Feeling a little bitter this morning as I realize that Gameplan is not showing the Pitt game on the air (they are doing it online, but I’m not springing for that as well). The only BE game today, and it’s only on regional channels. Thanks. So I’ll be stuck with net radio and the ticker scrolling.
Pitt wants this game. It wants to get the 7th win now. Not to mention avoiding back-to-back losses.
“The speed they have is going to cause us some problems if we don’t match it from the beginning of the game,” said Pitt linebacker H.B. Blades. “But we have had a long time to think about our last loss, so we’re hungry and we’re eager to get out there and play another game.
“This is a big one for us, at least, because the worst thing you can do is follow a loss with another one.”
The Bulls are focused on stopping Palko as the key. They also have not forgotten that they have lost 2 straight to Pitt.
Pittsburgh’s 74 points against USF the past two seasons are the most points USF has allowed to the same team in consecutive seasons since Hofstra scored 92 in 1998-99.
“It’s always been little mistakes here and there,” USF senior linebacker Patrick St. Louis said. “They had big plays every now and then. We have to try to limit all the big plays.”
The biggest challenge for USF will be limiting Palko, ranked No. 2 in the nation in passing efficiency.
“It’s going to test everybody on our defense,” Leavitt said. “Certainly you need to have a good pass rush and you need to be in the right areas. You’ve got to do both. You’ve got to do a number of things to have a chance to slow them down.
“He’s going to make some throws, he’s going to complete some passes, there’s nothing you can do about that, but it’s going to have to be the whole defense playing together.”
Pitt had the bye to get healthy and think about all that they did wrong against Rutgers. The key for Pitt on defense is to stop QB Matt Groethe. Groethe has had a week to get healthy, but will be wearing a protective shield on his face mask to protect the stitches on his nose from gashes suffered in the Cinci game.
Hey, USF just ran a bubble screen, and guess what? IT DIDN’T WORK. God, I hate that play.
It looks like the hangover was the correct decision.
It looks like Pitt v. Rutgers all over again.
Lines can’t control the line of scrimmage at all. Holding penalties when a reciever actually gets free. Just TERRIBLE special team play – two fake punts that go for first downs, no return ability. USF has got to be something like 5/6 on 3rd downs. Not getting off blocks on D at all. Completely faked by every play action. A dropped INT. Less than 20 yards rushing.
One team in this game used the bye week well. The other is Pitt.
Ugh.
But, if our DBs could hold on to the ball, Groethe would have like 5 INTS in the first half, instead of 2.
I think the main problem is our offense here. I’ve seen Stephens-Howling blow two blocks that got Palko killed.
It’s games like this that I really feel bad for Tyler. He’s a great player, and could’ve been a day 1 NFL pick if he’d only had a decent line to play behind.
Even if by some remote chance we end up winning (?) this game, there’s a hell of lot to be upset about, regardless. And that said, it’s officially that time of the season to BLAST OFF on the inflexible character that is DW and his mostly incompetent staff.
C’mon folks, this is COLLEGE FOOTBALL, NOT the Freaking NFL (where the philosophy and schemes utilized might make some goddamn sense due to relatively equal distributions of talent on both sides of the ball).)
I, for one, am not complaining.
For the recruits sake, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!
(Just kidding).
Consists of (I am sure there are other things but primarily):
Recruiting
Discpline
Gameplanning
Execution (including in-game adjustments, play calling, motivation)
IMHO–Wanny & crew do only one thing well
Recruiting….
I don’t want to hear any of the “I figured they were a 7-5 team before the season started…” talk
This team came out flat and lost badly to a team we dominated (cincy)
Two converted fake Punts in one game is truly a lack of preparation…
Basketball you say?
Good part, there didn’t appear to be that many people in the crowd to see it.
Also, Pitt loses to someone they should beat (Ohio last year).
Today, these two things crossed paths.
It REALLY sucks to be a USF grad student and a Pitt fan right though!
According to much of the post game, the slowness of the O line showed today. I agree that the coaching did not adjust to the situation yet again.
Two weeks of preparation and this is the result? Time for Paul Rhodes to be shown the door. If for no other reason that he gets the least out of the talent available, not to mention all of his other shortcommings.
And I hope Matt Cavanaugh spends some time this off season with the Florida offensive staff, or Steve Spurrier or something. The offense is awful.
The Darrel Strong finger was not only distastful, but utterly stupid. He should be done for the year.
Coach W’s honneymoon is over, and an offseason of the same ol staff and same ol playbook will mire us as a perpetual also ran.
At least the other games you could see effort, there was no effort today.
I guess the last couple weeks underscore just how much bad or uneven college football there is out there (Central Florida, Toledo). Far too many “Division I” programs, probably. The same 30 elite or so get all the good players and the rest of us (yes, we’re definitely the dregs) fight for the leftovers.
As Beano Cook often says, we only have maybe 3 players Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame etc would want. Palko, Revis, Dickerson.
Jim Leavitt doesn’t take this much crap from fans when the Bulls lose. Could it be lower expectations for his team plus the fact that there is a much lower profile for the Bulls in their hometown than there is for the Panthers in their’s?
It’s just funny how we go from “DW’s the best thing to happen to Pitt and is leading us in the right direction!” three weeks ago to where we are now, where people are saying he can’t even recruit let alone coach.
The guy said himself, even when we were winning, that this is a work in progress. I still give him some more time. He’s trying to build a program from the ashes of the shit recruits Walt Harris left him.
And when Pitt has 14 straight losing seasons, THEN I’ll compare them to the Pirates.
God and I thought I was being negative and harsh on Pitt to anyone who would listen to me today!!!
I’m drunk, I’m going to sleep.
It’s obvious we have weaknesses, and it will take time to correct those. I couldn’t watch or listen to the game yesterday, so I won’t pretend to have the full measure of frustration and disappointment that you guys do, but can any of us truly say we are completely surprised that we are 6-3 at this point. No, it’s where we thought we would be, regardless of how bad we feel about it.
That said, I do agree that DW has to realize that the college game is inherently different that the Pro game. In college 2 or 3 guys can be difference makers, so you have to play to those strengths. If he continues to be as stubborn as he’s shown so far we could be in for some more disappointment. Or, he could be recruiting to fit his philosophy and it could work out. He has to take a self-critical look at this program in the off season and make some changes. He would be well served to contact some other coaches that have come from the Pro ranks to have success in college and really ask for their advice. Again though, I feel we have to give him time before we tie him to the stake and light the fire under it.
Was happy to see the quick suspension after Strong’s bullshit last night though.
you are right, some of us really thought 9-3 would be possible because of the fast start. The end is not near, but if they find a way to lose to UConn next week, then this season is not a step forward.
But, and its a big point, other coaches have come into situations where unrealistic (I think) expectations have been put on them, have stumbled and then done well over the years. Dokish had a long and well written article that was critical (in the literal sense) of DW’s ability to adapt and succeed in the college ranks. It was hard to read, but he did point out certain issues that should be addressed in the program.
I have some faith in DW, and if nothing else know that PITT football will provide what it is meant to do – be fun to follow, elicit emotional responses from its fans and create a basis for differences of opinion to be discussed among its followers. Sure has done that this year!
