Pretty awesome when a coach sticks to a plan and succeeds

[JokePa]

you have to hand it to Narduzzi. He had a vision and was hell bent on changing the defense at Pitt despite all the cries of the fans otherwise. He just taught and taught his system and now the players that have been here through it are flourishing and all going to be in the pros.

Just hats off to Coach

 

[HailToPitt725]

Agreed. There were a ton of pains the first few years but now they’re reaping what the sowed.

 

[PittLegends]

Looking forward to seeing Dayon Hayes and Nahki Johnson in years to come ......

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Kudos. I don't believe I have ever seen anyone argue before that continually trying to pound square pegs into round holes is the sign of good coaching. It's not every day that you see something new here.

 

[Las Panteras]

He is doing such a good job that he will be the next HC at Notre Dame.

Pitt fans better brace themselves.

Its coming

 

[DiehardPanther]

He is doing such a good job that he will be the next HC at Notre Dame.

Pitt fans better brace themselves.

Its coming

Where is Kelly going?

 

[RaleighPittFan]

Where is Kelly going?

Hell?

 

[MajorMajors]

Hell?

Penn State?

 

[HailToPitt725]

He is doing such a good job that he will be the next HC at Notre Dame.

Pitt fans better brace themselves.

Its coming

Sorry, Rutgers already called dibs!

 

[9nationalchampionships]

What is the difference?

Penn State?

 

[9nationalchampionships]

You really need to get a life...beat it

He is doing such a good job that he will be the next HC at Notre Dame.

Pitt fans better brace themselves.

Its coming

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

Agreed. There were a ton of pains the first few years but now they’re reaping what the sowed.

The pains were because they had no front 7.

Kudos. I don't believe I have ever seen anyone argue before that continually trying to pound square pegs into round holes is the sign of good coaching. It's not every day that you see something new here.

It didn't matter what shape the holes were, because they had no pegs.

 

[H2P 2003]

you have to hand it to Narduzzi. He had a vision and was hell bent on changing the defense at Pitt despite all the cries of the fans otherwise. He just taught and taught his system and now the players that have been here through it are flourishing and all going to be in the pros.

Just hats off to Coach

let’s see how the rest of the year goes first, eh? They have really flirted with disaster, and the team has major flaws that are troublesome.

if they finish 8-4 or better I’ll be very happy.

 

[H2P 2003]

The pains were because they had no front 7.



It didn't matter what shape the holes were, because they had no pegs.

ejuan price, Shakir Soto, Matt galambos, and mike Caprara would very much like a word.

 

[HailToPitt725]

The pains were because they had no front 7.

GG, I’m not so sure this is the reason.

Take a look at Pitt’s rankings in run defense, sacks, and tackles for loss from 2015-18.

Rushing Defense
2015: 55th
2016: 40th
2017: 16th
2018: 41st

Sacks
2015: 102nd
2016: 16th
2017: 6th
2018: 74th

Tackles For Loss
2015: 120th
2016: 41st
2017: 31st
2018: 106th

Each category has its best two seasons from 2016-17 and its two worst seasons in 2015 and 2018. Going off of this, if it were truly the front seven, I’d argue that the pass defense would also have their best seasons in 2016-17 because they’re getting more support from the front seven. However, take a look at the rankings,

Pass Defense
2015: 24th
2016: 54th
2017: 127th
2018: 105th

There’s really no correlation between the pass defense and run defense; It gets progressively worse each year until they’re in the 100+ range the last two seasons. In fact, the secondary had its worst season (2017) the same year the front seven performed the best in those categories. You could play devil’s advocate and say the good run defense (less rushing attempts) and sack (more passing attempts) numbers in 2016-17 are misleading because teams passed the majority of the time against us, but that still wouldn’t account for the TFL numbers. With these, I’d be more inclined to say we had poor secondary play and an average front seven the past four years.

Why I felt the need to do this at midnight, I have no idea.

 

[Macchiato]

He is doing such a good job that he will be the next HC at Notre Dame.

Pitt fans better brace themselves.

Its coming

it’s the one school I worry about trying to poach him.

 

[joeydavid]

it’s the one school I worry about trying to poach him.

Their fanbase would revolt.

 

[cpc247]

GG, I’m not so sure this is the reason.

Take a look at Pitt’s rankings in run defense, sacks, and tackles for loss from 2015-18.

