Morning. Haven’t had a chance to look at the papers or box score yet. Had a very long solid sleep. A whole day of liveblogging college football, surprisingly, takes something of a mental toll. No zoning out for long periods. Very brief bathroom breaks. Eating bad food, in handfuls. On the plus side I was paid to sit on my ass all Saturday to drink beer (that was optional but I am a perfectionist), watch and write college football, and since I was “working” it fell to the wife to deal with the kid all day while I fulfilled my responsibilities. So no, I am not complaining about a sweet gig. Hell, I’m bragging.
This was a very, very good win for Pitt. There are some concerns. There are some issues. There always are. Don’t worry, I’ll get to them later. This was a big, important win for the team and the program. It was legitimate progress.
Last year, Pitt didn’t win one road game. Not a single one. This year, Pitt already has two and they are both in conference.
There was a real, viable gameplan on offense that was well executed. Pitt took advantage of an agressive defense and set them back on their heels with the short pass and screens. It created hesitation and allowed the running game to go. The tight ends were involved more. Buches finally got some passes going his way.
LaRod Stephens-Howling had a monster game, as the O-line was able to create holes in the right spot for him to get through. That 70 yard run was tremendous. It first looked like he squirted through the line and took off, but the overhead shot showed an actual, hole right where he was headed. At that point he hit the accelerator and blew through and caught the whole Syracuse linemen and secondary by surprise as he ran past them. Not only was the hole opened, he hit it exactly the way you want a tailback to do it. No hesitation, no planning on jukes afterwards. Head up, and looking downfield.
Tyler Palko executed the gameplan very well. The first time in two years I’ve seen him do that on the road. He knew that it was his job to get rid of the ball quickly and was finding his receivers or safety valve without hesitation. Cedric McGee was not only sighted, but played a vital role as the 3d WR/safety valve. He picked up key first downs or created 2nd or 3d and short on drives with excellent yards after the catch runs. Syracuse was so keyed on stopping Kinder and Strong — they were blanketed by coverage most of the game — and Palko made sure to find other receivers.
The defense played a very good game. I think the corners should have been playing tighter against a less then impressive group of Orange receivers, but I’m hardly surprised that DC Rhoads had them backing off. Very good containment of the run, and some great up-front pressure by the D-line to keep Perry Patterson from having too much time to throw.
Don’t forget, Syracuse is an improved team from last year. If anything, their progress probably puts them where Pitt was last year. In fact there were times when I watched that I felt Pitt was playing the team it was last year. Considering how bad they were last year, however, that is significant progress.
Pitt and Dave Wannstedt were probably right and it was sporting not to put that final score on the board at the very end. I can’t help but wish they had, though, just because it would have really pissed off the Orange. Adding some extra spice to the game next year and perhaps a little heat to a traditional game that lacks the feel of hatred and rivalry.
Seems like SU has very little respect for Pitt — even after getting thumped by the Panthers at home.
Team is winning games it is supposed to win (I’ve repressed that last loss.) Wanny is bringing in good players. The fact that players like McCoy are now even considering Pitt is huge. Wanny is great, he is going to need a couple of years to bring in more talent. I’m worried that by the time we get to WVU/Lville, our lines will be too depleted to have a good chance.
Great day, we would all be estatic if we knew at the beggining of the year we would start 5-1.
Just a reminder: Penn State sucks.
Pantsgate!
Yeah they beat the crap out of themselves. Syracuse had a player that ran for over 200 yards against themselves and were 20/24 on passing against themselves. That’s pretty impressive Syracuse.
I think a comment I left yesterday was taken a bit out of context and widely interpreted as annoyingly unsatisfied and without appreciation for the team under DW or the road W at the Carrier Dome on Sat. Not true, but as much as I am excited over our progress, I can’t help but remain critical of the run game. (Yes, despite the monster day had by Stephens-Howling.)
Case in point: when reps become so stubbornly persistent and predictably a-LaRod up the middle, the program doesn’t seem wholly committed to the “Smash mouth” brand of football suggested and supposedly pursued by DW and staff.
C’mon, if true that “Collins might be the best [pure] runner on the team” (as broadcast In: DW, PR, GM 4), how will we ever really know if gets a mere 2-3 touches per gm? Moreover, with the second leading rusher on Sat. gaining 10 yards on one attempt (Dorin Dickerson), then why stop there? That is, unless you believe Howlings is an every-down back….
For all intensive purposes, 3 players ran the ball against the Orange in 3+ Qtr. And while LaRod took the mother-load and did not let-down, Collins and Dickerson combined for 3 carries btw, and Collier (at home) was virtually absent.
Perhaps if the program minimized its emphasis on “SMASH MOUTH,” and remarketed itself as a true pro-style WCO (see Phila. Eagles McNabb & Brian Westbrook), I’d be a lot less critical. And in this respect, my beef might only be with semantics. (Once more, I’m not sure how 5’7″/ 170lbs. puts the “smash” into the “mouth” at this level of play.)
Admittedly, if this is what gets me irked then I need agree with anyone advising to just “let it go.†I’ll try.
HAIL PITT!
“I saw the end zone on that last one,” he said, “and was like, ‘I’m not letting anybody catch me this time.'”
Stephens-Howling followed the block of freshman right guard Joe Thomas, then sprinted untouched into the end zone to give Pitt a 14-3 lead.”
Also, true freshman M. Mathews and John Maleki got some playing time on the D line Saturday, burning Maleki’s redshirt I believe.
Hail to PITT!
I thought I read somewhere that Collier was nursing a tweaked ankle or something. Maybe that is why he didn’t see the field. Other than that I can’t really complain about the running game against Cuse since it was working so well. Maybe if LaRod had bogged down we would have seen more Collins. And to be fair (and I’m just going by memory here, not stats) I think this is the first time that we’ve really seen LaRod carry such a load. Usually we are not running as much, or we actually do see a mix of backs in the backfield (Brooks, Collier, …)
One thing I’m curious about, looking at the other side of the coin. LaRod definitely had the hot hand Saturday. What if DW had taken him out in favor of getting Dickerson or Collins some more carries and the run game suddenly crapped out — letting Syracuse back in the game. Would we be complaining about the removal of LaRod?
Pitt certainly picked an excellent day to showcase its running game because one of the people in attendance was former Bishop McDevitt star LeSean McCoy, who was ranked as the top running back in the county last year. McCoy had signed with the Miami Hurricanes in February but didn’t qualify academically and enrolled instead at Milford Academy in New York.
McCoy has been one of the top priorities for Pitt. He came away impressed by the Panthers’ offensive output yesterday and was particularly interested that Pitt running back LaRod Stephens-Howling gained more than 200 yards rushing against the Orange.
“I’m really feeling Pitt and have been for a while,” McCoy said. “I like that they are running the ball the way they do. I’ll make a decision about my future soon. I used to be obsessed with going to a big-name school but I’m over that. I’m more interested in finding the right fit for me and I like a lot of what I saw from Pitt’s offense and the program is definitely on the rise.”