BC is coming off a sound drubbing of UMass and starts their second year under Steve Addazio. A surprisingly strong debut season that reversed a 2-10 2011 to get them to 7-5 and a bowl bid. This year, the rebuilding is really expected to happen, but the strong debut of QB Tyler Murphy — transfer from Florida — gives some hope to the Eagles fans of not having to bottom out while rebuilding
Eagle in Atlanta is one of the longest running college blogs out there. The proprietor, Bill and I worked together at AOL FanHouse back in the day. Bill is also the guy who warned me that the initial hire of Todd Rice as the S&C coach would not work out so well. So he gets credit for nailing that one.
We exchanged some questions and answers. You can find my responses here.
Bill’s answers are below the fold.
1. There are coaches that have their narratives set for them, regardless of reality. Noel Mazzone only recently seemed to have dug out of his characterization by Michael Lewis in the “Blind Side.” Steve Addazio appeared to be one of those guys — lunkhead, basic offense without any imagination — after his time as the OC at Florida thanks to Spencer Hall of EDBS.com fame.Yet, this was the same guy that when he wasn’t hired at UConn so pissed off a rich booster that he pulled his money for a while. What kind of coach is Steve Addazio — at least from the BC perspective?
Like a lot of cliches and reputations, Addazio’s is accurate on the surface but probably glosses over some of his lessor known skills. It is true the Florida fans hated him, but show me any team that loves their OC — especially when he had to follow in the footsteps of Dan Mullen and his National Championship run. Plus so much of the genius of what happened in Florida was attributed to Urban Meyer, the fans needed someone to point the finger at when things didn’t work. But Addazio’s rah rah, in your face enthusiasm and his love for running the ball are well earned. He did it at Temple and is doing it at BC. I know people who had him as their P.E. teacher back in Cheshire Connecticut 25 years ago and they say he was the same way then.
But there are some finer points about Addazio that do get missed. He’s more analytical than given credit for (in his approach to recruiting and game management). Every once in a while his facade falls in an interview or press conference and you realize, this guy actually does think and is not just a bull in a China Shop or a dumb Gym Teacher. In fact I am sure many Pitt fans watched Chryst and Addazio on ESPN 2 during the National Championship Game. Addazio spotted a fake punt coming and also called out a few other things along the way to show that he’s either smart or very instinctive about the sport.
I wasn’t thrilled with the initial hire but so far, he’s been better than I hoped and was probably the right guy to clean up after the Spaz mess.
2. Statistically BC dominated UMass nearly as well as Pitt did to Delaware. The glaring exception being that BC had to settle for 4 field goals. Since I am too lazy and time constrained to go back and watch the BC-UMass game, what happened and how much is the failing to finish drives a concern going forward?
Penalties killed a couple of drives. That is a concern, but not a major one. The concern I do have is that BC lacks talent in the skill positions. Anyone can grind out a few yards behind a good offensive line. Plus Murphy showed he can do enough to move the ball. But if BC is going to be effective, we need a few guys to make plays downfield and turn a 5-6 yard gain into a 20 yard TD run. I think there is some talent, but it is still all coming together. We have transfers, guys and new positions and freshmen. No one really knows what to expect. I think a few will turn out to be playmakers. Until then, it will probably be a lot of long drives behind BC’s line.
3. Tyler Murphy! Tyler Murphy! All I hear is Tyler Murphy! At least after the first game. Is there anyone else on the BC offense that Pitt fans should be aware of? How about on the defense?
Murphy carried the team, so he is a natural focal point. Our sophomore RBs Willis and Rouse will both get plenty of touches. Neither are the powerback that Andre Williams was, but both showed flashes last year. Our WRs are big. Almost just skinny Tight Ends. Of those, I would say converted QB Josh Bordner is still the one to watch.
On Defense, the whole DLine played well and is where BC had the most success Saturday. They will obviously be the key to slowing down Pitt’s run game.
4. The oddsmakers have swung the line from BC to pick-em to Pitt so far. I am assuming you will be picking BC to get the home win. How do they do it?
I am hoping the short week and the home game helps BC. I also think it will be close and see BC winning by being better at shutting down Pitt’s running game than Pitt is at shutting down BC’s. My guess is BC wins 27-20.
I like me some Tyler Boyd flavored Kool-Aid please.
This team has something to prove and they will on Friday night. I see us winning by at least 2 TDs and a big night for Tyler Boyd, James Connor and the OL with the D making big plays as well. It’s no longer “Same old Pitt” this is a new era. Pass that koolaid, its gonna be hot down here in Hoopieland today. H2P!
In 2011 when our offense was anything but high octane, our best two offensive outings were 2 home games — a Thursday night vs USF when Ray Graham put on a show and a Wednesday night vs UConn when TS1 had an ‘average’ night.
I find this game somewhat unpredictable — what do we really know about both teams after having played such inferior teams? We will certainly know more about them after the game.
