Well, it could be worse. At least Pitt isn’t involved in an ongoing academic scandal that could impact its basketball and football program. Oh, and now losing a top fundraiser because he started taking trips with the mother of a former basketball star of the school on said school’s dime. Yeesh.
The new depth chart for the VT game is out, and there are a few changes (PDF, page 3). No, not to the QB. Going to have to let that one go for another week, people.
Bryan Murphy will start at DE on the other side of T.J. Clemmings. Jack Lippert will now back-up Clemmings and redshirt freshman Devin Cook will be behind Murphy. Shayne Hale has dropped off the two-deep. Jarred Holley is back as the only starter but at strong safety. Ostensibly he shared the starting free safety spot with Andrew Taglianetti in the first two games, but he was out on the field for the entire Cinci game. Jason Hendricks has moved in front of Ray Vinopal (who simply hasn’t looked good in the games) to be the starter at the free safety. (Honestly, I don’t know if that was some sort of typo in the 2-deep with regards to free and strong safety listings.)
Ronald Jones dropped off the two-deep at WR, with Josh Brinson in his place. And that is the extent of any changes to the 2-deep.
Don’t think the defense hasn’t been really bad so far? In two games this is what the defense has done:
- 65 points allowed
- 8-8 on scoring opportunities in the red zone
- 845 yards in total offense
- 382 passing yards
- 463 rushing yards
- 1 sack
- 0 interceptions
- 0 fumbles
Pathetic only begins to describe the defense’s performance to date. No pressure up front. No contain in the middle. No coverage behind. Waiting for the blame to fall on Sunseri for this as well in 3… 2… 1…
From a notes piece at the end of last week. As much as this season may be done. There really aren’t a lot of changes to the line-up that can help for this year. One more reason why the more the losses pile-up, the more likely the line-up changes that will have to happen will be about the future.
So, after being unable to handle a dual-threat QB in Cinci, a bigger version comes to Heinz Field on Saturday. Great.
Go figure. It’s frustrating to only move the ball between the 20s.
Recruiting better is always the hope for the future. But you still have to coach and try to win with what you have now.
Over in Wisconsin, they reacted to two games of bad times with the O-line by firing their new O-line coach.
When UW coach Bret Bielema hired [Mark] Markuson in the offseason, it was considered to be a coup at the time. Markuson spent the last 14 years coaching offensive lines in the Southeastern Conference at Arkansas and Mississippi. Since 2003, he coached six different players who earned All-America honors.
But Markuson had big shoes to fill, following Bob Bostad, who was regarded as one of the best offensive line coaches in college football. Bostad originally left after last season to go to the University of Pittsburgh, after former UW offensive coordinator Paul Chryst was named the head coach there. Bostad left Pitt after a short time to become an NFL offensive line coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Markuson and some of the team’s veteran linemen admittedly had problems adapting to each other during spring practices, but both sides said the situation got better during preseason camp.
However, UW’s inability to run the ball in the first two games may have uncovered deeper issues that UW’s players were not adjusting well to Markuson’s schemes and techniques.wise.
It does seem like a panic move after two games — though Bielema stressed that he slept on the matter. An interesting counterpoint, though, raised by Big Ten Blogger Matt Hasty. By taking this kind of action, it was a rare admission by a coach that the coaching was the problem more than the players or “execution.”
The one thing I will say about it for Pitt and Coach Chryst. He just saw his friend and former boss make a tough call by pulling the trigger and firing a coach that — in his mind — wasn’t able to do the job. That is another part of being the head guy. Chryst went out and hired people he’s known or has personally been recommended to him by friends and family. Will he be able to/willing to see which coaches are not doing the job or will he just conclude it was in the execution by the players?
Sunseri to start against VaTech. Unfortunately no surprise here. Expecting to see Anderson enter the game with the play package. Voytik’s opportunity will come the next game if Anderson does not perform well.
Chryst would never tip his hand on this one pretty much the way he is with everythihg else.
Pretty certain one thing we won’t see this year is a coaching change.
Chryst is the antithesis of a guy who’s going to make a “panic move.”
as far as letting people go there is an adjustment period for everyone here so lets have some patients here, I had high hopes for this team but I strongly feel the move to the ACC will help recruiting and Pitt can be a power again and being in a STABLE conferance will help with that give PC a chance lets see what happens before heads start to roll
If you want a laugh.. read Werner article in PG… he says the DB’s have shined in the 1st two games!!! lol
I wrote both an email… good job to DiPaolo..
are you kidding me… do you have a clue about football type of email to Werner..
