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, Jones, Watson - Top 12 picks
Rudolph - 3rd round pick
Kaaya - 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.

 

[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.