I am always afraid of athletic QBs — and still have nightmares of Russell Wilson. I guess as a Pitt fan, I am always prepared for the worst — a learned trait.
PSU, WVU and Syr have both announced new non-con opponents. Pitt need to start filling out theirs.
ditto Bill Hurley
’15: at Akron, at Iowa, at ND
’16: PSU, at Ok St, Nova
’17: at PSU, Ok St
we also play PSU in ’18 and ’19
IF ND is considered an ACC game, does that mean Pitt still needs to schedule 2 OCC games for next season?
ND does have to play 5 ACC games a year, I think it’s 4 this year, but after that it will be 5 a year.
So, they don’t count as a conference game in the standings.
Either way, from what I can see, we have 11 games scheduled next year, so they still need one more game to fill the schedule.
Can you imagine if we get Clemson one of those years?? What a schedule!!
Guess they picked up an extra one next year to compensate for only 4 this year.
Must have been a scheduling conflict.
link to pittsburghpanthers.com
We get Clemson in 2016, so yes, PSU at home and Clemson away on the same schedule
I’d like to see Penn State and Navy every year.
And FWIW, ND is HOME next year.
That disaster will be Tyler Murphy going down with an injury. I’m not wishing negative karma on the guy but when a team has to hitch their entire offensive aspirations to a one horse operation it usually is only a matter of time until that pony comes up lame, or worse. When that happens this ship starts sinking fast.
Pitt by comparision, has an entire playbook to explore simply to discover the best plays to utilize the untapped talent at hand. As I previously suggested, look out for that first double reverse that the Panthers finally spring on a defense that has been keying on stopping our star player, Tyler Boyd. Imagine the surprise on the faces of the half dozen defensive players flowing with the decoy Boyd just as Ronald Jones is firing up the after burners heading in the opposite direction while receiving the hand off from Tyler. That’s going to be an “oh $hit” defensive moment if there ever was one.
And when exactly does Coach Chryst finally go to one of his favorite positions of confidence and begin utilizing our stable of TEs to their untested full potential?
And while many Panther fans are concerned about how long it is going to take for Chryst to mold Chad Voytik into the prototypical pocket passer, I’m just patiently awaiting Coach Chryst unveiling the playbook package that works to Chad’s actual forte of being a quick mobile QB that can beat outside LBs to the corner while having the option to get rid of the ball over the top to guys in the unguarded flats in the secondary.
I think that we’ll all be discussing how bad a football team BC is come Saturday morning, not so much because the Eagles are a bad team, but rather that Pitt just made them looked bad.
That’s the appearance displayed when a one demensional offensive team gets shut down and then has to deal with the opponents offensive unit that is bringing out stuff that was never shown on film from the week before.
Fear not Panther Faithful, as I’ve said before, I don’t really know who these guys are just yet, but one thing I know they are NOT is the “same old Pitt”! My prediction, Pitt wins by 14.
If they are going to continue to schedule those games, why don’t they just have Robert Morris or Duquesne come to Heinz to kick off the season? At least they’d be supporting a LOCAL athletic department. Instead of kicking a half mil into Delaware’s coffers.
ALWAYS respect your opponent. It’s only been 24 months since we got our asses pecked to death by a hoard of angry penguins, for crying out loud.
Yeah, Nova the creampuff, NOT!
And that result probably speaks more to the returning talent on Syracuse than it does anything else.
Just would rather see Power 5, Navy, and ND for the OCC schedule… and completely remove FCS opponents. You want to play those guys, bring them in for a scrimmage on the South Side.
I’ve said it before, this is a huge game and a classic pitt shit the bed game. I think pitt will win but I say it with little authority because we really have no idea. This is the youngest team in the country we’re talking about.
Dr Tom—-I agree with your prediction with one “but.” A young team. Away game. Short week. National TV. If we get rattled and behind, it will test our boys. Of course, we will have the “blue & gold boxers” karma on our side.
H2P
Pitt and BC played teams last week with virtually no chance
of winning. As a result very difficult to forecast winner
of the game tomorrow night. Pitt has disappointed us so
many times.
This is a classic trap game for Pitt.
Having said that, the only thing that worries me with BC is their storehouse of trick plays. Somewhere in the 80’s Pitt was killing BC at Pitt Stadium everywhere but the scoreboard. BC had fourth and 7 from the BC 46 and faked a punt….Pitt was so confused that many on the team were blocking for the punter as he raced untouched for the TD. BC won on that play.
Folks, Pitt can lose this game! Be careful and have respect for BC.
From Sam Werner – Post Gazette interview of Michael Vega of the Boston Globe…
********
No one expected Addazio to do what he did in his first year at BC, taking a team that had won just two games in 2012 and turning it into a seven-game winner that earned its first bowl berth since 2010. He exceeded all expectations.
********
Addazio will have his Eagles ready. Need a FLAWLESS game from Voytik (as in No Ints) among other things.
Can you imagine, PSU, Clemson, Oklahoma St.
all in the same year.
