What a great season!

[President Stache]

I went to the game today, and the atmosphere was awesome. What I envisioned it to be like at a Pitt bowl game (minus the outcome). But in reality, when the year started with Narduzzi taking over so late in the process, not getting in a good class because of that, then losing James Conner in the first half of the first game, I thought we were staring a 5-7 record in the face. I really could not see how we could end up 8-4 or 8-5.

But not only did we do better than anyone could have hoped for, we did so in a fashion which utilized a hard nose, aggressive defense. I loved this season more than any in a LONG LONG time. I am so excited to see what the future will bring to my great university's football team.

Thanks Coach and players for a great season!

 

[Pghfan]

Yes. A nice season indeed. We beat up on some decent teams (ville and duke) and closed out on some games we would normally lose ( ga tech, Hokies, cavs). I'm happy and looking forward to future.

 

[President Stache]

Only an extreme pessimist or sadist couldnt see the improvement of this team over last year. If we improve 2 more games next year we are 10-3!

I was excited to see Ford emerging the past few games as a real threat!

 

[Cat Bird Panther]

Agree. Team is growing. I am very optimistic. Fan turnout here in Annapolis was beyond impressive. If you were not here to join in...well no comment.

 

[President Stache]

I think you can see the fans here that didnt attend the game

 

[doubleAA's]

I went to the game today, and the atmosphere was awesome. What I envisioned it to be like at a Pitt bowl game (minus the outcome). But in reality, when the year started with Narduzzi taking over so late in the process, not getting in a good class because of that, then losing James Conner in the first half of the first game, I thought we were staring a 5-7 record in the face. I really could not see how we could end up 8-4 or 8-5.

But not only did we do better than anyone could have hoped for, we did so in a fashion which utilized a hard nose, aggressive defense. I loved this season more than any in a LONG LONG time. I am so excited to see what the future will bring to my great university's football team.

Thanks Coach and players for a great season!

I second that!

Loved the energy this year. Literally everything was better. Energy, Energy, Energy. I cant wait til next year!

 

[JokePa]

I third it!

Was one of the most enjoyable seasons in many years. Long way to go overall, but certainly can see how it is going to happen. The OC hire will be key, Narduzzi definitely has the knack for planning a great defense.
Toady was a mess on offense, not the coaches fault. Had several drops in the first quarter, and we needed to score on every position to keep up, lost a few possessions. Then Peterman I think then tried to do too much, and made some bad throws.

 

[ZekeGadsonFan]

I went to the game today, and the atmosphere was awesome. What I envisioned it to be like at a Pitt bowl game (minus the outcome). But in reality, when the year started with Narduzzi taking over so late in the process, not getting in a good class because of that, then losing James Conner in the first half of the first game, I thought we were staring a 5-7 record in the face. I really could not see how we could end up 8-4 or 8-5.

But not only did we do better than anyone could have hoped for, we did so in a fashion which utilized a hard nose, aggressive defense. I loved this season more than any in a LONG LONG time. I am so excited to see what the future will bring to my great university's football team.

Thanks Coach and players for a great season!

Good post. I agree. TBH Its nice to come here and see a thread that has some rationality and some rational posters in it after we lose. Usually the whiners and trolls are out everywhere at times like this. It was tough to end the season on two losses, but it is what is is as they say. Anyone that watched the GT game knew that this was a tough matchup for our D today. You cant get blood from a rock. There is only so much you can do as coaches. The reality is that HCPN will bring in better players and the D and team will continue to get better. I'm excited about the programs future under his leadership. HTP!

 

[PittPoker]

Dude, are you just trolling on here??? Great Season?? We finished 2-4 in the past 6 games and looked awful in our last 2 games. I really don't think we needed another embarrassing beatdown blowout on national television. We've all seen enough of them the past 30+ years.

 

[runshadyrun]

I think the future looks promising, need to close on a couple more top recruits to increase the overall speed on defense and replace some of the smurfs with real conerbacks. Was bummed today, but, overall, enjoyed the year more than recent past. No real head scratcher losses like the last 4 coaches.

 

[UPitt '89]

Taking over half of an opposing team's stadium was fun as hell.

The roar during that opening kickoff return was louder than I anticipated.

When Pitt made it 31-21 late in the third quarter, it felt like a home game.

But then the defense couldn't come up with a stop and it slipped away.

Still.... it was worth the tickets, the hotel, and the days off from work to come.

Gallagher and Barnes did a great job at the alumni event and we just need to multiply the fans that came down here by 4 for our home games.

Pitt fans came through.

 

[JokePa]

Dude, are you just trolling on here??? Great Season?? We finished 2-4 in the past 6 games and looked awful in our last 2 games. I really don't think we needed another embarrassing beatdown blowout on national television. We've all seen enough of them the past 30+ years.

