PASSING A FEW NOTES

While Pitt still looks for a new defensive coordinator, I thought I would jot down a couple of notes as letter of intent day draws closer.

Today Pitt received a big commit from just south of me in Philadelphia.  West Catholic offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith said Pitt was his school of choice and gave the Panthers 5 offensive linemen in this recruiting class. Jones-Smith continues with Paul Chryst’s philosophy of gathering BIG offensive linemen.  The 5 recruits average 6’5 and 297 pounds!  They haven’t even had one day of a college strength program yet! 

This news came just a few days after the ACC announced Pitt’s home and away opponents.  I had been planning on getting Panther season tickets back for a while and luckily I was first in line and snapped up a pair of good seats. When the teams were announced, Pitt sold 1,000 new season tickets in the first 90 minutes.  One look at next year’s home schedule and one can see why fans lined up.  In addition to Villanova, New Mexico, and Notre Dame, Heinz Field will also host Virginia, North Carolina, Miami and Florida State!  It sure is an easier sell than the last decade of Big East opponents.

As mentioned before, letter of intent day is around the corner and the Panthers still have 4 spots left for high school seniors.  Pitt seems to be closing in on a top 25 recruiting class.

RECAP OF OLE MISS

So, my Saturday ended up 2-3.  Pitt lost to Rutgers in yet another lack luster effort (especially in the first half) in basketball.  That was followed by the 38-17 BBVA Bowl loss to Ole Miss.  The first win was when Clairton receiver (and super prospect) Tyler Boyd took some of the Robert Foster sting (or Robert Frost according to the NBC reporter doing the announcement) away when he picked Pitt as his college destination.  Unfortunately Jaleel Hytchye did not follow suit and committed to Kentucky in the evening. Finally…when I woke up this morning, the NHL announced they would finally drop the puck.  I can’t wait for the Penguins to start.  I do still hate the owners.  2 out of 5 is not bad, but man it would have been nice to get one more thing to go my way.

I will not dwell on the loss to Ole Miss that much, but a few things that should be noted were first, Jason Hendricks of Pitt is a beast!  Seriously…was there a tackle he was not in on yesterday??  Second, it is a shame that it took Shayne Hale 4 years to make an impact, but he had another great game yesterday.   Those were two players who showed up in a big way and the loss should not overshadow those two player’s efforts.

If you note the preview for this game, I selected Ole Miss to beat Pitt yesterday.  About an hour before kickoff, that feeling was intensified and I went into full blown, “I just hope they don’t get embarrassed mode.”  Pitt announced Ray Graham, Shane Gordon, and Drew Carswell would sit out due to injury.  Graham is simply put…a game changer and someone who would have been able to help the Panthers combat the Ole Miss speed.  Carswell made Pitt even thinner at tight end than they already were.  Finally, let’s hope Shane Gordon can get healthy for next season.  Gordon is a very good middle linebacker and despite the great effort of fifth year senior Joe Trebitz, the Panthers needed more out of that position.

Without those three, it was just a lost cause yesterday. Yesterday made me very anxious for next season though and I wish it was starting right now.  I have been a defender of Tino Sunseri and he should be praised for putting up with a whole lot of shit over the last 3 years while holding down the QB position.  That being said, it is VERY obvious that the Panthers need a lot more out of that position on the field. They should get it next season, as three very talented players will compete for the starting position. Then…there is the offensive line.  I can NOT wait! With Juantez Hollins coming back from a year long suspension, Adam Bisnowaty coming off a red shirt and getting lots of praise, and super freshman Dorian Johnson all ready to beef Pitt up at tackle, it allows Cory King and Matt Rotheram to move inside.  Pitt should be lots better on the line and that is great news for Rushel Shell.  Shell ran hard yesterday, but sometimes he would take the handoff and be met head on by multiple defenders.

The future is bright for Pitt and letter of intent day is about a month away.  I’ll be back with more Panther news as it comes in and will have a write up on letter of intent day.  Let’s Go Pitt!

