Extremely disappointing performance yesterday. Disappointing because the team once again on the road (SMU being the other) just did not compete and the game was over by halftime:
1. The game started well enough with Pitt taking the opening drive and with a nice blend of runs and passes got down to the Cardinal 7 yard line. With the line opening holes for Reid, we elected to run a pass to the back of the end zone on first and goal. The play worked but Holstein threw a poor pass which was intercepted. He needs to either put some air under that ball or throw it out of the back of the end zone. Didn't do either.
2. After giving up a FG on the next drive, we were driving again. Reid ripped off a huge gain that was called back by just a terrible holding call. Terrible because it wasn't a holding call, terrible because it was so far away from the play. Sometimes bad calls cascade into consequences. Pitt is backed up, instead of having first down in Louisville territory they are behind the sticks and on the next play Holstein is sacked, appears to break his leg and that's all she wrote.
3. Speaking of bad calls. In the Penn State game late in the first half Penn State QB throws a pass out of bounds but wait a flag is thrown and PI is called. Not only was the pass 4 yards out of bounds but there wasn't even PI on the play. Drive continues and Penn State eventually scores a TD. Bad calls happen everywhere in college football.
4. The Louisville offensive play calling essentially was way ahead of Pitt's defense as Pitt was caught numerous times anticipating runs early in series only to be hit with quick to medium routes to really good big wide receivers. And Louisville did run, they gashed our D line with Zone blocking and attacked our edges. A coaching clinic.
5. I get you want to be aggressive but going for it at midfield down only 10-0 just seems a little desperate. Both 4th down attempts in the first half weren't close and couple that with another bad int by Yarnell deep in our territory just added to the misery.
6. Look I get that the OL is banged up but clearly defenses have made some major adjustments attacking our offense. Number 1 they are dropping LB's taking away our crossing routes. Number 2 Defenses are continuing to play 2 deep coverages taking away deep shots and with an offensive line that is unable to create consistent running lanes you have essentially what your watching an offense that is unable to sustain drives or make plays in the passing games.
7. It wasn't that long ago that we were 7-0 going down to SMU for a ranked matchup. Four losses later you have players pointing fingers on the sideline, you have mounting injuries and a team that has collapsed. I am not sure what to make of the season and frankly I was surprised by the non performance yesterday. Both of the last two games on the road we got punched in the mouth and folded. It's distressing.
8. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the off season because we just hired an SEC AD who came from Tennessee and south of the Mason Dixon line collapses are not tolerated. I don't have an answer and I've been a Narduzzi supporter but a collapse like this does create questions. You can almost live with the SMU game if you beat a bad UVA team. Then the lack of discipline in the Clemson cost you a victory. Numerous bad pre snap penalties this late in the season is not forgivable and then not showing up in Kentucky against a team that lost to Stanford, against a defense that hasn't been great is mystifying.
9. Kenny Pickett's last year we wasted a chance to be in the FF with an epically bad loss against Western Michigan. This year with the chaos of all these losses had we just held serve at home we would have had a chance to be in the hunt for a top 12 team going into yesterday.
10. I wish I could point to something positive but the last 4 weeks have sucked the life out of any Pitt football fan. Let's see what the basketball team can do today.
Pitt82
1. The game started well enough with Pitt taking the opening drive and with a nice blend of runs and passes got down to the Cardinal 7 yard line. With the line opening holes for Reid, we elected to run a pass to the back of the end zone on first and goal. The play worked but Holstein threw a poor pass which was intercepted. He needs to either put some air under that ball or throw it out of the back of the end zone. Didn't do either.
2. After giving up a FG on the next drive, we were driving again. Reid ripped off a huge gain that was called back by just a terrible holding call. Terrible because it wasn't a holding call, terrible because it was so far away from the play. Sometimes bad calls cascade into consequences. Pitt is backed up, instead of having first down in Louisville territory they are behind the sticks and on the next play Holstein is sacked, appears to break his leg and that's all she wrote.
3. Speaking of bad calls. In the Penn State game late in the first half Penn State QB throws a pass out of bounds but wait a flag is thrown and PI is called. Not only was the pass 4 yards out of bounds but there wasn't even PI on the play. Drive continues and Penn State eventually scores a TD. Bad calls happen everywhere in college football.
4. The Louisville offensive play calling essentially was way ahead of Pitt's defense as Pitt was caught numerous times anticipating runs early in series only to be hit with quick to medium routes to really good big wide receivers. And Louisville did run, they gashed our D line with Zone blocking and attacked our edges. A coaching clinic.
5. I get you want to be aggressive but going for it at midfield down only 10-0 just seems a little desperate. Both 4th down attempts in the first half weren't close and couple that with another bad int by Yarnell deep in our territory just added to the misery.
6. Look I get that the OL is banged up but clearly defenses have made some major adjustments attacking our offense. Number 1 they are dropping LB's taking away our crossing routes. Number 2 Defenses are continuing to play 2 deep coverages taking away deep shots and with an offensive line that is unable to create consistent running lanes you have essentially what your watching an offense that is unable to sustain drives or make plays in the passing games.
7. It wasn't that long ago that we were 7-0 going down to SMU for a ranked matchup. Four losses later you have players pointing fingers on the sideline, you have mounting injuries and a team that has collapsed. I am not sure what to make of the season and frankly I was surprised by the non performance yesterday. Both of the last two games on the road we got punched in the mouth and folded. It's distressing.
8. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the off season because we just hired an SEC AD who came from Tennessee and south of the Mason Dixon line collapses are not tolerated. I don't have an answer and I've been a Narduzzi supporter but a collapse like this does create questions. You can almost live with the SMU game if you beat a bad UVA team. Then the lack of discipline in the Clemson cost you a victory. Numerous bad pre snap penalties this late in the season is not forgivable and then not showing up in Kentucky against a team that lost to Stanford, against a defense that hasn't been great is mystifying.
9. Kenny Pickett's last year we wasted a chance to be in the FF with an epically bad loss against Western Michigan. This year with the chaos of all these losses had we just held serve at home we would have had a chance to be in the hunt for a top 12 team going into yesterday.
10. I wish I could point to something positive but the last 4 weeks have sucked the life out of any Pitt football fan. Let's see what the basketball team can do today.
Pitt82
