Similarity to 2016

[SteelBowl70]

ESPN has Pitt rated as the 12th of 19 remaining unbeaten teams stating that this is the worst defense since 2016. I was looking back at that season and there are similarities. That team lost 37-36 at UNC in the last seconds and Saturday could be a similar type game, hopefully with a better ending.

 

[ratking17]

ESPN has Pitt rated as the 12th of 19 remaining unbeaten teams stating that this is the worst defense since 2016. I was looking back at that season and there are similarities. That team lost 37-36 at UNC in the last seconds and Saturday could be a similar type game, hopefully with a better ending.

The talent on defense seems better than 2016.

 

[PittMan2003]

I have thought that as well so far this year as the offense has carried us. This defense statistically will be worse with this offense as they inevitably will be on the field more.

 

[h2p_5150]

The 2016 defense was a bit worse than this year. The 2016 offense was much better though. The schedule is easier though- the ACC was a really strong conference in 2016.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

there was nothing more frustrating than the 2016 defense, especially the DBs. if i hear "phase-in" defensive strategy one more time before i die, it will still be way too soon..

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

ESPN has Pitt rated as the 12th of 19 remaining unbeaten teams stating that this is the worst defense since 2016. I was looking back at that season and there are similarities. That team lost 37-36 at UNC in the last seconds and Saturday could be a similar type game, hopefully with a better ending.

The 2016 defense was the worst in school history. This defense is considerably better but I still wouldn't say its good. The DL is pretty bad and we face 2 of the Top 5ish RBs in the nation the next 2 weeks.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

That 2016 team might have gone undefeated against this schedule.

Trubisky - #2 overall
Jones - #6 overall
Watson - #12 overall
Rudolph - 3rd round pick
Kaaya - 6th round pick
McCsorley - 6th round pick

Five games against teams that finished in the top 25

Two top 10 wins

Beat a 9-win GT team

Lost by one score to:
8-win UNC
10-win VT
10-win OK State
7-win Northwestern

Only other loss was to 9-win Miami

They quite literally could play with anybody. 8-4 against a buzz saw of a schedule, and they were in every game but one.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

The 2016 defense was the worst in school history. This defense is considerably better but I still wouldn't say its good. The DL is pretty bad and we face 2 of the Top 5ish RBs in the nation the next 2 weeks.

It was more weird than it was bad. The quarterbacks we faced and Narduzzi's stubbornness were big parts of it. Paul Zeise said on his radio show that Randy Bated finally got him to modify his defensive philosophies in 2018.

The secondary got eviscerated the most, but:

Whitehead - still in the NFL
Maddox - still in the NFL
Lewis - played 25 games in the NFL
Jackson/Hamlin - true freshmen at the time, but both played and are still in the NFL

Jarrett and Soto were good players who were kind of effed over by having their redshirts blown and only playing 4 years, instead of 6 like many have recently. Soto especially got screwed, as his transition inside was going well and he just needed another season to add weight/take off.

Price - 1st Team All ACC.

Some of the linebackers seemed to impress more in the NFL than they did at Pitt.

The results were obviously not good, but there was much more to it than the lack of talent many write it off as.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

The 2016 defense was a bit worse than this year. The 2016 offense was much better though. The schedule is easier though- the ACC was a really strong conference in 2016.

I think the 2016 offensive line was considerably better than this year. This team doesn’t have a James Conner type back either. But I would easily take this year’s WR corps over 2016, which was one of the worst in memory.

This year’s D is probably more solid across the board. But it has no one that can turn the edge like Ejuan Price. 2016 also had Whitehead.

 

[bwh05]

It was more weird than it was bad. The quarterbacks we faced and Narduzzi's stubbornness were big parts of it. Paul Zeise said on his radio show that Randy Bated finally got him to modify his defensive philosophies in 2018.

The secondary got eviscerated the most, but:

Whitehead - still in the NFL
Maddox - still in the NFL
Lewis - played 25 games in the NFL
Jackson/Hamlin - true freshmen at the time, but both played and are still in the NFL

Jarrett and Soto were good players who were kind of effed over by having their redshirts blown and only playing 4 years, instead of 6 like many have recently. Soto especially got screwed, as his transition inside was going well and he just needed another season to add weight/take off.

