Yes it's a win regardless how ugly, how befuddling, how weird it is. Would rather have 12 of those than pretty losses. Let's go:
1. Just a weird weird game with just head scratching coaching decisions, horrible plays, and some clutch refuse to lose will by the Pitt defense.
2. The most bizarre head coaching decision was Mike Elko's decision to go for 2 the first time to cut it to 6 instead of kicking the extra FG. The pros do it because some book gives them that analytic but come on, just stupid. Give me a break. Non sensical decision that cost his team a chance to win the game in overtime.
3. The rest of the decisions were on the Pitt staff, and these are more questioning the strategy. Like why after running Fleminster twice on the last drive, you decide to throw it on third 3 and force Duke to take a time out vs having Slovis throw the ball? Of course it was incomplete. Tell me why you have a corner blitz on the wide side of the field on 2nd and a mile deep in Duke territory on the same side as their best WR who conveniently caught a 20 yard pass? Tell me why on the last play of the game you decide NOT to blitz and rush 3 and leave the middle of the field unattended. Just bizarre bizarre coaching decisions.
4. Then there's the players decisions. Hallet misjudges a pass when he looks up into the sun, and gives up a TD. The dropped snap, a perfect snap btw, from Junko. Means not turning around on a pass and then there is Slovis who needs to come off his primary WR and hit the check downs. Look people are frustrated with Cignetti but on nearly every passing play there are multiple options and Kedon continues to pick the wrong ones. I don't know what the criteria is for benching a player but these are egregious mental mistakes.
5. It's clearlyhat without Kancey the pocket doesn't collapse, and it's amazing that the run defense was so stout without him. It's a credit to the linebackers who I think had their game of the year. Brandon Hill was an absolute beast.
6. Yes we got lucky with the dropped Duke pass but hey I viewed it as even after the absolutely horrible roughing the punter call. O'Brien took the right angle and was blocked into the punter. The ref is right there how that call is made is beyond me. Just a terrible terrible call.
7. Anyone who saw South Carolina scoring 63 on Tennessee after scoring 6 last week please raise your hand. Sheesh. And GT beating UNC at UNC WTF?
8. Anyone who says the cliche "refs didn't decide the game" just doesn't watch games. What the refs did to Illinois was beyond incompetent. The non call on the OPI for Michigan's 4th down conversion was ridiculous. It was textbook OPI. And the holding call that wiped out a long run at the end of the first half was not a call either. Illinois HC had every right to blast them after the game. I'm not into conspiracies at all but with so much money on these games and the playoffs sometimes you wonder when they miss calls like that.
9. We know every single Pitt fan out there just KNEW, absolutely KNEW that Duke was going to recover that onside kick at the end. That's our deal right?
10. I'll say this about Elko, that Duke OL did a pretty damn good job of pass protection. The scoop and score by Hill was really a great play, first the fumble hit by Green and then to scoop it clean while moving on a hard turf is not easy. Great play.
11. Also Alexander seems to have woken up. He really forced the play on the last 2 point conversion much wider than Duke wanted and the ever present Dennis just made a sure tackle. Man I thought I was about to blow a gasket if they converted.
12. Big thing next week will be whether Miami wants to play. They seemed really disinterested yesterday. The new QB is an option QB but not acurate at all and the U tackling continues to be abysmal, which of course means that Pitt will struggle against their kryptonite.
13. Instead of complaining let's at least acknowledge that this team has won 7 games when they it looked like the season was about to collapse under the weight of inflated expectations, that the coaching staff kept it from happening and they won a game when they made so many mistakes. There are a lot of teams out there who would love to have 7 wins right now.
14. The off season will be fascinating. I don't follow recruiting as much as some of the folks on the board and with the transfer portal who knows what the roster will look like so it's like a hot stove season in baseball. I know folks go nuts over player's decommits but it happens everywhere so I never stress over stuff like that.
15. Izzy had a hugely efficient game. Never question a player who wants to come out because of injury. Izzy has proved that he's a gamer, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. He's earned that. I will say this, Hammond doesn't look like he's as explosive as I've seen in the past. I don't think he's 100%. Usually he's shot out of a cannon.
16. Jordan Addison is still Jordan Addison. I hated seeing him leave but still can appreciate his talent. Let's win next week at Hard Rock and finish the season strong.
