On the heels of breaking into the AP Top 25 at #24, Pitt players and a coach picked up some nice accolades.
In something that has become a regular occurrence, Quadree Henderson picked up his 5th ACC Specialist of the Week honor (yes, it is really called “specialist”).
He earned his latest award by compiling a career-high 257 all-purpose yards against the Orange, averaging an incredible 21.4 yards per touch.
Henderson averaged 18.7 yards on three punt returns (56 yards), 24.5 on four kickoffs (98 yards) and an incredible 20.6 on five rushes (103 yards). He had a 66-yard touchdown burst off a jet sweep to give Pitt a 49-21 lead in the third quarter.
Henderson’s (Wilmington, Del./Alexis I. du Pont) performance helped the Panthers achieve their highest single-game point total since 1977. His five Specialist of the Week awards are the most by an ACC player this season. He was previously honored for his performances in the Penn State, Virginia, Miami and Duke contests.
A highly viable All-America candidate, Henderson has four returns for touchdowns this season, including a nation-leading three on kickoffs. He ranks second in the country in combined kick return yards (1,121), fifth in kickoff return average (31.1) and 11th in all-purpose yards per game (159.75).
I’m assuming the ACC has a Specialist of the Year honor, which Henderson is a shoe-in to get. Along with 1st Team All-ACC recognition.
Nine Pitt players were honored on the 2016 All-ACC Football Team announced today by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA).
The Panthers had four players earn first-team All-ACC honors: junior running back James Conner, sophomore return specialist Quadree Henderson, senior offensive guard Dorian Johnson and senior defensive end Ejuan Price.
Pitt had three players earn second- or third-team recognition: senior offensive tackle Adam Bisnowaty (second team), sophomore safety Jordan Whitehead (second team) and sophomore offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (third team).
Henderson also received Honorable Mention as a wide receiver. Pitt’s additional Honorable Mention selections included senior placekicker Chris Blewitt and senior nose tackle Tyrique Jarrett.
As far as the 1st team All-ACC teams, Clemson led all with 9 players placed in the top group and had 15 total in the voting. Florida State had the second most number of players voted onto the various levels of All-ACC with 12. Pitt was tied with Virginia Tech and Louisville with 9 players.
The four players chosen for 1st Team Honors is tied with FSU for second most among the ACC.
A year after being scapegoated by NC State’s head coach Dave Doeren for the struggles of 2015, Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Canada is a finalist for the Broyles Award.
Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Canada has been named a finalist for the prestigious Broyles Award, annually presented to college football’s top assistant coach, it was announced today.
Canada is one of five finalists for this year’s honor named after Frank Broyles, the legendary former Arkansas head coach and athletic director.
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Canada is the only offensive coordinator among this year’s Broyles finalists. The others — Alabama’s Jeremy Pruitt, Clemson’s Brent Venables, Colorado’s Jim Leavitt and Michigan’s Don Brown — are all defensive coordinators.
The winner will be announced next Thursday.
Doeren may or may not have been on the hot seat at the end of this season, but likely saved any agonizing by NC State officials by closing out the season with a win over North Carolina.
If there is a hallmark of Dave Doeren at NCSt, it is taking action just a bit too soon. And it benefiting Pitt.
He was hired by the Wolfpack after leading Northern Illinois to a BCS Bowl game in 2012 in just his second season there. One of the hotter coaches available at that time.
He took the offer from NCSt, and very likely had buyer’s remorse when Brett Bielema abruptly jumped from Wisconsin to Arkansas. Doeren would have been the natural choice, as he had been the DC at Wisconsin from 2006-2010 and was well regarded there. He would not have been going into a rebuilding job.
Very likely he would still be the Wisconsin head coach, and Paul Chryst would still be Pitt’s head coach. Not to mention, Steve Pederson as the AD. Instead, Wisconsin hired Dave Anderson who left after a couple years for Oregon State. Leading to Chryst going back to Wisky. Pederson being fired mid-coaching search, and Pat Narduzzi becoming Pitt’s head coach.