Price - 1st Team All ACC.

Some of the linebackers seemed to impress more in the NFL than they did at Pitt.

The results were obviously not good, but there was much more to it than the lack of talent many write it off as.

Well we basically played one coverage at that time. Bates has put variations and disguised coverages in that make it tougher for QBs to know what we’re in. It’s definitely helped overall.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

It was more weird than it was bad. The quarterbacks we faced and Narduzzi's stubbornness were big parts of it. Paul Zeise said on his radio show that Randy Bated finally got him to modify his defensive philosophies in 2018.

The secondary got eviscerated the most, but:

Whitehead - still in the NFL
Maddox - still in the NFL
Lewis - played 25 games in the NFL
Jackson/Hamlin - true freshmen at the time, but both played and are still in the NFL

Jarrett and Soto were good players who were kind of effed over by having their redshirts blown and only playing 4 years, instead of 6 like many have recently. Soto especially got screwed, as his transition inside was going well and he just needed another season to add weight/take off.

Price - 1st Team All ACC.

Some of the linebackers seemed to impress more in the NFL than they did at Pitt.

The results were obviously not good, but there was much more to it than the lack of talent many write it off as.

Worst-coached defense in school history then. Regardless of who was on that team, it was the worst D in school history. Had they just been bad and not historically bad, we go 12-0.

 

[Cmart2004]

Agree with most sentiments here, that 2016 team was really weird. Great offense, but that defense, especially in the secondary, made me want to barf all over the place.

 

[Upg bobcat]

That 2016 team might have gone undefeated against this schedule.

Trubisky - #2 overall
Jones - #6 overall
Watson - #12 overall
Rudolph - 3rd round pick
Kaaya - 6th round pick
McCsorley - 6th round pick

Five games against teams that finished in the top 25

Yeah that schedule is going to make a lot of defenses look bad.

 

[pittbb80]

Mitch T may not be a good pro but he was a heck of a College QB. The kid playing now isnt close to being that good.

 

[cashisking884]

2016 was a better team, even with the bad defense.

2024 F+ rankings: 52 on offense, 43 on defense.

So it’s not true that the defense is being carried by the offense. They are both pretty even.

2016: 3 offense, 84 defense.

The 2016 offense was insane, that had to win actual shootouts against very good offensive teams, because the defense was so bad.

 

[cashisking884]

That 2016 team might have gone undefeated against this schedule.

Trubisky - #2 overall
Jones - #6 overall
Watson - #12 overall
Rudolph - 3rd round pick
Kaaya - 6th round pick
McCsorley - 6th round pick

Five games against teams that finished in the top 25

Two top 10 wins

Beat a 9-win GT team

Lost by one score to:
8-win UNC
10-win VT
10-win OK State
7-win Northwestern

Only other loss was to 9-win Miami

They quite literally could play with anybody. 8-4 against a buzz saw of a schedule, and they were in every game but one.

And this isn’t even listing the VT QB. He didn’t get drafted because he was a raw athlete.

But in college he was a beast. VT won the Coastal that year essentially just using him as a battering ram in the running game and throwing the ball downfield to that very good WR core.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

And this isn’t even listing the VT QB. He didn’t get drafted because he was a raw athlete.

But in college he was a beast. VT won the Coastal that year essentially just using him as a battering ram in the running game and throwing the ball downfield to that very good WR core.

That VT QB murdered them on those deep out throws. I think that was Damar Hamlin’s first college game and I recall everyone blasting Narduzzi because he hadn’t been playing. Damar got an education that game.

They also faced Saquon, Chris Godwin, and Mike Williams - who were all draft picks - and a bunch of other future pros.

 

[upj87]

ESPN has Pitt rated as the 12th of 19 remaining unbeaten teams stating that this is the worst defense since 2016. I was looking back at that season and there are similarities. That team lost 37-36 at UNC in the last seconds and Saturday could be a similar type game, hopefully with a better ending.

That team beat 2 power conference champions in the same regular season...Any stat nerds happen to know the last time that happened?