DB’s shine… lmao
Did you watch the games?
Do you know anything about football?
YSU… 14 for 24, 154 yds, 3 TD’s
Cincy.. 14 for 28, 205 yds, 2 TD’s
The DB’s never in press coverage… short stuff open alll day long.
They stay soooo far off the ball because they are slow, slow, slow… and can’t keep up with WR’s.
Please stop with the stories on DB’s are the strength of the team… obviously they are not. This story seems to have been repeated by you several times. What… nothing else to write… EJ didn’t put out a press release for you to cut and paste.
Frankly, the entire defense is poor.
If the DB’s are as good as advertised… you go 1v1… press coverage… 1 man as safety and load the box and pressure the QB on pass plays and stop the run.
The defensive plan is micky mouse… High School teams have better plans
Terry Smith of Gateway does a great job promoting his players to rivals and scout, etc.
I have yet to see a Gateway player be a BCS D1 starter.
According to PG+, BeeJay Anya is visiting Pitt this weekend after Dixon paid a vist at Anya’s home last week.
“I attribute it to the multiple head coaches in a short period of time,” he said. “That’s hurt them, the inconsistency there.”
The above quote says it all. It explains why Pitt is in the shape it is and to some extent why Wisky is struggling this year.
Change is just as hard and mostly more hard on young people as it is on adults. Bringing the thought forward to Pitt it is self-evident and magnified with the ship adrift at sea football program which Pitt has been for the last 30+ years…
1. As a poster above mentioned, HCPC is not one to make panic moves. The staff will be addressed in the off-season but making a change right now would be premature and would not solve much.
2. I also think HCPC is likely getting another QB ready to play a few series very soon. He will not come right out and say it but he knows the importance of getting another QB reps given what we have seen so far.
3. I wish Jones could get more involved in the offense. Our offense does not have a lot of room for the small, speedy WRs (CAM already has that spot for this season) but he did make some very nice plays last year and showed some of the “play-making” skills that most of the other WRs do not have. That said, just because Brinson jumped ahead of him on the depth chart doesn’t mean Jones will not see the field.
4. I root for Tino because he is our QB and I truly believe he loves the University the same as most of us do. He was bad last year (I know, stating the obvious) and he has not been very good this year (although I do not think he has been the biggest of our problems by any means). Now, however, is a great time for HCPC to work in another QB. In 2010, Tino was servicable. In 2011, he was bad but given the system and many other things, we had no other options. This year, with an awful 0-2 start (likely 0-3) and younger guys behind him that HCPC needs to evaluate, it is a perfect time to get someone else work. Maybe not against VaTech but certainly against GW. I’m not a Tino basher like some but it would be a easily justifable move to better the team for the future.
5. How did the Pirates lose that game last night?!
But when you look, it appears as though each time he was fired because he ended up taking a assistant coaching position elsewhere.
Western Kentucky – 1989
Georgia Tech – 96-97
NC – 02-03
UCF – 08-10
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/huxtable_dave00.html
There is a reason he was fired from DC job… it’s not like he took a DC job elsewhere or bigger school.
DC has to go…
He chose to leave UCF for UW.
I can’t believe that T.J. Clemmings is starting this week. He must be an excellent, quick healer. Since after that unnecessray personal foul penalty that he took and the resulting wrath that came down on him from Coach Chrsyt, I just figured it was going to take at least a couple weeks to heal up from that new a$$hole that Chryst ripped for him on the sideline last Thursday.
explain why Huxtable took a demotion in title (and probably pay) 4 times!!
It makes not sense him going to Wisky after UCF… maybe clash with HC… who knows..
but the resume doesn’t look good when you peel back the onion.
also, the majority of Pitt’s problems are on the defense… not just player personal… but game plan, agressiveness, etc.
There seems to be two schools of thought or camps regarding Sunseri at this point. Those of us (like me) who think his chaotic play and lack of credible, consistent big play threat undermine the team overall, both strategically and motivationally — putting undue stress on the D and vacating the spirit of the team; and those of us who think he is good enough but getting no help from any of his teammates, O or D, aside from Ray Graham and perhaps one or two other guys.
