Play calling

[Joe the Panther Fan]

In the second half with Nick Patti at quarterback Pitt ran 16 first down plays. The first three of those plays were handoffs to Abanikanda. The fourth was a a Patti pass to Mumpfield that only came after a handoff to Abanikanda for a seven yard gain was called back due to a holding penalty. The last 12 of them were all handoffs to Abanikanda. So in all, 16 plays, 15 handoffs to Abanikanda, and the lone outlier was after we actually did hand the ball off to him but there was a penalty. So that close to a perfect 16 for 16.

And by "perfect" I mean "perfectly moronic".

 

[4upmc]

Yep really predictable. Tenn and everyone watching the game knew 1st down would be a handoff up the middle to Izzy.

 

[pittguy81]

In the second half with Nick Patti at quarterback Pitt ran 16 first down plays. The first three of those plays were handoffs to Abanikanda. The fourth was a a Patti pass to Mumpfield that only came after a handoff to Abanikanda for a seven yard gain was called back due to a holding penalty. The last 12 of them were all handoffs to Abanikanda. So in all, 16 plays, 15 handoffs to Abanikanda, and the lone outlier was after we actually did hand the ball off to him but there was a penalty. So that close to a perfect 16 for 16.

And by "perfect" I mean "perfectly moronic".

Patti was obviously injured and couldn't move well so they were trying to protect him/had no confidence in his ability to make a passing play

 

[HailToPitt725]

I said it in the game thread, but I thought they should’ve tried incorporating some rollouts for Patti (pre-injury) instead of having him be a pocket passer. The problem is that I’m not sure how many of those Cignetti actually has because that just doesn’t work with Slovis.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Which was shown by the fact that from the last play of the 3rd quarter through the fourth quarter and the overtime there were seven of those plays. They "gained" a total of minus four yards.

 

[CCHS82]

In the second half with Nick Patti at quarterback Pitt ran 16 first down plays. The first three of those plays were handoffs to Abanikanda. The fourth was a a Patti pass to Mumpfield that only came after a handoff to Abanikanda for a seven yard gain was called back due to a holding penalty. The last 12 of them were all handoffs to Abanikanda. So in all, 16 plays, 15 handoffs to Abanikanda, and the lone outlier was after we actually did hand the ball off to him but there was a penalty. So that close to a perfect 16 for 16.

And by "perfect" I mean "perfectly moronic".

Be careful Joe, the apologists will tell you that we were operating with our second string QB and that it's Ok we lost to a ranked SEC team with all of our excuses.

 

[CCHS82]

Patti was obviously injured and couldn't move well so they were trying to protect him/had no confidence in his ability to make a passing play

So, we decide to line him under center and run play action with one leg with UT knowing that we're going to pass? Hmm?

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Patti was obviously injured and couldn't move well so they were trying to protect him/had no confidence in his ability to make a passing play

Him taking the snap under center and immediately taking a knee would have been about the equivalent of what happened. If he was so impaired that they couldn't run anything else at all, even before he got hurt, then they needed to try the next man on the list.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

So, we decide to line him under center and run play action with one leg with UT knowing that we're going to pass? Hmm?

Of all the dumb play calls, that may very well have been the dumbest.

 

[h2p_5150]

Patti was obviously injured and couldn't move well so they were trying to protect him/had no confidence in his ability to make a passing play

It is still terrible strategy. Setting up 2nd and 11 every possession doesn't do your QB any favors.

 

[4upmc]

It’s clear Patti was in bad shape. We know he is a tough kid. But he couldn’t move at all. We have the rare 3rd team QB with tons of experience. Yes I know it’s just Ivy League but Kyler was 9-1 last year completing 70% and just 1 int. If Patti is healthy he’s the backup. But I was thinking a healthy Kyler over a clearly hurt Patti may have given us a better chance.

 

[PittPharm2002]

The left sign of our offensive line is really disappointing to be kind .
They spent more time on their backs than on their feet

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

It is still terrible strategy. Setting up 2nd and 11 every possession doesn't do your QB any favors.

Yeah, the notion that "he's not mobile enough to do anything other than hand off to the same running back over and over on first and 10 but he'll be perfectly fine on 2nd and 11" makes literally no sense at all.

Just one time when they were all creeping up try to hit a quick slant to one of the receivers (although Patti didn't throw that pattern very well today). Or swing the back out of the backfield and try to get him the ball in space. Or some other relatively safe play call that might not work, but surely had a better chance to work that doing the same thing over and over and over.

 

[thebadby2]

It is still terrible strategy. Setting up 2nd and 11 every possession doesn't do your QB any favors.