 

[Upg bobcat]

That team beat 2 power conference champions in the same regular season...Any stat nerds happen to know the last time that happened?

You probably need to qualify by saying victories over 2 power conference champions during the regular season. Under the 4 team playoffs, I imagine it has happened a couple times. For example, I know the 2016 championship was won by Bama beating MSU and Clemson, two conference champions.

Nevermind, you did say regular season!

 

[upj87]

You probably need to qualify by saying victories over 2 power conference champions during the regular season. Under the 4 team playoffs, I imagine it has happened a couple times. For example, I know the 2016 championship was won by Bama beating MSU and Clemson, two conference champions.

I could be wrong but I thought saying in the same regular season meant during the regular season. I'll double check.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

You probably need to qualify by saying victories over 2 power conference champions during the regular season. Under the 4 team playoffs, I imagine it has happened a couple times. For example, I know the 2016 championship was won by Bama beating MSU and Clemson, two conference champions.

Nevermind, you did say regular season!

Miami beat App State and Pitt in 2021... if we're not including the P5 caveat. Could have been done other times, too; that just happens to be the random one I checked.

 

[Conemaugh]

That 2016 team might have gone undefeated against this schedule.

Trubisky - #2 overall
Jones - #6 overall
Watson - #12 overall
Rudolph - 3rd round pick
Kaaya - 6th round pick
McCsorley - 6th round pick

Five games against teams that finished in the top 25

Two top 10 wins

Beat a 9-win GT team

Lost by one score to:
8-win UNC
10-win VT
10-win OK State
7-win Northwestern

Only other loss was to 9-win Miami

They quite literally could play with anybody. 8-4 against a buzz saw of a schedule, and they were in every game but one.

Yeah, that was a good team. That Northwestern bowl game was a joke though Not a single guy on the team wanted to be there and Northwestern was super chipy and lighting guys up all the way through and after the whistle. After the first guy went down our boys where done. They wanted no part of the fight.

Was that the OK State game that we where up fairly comfortably and lightning delayed it for a while..... and after the delay Rudolph threw bombs all over the field for big completions or a pass interference? Pretty sure it was.

Was the NC game another Thursday night fiasco?

Some of these games...... so painful to remember we try to forget.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Yeah, that was a good team. That Northwestern bowl game was a joke though Not a single guy on the team wanted to be there and Northwestern was super chipy and lighting guys up all the way through and after the whistle. After the first guy went down our boys where done. They wanted no part of the fight.

Was that the OK State game that we where up fairly comfortably and lightning delayed it for a while..... and after the delay Rudolph threw bombs all over the field for big completions or a pass interference? Pretty sure it was.

Was the NC game another Thursday night fiasco?

Some of these games...... so painful to remember we try to forget.

I think OK State was up early and then we began mounting a comeback after that. And then we had like a 3rd and 3 near midfield in a tie game, and we opted to pitch it outside to Conner and lost yards. OK State rewarded that beauty of a call by coming back with the game-winning touchdown.

The UNC game was a Saturday game. We outplayed them for most of it and then kept doing stupid things on offense. Bad snap down near the goal line, missed pass to a wide open guy on 3rd down, etc. They got the ball at the end and then scored from the 2 with 2 seconds left to win by 1. Can't remember which DB he went over, but Trubisky didn't even pretend to look anywhere else. Lobbed one up to a receiver who went right over our guy. Switzer was like a video game that day, and we couldn't keep up with him. Good times!

I'm sure there were some missed assignments in there, too, but Narduzzi was a Neanderthal that season for not making any adjustments. Even when out guys were in position, a 6'3" receiver would just go up and snag one over a 5'10" CB. We were a fee tweaks from going 10-2.

 

[upj87]

Miami beat App State and Pitt in 2021... if we're not including the P5 caveat. Could have been done other times, too; that just happens to be the random one I checked.

if we're not including the P5 caveat....of course we are. Kind of a silly exercise if we did . Who knows it may have never been done before and would be and interesting feather in Pitt's cap...Gotta think Notre Dame as an independent pulled it off at some point in the past considering their yearly play against USC and Michigan.