Rushing Defense
2015: 55th
2016: 40th
2017: 16th
2018: 41st

Sacks
2015: 102nd
2016: 16th
2017: 6th
2018: 74th

Tackles For Loss
2015: 120th
2016: 41st
2017: 31st
2018: 106th

Each category has its best two seasons from 2016-17 and its two worst seasons in 2015 and 2018. Going off of this, if it were truly the front seven, I’d argue that the pass defense would also have their best seasons in 2016-17 because they’re getting more support from the front seven. However, take a look at the rankings,

Pass Defense
2015: 24th
2016: 54th
2017: 127th
2018: 105th

There’s really no correlation between the pass defense and run defense; It gets progressively worse each year until they’re in the 100+ range the last two seasons. In fact, the secondary had its worst season (2017) the same year the front seven performed the best in those categories. You could play devil’s advocate and say the good run defense (less rushing attempts) and sack (more passing attempts) numbers in 2016-17 are misleading because teams passed the majority of the time against us, but that still wouldn’t account for the TFL numbers. With these, I’d be more inclined to say we had poor secondary play and an average front seven the past four years.

Why I felt the need to do this at midnight, I have no idea.

This is a great post... my only input would be that 2019 has way more depth which has helped more than the average fan realizes. Also Randy Bates has been a huge addition to the collective thinking about the Narduzzi D playing against spread offenses...So I will completely agree other guys have been good players here at Pitt, but the depth has not been anything like it is now. It's nice to finally be a Pitt fan when 1 or 2 offensive or defensive line injuries no longer determine your season....

H2P

 

[H2P 2003]

This is a great post... my only input would be that 2019 has way more depth which has helped more than the average fan realizes. Also Randy Bates has been a huge addition to the collective thinking about the Narduzzi D playing against spread offenses...So I will completely agree other guys have been good players here at Pitt, but the depth has not been anything like it is now. It's nice to finally be a Pitt fan when 1 or 2 offensive or defensive line injuries no longer determine your season....

H2P

I agree on the depth side of things, but the narrative that the defense was totally devoid of talent is false...Juan price was the best DE he has had since being at Pitt.

 

[HailToPitt725]

This is a great post... my only input would be that 2019 has way more depth which has helped more than the average fan realizes. Also Randy Bates has been a huge addition to the collective thinking about the Narduzzi D playing against spread offenses...So I will completely agree other guys have been good players here at Pitt, but the depth has not been anything like it is now. It's nice to finally be a Pitt fan when 1 or 2 offensive or defensive line injuries no longer determine your season....

H2P

I’d agree with that. I wish there was a site that kept track of points per quarter averages because I bet over the last few years, the points allowed totals would rise as the games went on and the thin defensive units got worn down.

Only stat I could was our 3rd down defense being pretty weak, especially after we lost a lot of seniors in 2016.

That’s what I’ve liked about Narduzzi’s recruiting classes. They may not have the top-level stars that everyone wants, but they do have depth.

 

[thebadby2]

He is doing such a good job that he will be the next HC at Notre Dame.

Pitt fans better brace themselves.

Its coming

ND has a far better head coach than Narduzzi will ever be already. If Kelly moved along, Narduzzi wouldn't even be on their list.

Hell, Narduzzi still has ND fans everywhere laughing at him for his fake punt stunt against ND just last year.

What is it exactly about his body of work to date that is causing some posters on this board to believe he's some kind of hot commodity or rising star? The fact that his name has been linked (without any basis) to the worst P5 program in the country? The big win against a badly overrated UCF team that's now out of the top 25? Keeping it close against PSU (while still being laughed at from coast to coast for the goal line FG attempt)?

 

[thebadby2]

This is a great post... my only input would be that 2019 has way more depth which has helped more than the average fan realizes. Also Randy Bates has been a huge addition to the collective thinking about the Narduzzi D playing against spread offenses...So I will completely agree other guys have been good players here at Pitt, but the depth has not been anything like it is now. It's nice to finally be a Pitt fan when 1 or 2 offensive or defensive line injuries no longer determine your season....

H2P

I think it's no accident that the defense got a lot better once Bates took it over.

 

[Las Panteras]

ND has a far better head coach than Narduzzi will ever be already. If Kelly moved along, Narduzzi wouldn't even be on their list.

Hell, Narduzzi still has ND fans everywhere laughing at him for his fake punt stunt against ND just last year.

What is it exactly about his body of work to date that is causing some posters on this board to believe he's some kind of hot commodity or rising star? The fact that his name has been linked (without any basis) to the worst P5 program in the country? The big win against a badly overrated UCF team that's now out of the top 25? Keeping it close against PSU (while still being laughed at from coast to coast for the goal line FG attempt)?

If Pitt's current trajectory continues, leading into a top 25 team next year, Narduzzis star will have risen and much of his blunders will be washed away.

He will be viewed as an intriguing and worthy candidate for Notre Dame.

Plus Badby, I purposely posted last week about this, asking for insight on Chris Creighton at EMU. I even asked you directly for your input on the guy.