PASSING NOTES ON OLE MISS

It’s crazy how quickly time flies around the holidays and the BBVA Compass Bowl takes place already on Saturday between the Panthers and The Ole Miss Rebels from the almighty SEC.  The SEC may not be as powerful as some of the past years (seriously, some of the last few years were just insane), but they are still far and away the best conference in college football and it is not close, so this will be a very tough match up for Pitt.  The game will also be a basic away game for Pitt for the 1PM kickoff in Birmingham, AL.  Not only is the location much closer to Ole Miss’ campus than up in Oakland, but the fan base is passionate and they have eaten up a lot of tickets.  It won’t be a real away game, but it will feel very far from a neutral site game.  I can’t speak for the players, but I do think this helps get them ready.  Going to Birmingham for three straight years can get boring and I think a big crowd and some intensity will help.

Confession time…I was very excited when the Rebels were announced as Pitt’s opponent this year.  Not only are they in the SEC conference, but I have always been somewhat drawn to Alabama and Ole Miss, while remaining a Pitt fan.  Alabama speaks for itself…they used to play Penn State when I was a kid and I would love when they would emerge victorious.  Ole Miss is harder to explain.  Maybe it is the uniforms, which I love, or it’s the tradition of The Grove…or the fact that they have some REALLY hot female fans..whatever it is..I kind of like Ole Miss.  If you have not read Clay Travis’ Dixieland Delight, pick it up…it is a great read and paints a great picture of game day in Oxford, MS.

PLEASE NOTE PITT MALE STUDENTS: I ALREADY TRIED TO TELL YOU TO GO DOWN THERE TO MEET SOME OF THESE SOUTHERN BELLES…SO IF YOU ARE NOT…THAT’S YOUR FAULT.

Alright, time to pass some notes on the Rebels.  As an overview, they finished 6-6 and won the Egg Bowl over Mississippi State in the last game to become bowl eligible.  Hugh Freeze is in his first year as head coach and really seems to have excited the fan base and the team itself.  Ole Miss ranks 47^th in passing, 55^th in rushing, 50^th in points for and 67^th in points against.  The Rebels also are not penalized very often, so Pitt will have to CREATE Ole Miss mistakes, because the players are disciplined.

The offense that Ole Miss runs is a spread offense and headed up by Sophomore QB, Bo Wallace.  Wallace is a big boy and has 2,843 yards passing with 19 TDs, 15 picks, and has been sacked 27 times. Wallace will take off from time to time, as he has run for 363 yards and 8 TDs this season, however if the QB runs in the spread, the Rebels do like to bring in Junior Barry Brunetti to take care of that, so you will see two QBs.   The 15 INTs and 27 sacks should have the Pitt defense licking their chops as that is something they have done well in this season.  Aaron Donald and Tyrone Ezell will have to continue their great play if Pitt wants to slow down the offense.

Slowing down the offense will be a tough chore as the Rebels LOVE to run this scheme up tempo…ESPECIALLY after they gain a first down.  If Pitt should pin Ole Miss deep in their own end, look for the Rebels to take a few shots deep, as they also are aggressive when put in that position. When Wallace does something like that, he usually looks for Sophomore WR Donte Moncrief.  Moncrief is a burner and a VERY good receiver, who is coming into his own, so the strong Pitt defensive backs had better bring their best on Saturday if they want to contain him. Moncrief leads the team with 60 receptions for 948 yards and 10 TDs. Complementing Moncrief is Sophomore WR Vince Sanders with 34 catches of his own for 465 yards and 3 TDs.

When Ole Miss keeps the ball on the ground, Junior Jeff Scott leads the way with 828 yards and 6 TDs. Scott is part of a one-two punch that the Rebels use and they will bring in speedy Senior RB, Randall Mackey, who has chipped in with 4 TDs this season.  Don’t forget that I mentioned earlier, Wallace and Brunetti also will tote the rock at times.  Wallace does not look like he can run, but don’t be fooled by his size…just ask LSU.

T he defense is a little undersized and Pitt could take advantage of that on the Ole Miss front seven. I said COULD.  The front seven may be undersized, but they are aggressive and very active.  They are led by Freshman LB Denzel Nkemdiche.  Nkemdiche is of the mold that he can cover and stick his nose into the scrums.  Among the other active players up front are Jason Jones (wearing thefamed #38), Gilbert Pena (one of my favorites while watching some of their games this year), and EJ Epperson, among others.  The defense is a 4-3 style and they enjoy bringing the heat on third downs, so Tino will need to be aware of that.  We don’t want any of those little 29 yard sacks on Saturday.

