They played well enough to win 8 games. He did well with the group he was handed. The OC is the biggest issue with the offense moving forward.
I am simply not an unrealistic, miserable mope.
Future is Bright
- Thread starter Drax1975
- Start date
I am simply not an unrealistic, miserable mope.
I agree. The future is bright. It will depend on O line development. Our guys look small compared to Clemson. We need more linemen that look like Drake. It's hard to miss him on the sideline. Our defense certainly looks improved and played well against Clemson
True. 4 of the losses were to Top 12 teams in the country. UNC was the only game you could say we should have won. The other five were to teams that were simply better than us.
I hope we win the bowl game and we end the season on a positive note. But I have to be honest, no matter what happens against Stanford, the season has been a big disappointment.
I was expecting the following this season:
1. A better season from Kenny Pickett
2. A 9-10 win season
3. A victory over UNC
4. At least one win from the following teams; Miami, UCF, PSU, ND. Instead we got swept by all of them and a few of them not so pretty...
5. The defense played better as the season went on, but overall, not as much as I had hoped.
I’m an optimist so we’ll see what next year will bring.
I was expecting the following this season:
1. A better season from Kenny Pickett
2. A 9-10 win season
3. A victory over UNC
4. At least one win from the following teams; Miami, UCF, PSU, ND. Instead we got swept by all of them and a few of them not so pretty...
5. The defense played better as the season went on, but overall, not as much as I had hoped.
I’m an optimist so we’ll see what next year will bring.
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I actually totally disagree. They lose almost the whole oline. A lot of the defense was seniors. Duzz needed this to buy time, but next year is almost certainly a step back.
Uh the only key player they lose on D is Dane Jackson. They are very deep now at DB so the defense will be at least as good or better
Most here thought the OL before the season was bad so I don’t know why anyone would make an issue about the OL.
They key to next year as it has been this year and last will be the OC and QB positions
If you watched the games yesterday, you saw teams playing Freshmen & RS Freshmen at key positions. PS top 2 receivers and leading tackler were Freshmen.
You have to mix in the youngsters to build depth and grow your future.
Grad transfers and 5th years 1st time starters do nothing to grow your program.
You have to mix in the youngsters to build depth and grow your future.
Grad transfers and 5th years 1st time starters do nothing to grow your program.
The Oline was the strength of the team. Im not sure who would think that.
Making it to a bowl next year is a good season.
Wow, now we are lowering the bar once again. The schedule is easier , we have a better D , we should win 9 , that's a good year
The future is mostly cloudy with a 80 percent chance of the same mediocrity of the last 40 years.
Not really.
Notre Dame is off the schedule, replaced with Ohio [I think]
But Wake is off the schedule, replaced by Boston College. So that's largely a push
PSU and UCF are back. Maybe UCF is weaker because their QB will likely be out?
But again, the Coastal is bound to be better next year.
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The last two games have more to with the talent more than anything IMHO. We played two really good defensive lines and got beat up pretty bad up front which led to two miserable offensive games.
There wasn't much complaining when they were running over and through Duke, Virginia Tech, Wake and Virginia. We are equal to them talent wise. When we play better talent than us it shows.
Granted Watson sucks and should be gone like yesterday but this season pretty much played out the way it should have with the exception of the UNC game.
7-5 is what most rational Pitt fan was hoping for and they got it.
The problem with that is everyone was saying 2019 was going to be “The Year”. You can’t go 5-7, (possibly) 7-7, then say next season is a possible rebuilding year. They need to show some improvement next year.
I see the defense as much improved since the start of the season and I think they continue that into next year. Offense needs some work, gameday coaching does as well.
The ACC was horrible this year, I doubt it stays that way. Pitt needs to get better if they are going keep going to bowl games.
While I don’t think the ACC was as bad as you say I think the overall post is spot on
Duke did beat the fat ten west champs
Yes they did, I watched most of that game and Northwestern couldn’t do anything on offense. It was early though, and they got better and Duke didn’t. Hell, Northwestern lost to Akron too, but they played pretty well against the better teams on their schedule.