Heather hired him once. Would she hire him again? What can you tell us?

 

[President Stache]

2019

Rushing defense - 17th
Passing defense - 31st
Total defense - 27th

3rd down defense - 19th!

I think the last one is really telling since that has long been Pitts problem. Now if we can keep UNC from converting third downs this year I’ll be a real believer, seems they are like 117% third down conversions against us.

And I may add, we didn’t do this against a cupcake schedule. UCF is the #2 ranked offense, PSU is the #14 ranked offense, and Virginia.

This is for sure a solid answer to “now Narduzzi has his own team, what has he shown”. He shown he can turn a defense around

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

ejuan price, Shakir Soto, Matt galambos, and mike Caprara would very much like a word.

You proved my point with that list.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

GG, I’m not so sure this is the reason.

Take a look at Pitt’s rankings in run defense, sacks, and tackles for loss from 2015-18.

Rushing Defense
2015: 55th
2016: 40th
2017: 16th
2018: 41st

Sacks
2015: 102nd
2016: 16th
2017: 6th
2018: 74th

Tackles For Loss
2015: 120th
2016: 41st
2017: 31st
2018: 106th

Each category has its best two seasons from 2016-17 and its two worst seasons in 2015 and 2018. Going off of this, if it were truly the front seven, I’d argue that the pass defense would also have their best seasons in 2016-17 because they’re getting more support from the front seven. However, take a look at the rankings,

Pass Defense
2015: 24th
2016: 54th
2017: 127th
2018: 105th

There’s really no correlation between the pass defense and run defense; It gets progressively worse each year until they’re in the 100+ range the last two seasons. In fact, the secondary had its worst season (2017) the same year the front seven performed the best in those categories. You could play devil’s advocate and say the good run defense (less rushing attempts) and sack (more passing attempts) numbers in 2016-17 are misleading because teams passed the majority of the time against us, but that still wouldn’t account for the TFL numbers. With these, I’d be more inclined to say we had poor secondary play and an average front seven the past four years.

Why I felt the need to do this at midnight, I have no idea.

I'm not understanding your numbers because 2016 was the year they gave up the most passing yards. It was also the year they faced Mcsorley, Rudolph, Watson, Trubisky, Daniel Jones, Kaaya, and Evans from VT.

 

[HailToPitt725]

I'm not understanding your numbers because 2016 was the year they gave up the most passing yards. It was also the year they faced Mcsorley, Rudolph, Watson, Trubisky, Daniel Jones, Kaaya, and Evans from VT.

I looked back at it and you’re right; The NCAA database listed it weird and I read it wrong (the “2016” season was games running through January of 2016, meaning it was actually the 2015 season).

Run Defense
2015: 40th
2016: 16th
2017: 42nd
2018: 80th

Pass Defense
2015: 55th
2016: 127th
2017: 106th
2018: 46th

Nothing really changes since all the data shifts the same way, and the “real” 2018 numbers actually saw the pass defense get better as the run defense got worse, the opposite of what we would’ve expected to see if the front seven was the problem.

I think it had more to do with what @cpc247 said, which was depth.

 

[thebadby2]

If Pitt's current trajectory continues, leading into a top 25 team next year, Narduzzis star will have risen and much of his blunders will be washed away.

He will be viewed as an intriguing and worthy candidate for Notre Dame.

Plus Badby, I purposely posted last week about this, asking for insight on Chris Creighton at EMU. I even asked you directly for your input on the guy.

Heather hired him once. Would she hire him again? What can you tell us?

I really don’t know much about Creighton. He has a very difficult job at one of the most poorly funded and least relevant D1 programs in the country. Nobody pays any attention to EMU football here in Michigan and they really shouldn’t be a D1 program.

I personally don’t think he has proven enough at any level he’s coached at to be a serious candidate at a P5 program that needs stability and certainty.

Back to your original comment re: ND—I just don’t get where all this “trajectory” talk is coming from. Narduzzi is in his 5th year as HC and his trajectory has been pretty flat. In year 5 he has one of the worst scoring and rushing offenses in D1 football and he continues to make baffling, sometimes downright boneheaded decisions on Saturdays. He just cane off a game where he gave uo a 21 point lead in the second half and required some last minute heroics to beat.......Duke.
And this week we’re talking about him as the next ND coach, while ND is currently coached by a guy with 10 times the head coach chops and resume that Narduzzi has.

Sorry but I think that’s absurd.

The only P5 program better than Pitt that comes to mind as a potential suitor for Dooz in the next couple of years is MSU, and that’s mostly because Dantonio will likely be pushing it and Dantonio draws a lot of water with the MSU AD and admin.