As mentioned, this will be a tough test for Pitt on Saturday.  Bowl games are VERY difficult to predict, as you never know which team is there to play and play hard, and which are there to take in the sites and party a little too much. The Panthers should have the services back of WR Cam Saddler, which is nice since he is a fifth year senior.  Ole Miss does turn the ball over and take sacks, so Pitt will need to create a few of those and take advantage.  It will be a nice measuring stick to see where Pitt is heading into next season, with a large recruiting class also coming in for Paul Chryst.  I see Ole Miss as the favorite here and I think they will win with the help of their active front seven throughout the game and a slight home field advantage.  Final Score: Ole Miss 27 Pitt 17.  The good news Panther fans is that I have sucked something fierce in predictions this year…so there’s that.

Final note…super prospect Tyler Boyd will announce his decision this weekend as well…supposedly.  Pitt is the favorite, BUT he could postpone the announcement as he is saying he wants to take more visits.  Landing Boyd would really help cushion the Foster news from a few weeks ago.

LOSING OUT ON FOSTER

On Friday, Pitt lost WR Rober Foster to The University of Alabama.  This one hurt.  I listened to the experts and just like the original Dorian Johnson decision, that came back to haunt me.  I even had my youtube clip all picked out.  The problem is this: As I hurried back from my office Christmas party to stream the decision live, I felt it coming.  Most Pitt fans probably did.  When something is too good to be true for Pitt fans...that is when we get kicked directly in the balls. 

What we know is that as of Thursday evening, Pitt was it for Foster and he had even told family of that decision on Wednesday.  He had a change of heart at the last minute and shocked everyone, including the Pitt coaching staff by selecting the Tide.  Look, I've always liked the Tide. It goes back to my childhood when they would play Penn State, but man...it's like the rich 16 year old getting a Porsche instead of a Mercedes.  Damn..I was leaning towards cheering for the Irish in the National Championship...now I think I will go for Notre Dame.  Sorry Tide.  his one put me over the edge.

I don't know about other Pitt fans, BUT, I do wish Foster nothing but the best in Alabama. He seems like a good kid and should not have to deal with childish and hurtful messages on twitter because of what he felt was best for HIM.  I did not see a whole lot and I am hopeful that what I saw of good indication that most of the Panther faithful was wishing him well.

Now we turn our attention to Tyler Boyd. As you will know, Boyd is a "Pitt lean" according to all the experts, but I think we've heard this before.  I won't be holding my breath...yes, I will.  I'm a Pitt fan and of course, I fully expect the best outcome leading up to it...no matter what.

HAIL TO PITT!

SOME DOWN TIME THOUGHTS

Let’s have a little bit of a rundown on what’s gone on in the last week since the Bowl Game was announced, shall we?  I know, I know, the Steelers lost and you are all depressed.  Reading this blog would be like giving a heroin addict another hit of smack, but take your chances and read on anyways:

The best news of all is that Pitt and Penn State announced that they would not only play in 2016 and 2017, but also in 2018 and 2019!  This is VERY exciting news.  I can’t tell you how much I have really missed this rivalry.  I would rather get the shit kicked out of me and settle it on the field, rather than not play and wonder what if…especially with a rivalry game.  I feel like it is good for Pitt, PSU, and the state of Pennsylvania.  Penn State will travel to Heinz Field in 2016 and 2018, while Pitt will visit Happy Valley in 2017 & 2019. PSU leads the all-time series 48-42-4…well, 46-42-4 since that whole scandal took away victories in 1998 and 1999.