All because Dave Doeren lept at the first Power 5 conference job that came his way.
No “good” Football Team has EVER given up 61 Points on its worst day… and against a BACKUP Quarterback no less.
Something’s amiss.
However in doing so they ranked 99th in total defense and 127th in passing defense out of 128 FBS schools.
If Pitt Football and its fans want to be nationally recognized, a competent defense must be fielded.
Oklahoma has the 109th worst pass defense and is #8 in the country. You can make up for your deficiencies.
This is not the NFL. Defense will still win championships but good teams come in all shapes and sizes in CFB. They could very well have won the Coastal with this bad defense. It was not the end of the world.
No one wants to see the defensive effort we saw this year but Pitt still wound up 8-4 and had a shot at 10-2. Narduzzi was perfect in favored games and also had a signature win against Clemson.
Next year will have about 3/4 turnover. If we don’t see improvement … then it is time to start raising alarms. Right now though, it is what it is with better talent coming up.
This is nothing new for a Narduzzi lead team. See below.
Narduzzi Pass Defense at MSU:
2007: #41
2008: #60
2009: #114/#120
2010: #69
2011: #25
2012: #7
2013: #9
2014: #24
I would say we are a good football team, but not a great team. We beat two teams in the top ten, and that is pretty great.
And Barvo, we are nationally recognized with an AP top 25.
Yes, our defense is bad but good enough to win 8 games with our exceptional offense.
Congrats to our guys that got the awards. Two guys that got left off the list that were pretty awesome and contributed to our winning season were SOTO, and WEAH who both stood tall somewhat unexpectedly.
What a waste of a redshirt.
Something is amiss here… and it goes back to Navy.
We beat Syracuse by two touchdowns, the 60 points are irrelevant.
Our defense has been weak all year because we don’t have many good players and no depth.
By the way, against Navy our offense really stunk too.
you asked me earlier in the year what my definition of successful would be. personally, i believe the chance to go 9-4 exceeded my expectations. this was just year two for narduzzi.
Canada wasn’t here last year. Narduzzi and Conklin were.
Alas, something “amiss” with the Defense. Goes deeper than just the excuse of NOT having the right Players. This is given the fact that the same Defense holds on against a Clemson but then gives up 61 Points to a Bad Team with a Backup under Center.
What is it exactly? Really not sure.
But there’s a PROBLEM. And it’s one a GOOD Team would not be experiencing.
I would say that the adrenaline was flowing a lot more vs Clemson and not so much for 35 minutes vs. Syracuse. I thought you said you played football.
Good teams rise to the occasion.
They failed the first test against SMU and did a little better against Marquette.
Narduzzi Pass Defense at MSU:
2007: #41
2008: #60
2009: #114/#120
2010: #69
2011: #25
2012: #7
2013: #9
2014: #24
“Past Performance is not Necessarily Indicative of Future Results “
Total Defense has dropped to #99.
We’re actually ranked below Buttgers, if you can believe that.
Nowhere to go …..but up.
It’s crazy. But sports mimics the crazy society that has been created for us.
Still think the jury is out on DC JC. I doubt any other MAC school DBs could play any better D than our MAC guys against the QBs we had scheduled this year – possible exception is Syracuse. I’m pretty sure all MAC schools could have done a better job juicing the Orange.
‘Course, I’ve been wrong before!
When you read House’s bio at Kentucky, you’d think he was the 2nd coming of Dick LeBeau.
And that Pitt’s defense was great when he was the DC.
the other being the ASU Fraud Devils.
Ironic isn’t it, they allowed slightly more.(4289 to 4117)
Rushing Offense was #24 (230 ypg)
Passing Offense was #79 (218 ypg)
He might be trying to ingratiate himself with his Pedo bosses. 🙂
O’Neil should have been 2nd team imo, since Pitt ran right a lot.
Recognition well deserved.