Many of the guys who won 8 or 6 games (nothing to brag on but looking better than 2-10 potentially) with us the past two years are still here, along with some promising looking underclassmen, so the odds are its usually one guy who changes (or in Tino’s case, stays the same) versus a whole slew of guys changing…for the worse. Could be wrong, but I doubt it. I think teams have just studied Tino’s body of work the past two years and have really keyed in on how to shut him and our offense down — give him the short quick outs, dare him to throw deep or down the middle, and stuff the run and pressure the heck out of him. Low and behold, our offense blows.
Of those 12 NFL caliber quarterbacks, Pitt typically faces 0-1 each year. Zero last year. The point is that most college qb’s are like our qb. We don’t see it because our defense is conservative when it needn’t be. As such, the defense needs to sell out to stop the run and let the qb beat them if they can. Load the box, use run blitz packages to stop the run first and pressure the qb and get turnovers. Constant pressure causes turnovers.
When can we compare resume’s between the top10 AD’s and ours? If you take an hour and do it, you will see that ours does not belong in FCS company. Hey Joe, instead of emailing Nordy, the trib and PG, can you get a list of Pitt’s largest donors, so we can get that change facilitated?
But just when you think he’s “clueless” you find out beneath the “jovial” facade he is a master tactician.
Seems PC had a reason for taking the timeout into the lockerroom according to a story by Werner of the Post Gazette.
“I don’t think you need the timeout as much for stoppage of the clock as it is kind of an insurance policy,” Chryst said. “If someone’s helmet comes off or we jump offside, anything like that, then we would have the ability to buy out of the 10-second runoff.” — Paul Chryst
Don’t remember anyone on this blog mentioning this. I surely didn’t think of it.
Unfortunately, the one thing Chryst didn’t figure on was Tino’s inability to fire the ball at one of the two receivers open in the endzone instead of lofting the ball over the goal post.
Is there anyone who thinks Wanny would have calculated the same contingency plan in his head?
Give us the top ten positives on this team (coaches or players).
I am interested to see what you see as the positives.
Myself..
Pitts and Grigsby are showing great potential. Pitts will be a star.
Gordan showed up last week.
Graham and the running game.
The coaches made the adjustment and are now starting the correct safties.
Tino’s play….just kidding, that is just so hard to resist
It may be frustrating, bothersome and odd, but Chryst’s comments after two embarassing loses have exemplified a Coach refusing to throw any of his players under the bus.
Rewind… same situation a year ago… and Graham would have not only thrown Sunseri under the bus he would have held him down beneath the front tires.
One of the things I did like about Graham’s team last year was the improvement on the D side of the ball.
Not an excuse for everything…just a thought.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQObWW06VAM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_TkEgydyZY
Sugar Hill Gang from the 70′s, “Jump on it” others have covered, above Fresh Prince had an episode with Will Smith doing it.
Kids would go crazy!!! Especially with a little grape in them!!
This is not “Jump Around” at Wisky. This is a different song. Maybe someone allready does it??
Though, we have to get more than 27 students, and 100 fans in the stadium for anything to be fun.
Nevermind!!
@wally, people at work I almost had cajoled some people at work into Va Tech, but after YSU and Cincy, that’s gone. I haven’t even brought the subject up again, and I think they’re happy I haven’t??
The family may be going up to Indiana, Pa. for some “welcome Autumn” thing.
I may be sitting in 4 seats by myself.
And, quite frankly, I’m just lookin’ for an excuse not to go.
No Steve, Nordy or Ath Dept., not one of those threats. I’m tired, just tired of it all.
Probably end up going I guess.
Wanny would never have lined up in a spread formation and put it in the QB’s hands. he would have kicked it, being risk averse.
be to up set if we do.
but if we should lose the next game to gardner
webb well all bets are off we will meet on
the six street bridge hold hands cry hail to
pitt peterson sucks AND JUMP OFF THE DAM BRIDGE TOGETHER stay calm.
Can’t control it, we’re all humans, put the info in, and your thoughts and feelings come out.
My fire for yelling and bitching is gone.
I’m somewhat suprised, at my lack of interest, as opposed to all the other years when I’ve been pissed.
Definitely got a feel of dis-interest about me.
First, I can’t come up with 10 positives.
1. Ray Graham starting to look like his ole self.
2. Pitt cheerleaders look good.
3. I like Sweet Caroline.
4. I like the Pitt Panther website… Bostic does a great job.
5. I liked with Chryst reamed Clemmings a new a$$hole.
6. I like that Chryst suspended players and holding them accountable for their actions.
Thats about all I can come up with so far.
