Four basketball games in six days. Thanksgiving thrown in. No wonder it’s been a while since there have been any football posts for a while.
Today’s game decides whether the football posts for the rest of the year are only about recruiting, speculation on which assistant coaches will be pursuing other opportunities and picking apart all that went poorly this year. Or whether there gets to be some discussion of one more opponent, whether the extra practices and such are a good thing or just coach/teamspeak, the bowl system and complaints of too many bowl games tossed in as well.
I’m hoping for the broader range of topics, but I’m not overly optimistic.
There’s no sugarcoating the futile history Pitt has had at Miami: last road win versus the Canes was in 1963; 0-11-1 since. To say nothing of the overall horrid history of eight straight losses and sixteen of the last seventeen meetings. The 9-23-1 series history. Let’s just agree that there is not a lot for Pitt to hang its hat on when it comes to saying anything regarding Miami.
Virginia was able to shock Miami last week, but Virginia had something Pitt does not — a defense. Specifically a defense with a very strong D-line that was able to bring lots of pressure on the QB and contain Duke Johnson.
Instead, Pitt has to play smart. They have to do what they haven’t done this year against good teams.
“We have to come to play,” Vinopal said. “I think we can match up well, but it’s going to be depending on what (Pitt) team shows up.”
Pitt’s defense ranked fourth nationally at one point before the schedule toughened and the Panthers allowed 1,050 yards in three games before recovering against a weak Syracuse team Saturday.
“Obviously, you hear from the outside, ‘It was Syracuse. Their offense isn’t good,’ ” Vinopal said.
“But the bottom line is if guys are in their spot, they are in their spot. When guys aren’t in their spot, that’s when teams make plays. If the team shows up that has the guys in the spots they need to be in, we are going to be fine.”
Avoid mistakes, play with intensity for the entire game, and basically embrace every cliche out there.
James Conner is still an unknown for the game. Really no word all week about him. The fact that he does not appear to have practiced much (any?) during the week is not promising.
Game is at 7pm on ESPN2.
Trouble is that he also is being visited this week by the likes of PSU, Mich St and one or two 0thers.
If Connors was healthy add at least another 10 to 14 points.
Pitt ought to create a “Iron Mike” award and award it to the nastiness and productive player during the year. My vote 2014 “Conner’s”.
The good (but need more) Pitt has areas that we have had excellent players and it appears they are continuing. OL few teams have been so dominate as Pitt. NFL Hall of Famers and one or two NFL recruits a year.
Running backs from Dorsett,Richars, McCoy, and now Connors.
Wide recivers – 70 and 80’s then Fritz, Baldwin, and now Boyd who each had QB’s that force them to levels of physical acrobatics because of their ineptness at their position (Rutherford, Tino, Chad). Like Fritz consider the number of TD’s Boyd would have if he did not have to go to his knees to catch a pass when he is wide open in a zone. Being honest Voylick costs Pitt 2 TDs a game by his weak and inaccurate arm.
If he could put some zip on the ball and hit Boyd in stride, he is uncanny in getting open Pitt would score at least 30 to 40 a game.
Bad part I’ll even take the defensive breakdowns because they played with intensity.
Coaching: At the end of the game when Pitt had the ball hiking the ball at 12 or 15 seconds on the on the snap count gave them 2 minutes, snap at 5 seconds.
Best overall game Pitt played this year hope carry into bowl
Graduated from Pitt in 76. We should get together after Christmas. Going back to PA the 3rd week in Dec. Wish we could watch the bowl game together but I won’t be back in OK until Jan. 3.
Anybody who is good and wants early playing time on our D, Pitt is it! Hopefully Hamilton will get this by LOI signing day.
A real Team player.
Who gets into the HOF first, Revis or Fitz?
Armed Forces Bowl in Dallas:
Only he and Nick Saban have won 9 games 7 years in a row. Plus he’s from the Youngstown coaching syndicate.
Go get him !
Looks like we can’t go to the Pinstripe Bowl???
Tiers or something.
Disappointing, was looking for Pitt-PSU match up.
Have read they want ND anyhow for NYC.
You can have ND, I know some fans, Uncles and cousins, and they travel to the ND bowl games, I’d say 75% of the time.
Already said they aren’t even considering going anywhere with ND after the debacle against
USC.
Saw Pitt vs. Illinois at the Ford Bowl??? Quick Lane Bowl I guess it’s called.
If I can’t have Pitt-PSU please at least give us a game against another Power 5 conference team.
No Southwestern St or Delaware Urban.
Just not up for that.
I know there were a couple people (and I understand their point), that maybe it would have been better for Pitt to lose to initiate and expedite change.
Don’t worry about that one iota.
If, if, big if, if Chryst was or is going to fire House, this game will not change that at all.
Same big if. If Chancellor Gallagher was/is going to do something with Scchhhteve, this will not change a thing.
If Gallagher was/is going to do something after the season, the decision has already been made in his mind awhile back, and a win against Miami and even a bowl game win will not effect that at all.
He saw the yellow seats during the year, especially against Syracuse. He sees are other 16 sports sans hoops been languishing for years.
So, enjoy the win over Miami in S.Florida, won’t change anything that was/is going to happen.
Hey, if Chryst could do with the D what he’s done with the O, we could have a decent team.
He still needs to recruit better, and Cornhole’s gotta go!!
But, I’m still enjoying that win for awhile.
Never thought we could beat Miami, in Miami.
Good Pitt team, bad Pitt team, good Miami team, bad Miami team, didn’t think it would be in the
cards no matter what.
Fans are funny too, including myself.
My Notre Dame cousins and uncles want Kelly’s ass gone NOW!!!
How about this, my Penn St. sister, neices and nephews are questioning Franklin, and aren’t so sure about him.
They aren’t quite saying fire him, but disappointed, and believe the coaching staff has screwed up Hackenberg.
We’re all a funny lot!!!
and I’ll throw in Matt House & Riverboat Paulie.
Toad’s traveling circus must be happy in Arizona, for now. I wonder what his next dream job is, Florida?
Having fun thinking about a Pelini led Pitt team next year with a new AD – I can dream, can’t I.
The question of whether the Tar Heels might consider declining an invitation to a bowl had been raised in recent weeks amid a mediocre season and the NCAA’s continuing investigation into how athletes benefited from no-show paper classes in the African Studies department.
**too funny, Tarhole’s AD is named Bubba **
Beating Da U is special!
link to cbssports.com