Oklahoma State Week

[SouthTulsaPoke]

You played two tomato cans who don't share many similarities to Pitt in the running game. Nobody thinks defense when they think of OSU. Don't take that the wrong way.

I think Pitt fans are more concerned with the offense playing like they can/should and eliminating mistakes (INTs, drops, penalties), than they are worried about OSU's defense.

On the other side of the ball, your offense is lights out and very concerning.

Wrong. We played one tomato can. Tulsa is way better than you're giving them credit for. MasseyRatings.com's composite of dozens of computer rankings has Pitt at #41 and Tulsa at #54. Tulsa runs Art Briles' offense, because their HC was Briles' OC for many years. Nobody completely shuts this offense down, but we almost did. Team Rankings has Tulsa a #32 in average yards per carry and shows Pitt at #78.

When you look at OSU's defensive stats, you have to remember that in both of our games, tomato can or not, we've played our reserves on defense for the entire 4th quarter. OSU ranks 92nd in defense in the final quarter (to Pitt's 108th), but in the upper echelon in the other three. The first team defense has given up zero points in the first quarter, 10 points in the second, and zero points in the third quarter.

South Alabama had zero rushing yards at the half, at home, in our game.

Our first team defense has given up one rushing TD and zero passing TDs in six quarters of play. With three of those quarters coming from Tuls's prolific offense that ranked #10 last year, that's quite a feat.

 

[Joe Magarac]

I'm not sure that they have a better dline than we do. All our starters our upperclassmen and both are DTs are playing like future Sunday guys. Our DEs are strong against the run but average pass rushers. Our MLBer will likely be first-team All Big-12 and our SLBer is a beast.

We played Tulsa in our first game. They had 8 300+ rushing games last year and returned 4 olinemen and a 1000-yard rusher. We held them to 99 yards rushing on 30 carries and at least half of those yards were scrambles by their athletic QB on passing plays. Last week they rushed for 424 yards.

Last week against South Alabama we held them to 41 yards rushing on 27 carries for 1.5 ypc. The week before against Ole Miss they rushed for close to 200 yards on almost 5 ypc.

I think you haven't watched our dline this year. They have been downright dominant against the run.

We will watch on Saturday. Good luck and HAIL TO PITT!!!!

 

[sibleyfan91]

One obvious key. Don't fall into a huge hole the first few minutes as we did with PSU. Can't have the killer pick or fumble giving them short fields and easy TD. Even if we toughen up after that, we've shown so far that we cannot score fast or easily this season. So even 14 points could end the game quickly (as it did last week for intents and purposes)

 

[rmf05]

Gundy's press conference. Lots of Pitt talk.

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Excellent press conference. He seems to have a nice relationship with the press and does a great job giving substantive answers. Not much of a personality comes through. Narduzzi is the exact opposite. He has a great personality but the pressers are completely useless. He doesn't give anything as far as info. Gundy is much more comfy in his own skin which comes from established success I guess. Maybe Duz will lighten up a bit with some more wins.

 

[vegasgreed]

That was pretty good. He has a calm demeanor. Let's his media guys ask questions and answers them the best he can, doesn't seem like he's ready to run off as fast as he can. Even squeezed in a turtle hunting and skeet shooting reference.

Long live the mullet.

 

[LakeCowboy]

I skipped to the end because it was hard to read through STP's posts. I apologize on behalf of our alumni everywhere.

My unsolicited and more than likely, unwanted thoughts:

Oklahoma State has the best team its had since 2011, and possibly ever. The WRs are scary good.

Pitt has one of the best defensive coaching staffs in the entire country, and some serious talent on the roster (some really young).

On college football Saturday anything can happen, and Pitt has the horses to capture the momentum early, control the clock and cruise to a win. OSU also has the ability to bomb away, and make it ugly quick if they can force you off the field early. It's going to be a great game, and I'm very excited to get the opportunity to travel in and watch it in person with a great weather forecast. I look forward to tossing back cold ones with Pitt's finest, and bad mouthing WVU and their terrible/delusional fan base. They have replaced Texas Tech fans in my opinion in the area of unbearable-irrational-unwaranted-confidence.

 

[SouthTulsaPoke]

I skipped to the end because it was hard to read through STP's posts. I apologize on behalf of our alumni everywhere.

My unsolicited and more than likely, unwanted thoughts:

Oklahoma State has the best team its had since 2011, and possibly ever. The WRs are scary good.

Pitt has one of the best defensive coaching staffs in the entire country, and some serious talent on the roster (some really young).

On college football Saturday anything can happen, and Pitt has the horses to capture the momentum early, control the clock and cruise to a win. OSU also has the ability to bomb away, and make it ugly quick if they can force you off the field early. It's going to be a great game, and I'm very excited to get the opportunity to travel in and watch it in person with a great weather forecast. I look forward to tossing back cold ones with Pitt's finest, and bad mouthing WVU and their terrible/delusional fan base. They have replaced Texas Tech fans in my opinion in the area of unbearable-irrational-unwaranted-confidence.

Hey Panthers. Ask real nice and Lakecowboy will give all a big, fat, wet kiss.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

Gundy's press conference. Lots of Pitt talk.

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Love the hair. If he only had a 70's porn stashe, and a yinzer accent, he could be a Pitt coach. I'll bet Wanny would be jealous.

 

[Pizzaboy1]

Lakecowgirl thanks for the kind words about WVU,see you in Morgantown.We can drink a few and burn a couch after the game.

 

[WillTD8]

That's the kind of remark that someone makes when they don't like an argument that's been made, but lack a counter argument.

Of course the game should be played. I'm merely pointing out that our offense is better than it was last year (and deeper at WR) and you're going to have to counter this strategy, which is, as the news article below points out, what OSU is going to do on Saturday, because it's our best weapon.

Don't believe me? Read this article from the Daily Oklahoman.

Long way to say, we're going to get our points despite what you do on defense. Your chance to win comes on matching our productivity through your offense. You need to run the ball and sustain drives that yield touchdowns and not FGs.

Given that you've yet to put up more than 21 points in regulation, and given that the Cowboys have never scored fewer than 20 points with Rudolph behind center, you've got your work cut out for you.

Last year you needed a three TO advantage to stay close. Last year you needed nearly 300 yards of rushing to stay close. Last year you needed a 15:30 advantage in time of possession to stay close. Last year you needed a bomb to Dexter Weah to stay close. Last year, you needed our starting RB (who is now with the Seattle Seahawks) to be injured, to stay close.

Do all that again, plus home field, and I expect this game to be close.

Otherwise? You tell me.

Chill out, we're all okie dokie here, the Gooner fans must be getting to you. Just remember that we're not rivals with Pitt and this is a game that is much anticipated by both sides, we don't need strife with another non-con team (AKA CMU - stole our win).

 

[crosbymalkin8771]

Pitt has one of the best defensive coaching staffs in the entire country

I don't know about this one

 

[SouthTulsaPoke]

Factoid: Mason Rudolph's record in true road games against unranked opponents: 9 - 0.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

Soon to be 9-1