Folks essentially this is why VA is a 2 1/2 point favorite in game 1 on the road at Pittsburgh. It's all about what offense Pitt will trot out on DAY 1. Between the QB?, RB? and OL? one could understand Vegas's reluctance to make the past season Coastal Champion a favorite at home to begin the season.
Kenny Pickett’s Development
- Thread starter newcfo
- Start date
Ron, when we go 5-7, then 7-7 we have to respect all comers. Pitt doesn’t have the luxury of a PSU via recruiting and record success. Having said that I too feel UVA is an overrated media darling right now.
It's "interesting" because they'll be faced with a QB controversy. Again. So on one hand, you get to post that "Kenny" undoubtedly needs to improve but then you turn around and climb all over everyone else that thinks the same thing and just blame the O-line for all of his problems. Way to have it both ways.
Oh! Also weird that you would name three guys that drew serious NFL interest and claimed it would have been tragic if they were up front last year is absolutely priceless. The same guys that the NFL QB Nate Peterman played behind. You really seem to have a handle on things.
PittDan,
I think it would have been a disaster if Kenny had the benefit of such a great line and looked that uncomfortable. We’ve had poor QB’s look serviceable behind good lines before. I’m not saying it was ALL Watson or ALL the OL, I’m saying they were major contributors and that given the benefit of better scheme, blocking and instruction we will see significant progress in the passing game.
I.e. it’s easier to make fast decisions when your hot reads are open (better scheme and play calling) and you don’t have a 300 lbs man in your face immediately. No one is saying Kenny had no fault but it wasn’t solely on Kenny and because of that we can’t make blanket statements like “he is what he is.” We haven’t gotten the chance to see what he is!
The reason “what if Kenny doesn’t make plays” isn’t an interesting question is because it’s answered like this... Beville or Patti would play and we wouldn’t be that good this year. There’s no silver bullets sitting in the QB room. I think Beville is going to be really good but looking at how the Browne to DiNuuci to Kenny saga played out, I can’t see HCPN pulling Kenny after PSU or UCF and playing a true freshman. It would mean Pitt is a really bad football team and that’s not interesting conversation. Bad football isn’t worth discussing.
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We will find out which of these are true:
- Kenny is not the QB we want or need
- The new OL is not very good
- Kenny is the QB we want and need
- The new OL is very good
- The new OC is not the OC we need or want
- The new OC is the OC we need and want
- The new RBs can't find a hole
- The new RBs can find a hole
- The new RBs can't pass protect
- The new RBs can pass protect
- etc
You serious?
hard to evaluate a team or its players, especially a young team with a lot of new starters on offense and a new OC, based on an early season game, no matter who the opponent is. What you want to see out of a young team is steady improvement throughout the season. If UVA beats Pitt, I won't read too much into it. The opposite is true as well.
Personally I do think we will be able to ascertain quite a bit about our team in this game. If it was a non conference game I would not. It is okay to have different opinions.
Agreed. A full month at least is needed. Problem is, it's a pretty challenging month.
Very seldom is the team that starts a season the same team that finishes it. It’s a big jump from fall scout team scrimmages, film study, and practices to live game action against that first opponent. every team needs a couple of games to get their legs under them. That’s why it’s nice to have a warm up or two against cupcakes.
I wouldn’t have wanted to play the 2016 PSU team at the end of that season. They were on fire. No doubt that Pitt should improve with reps and continuity. It always seems to take 4 or 5 games for the new O-line to gel.
That's a good example and one I almost inserted into the original post, but thought the better of it due to the knee jerk reaction of many on here about any mention of the enemy.
Anyone who follow college football knows that most teams aren't real sharp early in the season. Things can and do change a lot by mid-season.
They are all a bit sloppy at first--but the more returning starters and experienced players they have, the more talented the overall roster, the more depth, and the more coaching continuity they have from season to season, the more likely they are to get up to speed more quickly. It's also easier for the D to get up to speed than the O.
Not sure what it is about these basic truths that's eluding you. We see it every year in college football.
Good point about Voytik. It was clear that he did not have it when the switch to Petersen was made. And it was even clearer after Petersen's first pass. Agreed we do not know yet whether KP can cut it.