100%. You can’t just line up and do exactly what they F’in know you’re gonna do. Maybe if you have Bama or UGA’s O line you can. Not Pitt’s.

Cig had his hands tied with losing Slovis, having Patti on one leg, and losing a couple O linemen. No question. But he needed to do better than that.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

100%. You can’t just line up and do exactly what they F’in know you’re gonna do. Maybe if you have Bama or UGA’s O line you can. Not Pitt’s.

Cig had his hands tied with losing Slovis, having Patti on one leg, and losing a couple O linemen. No question. But he needed to do better than that.

You have to give your guys a chance to make a play. If your quarterback is so impaired that he can't make a play anymore you need to get him out of the game.

 

[Cap pitt]

The left sign of our offensive line is really disappointing to be kind .
They spent more time on their backs than on

 

[4upmc]

I agree, but not only the left side but the right side as well, th O line, excuse me, the very experienced O line is horrible an not only that, but so was our field goal kicker, since he is one of the 2 best kickers in the country, and Pitt has both of them

The worst is Drexel, kid get pushed into the backfield and on his back all game.

 

[gary2]

The worst is Drexel, kid get pushed into the backfield and on his back all game.

Doubt we see Drexel again. Injury looked bad.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

Frank lost his father right before the game and then Slovis got hurt. He deserves a pass this game. Prayers to him and his family.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Doubt we see Drexel again. Injury looked bad.

Yes it did.

 

[4upmc]

Doubt we see Drexel again. Injury looked bad.

Hopefully it’s not bad. Even If healthy I believe we have better opinions at C with Kradel (then play Blake or Jacoby at G), Moore or Blake.

 

[4upmc]

Frank lost his father right before the game and then Slovis got hurt. He deserves a pass this game. Prayers to him and his family.

Yes tough day for him. Glad he got to see his father almost every day since he moved back to PGH.

 

[gary2]

Frank lost his father right before the game and then Slovis got hurt. He deserves a pass this game. Prayers to him and his family.

I actually thought he opened it up after the WVU game. In the first half we were very agressive (maybe too agressive - nearly got Slovis killed)

The second half was a different story and probably had to be.

My biggest complaint is I thought we should have used the flat more. They were run blitzing a good bit. Even their passer pressures came from within the tackle box.

 

[NCanton Panther]

I actually thought he opened it up after the WVU game. In the first half we were very agressive (maybe too agressive - nearly got Slovis killed)

The second half was a different story and probably had to be.

My biggest complaint is I thought we should have used the flat more. They were run blitzing a good bit. Even their passer pressures came from within the tackle box.

Yeah, I thought the same thing watching the game. Was pleasantly surprised seeing how he opened things up early on compared to the WVU game.

But the 2nd half, totally different story and like you say, probably had to be. But it still was brutal. The run up the middle with Izzy on every single 1st down play for a loss or little if any gain. And that was both before and after Patti got hurt. Patti didn’t look good dropping back and passing but we sure didn’t make anything easy for him, every drop back to pass was on a 2nd or 3rd and long with the UT defense teeing off on him.

 

[President Stache]

In the second half with Nick Patti at quarterback Pitt ran 16 first down plays. The first three of those plays were handoffs to Abanikanda. The fourth was a a Patti pass to Mumpfield that only came after a handoff to Abanikanda for a seven yard gain was called back due to a holding penalty. The last 12 of them were all handoffs to Abanikanda. So in all, 16 plays, 15 handoffs to Abanikanda, and the lone outlier was after we actually did hand the ball off to him but there was a penalty. So that close to a perfect 16 for 16.

And by "perfect" I mean "perfectly moronic".

Yes, absolutely agonizing to watch that. Someone said last week the offense looks like Boston College, and I agree.

 

[thebadby2]

You have to give your guys a chance to make a play. If your quarterback is so impaired that he can't make a play anymore you need to get him out of the game.

One head scratcher to me was having Patti under center instead of in the gun in some pass plays at times. I mean the guy could hardly move-you’d think you’d give him a little help and not have him have to drop back with one good leg.

 

[DaveTrout]

My guess is because the backup center was in. Less chance of a bad snap.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

In the second half with Nick Patti at quarterback Pitt ran 16 first down plays. The first three of those plays were handoffs to Abanikanda. The fourth was a a Patti pass to Mumpfield that only came after a handoff to Abanikanda for a seven yard gain was called back due to a holding penalty. The last 12 of them were all handoffs to Abanikanda. So in all, 16 plays, 15 handoffs to Abanikanda, and the lone outlier was after we actually did hand the ball off to him but there was a penalty. So that close to a perfect 16 for 16.

