September done....my thoughts....
1. The first thing I look at is Does October 1st's team beat Sept 1st's....Harder to feel strong in the answer after Delaware but I still feel the answer is yes. And it needs to be. As bad as some of the penalties, etc, were; I think this team has improved upon the UVa game in areas that were obvious. Such as better offensive flow and the defense is way better. Comparing Delaware with 12 injured out with UVa fresh out of camp is somewhat apples to oranges. But in the end the whole progression has been that of improvement.
2. QB play is dramatically better this year.
because
3. Tight Ends are getting used. This can only help the recruiting of the position.
4. In the past (50 yo die hard Pitt fan), Pitt playing down to a lesser opponent resulted in a loss, particularly on a trap game weekend, and heavy drinking.
5.In the past.....(excluding '75-'87 run).... a sudden start by a not yet playing QB did not yield wins. We got one this weekend.
6. May I remind the board...in the "Post-Tino Era" we have been perpetually digging for QBs from anywhere and everywhere--- this has resulted in so many seasons with the new QB throwing his first passes ever in his first game. the KP era rocky as it has been at least has started with stability...and now we actually have the #2 QB with game time performance, passes, and snaps in 2 games with crucial outcomes. We survived both. This should bode well for the future. Its nice to see a glimmer of some depth at the QB slot with a possible succession system. This is something successful programs largely have. People begged for back-ups to get game time experience --- we got it this year and we are 2-0 in those games.
7. The depth at QB next year (SR-Pickett, RS So Patti, RS Fr Beville) is the deepest three-deep at QB in 10 years.
8. The post-Tino era is funny to say out loud, but prior ---- we had a nice run of Rutherford, Palko, Sunseri....Then although we have had ups/downs its been more of a daisy chain of patching together one offs.
9. Still not sure about the running game. Sibley ground it out well in second half but not sure if fatigue and talent of the Delaware d-line wasn't contributing there .... hope we see another 100yd back weekly in the month of October.
10. O-line still needs to run block better. I am also hoping the penalties improve. One of my partners in practice was watching with me on Delaware day...we were laughing as 5yr senior--Ulizo is getting hung for false starts and holds even though its his first year in this system and with these QBs... My friend posited that perhaps he was confused by the winged helmets the D-line was sporting against him and he thought he was in practice.
11. That partner is a Cornhusker and he watches Pitt games when Nebraska is not on concurrently ...His observation in the 3Q of our game was how do we handle the Space Mountain Roller Coaster of Pitt football.....he gets sick while only being short term vicariously involved through my fandom....My response is that I have had 50 years of inoculations and toxic exposures that I have built a cynical crust of survival.
12. The he had to watch the Nebraska-OSU game....wow....I fear Nebraska fans have yet to bottom out on their expectations curve.
13. Penalties although frustrating are at least a correctable problem....I'd rather be charged with correcting that issue.....than trying to get bigger and faster (early Wanny) or not having enough D-1 players (post-Fraud).
14. The first 4 years of HCPN has had highs and lows, with the lows not being too low. No YSU loss. the highs have been better than recent. the next phase is achieving a consistency at a higher level of currently --- hanging 8-11 win seasons year in and year out. that means wins have to be chained together and this coming schedule for the remainder of the 19 season sets up for that possibility.
15. UVa will at least lose one more ACC game, two if injuries pile up. not a deep team. Second half of the ND game showed that.
16. I like our WR's I think they get better every week.
17. There is a statistical reference in football that discusses the randomness of turnovers, particularly fumbles, in statistical drift. QBs KP and NP have done a decent job of not appearing too INT prone. As far as fumbles and recovering the opposition's, right now we are soooooo outside the norm --- it would be nice to regress to the mean soon this year. That would help us chain a few wins together this year.
18. The QB from Delaware is more big-time than the above average QB in FCS...he also was a good dry run for the defense for Duke this week. That should only help.
19. Schiano at Rutgers is only worrisome for the NJ recruiting ties he has and those he might have retained in Fla. If they are there, it might impact us a little. Probably impact James from State College more.
20. UNC's new QB already looks like a 40 year old Luke Maye clone.... Not sure if 4 years of him will be pleasant for us.
21. Man, I want a UNC W this year. UGH. Even the good time basketball fans from UNC get chippy here in Atlanta for that game with me.
22. Duke is still the most important game this year. So far. gotta chain some W's together.
23. I love watching our defense play this year. This is the first time since peak Wanny I can truly say that. Before that it dates back to Zeke Gadsen days....(there you go old-timers).
24. On top of that....I see roads for our defense to improve even more with maturity this year. I do not think we have seen half of what that group can give us. LBs are improving weekly. The secondary is deep and majority of their mistakes are either boneheaded penalties or lack of team coverage. Both are immensely fixable.
25. I just want to sit back and watch our D-line play 8 more games and enjoy.
26. Everything that went wrong in the Delaware game is fixable. To win in spite of that is bigger than some people want to admit. But to win in October means eliminating those errors.
27. Our punter is good. Like him lots.
28. Our K....well, Our punter is good. Like him lots.....I hope his mojo rubs off on Kessman soon and he un-funks himself.
29. Does someone have a GIF of the Punter flop from the Delaware game....it seems like a meme wating to happen.
30. I will enjoy watching tonight's Steeler game as much as I enjoyed last weeks....I can watch Connor/Smith-Schuster play well hopefully. I can then also cheer and hope for Switzer and Rudolph and Washington to hang some improvement on the other guys.
Sorry for length...just hoping to give u guys something to read on the can at work....
