GT/Pitt

[CuseJacket]

Some sun and no rain would be nice since we typically have the speed advantage against the Panthers.

Hoping home field advantage and a good fan turnout will be the pick-me-up our team needs. Just need to get to 1-0 this Saturday.

The line opened with GT as a 3-point favorite:
http://www.vegasinsider.com/[email protected]/date/10-17-15/time/1230

Anyone watched Pitt enough this year to speak to their strengths/weaknesses? Sounds like their D has improved with Narduzzi, which wouldn't be a surprise.

 

[Adadu]

Pitt's defense has been improving each week and looked good against UVA. The offense is working well even without Conner. Qadree Ollison has been a serviceable replacement and has had some good games now. Peterman (Pitt's new QB) is pretty good and his chemistry with PJ Holtz, Orndoff, Dontez Ford, and Tyler Boyd is solid. This game is going to be a real challenge for Tech, believe it or not.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Pitt has only lost to undefeated Iowa. Pitt beat VT and UVa by a score. And beat two cupcakes.

We beat two cupcakes and lost to the rest .... but this is about Pitt. I think dry conditions and being at home will help .... Atomic gives us a 70% chance to win..... http://atomicfootball.com/archive/teams/tm_12.html

But JHowell has Pitt with a .640 power ranking to our .586.

So it'll be challenging. I don't see us being favorites, but I don't know Pitt that well. Us getting 15 turnovers (hyperbole) against them again this year won't happen. If we win, we can build off of it. We lose, we can expect for our players to spend Christmas and New Years at home for the first time in decades.

 

[Boomergump]

Well, I don't think PITT has a moble QB. That will help. We had a huge speed advantage last year. Hopefully that will be the case again this season. Simply put, we have to play better, regardless.

 

[LibertyTurns]

I'm calling it.

The boys are going to beat Pitt like a rented mule. Write it down. This is the lock of the season. Bet the house on it. Give whatever points you have to 3, 5, 10. It will not matter. Will not need the crazy turnovers. This is going to be straight up butt whooping the likes of which would get you thrown in jail if not for the fact it's going to carried out at Bobby Dodd on the field. The Pitt backups will be hiding behind the bench begging not to be put in. This will be a shellacking of historical proportions. GT will roll and you'll not believe you're witnessing the same team we've seen the last 4 games. We're all going to be asking WTF???? got into these guys and how do we find some more.

I'm getting there early so I don't miss a second. I only hope the team keeps their heads on straight afterwards because they have FSU rolling into town and we're going to need every bit of execution we're going to lay on Pitt the following Saturday.

 

[1939hotmagic]

Unfortunately, Pitt not only now has a competent HC, but Pat Narduzzi has a fine mind for defense.
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...t-football-feeling-right/stories/201510110164

Unless Tech finally starts blocking well, and some reasonable threat of passing is employed -- no "Air Tech" offense, just some occasional passing when the defense has eight to 11 in the box -- I just don't see a Tech victory in the offing. (And no, I'm not in the "fire Johnson" crowd. As far as I'm concerned, bench the upperclassmen who aren't performing, treat this season as baptism-by-fire development for the youngsters, and if that means 2-10, so be it.)

 

[awbuzz]

The he** with "2 - 10" and baptism by fire. Do what it takes to win the game this week!!!

That will start with better assignment blocking, followed by defense stopping 3rd and long and finally the ST's doing better across the board.
The AJC reports that "in the past four games, the Jackets have returned 17 kickoffs that weren’t touchbacks, onside kick tries or pooched kicks. Nine of the 17 have not gotten past the 20 and only two have reached the 30, and one of the two was fielded at the Tech 24-yard line."
That's a pretty sucky set of stats just for kickoff returns.

 

[awbuzz]

Gostis' comment sums it up regarding the defense -
Again from the AJC "... Gotsis, ... pinpointed the same problem that has plagued the Jackets through the four-game slide – players not following assignments.
'That’s everything,' he said. 'Guys need to do their assignment. Handle your job and make a play when it’s there.' "

 

[gtg936g]

I really like our chances against Pitt. We match up well against them. Pitt plays good fundamentals on D but they are learning their scheme still. We should be able to run the ball on them, so I think this one is going to go our way.

