Being fatalistic after one game.
Fire the coach.
Start the freshman QB
Blah, blah, blah
Nice to see most Pitt fans on this board remain the same overreacting to everything after one game
Here is what I think:
1. It is one game. The season opener with a new OC, new OL against a good Virginia team with a top QB picked as the favorite to win the Division. We were the underdogs. We lost
2. Defensively the team played quite well. Losing Camp for the second half was a blow as he was disruptive. But still Virginia's TD drives were 19, 27 and 29 yards long thanks to a blocked punt, interception and turnover on downs in garbage time. Pitt held Virginia to 9 total points on 9 series starting in UVA territory. That is good defensive football.
3, The offensive play calling was much better than last year. MUCH. Lots of variety. And we had receivers open. We just did not execute. Pickett missed throws. Receivers dropped balls. The OL struggled at times picking up blitzes from the 3-4 alignment Virginia was in. It is a new OL, you expect there would be some growing pains. Receivers dropping balls were a disappointment. As was Pickett. All that said, Pitt gained only 47 less yards than Virginia. It is one game
4. Pickett is everyone's favorite whipping boy, I get that. I am not sold on him either. That said, right now he gives the team the best chance to win. After 2 seasons under Watson, no one could say coming into this season what his potential was. But he is the only QB with experience and needs a chance under Whipple to prove himself or wash out. Everyone loves the shiny new object in Beville - but freshman don't come in off the street and start day 1 at QB. Hell Trevor Lawrence didn't even start day 1. Like it or not, Pickett needs to play enough games for Whipple to decide whether to stick with him or pull the plug and move on to Patti or Beville
5. Narduzzi and the coaching staff - probably another unpopular opinion here among the over reactionary group but this is a solid staff that has improved each year and are building the program. I am sure it is slower than some of you like, but it takes time. There is no one out there that you can realistically replace them with who will do better.
6. In today's environment, you have a very small group of elite teams then you have a group of 10-15 consistently very good teams and then you have the group Pitt is in. The group that is likely to finish with 6-8 wins and on occasion have a 9 or 10 win season. With Pitt's ridiculous out of conference schedule strength, they aren't hitting that 9 or 10 win plateau like the schools that schedule cupcakes.
Alas, I expect that the people who post here who have unrealistic expectations and don't understand what it takes to build a solid program will be losing there mind this first month as unfortunately the schedule has dealt the team a bad hand. Having to play 3 of the toughest opponents on the schedule in the first 4 weeks is not a recipe for success. But that is the hand the team is dealt so people need to exhibit some patience (which I know is unlikely to happen)
Fire the coach.
Start the freshman QB
Blah, blah, blah
Nice to see most Pitt fans on this board remain the same overreacting to everything after one game
Here is what I think:
1. It is one game. The season opener with a new OC, new OL against a good Virginia team with a top QB picked as the favorite to win the Division. We were the underdogs. We lost
2. Defensively the team played quite well. Losing Camp for the second half was a blow as he was disruptive. But still Virginia's TD drives were 19, 27 and 29 yards long thanks to a blocked punt, interception and turnover on downs in garbage time. Pitt held Virginia to 9 total points on 9 series starting in UVA territory. That is good defensive football.
3, The offensive play calling was much better than last year. MUCH. Lots of variety. And we had receivers open. We just did not execute. Pickett missed throws. Receivers dropped balls. The OL struggled at times picking up blitzes from the 3-4 alignment Virginia was in. It is a new OL, you expect there would be some growing pains. Receivers dropping balls were a disappointment. As was Pickett. All that said, Pitt gained only 47 less yards than Virginia. It is one game
4. Pickett is everyone's favorite whipping boy, I get that. I am not sold on him either. That said, right now he gives the team the best chance to win. After 2 seasons under Watson, no one could say coming into this season what his potential was. But he is the only QB with experience and needs a chance under Whipple to prove himself or wash out. Everyone loves the shiny new object in Beville - but freshman don't come in off the street and start day 1 at QB. Hell Trevor Lawrence didn't even start day 1. Like it or not, Pickett needs to play enough games for Whipple to decide whether to stick with him or pull the plug and move on to Patti or Beville
5. Narduzzi and the coaching staff - probably another unpopular opinion here among the over reactionary group but this is a solid staff that has improved each year and are building the program. I am sure it is slower than some of you like, but it takes time. There is no one out there that you can realistically replace them with who will do better.
6. In today's environment, you have a very small group of elite teams then you have a group of 10-15 consistently very good teams and then you have the group Pitt is in. The group that is likely to finish with 6-8 wins and on occasion have a 9 or 10 win season. With Pitt's ridiculous out of conference schedule strength, they aren't hitting that 9 or 10 win plateau like the schools that schedule cupcakes.
Alas, I expect that the people who post here who have unrealistic expectations and don't understand what it takes to build a solid program will be losing there mind this first month as unfortunately the schedule has dealt the team a bad hand. Having to play 3 of the toughest opponents on the schedule in the first 4 weeks is not a recipe for success. But that is the hand the team is dealt so people need to exhibit some patience (which I know is unlikely to happen)