Dan you are just shell shocked it will pass.ave
Have a T BONE a few drinks a pice of cheese cake
take your shoes off and post on line here tonight and you will be a new man in the morning
dont let the bastaeds get you dowm
god save the queen o wait we dont have a queen.
thats ok i like saying that any way hell when you are old you can say what you want ever one knows i am not all there any way.
.
we all know you like tino so that is 8 joke.
Interesting that you did not mention on your “top 10″ (deficient version thereof) the location of your season tickets. Since you know so much about Pitt football, you must be a season ticket holder, a member of the Alumni Association and a member of the Panther Club — correct?
7. The watch party on the Pete lawn was pretty cool.
8. Johnson, Foster and Boyd haven’t committed to another school yet.
9. The Pitt v. VaTech game is on ESPNU for us out-of-towers to watch…but the rest of the country likely won’t tune in and see us get destroyed.
10. Penn State is 0-2 also
Best I can do!
Tino throws a good field goal.
Does anyone really question the calls from our head coach? I mean really? He has not done anything egregious in my mind. The only negative comes from the lack of pressure and turnovers caused by our defense. Pressure and more pressure in the college game works. See note about not many high caliber nfl draft choices at the qb position each year and…we don’t usually play against them!
But let me point something out, which I think has to at least temper the criticism of Nordenberg a little.
The Guardian, in the UK, just published its list of the top universities in the world for 2012. Pitt was number 98. In the world. In the f’n world. Above such schools as Vanderbilt, Dartmouth, Georgetown, Emory, Syracuse, Virginia, USC, Cal-Davis, Wake Forest, and least but certainly not last, State Penn/Penn State. Not to mention, a host of prestigious schools outside the U.S. Now that is someone’s opinion, for sure. But, nevertheless, that is something every alumnus can take pride in. That is what we are about. And lest I diminish my standing as a nabob of negativism, that is what is supposed to be important when it comes to anything related to a college. That is why the ACC, clearly the classiest, albeit perhaps not the most successful football conference, wanted Pitt and Syracuse, and not WVU and its drinkin’, ramblin’ and gamblin’ athletic department.
Steve Petersen has to go. That is clear. He is an abysmal failure as an athletic director. His hopes to survive rest on Jamie Dixon having a final four year, and that is like relying on the Titanic to limp into New York with everyone aboard. But Nordenberg has done great things with this school. In the end, that will pay dividends for the college and the athletic programs. Not sure that will be in our collective lifetimes, but I think it will happen.
Chryst may not work out, ultimately. But I think, unlike his phony predecessor, he deserves a chance. I just do not think anyone, coming from a solid program like Wisconsin, could ever have anticipated the situation at Pitt. He clearly is willing to set limits, and stand by those, even if it costs him games. A refreshing contrast to a guy that gives a one game suspension to a defensive starter that throws a kid through a window.
So I will give him some time, maybe even the 3 years, to sort this out. In the meantime, I would still rather have a Pitt shingle on my wall, than Penn State, Ohio State, WVU, UConn, Nebraska, or Cincy, and, based on the Guardian’s analysis, a lot of other really good schools.
Well said good sir.
This whole city is in a sports “death spiral” right now. Wouldn’t it be great if our Panthers reversed the trend?
Hail to Pitt!
At quarterback, though, it’s different. I don’t like piling onto everything that’s been said thus far, but I’m having a hard time seeing why Sunseri’s still starting. It’s not that he makes mistakes; it’s that he still makes freshman mistakes despite being a 3rd-year starter. Obviously he has a physical ceiling, but at this point in his career he’s got to make better decisions in clutch situations.
The last play before halftime was a perfect example. The double-pump was terrible; a quick throw-away would likely have left enough time to either kick a FG or (hopefully) take another try at the end zone. Annoying but understandable for a freshman; infuriating and inexplicable for a guy with the experience that Tino has.
I have nothing personal against him, but you have to be wondering why even after all of this, the coaching staff still considers him to be their best option. Obviously our backup QBs have no experience to speak of, but at this point, why not? Can it get any worse than getting worked by an FCS team?
If, and this is a big IF, Tino does have some potential, maybe that’s what he needs to get fired up – and if not, what is there to lose? Insanity is doing the same thing over and over under the same circumstances and expecting different results.
I have been a Pit fan for 40 years and irrational optimism has been my best friend for the last 30 of them.
Go Pitt!
