I'll preface this post by stating that I'm not happy with how this season has ended up but if one looks objectively at the facts (leaving out the emotion), it becomes much easier to accept.
Facts.....
1. We start three (!!) guys on defense that were not MAC level recruits - Whitehead, Jarrett and Price. If you have MAC level talent, you should expect MAC level results regardless of how good of a defensive coach Narduzzi is. That's reality. To expect anything different is just unrealistic.
2. Injuries - especially to Hendrix (4 star) and Zeise (3 star) killed us. Resulted in the double teaming of Price on every play and having to play a walk-on from NA at LB. At a minimum, we lost the UNC and OSU games as a result. See #1 also - this made things even worse. Not only is there limited talent on defense, there is even less depth.
3. Schedule - we have lost four games - three of them to ranked teams - all of which were down to the wire. This year's schedule was brutal and yet the team was in every game. Look at PSU's schedule vs. ours. We'd have the same record - beating them and having probably lost to OSU.
4. PSU game - I know that it seems like a long time ago but we beat them. Lest we forget.....
5. Recruiting - despite much complaining to the contrary, Narduzzi recruited well last year and is doing ok this year as well. We aren't OSU or Michigan so we therefore have no logical reason to expect recruiting to be at that level. There is talent coming up in the next couple of years and the schedules are nowhere near this difficult.
6. Pitt's administration and support of football in general. This is now clearly in place and needs some time to take hold. We had SIX coaches in a very short period of time. To be this competitive despite that train-wreck is miraculous if you think about it.
I'll conclude by stating that to not support Narduzzi at this point is to suggest that we continue the same merry-go-round that has the program in its current situation. For once, stay the course and support what by all accounts seems to be a guy who is highly regarded by his peers and wants to actually be here.....we will not get a better coach than the one that we have. Support him and the team in the meantime. It will get better if we stay the course.....
Facts.....
1. We start three (!!) guys on defense that were not MAC level recruits - Whitehead, Jarrett and Price. If you have MAC level talent, you should expect MAC level results regardless of how good of a defensive coach Narduzzi is. That's reality. To expect anything different is just unrealistic.
2. Injuries - especially to Hendrix (4 star) and Zeise (3 star) killed us. Resulted in the double teaming of Price on every play and having to play a walk-on from NA at LB. At a minimum, we lost the UNC and OSU games as a result. See #1 also - this made things even worse. Not only is there limited talent on defense, there is even less depth.
3. Schedule - we have lost four games - three of them to ranked teams - all of which were down to the wire. This year's schedule was brutal and yet the team was in every game. Look at PSU's schedule vs. ours. We'd have the same record - beating them and having probably lost to OSU.
4. PSU game - I know that it seems like a long time ago but we beat them. Lest we forget.....
5. Recruiting - despite much complaining to the contrary, Narduzzi recruited well last year and is doing ok this year as well. We aren't OSU or Michigan so we therefore have no logical reason to expect recruiting to be at that level. There is talent coming up in the next couple of years and the schedules are nowhere near this difficult.
6. Pitt's administration and support of football in general. This is now clearly in place and needs some time to take hold. We had SIX coaches in a very short period of time. To be this competitive despite that train-wreck is miraculous if you think about it.
I'll conclude by stating that to not support Narduzzi at this point is to suggest that we continue the same merry-go-round that has the program in its current situation. For once, stay the course and support what by all accounts seems to be a guy who is highly regarded by his peers and wants to actually be here.....we will not get a better coach than the one that we have. Support him and the team in the meantime. It will get better if we stay the course.....
