Nick should have been our QB all year

[Hayekr]

Agree. We have no idea how he would have done, and that is the issue. Why was he not given a chance - there were plenty of times that the offense needed a spark, and he could have provided one. The coaches are at fault for not allowing him to show what he could do.

This is precisely the issue.

Just compare Duzz to Dabo. When Clemson was down 21-10 against Cuse with 4 mins to go in the 3rd quarter, Dabo benched his former 5 star QB recruit DJ, who had turned the ball over 3 times that game (twice in the red zone).

Bear in mind that DJ Uaigelelei had 17 TDs and 2 Int's so far that season prior to the Syracuse game. Dabo saw how much he was killing their chances of winning though and put in Cade Klubnik. While he didn't put up huge numbers, he made key plays with his arm and legs when needed and didn't turn the ball over. I don't think Clemson wins that game if Dabo doesn't bench his starter.

Duzz had this same opportunity to bench Slovis during the Louisville game and reinvigorate the offense under Patti at halftime. Instead he kept Slovis in and the offense remained moribund until he was sacked and fumbled for the Louisville scoop and score to put the game away. I'm not saying Patti is top-to-bottom better than Slovis, but if you have a healthy 5th year senior on your bench when your starter is clearly playing awful, put him in and see what happens.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

No he couldn’t. No program that’s significant enough to be handing out 30k of NIL candy to every player would invest that money and a scholarship in a career backup with 1 year of eligibility to be a 3rd stringer. He could realistically transfer down to a lesser level program-as in a lower tier MAC team—and possibly have a shot to start. No NIL money. That’s his best case scenario.

Many teams are paying 25-30K base salaries to EVERY scholarship player and some include walk-ons. Davis Beville transferred to Okla friggin homa. Do not tell me that a P5 school with an open scholarship wouldn't take Patti as a 3rd stringer. Of course they would. In fact, he can probably call up any P5 school and say he's coming to be the 3rd or 4th stringer and they'd day "sure."

 

[CJsE]

This is precisely the issue.

Just compare Duzz to Dabo. When Clemson was down 21-10 against Cuse with 4 mins to go in the 3rd quarter, Dabo benched his former 5 star QB recruit DJ, who had turned the ball over 3 times that game (twice in the red zone).

Bear in mind that DJ Uaigelelei had 17 TDs and 2 Int's so far that season prior to the Syracuse game. Dabo saw how much he was killing their chances of winning though and put in Cade Klubnik. While he didn't put up huge numbers, he made key plays with his arm and legs when needed and didn't turn the ball over. I don't think Cuse wins that game if Dabo doesn't bench his starter.

Duzz had this same opportunity to bench Slovis during the Louisville game and reinvigorate the offense under Patti at halftime. Instead he kept Slovis in and the offense remained moribund until he was sacked and fumbled for the Louisville scoop and score to put the game away. I'm not saying Patti is top-to-bottom better than Slovis, but if you have a healthy 5th year senior on your bench when your starter is clearly playing awful, put him in and see what happens.

He replaced a struggling DJ with the #1 QB recruit in the nation…it is not the same

 

[YourPittDanceTeam]

Duke and UNC have lowly ranked pass defenses and Slovis was < 50% against them. The offensive system hasn't good enough, but Patti is CLEARLY the better college QB. This team could have gone 10-2.

Look, I do not want diminish anything that Nick Patti did against UCLA, but to say that he is CLEARLY the better college QB when compared to Kedon Slovis is foolish.
Compare their college stats...

ATP COMP YARDS PCT TD'S INT
Patti 128 71 782 55% 5 2
Slovis 1,268 836 9.973 66% 68 33

 

[Hayekr]

He replaced a struggling DJ with the #1 QB recruit in the nation…it is not the same

Klubnick had what, 7 completions to his name as a college QB at that point? He was as green as they get with a handful of repetitions. If anything, Duzz should have been more confident in his backup senior QB than Dabo putting in a true freshman. He blew it by keeping in Slovis at Louisville, and even the announcers could see Slovis' head just wasn't "in it" that night.

 

[CJsE]

Klubnick had what, 7 completions to his name as a college QB at that point? He was as green as they get with a handful of repetitions. If anything, Duzz should have been more confident in his backup senior QB than Dabo putting in a true freshman. He blew it by keeping in Slovis at Louisville, and even the announcers could see Slovis' head just wasn't "in it" that night.

ok thanks, now break down Patti's practice performance in the two week prior to the Louisville game. What's that, you don't know if Patti threw 95% of his passes into the dirt during practice that week? But that 5th year QB should be considered a better option than the number one QB recruit in the country?