H2P
1. The first thing I look at is Does October 1st's team beat Sept 1st's....Harder to feel strong in the answer after Delaware but I still feel the answer is yes. And it needs to be. As bad as some of the penalties, etc, were; I think this team has improved upon the UVa game in areas that were obvious. Such as better offensive flow and the defense is way better. Comparing Delaware with 12 injured out with UVa fresh out of camp is somewhat apples to oranges. But in the end the whole progression has been that of improvement.
2. QB play is dramatically better this year.
because
3. Tight Ends are getting used. This can only help the recruiting of the position.
4. In the past (50 yo die hard Pitt fan), Pitt playing down to a lesser opponent resulted in a loss, particularly on a trap game weekend, and heavy drinking.
5.In the past.....(excluding '75-'87 run).... a sudden start by a not yet playing QB did not yield wins. We got one this weekend.
6. May I remind the board...in the "Post-Tino Era" we have been perpetually digging for QBs from anywhere and everywhere--- this has resulted in so many seasons with the new QB throwing his first passes ever in his first game. the KP era rocky as it has been at least has started with stability...and now we actually have the #2 QB with game time performance, passes, and snaps in 2 games with crucial outcomes. We survived both. This should bode well for the future. Its nice to see a glimmer of some depth at the QB slot with a possible succession system. This is something successful programs largely have. People begged for back-ups to get game time experience --- we got it this year and we are 2-0 in those games.
7. The depth at QB next year (SR-Pickett, RS So Patti, RS Fr Beville) is the deepest three-deep at QB in 10 years.
8. The post-Tino era is funny to say out loud, but prior ---- we had a nice run of Rutherford, Palko, Sunseri....Then although we have had ups/downs its been more of a daisy chain of patching together one offs.
9. Still not sure about the running game. Sibley ground it out well in second half but not sure if fatigue and talent of the Delaware d-line wasn't contributing there .... hope we see another 100yd back weekly in the month of October.
10. O-line still needs to run block better. I am also hoping the penalties improve. One of my partners in practice was watching with me on Delaware day...we were laughing as 5yr senior--Ulizo is getting hung for false starts and holds even though its his first year in this system and with these QBs... My friend posited that perhaps he was confused by the winged helmets the D-line was sporting against him and he thought he was in practice.
11. That partner is a Cornhusker and he watches Pitt games when Nebraska is not on concurrently ...His observation in the 3Q of our game was how do we handle the Space Mountain Roller Coaster of Pitt football.....he gets sick while only being short term vicariously involved through my fandom....My response is that I have had 50 years of inoculations and toxic exposures that I have built a cynical crust of survival.
12. The he had to watch the Nebraska-OSU game....wow....I fear Nebraska fans have yet to bottom out on their expectations curve.
13. Penalties although frustrating are at least a correctable problem....I'd rather be charged with correcting that issue.....than trying to get bigger and faster (early Wanny) or not having enough D-1 players (post-Fraud).
14. The first 4 years of HCPN has had highs and lows, with the lows not being too low. No YSU loss. the highs have been better than recent. the next phase is achieving a consistency at a higher level of currently --- hanging 8-11 win seasons year in and year out. that means wins have to be chained together and this coming schedule for the remainder of the 19 season sets up for that possibility.
15. UVa will at least lose one more ACC game, two if injuries pile up. not a deep team. Second half of the ND game showed that.
16. I like our WR's I think they get better every week.
17. There is a statistical reference in football that discusses the randomness of turnovers, particularly fumbles, in statistical drift. QBs KP and NP have done a decent job of not appearing too INT prone. As far as fumbles and recovering the opposition's, right now we are soooooo outside the norm --- it would be nice to regress to the mean soon this year. That would help us chain a few wins together this year.
18. The QB from Delaware is more big-time than the above average QB in FCS...he also was a good dry run for the defense for Duke this week. That should only help.
19. Schiano at Rutgers is only worrisome for the NJ recruiting ties he has and those he might have retained in Fla. If they are there, it might impact us a little. Probably impact James from State College more.
20. UNC's new QB already looks like a 40 year old Luke Maye clone.... Not sure if 4 years of him will be pleasant for us.
21. Man, I want a UNC W this year. UGH. Even the good time basketball fans from UNC get chippy here in Atlanta for that game with me.
22. Duke is still the most important game this year. So far. gotta chain some W's together.
23. I love watching our defense play this year. This is the first time since peak Wanny I can truly say that. Before that it dates back to Zeke Gadsen days....(there you go old-timers).
24. On top of that....I see roads for our defense to improve even more with maturity this year. I do not think we have seen half of what that group can give us. LBs are improving weekly. The secondary is deep and majority of their mistakes are either boneheaded penalties or lack of team coverage. Both are immensely fixable.
25. I just want to sit back and watch our D-line play 8 more games and enjoy.
26. Everything that went wrong in the Delaware game is fixable. To win in spite of that is bigger than some people want to admit. But to win in October means eliminating those errors.
27. Our punter is good. Like him lots.
28. Our K....well, Our punter is good. Like him lots.....I hope his mojo rubs off on Kessman soon and he un-funks himself.
29. Does someone have a GIF of the Punter flop from the Delaware game....it seems like a meme wating to happen.
30. I will enjoy watching tonight's Steeler game as much as I enjoyed last weeks....I can watch Connor/Smith-Schuster play well hopefully. I can then also cheer and hope for Switzer and Rudolph and Washington to hang some improvement on the other guys.
Sorry for length...just hoping to give u guys something to read on the can at work....
H2P