Here is a quote from Chryst from Monday’s presser (and this should apply to last year and this year):
“Everyone is responsible for those sacks. Certainly, the O-line, you have five guys and their job on a pass is to protect. We’ve got backs, where we gave up one where we had both backs in there and both could have taken a hit off of the quarterback after the line did a pretty decent job on it. The quarterback has to get the ball out of his hands. Getting the ball out of his hands means the receivers have to be precise on the routes.”
Yet all you and others of your ilk (and there are many) will read from the abobe is “the QB has to get the ball out of his hand” .. and totally ignore everything else.
I have a friend who says Pitt fans are the biggest idiots going, but I like your explanation of irrational optimism better.
Allthough, we do have the added bonus, of history, beating them the last 3 times.
I think I’ll sit this one out, get a quart of milk, and make like Sherman on Atlanta with those Oreo’s!!!!
Va Tech -10 is another “so obvious”. So, go with Pitt +10.
Nah, I’m just gonna destroy a sleeve or two!!
And that really is the bottom line – there’s just isn’t enough FBS-level talent on this team right now. Just watch the games – slow and sloppy. DW’s recruiting was vastly over-rated, and the last two classes were transitionary. Nothing personal against the guys on the team, I’m sure they are doing their best, but the speed and ability just isn’t there compared to their opponents.
So, people need to consider the notion that if the schemes are simple or vanilla, that it’s because that’s the best approach given the players we have, not because the coordinator can’t dial up anything more sophisticated. We saw that last year, and it wasn’t all because of the change to a spread. And as far as the QB, I’d really like to see Anderson get a chance, but I wouldn’t expect a big upgrade. If you put Voytick in and he isn’t ready, then things not only get worse, but you risk getting him injured for nothing. Frankly, with our O-line you could put Dan Marino in there and we’d still have major problems.
As bad as it’s been, it’s way too early to start calling for the coaches head. And to agree with some of the other posters above, this is still a college football team, not the NFL, and as an alum, I’m more concerned with keeping it that way than winning. Sure, I want to see some success on the field, and I don’t see any reason why that isn’t possible. However, I’m not willing to have Pitt become a jock factory / party school like the so-called “universities” that compete in the BCS every year to do it. I’d rather drop to the FCS than become another WVU or OSU. Top100 in the world as a university means a lot more to me than a Top25 team, and it should to everyone else who actually went to Pitt. It’s a shame that it has to be that way, but that’s the messed up society we’ve created.
Notre Dame joins ACC for all sports except football.
It’s just a matter of time.
Pitt clearly is not a championship caliber team but I think it has plenty of talent to go 9-3 or even 10-2, especially with our schedule. I doubt my ilk thinks a better QB would turn us into ‘Bama or Oklahoma overnight, but it sure as sh#t would turn us into a more competitive, interesting, and hopeful team.
lmao… 9-3 or 10-2 for season… you are dreaming… run the table for the remaining 10 games???
I hope you are not serious…
Have you seen the other teams play? Pitt will be lucky to go 6-6… and quite frankly 4-8 is not out of the question.
Some QBs are more important than others … note that Marino, Fouts, A Manning never won a Super Bowl but Mark Rypien, Trent Dilfer, and Jeff Hoffstetler did — and that is the NFL where the rules pretty much mandate that you have a passing QB!!
Chryst will be with Pitt for 5 years…
My thought of being on a 3yr short lease I think is wrong.
Lets hope Pederson strongly suggests assistant coaching changes… Pederson did that before.
Wbb — I’d take Rypien, Dilfer, and Hostettler any day of the week…all were EXCELLENT college QBs and high draft picks. Regarding Marino and Fouts, sure they never got a Super Bowl ring but they racked up alot of wins for their teams and were widely respected by their peers. Can we say any of those things for both sets of QBs about Tino?
Pitt is hard pressed to win 6 games regardless of who the QB is….
It’s the defense that is the most problematic!!
Did you watch the game?
I like your optimism… but… C’mon man.
some consider me as a pessimist… I consider myself a realist.
Levels of international achievement as a body, but one glaring area of underachievement.
As I put it…PITT DESERVES BETTER THAN PEDERSON.
Two weeks is pure panic. How long has Pitt given Pederson? So there is both ends of the spectrum. Too short and far too long.
As for our Panthers. The longest journey they say begins with the smallest step and your article here suggests a journey for Mr. Jones that will conclude with his departure from the team. Suspended week 1 and of the depth chart week 3. Next stop, ASU?
You win football games one play at a time and that is where Pitt finds itself….one play at a time. Same is true with the coaches…one big play (like a run straight up the gut) will negate 5 good plays. One bad call will do the same.