Chas it was amazing. MSU playing second half not to lose instead of to win.

brings back memories of one of the WVU Pitt bkb games 2 years ago.

MSU’s fans looked liked they were about to drink the Kool Aid.

I guess the fact that MSU hung 40 or so on ND makes our D look not quite as bad……but the fact ND hung 43 on MSU makes our offense look not so good.

Toledo has a very good head-coach, they will be well prepared and ready to play, but they are a little down this year from their previous squads. Their QB is young and still is learning.

I went to the game in Toledo in 2003, the “game” we “imploded” in the last half of the 4th quarter. I do think that game holds the record for the largest crowd at Toledo’s stadium.

I’m also concerned about this game. Toledo can score, but they also give up a ton of points.

I’m sure as the week goes along we can all add our thoughts.

Yeah, I was at that game too, not a good memory at all. But it was one of those times where they just could not finish, plus Toledo had Gradkowski. Didn’t they run a little option at Toledo then? Hopefully they still do and Pitt gets some more experience with the option, otherwise its going to be another horrific BYB. Im not too worried with this years Toledo team, plus its at Pitt. OK, maybe a little worried.

There’s no question that MSU lost that game as much as ND won it. But what you can take from this game is that it is possilbe to make adjustments at half and during the game to put your team in a better position to win. ND kept plugging away and stayed close enough to take advantage of the breaks when they came their way. As for all of you PSU fans out there that want to say the “game was closer than the score”. Wrong, the score was 28-6, period. OSU won easy.

The Rockets (in thier Pockets) ran a spread O. They could give the play book to Coach Rhodes and he still wouldn’t understand how to stop it. Yes we whipped the Quiet marching cadets (after seeing them preform yesterday I can’t understand what the big deal is with quiet marching) But it’s the offensive scheme that scares me. Did everyone forget South Florida’s team from a few years back that beat us like a rug?

Every time we face a spread offense we think that certainly we will prepare for that since we always have trouble. And we are always wrong.
I just wish Rhoads would just let the teams hurry up and score. The way we do it: allow the team to chew up 7 minutes, wear out the defense real good, and inevitably still allow a TD. Just cut out the middle man and let them score on a quick strike. Have 8 men in the box, even on 3rd and 15. Rhodes strategy of keeping the opposing team’s offense on the field as long as possible is not working.

At the Citadel game did anyone notice that the big boord player intros did not have Joe Delsardo and he was not on the sidelines .
Did he leave the team and if so what is the reason ?

Now that you mention it, he hasn’t played at all this year…at least I can’t recall his name ever being called….?

I know I did not see him on the board but I didn’t look for him either. He was a walk on and I can’t see him walking off.

The MSU-ND game showed me that Pitt has the talent to be a top 25 team. What Pitt is currently missing is they confidence that winning brings. ND never gave up on winning, after being blown way for 3 quarters, because they are expected to win. Pitt gave up against MSU because they do not believe they could win once they got behind. Regardless of the problems with defensive coaching, Pitt fans leaving in the third quarter (as they did at the MSU game) reinforces a losing tradition. Yesterday, Pitt was expected to win and they did so very efficiently and will do so against Toledo (a game I would never schedule because even if you win-you lose) as long as they do not get behind and have to watch their fans desert them. Pitt will be for real once they come from behind to win a game that they are not expected to win.

Tony – Quiet marching is extremely hard to pull off without mistakes, it’s all done on timing with no ‘calls’. Basically it’s a way for a drill team to show-off. If you ever want to see the best and are in the DC area, watch the Marines at the I street barracks do their sunset tatoo drill.

That said, I also watched the whole MSU-ND game and agree with above comments. ND never gave up and relied on their energy in the fourth quarter to make MSU make mistakes. I think ND did it with out too many D subs in also which was impressive.

Feeling pretty good about Toledo, as long as the coaches keep the kids humble and not expecting a cake walk. I believe they were well prepped for Citadel and didn’t let the 1-AA label make them think it would be easy (even though it was). They have to approach next weekend’s game the same way.

I was at the Toledo game in 2003 and it was truly a nightmare. We parked about a mile from the stadium and had to endure Toledo fans mocking us the whole way back to the car as we walked by. I swore never to go to Toledo again. This team although not as talented as the 2003 squad still worries me given the fact that they pushed iowa state into overtime before losing in ames iowa.

i was at Toledo in ’03 too. sat across from the pitt sections and had to endure: “go back to the mills” comments. all i had to say was, “dude, you live in TOLEDO.”

they ran the spread, but what killed us was the x screen. they must have ran that sucker 30 times and we had no idea how to handle it. wonder if paul will be reviewing those tapes?

payback’s a bitch…i think we lay it on em pretty good. just a hunch.

oh…and i thought i saw del sardo on the sidelines saturday. maybe it was another #4 on the roster?

#4, Ross Ventrone RedShirt FR DB. Funny you mention two people with the same number. I think it was the MI ST game I saw a #3 make a tackle, I think in kick coverage or something. I thought I was crazy since that’s Palko’s number, but I ran it back on tivo and it was 3. Michael Toerper, another RS FR DB. link to pittsburghpanthers.cstv.com

Seems Dorin Dickerson’s none too happy about not playing in the Citadel game. I’m not convinced we need to save him for a redshirt year, we could probably use a spark at RB and if nothing else it would give the starters a reason to compete more.

I didn’t catch the last half of the Citadel game -did any second stringers or freshman just getting playing time do anying worthy of mention?

O line has given up 2 sacks when Palko is playing – not too shabby at all considering last year with Palko running for his life.