How is it not a great season Mr nit wit? We lose our best player for the year, new QB, all new coaching staff, top lineman... I think with Conner I was thinking 8-4 was a good record. I agree with the original poster, I thought 5-7 was a realistic record for us

 

[Large Panther]

I went to the game today, and the atmosphere was awesome. What I envisioned it to be like at a Pitt bowl game (minus the outcome). But in reality, when the year started with Narduzzi taking over so late in the process, not getting in a good class because of that, then losing James Conner in the first half of the first game, I thought we were staring a 5-7 record in the face. I really could not see how we could end up 8-4 or 8-5.

But not only did we do better than anyone could have hoped for, we did so in a fashion which utilized a hard nose, aggressive defense. I loved this season more than any in a LONG LONG time. I am so excited to see what the future will bring to my great university's football team.

Thanks Coach and players for a great season!

If 8-5 is where you set the bar for greatness, then yeah, great season. After seeing a sloppy, ill-prepared and uninspired team go through the motions today, great is hardly the first adjective that comes to my mind.

 

[President Stache]

If 8-5 is where you set the bar for greatness, then yeah, great season. After seeing a sloppy, ill-prepared and uninspired team go through the motions today, great is hardly the first adjective that comes to my mind.

Well you may have limited learning capacity, but clearly said that based on the circumstances that yes it was a great season. we went 6-7 the last 2 years, and our coach left for more money. So, improving that and seeing exciting play... defense, sacks, whitehead on offense... that is a great season in my book

 

[Large Panther]

Well you may have limited learning capacity, but clearly said that based on the circumstances that yes it was a great season. we went 6-7 the last 2 years, and our coach left for more money. So, improving that and seeing exciting play... defense, sacks, whitehead on offense... that is a great season in my book

OK, you get a participation trophy.

 

[President Stache]

no, we got a bowl game, better coach, and better recruits

 

[President Stache]

By the way, I was on the board often in my life and this was my first post on here. Just wanted to say how much I appreciate the new coaching regime and how enjoyable this year was compared to last year. I like aggressive defense, and even through life I always say I rather lose going all out that lose passively. I think Narduzzi defense is just that, like the Blitzburgh style that will be fun, be mostly successful and occasionally will give up 600 yards just from over-aggressiveness. I rather live with that than play 15 yards off the receiver, rush 4, and have teams slowly and methodically build their confidence all game and beat you. Our method now lets the opponents know they will come into Heinz and be hit hard and many times and we will make you beat us with good play. The results show that, the only teams that beat us had the few big, experienced playmakers that had good games. I am ok with that, I tip my hat to the NC QB, the ND WR, the Navy QB for making right play after right play haha and even that Iowa kicker, and their QB that got the snot knocked out of him and kept coming back to make plays.

You'd have to really be a moron not to see the difference in team play, of course, there are a lot of morons and half of everyone youll ever meet in this world are below average, so I will gladly accept that fact.

We will be happier the next 5 years in regards to Pitt football

 

[Teh Teh]

Good positivity

 

[JokePa]

So... what is the expectation next year with Clemson on the schedule? No way we beat them right? Oklahoma State, Marshall is even pretty decent. Do we go 10-3??

 

[doubleAA's]

I think too many questions to think about next year yet. I think even one more win is a good season... 9-4?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

We were 6-2. We finished 8-5. If that is "great" my god has our standards lowered.

 

[doubleAA's]

All a matter of how much of an optimist or pessimist you are I guess.

He said it was a great season to watch, and Pitt surprised him with all the unfortunate things happening in the season.

I would say if someone told me we wouldnt have Conner, start a new QB and still have all the horrible defense of last year, and we would be 8-5, I would ask them what are they drinking / smoking.

But, you must think we had national championship type players on our team and should have been undefeated I guess??

 

[ZekeGadsonFan]

After seeing a sloppy, ill-prepared and uninspired team go through the motions today, great is hardly the first adjective that comes to my mind.

As a Pitt fan you shouldn't be happy about the game yesterday. But can we please move past this primitive thought process that every time Pitt gets their ass kicked its because the coaches didn't have the team "ready to play" or they "weren't prepared". Its such a ridiculously arbitrary reason to criticize the coaches and team. Its just absurd. Theres no way you can even quantify that accusation. You basically just pulled it out of your ass. I mean, I could see if we get thumped by IUP. Even then its a sketchy assessment but at least circumstantially it holds water as an argument when you consider the giant skill gap between the teams. But to just throw that out there after we get beat against a better team on the road as underdogs is just a silly lazy argument IMHO.

The reality is that sometimes when you are competing you can study hard and give 100% and still get beat, especially if you are playing a better team. Anyone that has ever competed in any game should know this simple fact.

 

[ZekeGadsonFan]

We were 6-2. We finished 8-5. If that is "great" my god has our standards lowered.

You really cant make the correlation between the competition we played and the records you posted above? I mean really, this is similar to what I posted about above. Its just dumb and lazy to throw out those two records and somehow imply that it means the staff and team didn't prepare as well or independently fell apart towards the end of the year. Its ridiculously obvious that we didn't do as well down the stretch because we were often playing teams that were more physically talented than us. In fact, four of the last six teams we played had much more talent than us. The other two were pretty good teams that have vastly overachieved the last few seasons.

