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Players failed to show the requisite energy and passion, causing Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi to wonder whether they were tired or, perhaps, occasionally playing with their eyes closed.
Pass catchers failed to get open, making it look like defenders were running the routes for the offense, the coach said.
Pitt made so many mistakes — “Little things,” Narduzzi said — that he said he could use video from the Panthers' 26-19 loss to North Carolina on Thursday to conduct a clinic.
And this is how Pitt (6-2) looked nine days before its showdown Saturday against No. 8 Notre Dame (7-1)? Sounds like the Panthers are due for a tough week of practice.
Opponents haven't scored a third-quarter touchdown against Pitt since the opener — a stretch of seven games — but that's no consolation to Narduzzi. More to the point, Pitt has started slow and been outscored a combined 58-37 in the first half of the past three games.
“Is that a tired team?” he said. “I don't know. The first person who is going to take the blame is me. Did I have them prepared for the game? I thought we took some time off and gave them a chance to be fresh, but what's right?”
Narduzzi suggested that having four days between games didn't help.
“I hope we don't schedule any Thursday games with a Saturday game prior to,” he said. “I don't think it benefits our kids in any way.
Another Example of Pederson Poison Still Hurting Pitt?
Academically, they are sitting in a hotel on a Wednesday night when they have class. That's not good for anybody.”
More Pederson Poison!
The problems have been most evident on defense where the Panthers have fallen to 25th in the nation in sacks (2.75 per game) after standing No. 1 before the Georgia Tech game Oct. 17. Pitt has a total of one sack in the past three games.
Narduzzi said the defense might be blitzing too much, failing to rely on its base defense to make plays.
“I think we're blitzing more, which, you know, is sometimes a mistake,” he said. “Our guys have to play better base defense so you won't feel like you have to, as I call it, junk it up.
“I felt like we had to junk it up really the last two weeks because our guys aren't paying attention to the details that they need to.”
Narduzzi credited North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams' ability to avoid sacks, but he added, “We have to make sure we keep our eyes open (when rushing the passer). Do we have our eyes closed?
“When we did get there, we didn't finish and there were times we didn't get there fast enough and hung our defensive backs out to dry. You have to put your chest on them, not just your hands.”
And then there's the issue of the inability to develop a deep passing game. Pitt is 11th in the ACC in passing yards per game (195.5).
Hint------Whitehead Use Him On 4 To 8 Plays!!!
“I see a lack of separation at times,” he said. “At times, it looked like (defenders) were running our routes for us. We have to get guys who can get open.”
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
Players failed to show the requisite energy and passion, causing Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi to wonder whether they were tired or, perhaps, occasionally playing with their eyes closed.
Pass catchers failed to get open, making it look like defenders were running the routes for the offense, the coach said.
Pitt made so many mistakes — “Little things,” Narduzzi said — that he said he could use video from the Panthers' 26-19 loss to North Carolina on Thursday to conduct a clinic.
And this is how Pitt (6-2) looked nine days before its showdown Saturday against No. 8 Notre Dame (7-1)? Sounds like the Panthers are due for a tough week of practice.
Opponents haven't scored a third-quarter touchdown against Pitt since the opener — a stretch of seven games — but that's no consolation to Narduzzi. More to the point, Pitt has started slow and been outscored a combined 58-37 in the first half of the past three games.
“Is that a tired team?” he said. “I don't know. The first person who is going to take the blame is me. Did I have them prepared for the game? I thought we took some time off and gave them a chance to be fresh, but what's right?”
Narduzzi suggested that having four days between games didn't help.
“I hope we don't schedule any Thursday games with a Saturday game prior to,” he said. “I don't think it benefits our kids in any way.
Another Example of Pederson Poison Still Hurting Pitt?
Academically, they are sitting in a hotel on a Wednesday night when they have class. That's not good for anybody.”
More Pederson Poison!
The problems have been most evident on defense where the Panthers have fallen to 25th in the nation in sacks (2.75 per game) after standing No. 1 before the Georgia Tech game Oct. 17. Pitt has a total of one sack in the past three games.
Narduzzi said the defense might be blitzing too much, failing to rely on its base defense to make plays.
“I think we're blitzing more, which, you know, is sometimes a mistake,” he said. “Our guys have to play better base defense so you won't feel like you have to, as I call it, junk it up.
“I felt like we had to junk it up really the last two weeks because our guys aren't paying attention to the details that they need to.”
Narduzzi credited North Carolina quarterback Marquise Williams' ability to avoid sacks, but he added, “We have to make sure we keep our eyes open (when rushing the passer). Do we have our eyes closed?
“When we did get there, we didn't finish and there were times we didn't get there fast enough and hung our defensive backs out to dry. You have to put your chest on them, not just your hands.”
And then there's the issue of the inability to develop a deep passing game. Pitt is 11th in the ACC in passing yards per game (195.5).
Hint------Whitehead Use Him On 4 To 8 Plays!!!
“I see a lack of separation at times,” he said. “At times, it looked like (defenders) were running our routes for us. We have to get guys who can get open.”
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