I really believe next year is finally when Pitt steps it up on defense. It’s like a light finally clicked and these guys began to gel as a unit late in the season.
Not sure the offense will be any better, receiving corps looks lousy to me. I think the new RB’s will have some success, so much depends on Pickett.
Pitt should be able to win 9, especially avg play from the QB
He won't be starting.
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Agree. Elijah and Sean were nice players for us and, along with Dennis, strong leaders but I think their backups will actually be more athletic and they have gotten a sizable amount of playing time this year. Also like the idea of Jones and Weaver as starting bookends. Inside is fine-at least 5 deep with Danielson. Pinnock, Jackson, Hamlin, Mathis, Coleman, Ford, Campbell, Garner and Stocker provide depth and experience as well. Defense is least of my worries. Fully expect it to be a strength and will need it to be.
H2P!!!
Agree with you about the D. I think Bates has made it more aggressive and the new dB coaches have helped the young DBs.
IMO the offense will depend upon whether Duzz replaces Watson or not.
The future is probably similar to or past which means we are a 7 win season type of program.
Does it matter if it was Chryst, Narduzzi, Wannstedt, or Harris? The results are consistent.
If you think firing Watson is going to have anything besides a marginal impact, you are delusional.
Does it matter if it was Chryst, Narduzzi, Wannstedt, or Harris? The results are consistent.
If you think firing Watson is going to have anything besides a marginal impact, you are delusional.
I agree Drax. Well put.
Don’t let the negativity get to you. This team accomplished some good things this year thus far. Getting a bowl win would be a very nice way to finish it.
So it was delusional to think that Canada would have any impact on the offense.
Man some of you cats are so over the top negative I feel bad for you. Its one thing to be a realist but many in the pitt fan base look at a clear blue sky and focus on the only cloud in the sky.
What on God's green earth led you to believe this team was capable of winning 9 or 10 games?
No, but 9-4 would still be WAY, WAY, WAY BETTER than 7-6. Simple math, 9>7
pittdan77
Athletic Director
I think the only "good things" you can say after Saturday night is that the team never quit and the defense is starting to show signs of life. I'll give the staff and the kids credit for that.
Winning the Coastal was nice but the ACC was way down. Not even sure how Syracuse is ranked. It was a seven win season. It's going to be year five. Something needs to click soon.
Winning the Coastal was nice but the ACC was way down. Not even sure how Syracuse is ranked. It was a seven win season. It's going to be year five. Something needs to click soon.
Problem is, outside of that game and of course Clemson, who else did anyone in the Acc beat?
We know about Pitt
Miami lost to LSU
Georgia Tech lost to Georgia and USF
Virginia lost to Indiana
Virginia Tech lost to Old Dominion
Unc and Louisville lost to everyone
Syracuse, wake, and nc state beat no one
Boston College lost to Purdue
Florida st lost to Florida
It really was that bad
That’s why I get such a laugh over the “brutal “ schedule remarks. It wasn’t. And I also don’t believe the conference will remain this way forever. Pitt will need to figure things out to be able to keep pace
Huh?
If we would have beaten UNC (like we should have). we would have 8 wins. Then win your bowl game, we would have won 9. It’s not like I’ve was an impossible task in year 4... SHEESH!
What do you expect? We win all those games in a row, and all the flamers leave the board, we lose a couple, and they are back.
I thought we actually played well, outside the passing game and the initial flub on penalties and play calling, which was legitimately pathetic and embarrassing.
On the flip side of UNC, this team could have easily lost to Syracuse or Duke.
9 wins was extremely optimistic. 10 was delusional.
