The importance of Boyd

[Bradlib Zannamaker]

I don't want to oversimplify things. However, I was just glancing at Tyler Boyd's statlines from last season and noted the following:

We lost every single game that TB didn't have a TD in. On top of that, we won all but 1 game (UNC) he caught a TD in (we should have won). Pretty strong correlation between a Boyd TD and Pitt win during 2014/15 season.

I know some will point out that "Yeah, the more TDs we score the more likely we are to win". I agree, but I had no idea just how vital the Chad-Boyd connection was for us last year. We rode Connor with a ton of success but I think this correlation shows us just how we were successful last year.... passing.

(I appologize if other Lair posters have already highlighted this, but I just noticed.)

http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/546650/tyler-boyd

 

[9nationalchampionships]

TB is a preseason AA from Phil Steele. He will do his part, relax

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

It won't matter if Pitt can't stop anyone again this year.

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

With all due respect to James Conner, the reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Year, I don't think there is any question that Tyler Boyd is Pitt's best player. In my mind, it is not even close. I'm not sure if Boyd will be a superstar in the NFL but I do expect him to play for many, many years in the league.

However, as with all receivers, he is beholden to how well/poorly the quarterback plays. I really like Voytik as a kid and I definitely think he has potential to be a rock solid college QB. However, the cold hard truth of the matter is last year he was a below average starting quarterback in the ACC. Also, we had no real No. 2 receiving option. Those factors combined to really limit Tyler's effectiveness.

My hope is that this year Voytik takes that next step or two and blossoms into a reliable or even a good starting quarterback. If he does that, everything else will fall nicely into place.

 

[Pghfan]

DVY, I share your exact thoughts on chad. With that said, I'm very excited to see his development This year. I fully expect to see a much improved quarterback this year, maybe it's wishful thinking but I really believe our coordinator is going to use the Tight ends properly. add in the fact that he's much better out of the pistol and hopefully a second receiver will be present this year. cliche alert but the game slows down big time for a QB in their second year Call me an optimist but I think we'll see a much better QB

 

[Dr. von Yinzer]

I don't think that's overly optimistic at all. In fact, that's how I suspect it will play out too.

Chad's game improved a LOT last year whenever Rudolph and Chryst simplified the game for him. It was a whole lot of designed QB sweeps and controlled roll outs. If the first read wasn't there, he took off. He and the team each became a LOT better when they implemented those changes.

Running so often brings with it much greater risk of injury but the truth is that without using his legs as a weapon, losing Voytik wouldn't have been that big of a loss.

This year, with the faster offense, his reads will again be simplified and I suspect he will also run a lot this season. I know our coaches have not looked at any film from last year (wink, wink) but I suspect people will tell them what they need to know before the season starts.

If Chad can start to really command the offense and make all of the throws, Pitt has a chance to be VERY good offensively.

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

I don't want to oversimplify things. However, I was just glancing at Tyler Boyd's statlines from last season and noted the following:
We lost every single game that TB didn't have a TD in. On top of that, we won all but 1 game (UNC) he caught a TD in (we should have won). Pretty strong correlation between a Boyd TD and Pitt win during 2014/15 season. I know some will point out that "Yeah, the more TDs we score the more likely we are to win". I agree, but I had no idea just how vital the Chad-Boyd connection was for us last year. We rode Connor with a ton of success but I think this correlation shows us just how we were successful last year.... passing.(I appologize if other Lair posters have already highlighted this, but I just noticed.)
http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/546650/tyler-boyd

I don't think that's overly optimistic at all. In fact, that's how I suspect it will play out too.

Chad's game improved a LOT last year whenever Rudolph and Chryst simplified the game for him. It was a whole lot of designed QB sweeps and controlled roll outs. If the first read wasn't there, he took off. He and the team each became a LOT better when they implemented those changes.

Running so often brings with it much greater risk of injury but the truth is that without using his legs as a weapon, losing Voytik wouldn't have been that big of a loss.

This year, with the faster offense, his reads will again be simplified and I suspect he will also run a lot this season. I know our coaches have not looked at any film from last year (wink, wink) but I suspect people will tell them what they need to know before the season starts.

If Chad can start to really command the offense and make all of the throws, Pitt has a chance to be VERY good offensively.