Slovis wasn't playing great but it was because the offensive line had their worst performance of the season. Slovis was pressured on 54% of his drop backs. He was drilled by untouched blitzers on multiple plays, including his big interception and fumble. Receivers were dropping balls in their hands, or tripping over their own feet. Go back and watch that second half and see who you feel Slovis is in the top 8 people responsible for that loss.

 

[Hayekr]

Slovis wasn't playing great but it was because the offensive line had their worst performance of the season. Slovis was pressured on 54% of his drop backs. He was drilled by untouched blitzers on multiple plays, including his big interception and fumble. Receivers were dropping balls in their hands, or tripping over their own feet. Go back and watch that second half and see who you feel Slovis is in the top 8 people responsible for that loss.

This might come as a surprise to you, but a major part of a QB's job is making the most out of sub-optimal environments --- like pressure from poor blocking/missed assignments. Coaches pull their hair out when they see their QB simply "toss it up" into bracketed coverage because a defender is in their face prior to how the play was drawn up. DJ was also getting pressured in the Cuse game prematurely, but that didn't stop Dabo from benching his starter who's mind just wasn't in it that game. You have to minimize catastrophic mistakes when there are only bad outcomes available to choose from. Patti had the speed to get out of some of those situations that Slovis completely lacked, and he proved it in the UCLA game where we almost certainly lose with Slovis in (and most people recognize this now).

 

[TD_6082]

Klubnick had what, 7 completions to his name as a college QB at that point? He was as green as they get with a handful of repetitions. If anything, Duzz should have been more confident in his backup senior QB than Dabo putting in a true freshman. He blew it by keeping in Slovis at Louisville, and even the announcers could see Slovis' head just wasn't "in it" that night.

If there was a time to insert Patti to give the offense a spark, the Louisville game would have definitely been the game. But that was a game where Slovis was not only ineffective, he had some inexcusable turnovers that cost Pitt the game.

Klubnik's stats that game were 2/4 for 19 yds and 6 rushes for 15 yds. I'm sure the Death Valley crowd was happy to see Klubnik get a chance, and it changed the atmosphere and mood of the crowd, but the comeback had more to do with Will Shipley putting the team on his back and the stupid late hit penalty by Syracuse.

I agree with everything you said in your last post about Slovis/Patti, escaping pressure and getting out of bad situations and how that almost certainly made a difference in the UCLA game. And I agree in theory with what you said about Duzz having an experienced backup as opposed to Dabo going with a freshman. In reality though, I think Klubnik being a freshman and the QB of the future probably gives Dabo more incentive to insert him into a game than Duzz inserting a QB that he passed on as having any chance at being the man for Pitt.

 

[CJsE]

This might come as a surprise to you, but a major part of a QB's job is making the most out of sub-optimal environments --- like pressure from poor blocking/missed assignments. Coaches pull their hair out when they see their QB simply "toss it up" into bracketed coverage because a defender is in their face prior to how the play was drawn up. DJ was also getting pressured in the Cuse game prematurely, but that didn't stop Dabo from benching his starter who's mind just wasn't in it that game. You have to minimize catastrophic mistakes when there are only bad outcomes available to choose from. Patti had the speed to get out of some of those situations that Slovis completely lacked, and he proved it in the UCLA game where we almost certainly lose with Slovis in (and most people recognize this now).

Hey Nick had a pretty decent game and definitely has a much more exciting play-style than Kedon, I'm not arguing that. But it was by no means an amazing display of passing against one of the worst pass defenses in the country.

If you want to talk Lousiville, they lead the league in sacks and were one of the best pass defenses in the country. Patti had a terrible performance against Tennessee, even before his injury, and must not have looked that great in practice for Narduzzi to go out and get a transfer QB and never look back.

But nevermind, it's pointless for me to argue. Sometimes I forget that a Pitt homer's favorite pastime is believing that the next Marino is sitting on the bench. Well that and stars don't matter.

 

[Hayekr]

But nevermind, it's pointless for me to argue. Sometimes I forget that a Pitt homer's favorite pastime is believing that the next Marino is sitting on the bench. Well that and stars don't matter.

It's not pointless. You're of the mind it is best to stick with the starter even when their play is costing the team more than benefiting it, and that's OK if you're convinced the backup would play even worse. I'm not convinced of that; especially during the Louisville game.

I'm fine agreeing to disagree here without resorting to a parting cheap shot. The frustration on your end seemed to incline you to go that route, unfortunately.

 

[upj87]

Look, I do not want diminish anything that Nick Patti did against UCLA, but to say that he is CLEARLY the better college QB when compared to Kedon Slovis is foolish.
Compare their college stats...

ATP COMP YARDS PCT TD'S INT
Patti 128 71 782 55% 5 2
Slovis 1,268 836 9.973 66% 68 33

Hahaha..first year usc stats included.

In a world were Slovis was not a statue stuck in mud in the elusive run department that might actually have some validity..