 

[33jacket]

blah blah blah:

we have to play better or we will lose
we have to block or we will lose
we have to tackle or we will lose
we can't turn it over

any other BS rediculous obvious commentary on how we win this game? Please add

screw it. Change it up.
Here is one. Bench 2 maybe 3 OL in place for marshall, klock, Brown or Bryan (if we have already pulled his RS). Just do it. We can't be worse.
Start Brant Mitchell as the 3lb vs Pitt. Pitt is multiple and we need 3 good LB out there. Tyler has played well.
#41 has seriously underwhelmed. Either play simmons or Anree and cut your teeth.
Start AJ Gray.
Start MM
Start MLD and let him grow and continue to learn

Jeune blocking has been pathetic. Tell him to sit down for someone who blocks better, maybe messick?

Start Willis. Screw big plays. He blocks.

Bench Roof, and start Pelton or McCollum.

and would someone get this damn team on the same page with playcalls and checks. WOW.

 

[DC Bee]

GT has not lost 5 IAR under CPJ.

 

[bke1984]

GT has not lost 5 IAR under CPJ.

We hadn't lost 4 IAR either...

No way to sugar coat this. We are a bad team. The offense isn't going to magically get better this week if Pitt uses the same defensive strategy this week that everyone else has used.

They may improve at some point this year, but it won't magically happen in a week.

If we win it will be because the defense stepped up.

 

[DC Bee]

We hadn't lost 4 IAR either...

The facts of the matter and the sad reality of my post did not escape you.

 

[Boomergump]

We could be sitting at 2-8 and my mindset would not change. Specifically, we should do everything in our power to become 3-8 and not 2-9. I am not a big proponent of playing for next year. Every contest is important for its own merits. Do what it takes to give yourself the best chance to win today. If that means going with the younger players, do it. If it means sticking with the older guys, do it. Football is a TEAM sport. You always do what is best for the TEAM. The 2016 roster will be a different group of guys. We need to play for THIS TEAM now.

 

[kg01]

We could be sitting at 2-8 and my mindset would not change. Specifically, we should do everything in our power to become 3-8 and not 2-9. I am not a big proponent of playing for next year. Every contest is important for its own merits. Do what it takes to give yourself the best chance to win today. If that means going with the younger players, do it. If it means sticking with the older guys, do it. Football is a TEAM sport. You always do what is best for the TEAM. The 2016 roster will be a different group of guys. We need to play for THIS TEAM now.

Agree totally. It's not like we get a better pick with a worse record.

Plus 'tanking' at the college level sends the wrong message not just for the current year but for subsequent years as well. Imagine Gotsis' attitude if the coaching staff sent the message that this year is bust. If he wasn't a high-character guy, he'd naturally turn toward draft prep the way Clowney did (allegedly/probably). Now instead of him setting the stage for how the underclassmen should work, he's teaching them to check-out. IMHO it's part of the reason why TX is what they are right now.

 

[Ibeeballin]

I've watched Pitt 3x. They remind me of Duke. Really good defense. There DE #5 has the ability to wreak havoc. Just like last season, our defense does pretty well vs. pro style teams bc I assume the reads/keys are are more vanilla. So we have to WRAP UP and GANG tackle there big RB

OAN
We really need to get back to 2012 routes that we ran for Tevin. Mesh, smoke screen, quick hitches, etc

 

[dressedcheeseside]

We could be sitting at 2-8 and my mindset would not change. Specifically, we should do everything in our power to become 3-8 and not 2-9. I am not a big proponent of playing for next year. Every contest is important for its own merits. Do what it takes to give yourself the best chance to win today. If that means going with the younger players, do it. If it means sticking with the older guys, do it. Football is a TEAM sport. You always do what is best for the TEAM. The 2016 roster will be a different group of guys. We need to play for THIS TEAM now.

This, this, this.

 

[RyanS12]

One of my first posts made on this board was last year after we lost to unc. I said we would roll Pitt and we did. From that game on we started to click. So, since it worked out great for us last year I'm here to do it again. I think we roll Pitt this week and get some confidence heading into a big game with F$U.

 

[alagold]

One of my first posts made on this board was last year after we lost to unc. I said we would roll Pitt and we did. From that game on we started to click. So, since it worked out great for us last year I'm here to do it again. I think we roll Pitt this week and get some confidence heading into a big game with F$U.

R,
I'm glad of your call but I hope we don't depend on 5 1st half TOs to win. I'm also feeling a bit more confident but mainly because Summers is back.EASILY best WR.

 

[GTJackets]

I will be there Saturday with my +4. My 6-year-old son has been to one game every year of his life and has never seen them lose. Here's hoping that streak continues.