5-0!! What a fall for Pitt fans, to date! Here are some random thoughts and observations after rewatching the UNC game.
- The WR group has been really, really good. We have 5 really talented players in Mumpfield, Johnson, Williams, Lee and Reynolds and every one of those guys has made big time catches this season.
- Sauls has been money all season and Junko had a nice game against UNC but we still have a lot to clean-up on special teams. Crumpley and Malachi Thomas both had bad personal foul penalties late in the first half. I felt like those penalties took some momentum away and zapped potential scoring opportunities.
- Welcome back, Fitzsimmons! He was disruptive in his return and maybe will provide a spark to the DL group. Hopefully we will get Nick James back against Cal, too.
- What a final drive by the offense to essentially seal the game. I love that Bell didn't make it easy on UNC with predictable play calling. He trusted Holstein to make some plays and he delivered. If I have to gripe a bit, it would be the timeout around the 3-minute mark with 16 seconds on the play clock. Slowing down there and getting the right play was perfectly fine but no need to call the timeout that early. Waiting until the play clock ran down would have really shortened the game further.
- I thought Brandon George was really good Saturday.
- We were really, really close to creating multiple turnovers. There were 2 incomplete passes (one was a scoop and score) that were close to fumbles. McIntyre almost had a pick. Matlack almost had a strip sack. Biles also had a pick on UNC's final drive. I know almost doesn't count but hopefully moving forward we are on the better side of those close plays.
- Rodney will get better and more comfortable with reps.
- Carter has to make that catch on the first drive for a walk-in td.
- Hampton is a nice back but hats off to our guys for bottling him up in the second half!
- I don't want to make them out to be Texas or OSU but Cal is a pretty solid team. Their defense has shut down everyone so far this season, minus Miami in the 4th quarter. Big challenge for Bell, Holstein, and company!
