Remember when...

[raleighpanther]

some of you guys ridiculed people on this board who suggested that Pitt's D would be better this year? Several comments were made like "same players, why should we expect the D to be any better?"

The answer then, and now, is better coaching staff and better defensive scheme.

 

[Pittx9]

If you couldn't tell our failures last year were due to Chryst ignoring defense and House being an awful coordinator, then you weren't watching the defensive schemes they were running. They literally gave our defense zero chance of making anything happen.
Even Avonte Maddox, who is a complete stud of a cornerback for example. House realizes his potential so he throws him out there against Duke's best receiver and he gets torched. Either not realizing or caring how that could've killed his confidence. Luckily, he is just that good and turned it around and played a heck of a game against UNC last year. Now this season, the kid is clearly the real deal.

 

[thebadby2]

If you couldn't tell our failures last year were due to Chryst ignoring defense and House being an awful coordinator, then you weren't watching the defensive schemes they were running. They literally gave our defense zero chance of making anything happen.
Even Avonte Maddox, who is a complete stud of a cornerback for example. House realizes his potential so he throws him out there against Duke's best receiver and he gets torched. Either not realizing or caring how that could've killed his confidence. Luckily, he is just that good and turned it around and played a heck of a game against UNC last year. Now this season, the kid is clearly the real deal.

You won't find a poster more critical of House than I was, but are you suggesting he shouldn't have had his best cover corner on the opponent's best WR because it might hurt the young kid's confidence?

C'mon now!

 

[Pittx9]

You won't find a poster more critical of House than I was, but are you suggesting he shouldn't have had his best cover corner on the opponent's best WR because it might hurt the young kid's confidence?

C'mon now!

Not because of that reason, but because Maddox had not really played much to that point. Then all of a sudden late in the season they finally notice how good he is and put him in man-to-man coverage against someone much taller than him. Had he been playing predominantly throughout the season, then yeah he's your best, match him against their best.
Like this season, Maddox could cover any team's number 1 receiver, because he clearly is our best option, by far. But last season, just throwing him out there raw, I think actually hurt our chances of winning.