And by "perfect" I mean "perfectly moronic".

I think Blackledge said it best: “pedestrian”. Didn’t even attempt to mix it up. Run first down. With the way Tennessee was coming after the QB, you’d think they’d call some screens? The one screen they ran in the second half netted a first down.

 

[UPitt '89]

And by "perfect" I mean "perfectly moronic".

Our OC lost his dad a couple hours before the game.

How would you have done at your job a couple hours after your dad died?

He gets a 100% pass for this game. And you should be better than calling him "moronic" given his situation today.

That he showed up for work at all... and had his offense put up 400+ yds and 27 points while playing half the game with a backup QB, and half of that with a one-legged backup QB... is game ball worthy.

Shame on Pitt fans attacking Cignetti Jr. *today*.

 

[KennyHeisman8]

Our OC lost his dad a couple hours before the game.

How would you have done at your job a couple hours after your dad died?

He gets a 100% pass for this game. And you should be better than calling him "moronic" given his situation today.

That he showed up for work at all... and had his offense put up 400+ yds and 27 points while playing half the game with a backup QB, and half of that with a one-legged backup QB... is game ball worthy.

Shame on Pitt fans attacking Cignetti Jr. *today*.

That 100% pass just completely destroyed PItt's season and chance to be in the top 10 for the first time in 13 years.

No pass at all. From day one I said it was a bad hire and he has proved it so far.

 

[UPitt '89]

That 100% pass just completely destroyed PItt's season and chance to be in the top 10 for the first time in 13 years.

No pass at all. From day one I said it was a bad hire and he has proved it so far.

You're just too stupid for words.

WMU loss last year didn't "destroy Pitt's season"..... and UT loss yesterday didn't either.

 

[pbrad]

Cignetti wasn't the only coach for PITT with head scratching calls.

 

[thebadby2]

My guess is because the backup center was in. Less chance of a bad snap.

Yeah that’s a plausible explanation, although in this era your backup better be good at snapping shotgun.

 

[TheSpecialSauce]

Yeah that’s a plausible explanation, although in this era your backup better be good at snapping shotgun.

You are right, but they brought Daniel Carter into the game as a FB to be the lead blocker. You are going under center with that formation.

 

[HughGreenIsUndefeated]

Drexel was carted off of the field after the game. Hope he makes a quick recovery. Hopefully Houy is back soon as well.
Where were the screens? They finally had a screen in the 4th Q which was successful. Perhaps a TE screen? We have speed in the backfield yet all runs are straight into the center. No jet sweeps? No screens? Nothing off tackle? No roll outs? Way too predictable out of 1st down. Everybody in the stadium was able to predict our 1st down plays…

 

[KennyHeisman8]

You're just too stupid for words.

WMU loss last year didn't "destroy Pitt's season"..... and UT loss yesterday didn't either.

Yeah, this does destroy Pitt's season. What could have been a year where we hovered in the top 10 most of the year, and that should have been the goal, will now be spent hovering in the upper teens and twenties.

Chance to really elevate the program and blew it.

 

[gary2]

Drexel was carted off of the field after the game. Hope he makes a quick recovery. Hopefully Houy is back soon as well.
Where were the screens? They finally had a screen in the 4th Q which was successful. Perhaps a TE screen? We have speed in the backfield yet all runs are straight into the center. No jet sweeps? No screens? Nothing off tackle? No roll outs? Way too predictable out of 1st down. Everybody in the stadium was able to predict our 1st down plays…

Cignetti has been disappointing. The question is on his own or instructions from Narduzzi.

 

[KennyHeisman8]

Cignetti has been disappointing. The question is on his own or instructions from Narduzzi.

Its both. You know what you are getting with Cignetti when you hire him, which is why the hiring was so awful. HIs offense last year at BC absolutely sucked, so we take him?

Absolutely unreal.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

That 100% pass just completely destroyed PItt's season and chance to be in the top 10 for the first time in 13 years.

No pass at all. From day one I said it was a bad hire and he has proved it so far.

STFU you moron.

 

[thebadby2]

Cignetti has been disappointing. The question is on his own or instructions from Narduzzi.

Narduzzi is totally hands off with his OCs. Thankfully so, as last year probably never would have happened if he’d have inserted himself and meddled with what Whipple was doing. His MO is more to criticize his OCs after the fact when things don’t go well or when they leave, as he has done repeatedly over the years.

He’s not the smartest football coach out there.