wasn't okay with letting Canada go; with him pushing for it, Pitt offered Canada more than it has ever offered a non-head coach.

- Ffrench didn't override the coaches; he himself said what the rules are and that the kickoff returned was returnable as per the rules.

Thanks for the clarification on the kickoffs. I still think it's crazy to shackle such a guy though. The Cuse kickoffs were mostly all ripe candidates to be returned.

And I still don't believe the claims of the big offer to Canada; somebody would have to show me notarized paperwork. It's simply not Pitt's way, for one. And I really think Narduzzi wasn't comfortable with that explosive offense of 16, either. I'm sure he wishes we could pass a little more competently than we do now. But i really think he likes the offense more like we have now. He's old school that way, to a fault in this case.

Either way, I still don't expect any additional use of Ffrench.

 

[thebadby2]

Thanks for the clarification on the kickoffs. I still think it's crazy to shackle such a guy though. The Cuse kickoffs were mostly all ripe candidates to be returned.

And I still don't believe the claims of the big offer to Canada; somebody would have to show me notarized paperwork. It's simply not Pitt's way, for one. And I really think Narduzzi wasn't comfortable with that explosive offense of 16, either. I'm sure he wishes we could pass a little more competently than we do now. But i really think he likes the offense more like we have now. He's old school that way, to a fault in this case.

Either way, I still don't expect any additional use of Ffrench.

No question Pitt made Canada a big offer. But Big is relative-at LSU it means something different than at Pitt.

It’s simple-Pitt and Dooz wanted to keep him but couldn’t afford to.

 

[McKee Place]

Let me clarify i'm sure Pitt made a decent offer. Honestly I wouldn't expect them to outbid an LSU either. But I expect it was pretty token, such as when the Nuttings make an "decent offer" to a FA they know is taking a stratospheric offer elsewhere. It's higher than they'd ever really make, but only because they know it's still not in the same neighborhood. It's a PR face saving thing. "See, we tried to keep him". It's good business.

And if Narduzzi truly wanted an OC like his style there shouldn't have been any shortage of guys to bring in that coach similar offenses. The guy he ended up with, Captain Lineplunge, makes my case for me.

 

[4upmc]

Nice read Chris. No doubt Ffrench needs the ball more.

 

[4upmc]

Two years back after the 76-61 game, Narduzzi proclaimed that all that offense made him sick. Since then, he was ok with Pitt letting Canada go, hired his underwhelming buddy as a replacement who had failed with a team of 5 stars, and turned Pitt into the most boring, easy to defend offense in America. The player on the offense who was punished the most by this was Henderson, the player most like Ffrench.

Heck I read that Ffrench overrided the coaches mandate for more fair catches to return the second half kickoff at the ND game! If that's true, and given the cowardly approach to the kickoffs in the Cuse game, I have no reason to doubt it ... how utterly mentally challenged is this coach and staff???

In other words I would say it's probably not worth holding one's breath that they'll start to unleash Ffrench.

Our current OC needs fired. If PN keeps him he is asking to lose his job. Most of us are really frustrated with PN keeping the joke of an OC. But with that being said there is no need to make up stuff as you did. Glad Chris was able to give you facts.

Don’t know why ppl make up stuff. PN wanted to keep Canada and went to bat to get him paid.

 

[FreeportPanther]

Two years back after the 76-61 game, Narduzzi proclaimed that all that offense made him sick. Since then, he was ok with Pitt letting Canada go, hired his underwhelming buddy as a replacement who had failed with a team of 5 stars, and turned Pitt into the most boring, easy to defend offense in America. The player on the offense who was punished the most by this was Henderson, the player most like Ffrench.

Heck I read that Ffrench overrided the coaches mandate for more fair catches to return the second half kickoff at the ND game! If that's true, and given the cowardly approach to the kickoffs in the Cuse game, I have no reason to doubt it ... how utterly mentally challenged is this coach and staff???

In other words I would say it's probably not worth holding one's breath that they'll start to unleash Ffrench.

I doubt Nardawg had a problem with the 76 part of that score. As a defensive guru I'm pretty sure it was the 61 number that gave him heartburn.

 

[McKee Place]

Our current OC needs fired. If PN keeps him he is asking to lose his job. Most of us are really frustrated with PN keeping the joke of an OC. But with that being said there is no need to make up stuff as you did. Glad Chris was able to give you facts.

Don’t know why ppl make up stuff. PN wanted to keep Canada and went to bat to get him paid.

Not "making things up". Espousing my impressions of the replacement based on results. I'll accept he was fine to see Canada retained. Geez, who wouldn't. When that became apparent it wouldn't happen, he could have interviewed and hired candidates who coach offenses of similar types, given how successful it showed to be for our conference. The nation is full of schools that play dynamic, diverse offenses that best leverage situations of less than NFL type talent. He went the other way.

 

[4upmc]

Not "making things up". Espousing my impressions of the replacement based on results. I'll accept he was fine to see Canada retained. Geez, who wouldn't. When that became apparent it wouldn't happen, he could have interviewed and hired candidates who coach offenses of similar types, given how successful it showed to be for our conference. The nation is full of schools that play dynamic, diverse offenses that best leverage situations of less than NFL type talent. He went the other way.

Exact words you typed “he was ok with Pitt letting Canada go”

He was not ok with it as Chris stated. And the offer for Canada to be the highest paid non head coach at Pitt shows it.

We know the rest of the story with the horrible hire of our current OC.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

To be fair to Watson, he got a very unusual assignment: "Forget the fact that you had a different system at your last job -- run my former offensive coordinator's offense. Uh he was here one year."

 

[McKee Place]

To be fair to Watson, he got a very unusual assignment: "Forget the fact that you had a different system at your last job -- run my former offensive coordinator's offense. Uh he was here one year."

Half heartedly running one token WR sweep every couple games or so isn't the same offense, though