I think 8-6 would not be a big disappointment. 8-6 would mean a bowl win (hasn't happened in a while) against a P5 opponent (PSU one of the few non ACC P5's we have beaten in the past 10 years). It also includes winning the Coastal. While I think we should strive for better, and I agree with what you are saying to a certain extent, I would be happy to finish 8-6 and say the season wasn't a disappointment.
7-7 takes a lot of the luster off the Coastal championship and would definitely qualify as disappointing.
You can say that about every team.
PSU could have easily lost to App St., Indiana, and Iowa. WVU could have easily lost to Texas and Texas Tech.
The bottom line is the team with the most talent and experience should win the game. In my book Pitt had more talent and experience than UNC (their record is proof). Yes, we could have easily lost to Duke and Syracuse, but the same premise holds, Pitt had more talent and experience than those teams and should have won those games.
Yes, every team has games that can go either way. The difference between Pitt and the teams you mentioned (PSU & WVU) is that we had 3 or 4 teams on our schedule where our talent deficit was huge. We had at least 3 games where we really had no chance of winning. PSU & WVU did not. To get 9 or 10 wins from Pitt's schedule, you have to assume every toss up game goes our way. I think that's too optimistic. It almost never works that way.
I was expecting the following this season:
1. A better season from Kenny Pickett -- I was too. I thought he would be the LONE bright spot on the offense this year
2. A 9-10 win season - I thought 5-6 wins this year. I was expecting a horrible line and zero receivers to throw the ball to. I thought our defense would not get better based on having mostly all the same players as the year before.
3. A victory over UNC - I expect this every year, now I expect a loss every year.
4. At least one win from the following teams; Miami, UCF, PSU, ND. Instead we got swept by all of them and a few of them not so pretty...
I would think at the beginning of the year you would have had top 25 VT in there. We had some good wins. I think we usually lose to one of Duke, GT, Virginia every year, and we won all those, and beat top 25 Cuse. I honestly thought UCF was going to be about 70-7, but yeah, I definitely agree with you on this one.
5. The defense played better as the season went on, but overall, not as much as I had hoped.
I think this was the surprise of the year. We lost 2 of our best players for the year, and we still hung pretty well. Certainly made strides from last year.
1. A better season from Kenny Pickett -- I was too. I thought he would be the LONE bright spot on the offense this year
2. A 9-10 win season - I thought 5-6 wins this year. I was expecting a horrible line and zero receivers to throw the ball to. I thought our defense would not get better based on having mostly all the same players as the year before.
3. A victory over UNC - I expect this every year, now I expect a loss every year.
4. At least one win from the following teams; Miami, UCF, PSU, ND. Instead we got swept by all of them and a few of them not so pretty...
I would think at the beginning of the year you would have had top 25 VT in there. We had some good wins. I think we usually lose to one of Duke, GT, Virginia every year, and we won all those, and beat top 25 Cuse. I honestly thought UCF was going to be about 70-7, but yeah, I definitely agree with you on this one.
5. The defense played better as the season went on, but overall, not as much as I had hoped.
I think this was the surprise of the year. We lost 2 of our best players for the year, and we still hung pretty well. Certainly made strides from last year.
I am not negative so much as pragmatic. I think people underestimate the challenges at Pitt. We are historically a 7 win team that plays a tougher than average non-conference schedule. The athletic program does not have big dollars to spend and we are not in a talent rich area such as Florida, California, nor Texas. Moreover, the university is not going to take risk by hiring coaches who might be "questionable "(such as Leach after Texas Tech or Dana Holgerson prior to WVU).
Canada did a good job but I am skeptical he could repeat it. Canada inherited a talented OL, a deep stable of backs, quality TEs, a qb with NFL talent, and at least serviceable receivers. To his credit, he did much with them. The problem is can Canada recruit well enough to keep gettting that type of talent ?
By all means, fire Watson. He is eminently replaceable. However, I would expect Pitt would replace him with the next Frank Cignetti or Cavanuagh rather than a younger version of a Leach, Holgerson, Briles, or Rich Rodriguez.