Next on the list of issues is a little tweet that was sent out by former Panther Scott McKillop last week.  The former linebacker sent out a tweet saying that there is a rumor going around that Pitt will be breaking out the Pitt Script for the bowl game on January 5^th!  Now…this is JUST a rumor.  This is NOT official.  It brings up the whole should Pitt do the Pitt Script again?  The answer is simple….YES!  This is not a hard issue to tackle.  Pitt is moving to the ACC and it would be nice to make a big splash and make the alumni and fan base happy and create some more talk.  The change in uniforms would do it and they can do it VERY easily.  Break them out for the bowl game….then do them for one home game and one away game a year!  Everyone wins!  Pitt gets more money from merchandise, they don’t have to spend money to change the logo and colors of the school, and it creates a buzz.  Why is this so difficult for some to understand?!?!?!?!  If you have not already, please do two things….follow @PittScriptLogo on twitter and PLEASE go to his site and sign his petition.

Speaking of the bowl game, as mentioned before Pitt goes to Birmingham, AL to take on Ole Miss on January 5^th.  If you are a male Pitt student and thinking about going to the game…on the fence about going to the game, or just don’t want to go, I plead with you to get down there.  Why?  Because they are playing Ole Miss!!!!!!  No one does tailgating or has better looking girls than Ole Miss.  There will be a huge party with hot girls…why not go down there and have some fun and support the Panthers!  Don’t believe me?  Do yourself a favor and google two things: “Best College Tailgating” and “Hottest Girls at College Tailgates” and see how far down the list Ole Miss is on there.  They are pretty high both lists.  Also check out Dixieland Delight by Clay Travis if you need more proof.

 

Last on this little rundown…Pitt had another big recruiting weekend.  It went pretty well by all accounts.  I was waiting to post this as I was hoping Chris Peak, at Pantherlair.com would send out a commit text to members, but he has not as of yet.  Some of the bigger targets were OL targets Alex Officer and Jaryd Jones-Smith, DL Justin Moody, RB JoJo Kemp (who sounds really close to coming to Pitt), and CB Jaleel Hytchye.  I would love to see Moody and Jones-Smith commit more than anyone, but Hytchye would be really nice.  Hoping to hear a commit soon!

That’s all for now…try and not stress about the Steelers too much, as it was fun to see Nate Diaz lose, the 30 for 30 Bo Jackson special, and the Ravens and Bengals both blew it badly today!  So, keep your chin up Pitt fans!

RECAPPING USF

Pitt is going bowling!  The Panthers brought their record to an even 6-6 and kept with the 2 game streak of this season earning them yet another trip to the BVBBNSBSDFKLHSDKFJHSDLFKJS Bowl in Birmingham, AL.  Look…I’ll be honest, I live just north of Philly and I was REALLY hoping for a Backyard Brawl in the Bronx, but anytime Pitt plays football, I am pretty happy, so I will take it.  Pitt will take on Ole Miss January 5^th at 1PM.  Not only do I love to watch Pitt football, but I have always enjoyed watching SEC games…particularly the pretty cool uniforms of the Rebels, so I can’t wait for the game.

On a surprise note in the game, Senior Cam Saddler did not make the trip due to disciplinary reasons. This was a surprise to many (including myself) as Saddler has always been known as team-oriented and very likable guy.  Circumstances surrounding his discipline were only characterized as breaking “team rules.”  This is a big reason that I am very happy for a bowl bid, so that Cam can go out from Pitt ON the field and not off it.  That would have been a bad way to end his Pitt career. Despite not reaching the standard that many felt Saddler would hit when he committed to the Panthers, Cam has always been one of the more fun Panthers to read about and watch.

Tino Sunseri was steady, save for an AWFUL 30 yard loss and fumble on a sack.  He continued his mistake free streak with over 200 yards and 1 TD pass.  Ray Graham chipped in with almost 100 yards and 2 TDs, and Rushel Shell came in to take care of business late with his bruising running style.  Mike Shanahan also had a strong game on the offensive side of the ball with over 100 yards receiving.  The offensive line continued their maddening streaky play of the season with a less than impressive effort which kept South Florida in the game early.

The defense was dominant and gave up just over 100 yards on the day and forced four turnovers.  If you watched the game…it really should have been more turnovers as the Bulls were BAD on the offensive side of the ball.  The defense was strong and my GOD…we are running out of adjectives for Aaron Donald.  I almost felt bad for the USF center/guard combo that was in charge of trying to block the big man.  I really hope Donald sticks around for his senior year, as I think this defense has a chance to be special next season.

