Early on as the HC he was more jovial with the media and fans, in games he ran trick plays and seemed to be having fun on the sideline, and he didn’t have such a bunker mentality. He needs to loosen up the game plan, play the younger guys with more talent, and hopefully the team will feed off it.
Narduzzi is Too Tight - Observation
- Thread starter DiehardPanther
- Start date
He needs to get rid of his offensive coordinator. Watson runs a prehistoric college offense that doesn’t work in today’s game ( unless you have a 1st round draft pick in Teddy Bridgewater).
College football is about keeping the defense off balanced with Tempo. Which stops the defense from substituting, causing confusion and wears them out. Plus, you got to create space for your playmakers to make plays. How do you create space? How about a vertical passing game instead of a horizontal one. It keeps teams from selling out against the run.
How about 2nd half adjustments from this staff. There was something on the pay board that someone posted. Watson ‘s offensive scoring in the 2nd half is a embarrassment both last year and so far this year.
It seemed everyone including coaches associated with Pitt got so caught up in the lead up that nobody actually remembered there was a football game.
It was all ancillary stuff temple, the hof, get tickets for the champ game, they were ok with 6-6, etc. Instead of blocking it out, PN fueled alot of it.
Like they've never been there before.
It was all ancillary stuff temple, the hof, get tickets for the champ game, they were ok with 6-6, etc. Instead of blocking it out, PN fueled alot of it.
Like they've never been there before.
Couldn't agree more.... Remember the 4th quarter parties? Should have kept that going...
Just seems like he keeps losing any momentum he gets - particularly on a big stage.
2015: started 6-1, prime time home night game (shudder) against UNC - loses. Add losses to the only other good teams on the schedule (ND, Miami) and a bad bowl loss to Navy and that’s your season.
2016: starts with the PSU win - loss to OK St, choke job in UNC... wins 3... prime time home night game (shudder) loss against VT and blowout in Miami. Beats Clemson... keeps it rolling with W’s over Duke and Cuse... but then another bowl game defeat.
2017: bad year, but beat Duke and Virginia after the 2-5 start... prime time home night game (shudder) loss to UNC and another loss that should’ve been a win at VT.
Then of course, the momentum from the Miami game last year... prime time home night game (shudder) disgraceful performance.
See some themes here? Not gonna discredit the good he’s done, but he just hasn’t built off those big wins we keep talking about.
All of our coaches get soul crushed, just some sooner (like Graham) than later.
Offensive tempo and rhythm are big. If you watch film of the 2016 offense, in addition to all the pre-snap stuff, misdirection, changed-up blocking schemes, etc., Canada changed the tempo a lot. He'd go shotgun no-huddle for a series, then put Nate under center, bunch it up and run power or short passes in the soft spots in the middle of the field. He mixed up shotgun sets and under center sets all game long. he mixed in spread elements and pro-set elements. Everything he did was designed to keep the D off-balance and on its heels. Honestly it was a machine. Watson? Zero creativity, very predictable.
You guys do realize that Canada had way more talent to work with than Watson does?Look at Penn State's
record when their oline stunk,7-6 and 7-6.It starts up front and Pitt's oline isn't very good right now.
record when their oline stunk,7-6 and 7-6.It starts up front and Pitt's oline isn't very good right now.
Only thing Canada did was not screw up a bunch of nfl talent .
People pine for him stupidly, despite never replicating any similar success
Didn't that oline block for 225 in the first half verses a top 15 team? Were you expecting 300 yards in the first half?
Long story short, Canada's offense attacked the defense. Sure he had more established talent that year but he was the aggressor.
So far Watson's offense seems to take what the offense gives them. The outcome of each play are being dictated by what the defense is doing. It's backwards to me.
So far Watson's offense seems to take what the offense gives them. The outcome of each play are being dictated by what the defense is doing. It's backwards to me.
I am a pretty big Nards guy, but there has been regression in a number of areas.
The first year, they were down a lot of games at half, but came out and had great second halves, it was a thing they bragged about making adjustments better than anyone, we groused, if only they started games like that ... But, they don't make those adjustments so much anymore.
The STs were real good the first two years, solid on coverages, and as you noted, the ran a number of great fakes and the such.
His teams his first two years were really good in not taking penalties.
Agree. Many teams take on the personality of their coach. If PN is uptight and playing not to loose it can have a negative effect on his players.
His garbage recruiting is more likely the culprit
I think he lets his coordinator call the game. He still makes ballsy (and some may say stupid) decisions like the 4th and 3 call.
I agree on playing the younger guys. Like a lot of coaches, he's married to the older guys. Zeise, Briggs, and Hendrix need to sit on D. Maybe Herndon should sit on O, but Ffrench and Shocky need to get the damn ball.
JD Pitt's line did ok the first half but not great!Yes Pitt rushed for over 200 yds but a lot of those yards weren't really because of the oline.Louis 38 on jet sweep,Picket scrambled for 45 yds on 6 runs oline didn't really help for these 83 yds.Ollison got 60 on one carry ( good oline blocking here)so 98 came on 2 carries and QB scrambling got 45 more.You are going to see better dlines than Psu as the season on and the in the second half they chewed your oline up and spit them out!