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

I

I think it had more to do with what @cpc247 said, which was depth.

Yeah, hard to argue depth when you see how many guys they rotate now.

 

[JokePa]

let’s see how the rest of the year goes first, eh? They have really flirted with disaster, and the team has major flaws that are troublesome.

if they finish 8-4 or better I’ll be very happy.

Eh, I didnt really mean record wise. I just meant how he has turned around the defense.

We still have a ton of injuries on defense, and if that keeps up we should be in major trouble, but then again, we should be in major trouble now and we arent, we just seem to have the next man up mentality and the actual depth to back it up.

Regardless of how bad the offense is, and how the season ends up record wise, I think Narduzzi really did make a great defense out of nothing.

 

[JokePa]

2019

Rushing defense - 17th
Passing defense - 31st
Total defense - 27th

3rd down defense - 19th!

I think the last one is really telling since that has long been Pitts problem. Now if we can keep UNC from converting third downs this year I’ll be a real believer, seems they are like 117% third down conversions against us.

And I may add, we didn’t do this against a cupcake schedule. UCF is the #2 ranked offense, PSU is the #14 ranked offense, and Virginia.

This is for sure a solid answer to “now Narduzzi has his own team, what has he shown”. He shown he can turn a defense around

Good post, and after last week it is even better

Total Defense - Pitt 21st
Most sacks - Pitt 2nd (one behind Ohio State)
Total tackles for loses - Pitt 6th
Rushing Defense - 19th

Still have some potent offenses on our schedule coming up.

BC- 14th
Miami - 28th
and Syracuse and UNC both average over 400

 

[President Stache]

Probably will give up some against Syracuse since they are happy nickel and diming

 

[H2P 2003]

Eh, I didnt really mean record wise. I just meant how he has turned around the defense.

We still have a ton of injuries on defense, and if that keeps up we should be in major trouble, but then again, we should be in major trouble now and we arent, we just seem to have the next man up mentality and the actual depth to back it up.

Regardless of how bad the offense is, and how the season ends up record wise, I think Narduzzi really did make a great defense out of nothing.

agree, but we saw this song and dance with wanny..good defenses, but poor boring offenses that cost pitt quite a few games when they did need to our score the other team.

 

[VictoryLights]

ejuan price, Shakir Soto, Matt galambos, and mike Caprara would very much like a word.

Of that list, Ejuan Price would start on this team. The others would be reserves.

 

[President Stache]

agree, but we saw this song and dance with wanny..good defenses, but poor boring offenses that cost pitt quite a few games when they did need to our score the other team.

with Wanny we had poor QBs, that underperformed massively compared to their ranking as a prospect

 

[PSUriseANDfire]

Their fanbase would revolt.

They would go after Meyer hard again and bow to him and Stoops too. Kelly will be in the NFL next year, IMO.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

They would go after Meyer hard again and bow to him and Stoops too. Kelly will be in the NFL next year, IMO.

I could see that, although Kelly is getting up there so he may just call it quits altogether. He always said ND wasn't a lifetime coaching type job. Money would be no object and they would go hard after Urban.

What are your thoughts on your guy Franklin? My only PSU source has said money/prestige is very important to him. Could you ever see him jumping to Alabama if they made him the highest paid coach in the history of CFB? I doubt Dabo would take it so I would think they would eye up Franklin given he coached in the SEC. I would see one of 2 things happen; PSU matches the offer or they let him walk and just get Rhule.

 

[thebadby2]

I could see that, although Kelly is getting up there so he may just call it quits altogether. He always said ND wasn't a lifetime coaching type job. Money would be no object and they would go hard after Urban.

What are your thoughts on your guy Franklin? My only PSU source has said money/prestige is very important to him. Could you ever see him jumping to Alabama if they made him the highest paid coach in the history of CFB? I doubt Dabo would take it so I would think they would eye up Franklin given he coached in the SEC. I would see one of 2 things happen; PSU matches the offer or they let him walk and just get Rhule.

Kelly is 58. He has one of the best jobs in the business, and it took some time but he has won over ND nation.

Plus, when did Kelly ever say ND wasn't a "lifetime coaching job"? Let me answer that for you--never. What kind of idiot would say that about his current employer? On the other hand, he has said the exact opposite of that many times publicly.

Jumping to the NFL is one thing. That's possible. But what makes you think he'd hang it up altogether?

 

[pittdan77]

Still have some potent offenses on our schedule coming up.

BC- 14th
Miami - 28th
and Syracuse and UNC both average over 400

Kansas held BC to 24 points. I'd venture to say Pitt is better than the worst team in the B12 (well, maybe second worst). Miami, Syracuse, and UNC have all struggled to score at times. Pitt should be better.