Pitt82
1. Just a weird weird game with just head scratching coaching decisions, horrible plays, and some clutch refuse to lose will by the Pitt defense.
2. The most bizarre head coaching decision was Mike Elko's decision to go for 2 the first time to cut it to 6 instead of kicking the extra FG. The pros do it because some book gives them that analytic but come on, just stupid. Give me a break. Non sensical decision that cost his team a chance to win the game in overtime.
3. The rest of the decisions were on the Pitt staff, and these are more questioning the strategy. Like why after running Fleminster twice on the last drive, you decide to throw it on third 3 and force Duke to take a time out vs having Slovis throw the ball? Of course it was incomplete. Tell me why you have a corner blitz on the wide side of the field on 2nd and a mile deep in Duke territory on the same side as their best WR who conveniently caught a 20 yard pass? Tell me why on the last play of the game you decide NOT to blitz and rush 3 and leave the middle of the field unattended. Just bizarre bizarre coaching decisions.
4. Then there's the players decisions. Hallet misjudges a pass when he looks up into the sun, and gives up a TD. The dropped snap, a perfect snap btw, from Junko. Means not turning around on a pass and then there is Slovis who needs to come off his primary WR and hit the check downs. Look people are frustrated with Cignetti but on nearly every passing play there are multiple options and Kedon continues to pick the wrong ones. I don't know what the criteria is for benching a player but these are egregious mental mistakes.
5. It's clearlyhat without Kancey the pocket doesn't collapse, and it's amazing that the run defense was so stout without him. It's a credit to the linebackers who I think had their game of the year. Brandon Hill was an absolute beast.
6. Yes we got lucky with the dropped Duke pass but hey I viewed it as even after the absolutely horrible roughing the punter call. O'Brien took the right angle and was blocked into the punter. The ref is right there how that call is made is beyond me. Just a terrible terrible call.
7. Anyone who saw South Carolina scoring 63 on Tennessee after scoring 6 last week please raise your hand. Sheesh. And GT beating UNC at UNC WTF?
8. Anyone who says the cliche "refs didn't decide the game" just doesn't watch games. What the refs did to Illinois was beyond incompetent. The non call on the OPI for Michigan's 4th down conversion was ridiculous. It was textbook OPI. And the holding call that wiped out a long run at the end of the first half was not a call either. Illinois HC had every right to blast them after the game. I'm not into conspiracies at all but with so much money on these games and the playoffs sometimes you wonder when they miss calls like that.
9. We know every single Pitt fan out there just KNEW, absolutely KNEW that Duke was going to recover that onside kick at the end. That's our deal right?
10. I'll say this about Elko, that Duke OL did a pretty damn good job of pass protection. The scoop and score by Hill was really a great play, first the fumble hit by Green and then to scoop it clean while moving on a hard turf is not easy. Great play.
11. Also Alexander seems to have woken up. He really forced the play on the last 2 point conversion much wider than Duke wanted and the ever present Dennis just made a sure tackle. Man I thought I was about to blow a gasket if they converted.
12. Big thing next week will be whether Miami wants to play. They seemed really disinterested yesterday. The new QB is an option QB but not acurate at all and the U tackling continues to be abysmal, which of course means that Pitt will struggle against their kryptonite.
13. Instead of complaining let's at least acknowledge that this team has won 7 games when they it looked like the season was about to collapse under the weight of inflated expectations, that the coaching staff kept it from happening and they won a game when they made so many mistakes. There are a lot of teams out there who would love to have 7 wins right now.
14. The off season will be fascinating. I don't follow recruiting as much as some of the folks on the board and with the transfer portal who knows what the roster will look like so it's like a hot stove season in baseball. I know folks go nuts over player's decommits but it happens everywhere so I never stress over stuff like that.
15. Izzy had a hugely efficient game. Never question a player who wants to come out because of injury. Izzy has proved that he's a gamer, let's give him the benefit of the doubt. He's earned that. I will say this, Hammond doesn't look like he's as explosive as I've seen in the past. I don't think he's 100%. Usually he's shot out of a cannon.
16. Jordan Addison is still Jordan Addison. I hated seeing him leave but still can appreciate his talent. Let's win next week at Hard Rock and finish the season strong.
Pitt82