I don't want to oversimplify things. However, I was just glancing at Tyler Boyd's statlines from last season and noted the following:

We lost every single game that TB didn't have a TD in. On top of that, we won all but 1 game (UNC) he caught a TD in (we should have won). Pretty strong correlation between a Boyd TD and Pitt win during 2014/15 season. I know some will point out that "Yeah, the more TDs we score the more likely we are to win". I agree, but I had no idea just how vital the Chad-Boyd connection was for us last year. We rode Connor with a ton of success but I think this correlation shows us just how we were successful last year.... passing. (I appologize if other Lair posters have already highlighted this, but I just noticed.)

http://espn.go.com/college-football/player/_/id/546650/tyler-boyd

I love analysis such as you posted. Thank you very much!

Additionally, to augment your postings, this is why i stated in the Early Predictions that should a key injury happen to Boyd, or Chad, or Conner than it could ruin the Pitt Season to a 5 to 7 win season.

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

With all due respect to James Conner, the reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Year, I don't think there is any question that Tyler Boyd is Pitt's best player. In my mind, it is not even close. I'm not sure if Boyd will be a superstar in the NFL but I do expect him to play for many, many years in the league.

However, as with all receivers, he is beholden to how well/poorly the quarterback plays. I really like Voytik as a kid and I definitely think he has potential to be a rock solid college QB. However, the cold hard truth of the matter is last year he was a below average starting quarterback in the ACC. Also, we had no real No. 2 receiving option. Those factors combined to really limit Tyler's effectiveness.

My hope is that this year Voytik takes that next step or two and blossoms into a reliable or even a good starting quarterback. If he does that, everything else will fall nicely into place.

I have a hunch, just a hunch, that Jordan Whitehead if evaluated and placed properly by the Staff, will be a big contributor too, this year. just like Boyd was in his Freshmen Year!

 

[OriginalEther]

. Also, we had no real No. 2 receiving option.

That's the big concern, and why Boyd is so important.

James Conner is pretty good, but if he gets hurt and/or has a bad game, we saw that other backs can step in. We haven't seen any indication yet that another WR can do that for Boyd.

 

[Pghfan]

A Boyd injury would be worth about 3 to 4 games, at least

 

[Hailpitt]

That is why Boyd should not return punts. His importance to the offense outweighs the extra yardage he can produce on the punt return.

 

[Pghfan]

That is why Boyd should not return punts. His importance to the offense outweighs the extra yardage he can produce on the punt return.

I agreed with that idea last year but not anymore. We got him for one more year, we need to use him as much as humanly possible. Put him in on the returnable punts and use a young guy for the fair catch scenarios

 

[CaptainSidneyReilly]

That is why Boyd should not return punts. His importance to the offense outweighs the extra yardage he can produce on the punt return.

YEP!!!!!

 

[Panther Parrothead]

That is why Boyd should not return punts. His importance to the offense outweighs the extra yardage he can produce on the punt return.

I watched Antonio Bryant get injured returning a punt in a game, so my thoughts echo yours.

There's gotta be another player or two who'd be a respectable punt returner. My only exception would be if Pitt was down a score, the game was winding down, and they needed a huge play to change their field position.

 

[deepelemblues]

With all due respect to James Conner, the reigning ACC Offensive Player of the Year, I don't think there is any question that Tyler Boyd is Pitt's best player. In my mind, it is not even close. I'm not sure if Boyd will be a superstar in the NFL but I do expect him to play for many, many years in the league.

However, as with all receivers, he is beholden to how well/poorly the quarterback plays. I really like Voytik as a kid and I definitely think he has potential to be a rock solid college QB. However, the cold hard truth of the matter is last year he was a below average starting quarterback in the ACC. Also, we had no real No. 2 receiving option. Those factors combined to really limit Tyler's effectiveness.

My hope is that this year Voytik takes that next step or two and blossoms into a reliable or even a good starting quarterback. If he does that, everything else will fall nicely into place.

Having no real number 2 option hurt Voytik as much as it hurt Boyd. It doesn't matter as much if you're not going through your progressions when the first guy you look at every time is the only guy who can get open consistently.

 

[daminals76]

I agreed with that idea last year but not anymore. We got him for one more year, we need to use him as much as humanly possible. Put him in on the returnable punts and use a young guy for the fair catch scenarios

I am sure they will look at Whitehead as a PR next year.