Onto another aspect of Pitt football and a pretty important one:

Two local super prospects have announced they will make their college choices on certain dates.  Central Valley’s Robert Foster will go first on December 21^st and will announce from his high school.  He is down to Alabama and Pitt.  Clairton’s Tyler Boyd will announce on January 4^th before he plays in the US Army All-Star Game and he is down to Pitt, WVU, Arizona, and even Rutgers and Michigan State are being thrown around….as is Penn State, but he did cancel a visit there.  Pitt fans take a cue from this kid for these two dates.

 

The next few weeks will be full of information with commits, bowl practice, and other notes and I will try and keep up with everything.  Pitt has a HUGE recruiting weekend coming up on Friday-Sunday and will probably result in a commit or two…..stay tuned.

PASSING NOTES ON USF...

Things are coming fast and furious on a lot of Pitt football related fronts as the Panthers prepare for their last Big East football game (I know, I know…I’ll give you some time to cry and gnash your teeth). I plan on doing a few posts after this game to keep up to date as best that I can.  Let’s give a brief of good news for ACC fans. It was announced today that the ACC slapped Maryland with a lawsuit in North Carolina to force the school to pay the full $50 million dollar exit fee.  Perhaps more important was that this was supported by all ACC schools…well, except for the Terps of course.  We will see how that unfolds, but forcing the full amount would be a HUGE win for the ACC to stop other teams from leaving.

Now…time to pass some notes on the South Florida Bulls.  The Panthers will travel to Tampa for a Saturday night tilt on ESPN2…don’t ask how this game got on that time slot, but my wife is not too thrilled. The Bulls enter the game with a 3-8 record and looking more like a MASH unit than a football team.  Before we get to the numbers, we will pass this one along to you: 3,832 yards and 27 TDs.  That is how much will be missing from the South Florida offense on Saturday night.  Senior QB BJ Daniels is out with a broken leg and sprained ankle, while Senior RB Lindsey Lamar broke his collarbone a few weeks ago, and WR Juniors Terrance Mitchell (head) and Derrick Hopkins will also be missing.  That is a lot to replace and it is really catching up to the Bulls.

USF is 68^th in passing, 59^th in rushing, and 97^th in points for on the offensive side of the ball.  Taking over for Daniels is Freshman QB Matt Floyd.  Floyd is getting his feet wet still and he is struggling.  Pitt has to put the pressure on so that he doesn’t start clicking on Saturday night.  In his limited play, he has thrown for 373 yards and is still looking for his first TD, while tossing 2 picks.  He has also been sacked 5 times in limited time.  When Floyd looks to hand the ball off, Senior RB Demetris Murray is the main man.  Murray has 652 yards and 6 TDs, while being complimented by Junior RB Marcus Shaw.  Shaw pitches in with 241 yards and still in search of the end zone this year on the ground.

Despite injuries to the receivers, when the Bulls go to the air, their main target is still on the field.  Sophomore Andre Davis is solid and has 522 yards and 6 TDs despite the problems at QB.  With Mitchell and Hopkins out, Senior Victor Marc has been stepping up with 19 grabs for 222 yards.

Pitt will be looking to take to the air when the defense of the Bulls is on the field.  South Florida ranks 73^rd in the country in sacks and dead last in INTs.  The unit is 60^th in points against.  Look, I think we can all agree that we want to see the real Pitt Panthers step up finally.  Is Pitt the team that took Notre Dame to the limit, beat up on Rutgers, and took care of Virginia Tech with ease or are they the team that lost to UConn and Youngstown State?  It is always fun to watch Pitt football, but ever growing bald spot is getting bigger with this year’s team. One way to find out is to win on Saturday and extend their season and see if the Panthers can break that 2 wins, 2 losses streak they have going this year.

Hubie Graham and Devin Street are questionable for the game.  They would be a big help for Pitt as the offense will look to take advantage of the lack of sacks and INTs South Florida has generated this season.  What is my prediction for this game? Well, if you want to look back at my picks this year, you will want me to choose USF in this game….no dice though.  Pitt 24 USF 10.  Let’s hope for a Backyard Brawl in NYC..as I could actually make that game!

Of note also is that Pitt is setting up a pretty big recruiting weekend next week with several big targets coming to town.