Compare that with our first seven opponents where the argument could be made that only Virginia Tech had a significantly more talented roster and some of the teams like Akron and Youngstown St. weren't very good period.

So let me just clarify and simplify this even more for you as it relates to your comment and as to why many of us enjoyed the season and think HCPN did well. Basically, the troubles at the end of the season should have been expected unless you were foolish enough to believe this was an 11-2 team. Some of us come from the more realistic perspective that given the talent of this team, its quite possible we even overachieved in the first seven games. We believe that eight wins and generally a good competitive aggressive team to watch every week was actually a pretty good season considering the circumstances of the last few years.

 

[Large Panther]

As a Pitt fan you shouldn't be happy about the game yesterday. But can we please move past this primitive thought process that every time Pitt gets their ass kicked its because the coaches didn't have the team "ready to play" or they "weren't prepared". Its such a ridiculously arbitrary reason to criticize the coaches and team. Its just absurd. Theres no way you can even quantify that accusation. You basically just pulled it out of your ass. I mean, I could see if we get thumped by IUP. Even then its a sketchy assessment but at least circumstantially it holds water as an argument when you consider the giant skill gap between the teams. But to just throw that out there after we get beat against a better team on the road as underdogs is just a silly lazy argument IMHO.

The reality is that sometimes when you are competing you can study hard and give 100% and still get beat, especially if you are playing a better team. Anyone that has ever competed in any game should know this simple fact.

Zeke, agree that it's an easy out to cite poor effort/lack of preparation for every loss, but when there are multiple drops, missed assignments, incorrect routes run, etc., hard to say it didn't apply in this case. To the team and coaching staff's credit, this was the only time it reared its head this season, but certainly not the note that anyone wanted to end such a promising season on.

 

[doubleAA's]

Zeke, agree that it's an easy out to cite poor effort/lack of preparation for every loss, but when there are multiple drops, missed assignments, incorrect routes run, etc., hard to say it didn't apply in this case. To the team and coaching staff's credit, this was the only time it reared its head this season, but certainly not the note that anyone wanted to end such a promising season on.

Large panther... that makes absolutely no sense.

So, are you trying to say the coaches instilled a game plan for Navy that made our players drop passes, miss assignments and run incorrect routes? How about tyler slipping? That is exactly what the poster means that is is ridiculous to pin that on coaches and being unprepared! The coaches get the kids ready, but the players have to execute. Your reasoning and others on here is a microcosm for what is wrong in society. Dont blame me, its the teachers/parents/whoever, players have to own up they threw a bad pass or missed a tackle. I didnt see a blow out, I saw our quarterback look afraid to make mistakes and their QB confident as can be,

 

[Panther Holla]

Replacing the softies who look good in a football uniform with bona fide Power 5 football players doesn't happen in a blink.

For three decades plus Pitt has had far too many players who proved to be little more than barnacles with helmets.

Narduzzi is hip. Give him time. What he did with the limited talent he had was impressive. Did we leave some winnable games out there? Sure. And that's our yardstick to measure the program as it stands today.

To me the step forward was winning the previously come-from-ahead-and-lose games like VT, Cuse and GT.

Beating the bigger boys will come. Baby steps, folks.

 

[President Stache]

I definitely like his style. He tells it like it is, definite Pittsburgh-style.

And the recruiting is much better, pulling kids from all over. Some of the pampered locals that Pitt have been all over for years, in the past we would just sit back and kiss their arse and not recruit others to the same position, or recruit lower recruits, and some times that works and sometimes it doesnt. But, I think Pitt will become the destination not the fall back. We have one of the better educations in all the land and the team is shaping up to be bad @ss. If someone like Mathews wants to complain on twitter that Pitt keeps getting good WRs then tough dude... he could have committed. I think he wanted to go Pitt all along, now his feelings are hurt we got 2 4 star receivers. Narduzzi is putting in place that attitude where there will be good players at each position and if you want to start, you will have to earn it. If you earn it, you will be made to look like a star. You dont see the other big schools getting hurt cause they have multiple 4 and 5 star kids at a position. We need to fill the roster with good players that want to play here. If you dont, there is the door, you can go play in the cow pasture.

 

[Teh Teh]

We have a hard schedule but maybe we have a special year with the guys getting around James

 

[Teh Teh]

I hope so!

 

[President Stache]

Thanks

Man can you imagine how good the D will be in a few seasons, we will be nationally recognized.

 

[JokePa]

I really like how this is forming. If I was a top LB or DE, I would be excited to go to Pitt with the secondary we will be having, you will be having many more sacks than the average guy. Plus, if I was Hamlin, Whitehead and those guy, I would be recruiting the big LBs to help force errant throws and increase INTs