Hopefully, we keep building the program up and are a regular top 20 team by then.
Let’s hope he gets it.
That being said, this game will be decided by two factors, after having watched BC-UMass. BC did not run up the middle with success, even against UMass’ line who I think we can reasonably say is worse than ours. Everything they did well was to the edge, which means our highly questionable DEs need to be good, and the OLBs need to be even better. BC used their WR/TEs in motion to help seal the edge. If we lose control of the edge, we lose this game because they’re gonna have the ball for 42(!) minutes like they did against UMass.
On BC’s side, their DBs are highly suspect. They didn’t look fast enough to stick with any of our guys, not just Boyd. If Jones, Boyd, Garner, and Orndoff etc. can pick up 4/5 yards consistently on pass plays this is going to get out of hand. And if Voytik can connect on a moderately deep route, Boyd and Jones are going to dramatically out run BCs DBs.
Im looking for a 21-17 type win for Pitt.
With the exception of our one 10 game win season in 2009, Pitt has been bad to mediocre for so long that that IS their current persona. Even our “important” bowl game against the MAC Champion was downplayed by many as “meaningless”, just another also ran minor bowl game for a mediocre Panther team.
Unfortunately, that persona is well justified by historical fact, so much so that even the hardened Pitt optimists among us temper our expectations due to the dreaded Pitt letdowns that have been consistantly predictable season after season. Do I have to remind anybody about the Navy game letdown?
Remember, just last week how concerned we were with the spread offense and the talented Delaware WR that our untested young secondary was going to have to attempt to contain, for Pitt to avoid laying an egg in a game that we should win easily.
It’s called conditioning people. Luckly, for this current Pitt team however most of the roster hasn’t been around long enough to realize that they’re supposed to underachieve periodically simply to uphold the mediocre Pitt tradition of the past.
The new leadership, the Boyds, Conners and Galambos of this team aren’t burdened with that conditioning to expect Pitt to $hit the bed. The new blood like James, Maddox and Blair actually believe these guys when Boyd explains to them that Pitt is going to take it to their opponents and not let up until the final gun sounds.
That’s Pitt secret weapon for this season, IMO, “team attitude”. Coach Chryst has been brewing that concoction over the last couple years, beginning by getting rid of the bad apples in the recipe ingredients right from the start. Now he has a potion that might not be quite perfectly aged as of yet but one that will be palatable enough for us Panther Faithful to secure eight wins,if were lucky enough to avoid the injury bug to our key essential players.
I completely understand the veteran Pitt fan’s trepidation, it’s been hard earned by disappointment. Tomorrow prepare to be amazed, it will be alright, might even be fantastic.
So come on Panthers, don’t make me look the kool-aid drinking fool, “show me” what you got!
Hail to Pitt.
Nonetheless, this promises to be a close game that may hinge on turnovers and close plays.
The biggest issue for me is how the young Pitt DEs and veteran OLBs play against the read option, which is major component of BC’s run game.
Perhaps we can get him one step close to that second career tomorrow night. Hope so!
Dr. Tom – keep those positive vibes coming!
I really hope things have changed.
1. Getting pressure on the QB
2. Throwing the ball on third downs
I think they pull out a close one.
The 4 ESPN ACC bloggers all are picking Pitt — I suppose that is a good thing
1. The type of QB & offense that BC runs, considering our past struggles in this area & unproven DC.
2. Per above, pressure from DE positions (Would be nice to see Soto and/or MacLean make an impact).
3. How CV handles his first real start; can he make mid range throws consistently?
I expect a very close game. If Pitt wins handily, which is doubtful imho, this would open up some eyes.
Good write up. For fun I clicked over to the EiA page to read you answers. What I found was a comment page discussing the pluses/minuses of Tom O’Brien. It sounded an awful lot like Pitt fans “discussing” DW and Walt. Nice to see we’re not the only ones!
It was also interesting that the comments of the BC fans sounded a lot like what is being said on the Pitt boards. Just subtitute Pitt players/coaches names for BC players/coaches. The common thread is that neither set of fans have a feel for how good their team is due to a lackluster opponent in game 1.
Put me in the “Classic Time for Pitt to Come Up with A Stinker on National TV” group. But still hoping they prove me wrong – for once!
PITT wins 34-17
Going to see a lot more of the playbook.
Their QB started 6 games at FL last year before being injured. Six games in the SEC. They run outside where we have been traditionally weak. We have always played poorly against good running QB’s with few exceptions (13-9).
Don’t let one game vs Delaware St fool you. This will be a real test. Before the season we knew this would be a big game, things have not changed.
This is as close to a must win game as possible for us. The naysayers will be out in force if we lose. Don’t think that the players and coaches don’t know it.
I do think we have better skill players, let’s hope they show up and play their best.
Beat only Non-Com Toledo, & last years dregs of the SEC – Kentucky,Tennessee & Arkansas.
Florida is a perfect example of having a shit load of 4 & 5 star kids & a horrible coach
