Looking ahead to Pitt

[Eric]

As I posted in another thread this is a game that I am really worried about.

Street and Boyd at WR could be a nightmare for us to cover.

 

[MGTfan]

I'm not really worried about the skill of their receivers. The way I look at it, if the other team has two receivers Thomas is going to lock one of them down and Young is going to let the other one get open. Doesn't really matter who they are.

 

[John]

I'm not worried about Pitt as much as I'm worried about Georgia Tech.

Which GT team will show up? The 0 penalty/1 turnover team we saw against Syracuse or the 97 yards of penalty/5 turnover team?

We need to get a hold of the turnover issues. It wouldn't bug me as much if they were forced errors by the other team but we're just putting the ball on a silver platter for UVA.

 

[Eric]

I also wonder how a night game at home will factor in for us.

 

[poodleface]

The crowd managed to stay hyped through the VT game, so I expect they will be a factor in this one. That said, I'm worried that Pitt is going to have a week to drill down on all of the mistakes they made defending Navy's TO and will certainly be more than adequately prepared. Pitt's 41-13 loss to FSU is looking a little better in light of FSU's annihilation of everyone else.

At the same time, the team certainly knows that if they don't want to be known as the team to break the bowl streak, they need to beat Pitt.

 

[Eric]

I'm not sure how the players will react to a home night game...last time around it wasn't good.

 

[Longestday]

I think all teams now know our weakness and will punish us until we can stop them. Last year it was the WR screen. This year is the long pass on #8 side. I am rooting for 8 to have a good shutdown game. Also, the shallow flat routes are wide open at times.

Stating the obvious: The offense should score enough points to win if we do not continue to shoot ourselves in the foot with TO and false starts.

This game and no game is not an automatic.

 

[ATL1]

Pitt is a big physical team the kind that can manhandle a smaller Tech in the trenches and since they just played Navy, will have some familiarity with defending the option.

 

[Eric]

Pitt is a big physical team the kind that can manhandle a smaller Tech in the trenches and since they just played Navy, will have some familiarity with defending the option.

Did you look at a depth chart before saying that?

According to Pitt's rival site

They go 245, 255, 275 and 300 up front.

210, 215 and 220 at LB.

180, 180, 190 and 190 at DB.

 

[Eric]

Up front they averaged 268.5 and GT averages 266 on the DL

GT LB starting core averages 238 while Pitt's is 215

At DB we average 190 and they average 185

 

[Eric]

We average 231 a starter while they average 222.

So I don't think they are a big physical team that will man handle us.

 

[ATL1]

2013 Roster
Coaches

#NAMEHT/WTPOSYRHOMETOWN/LAST SCHOOL

78Cory King6-6/325OLRS SRStoneboro, Pa./Lakeview
53Dorian Johnson6-5/290OLFRBelle Vernon, Pa./Belle Vernon Area
76Ryan Schlieper6-5/310OLRS SRWexford, Pa./North Allegheny
75Jaryd Jones-Smith6-7/295OLFRVoorhees, N.J./West Catholic (Pa.)
74Matt Rotheram6-6/340OLRS JRNorth Olmsted, Ohio/North Olmsted
57Artie Rowell6-2/305OLRS SOHarrisburg, Pa./Central Dauphin
70Juantez Hollins6-5/330OLRS SRAliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa
69Adam Bisnowaty6-6/300OLRS FRPittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel
60Aaron Reese6-5/300OLFRChambersburg, Pa./Chambersburg Area
62John Guy6-7/285OLRS FRSomerville, Mass./New Hampton School (N.H.)
72Carson Baker6-5/280OLFRFairborn, Ohio/Fairborn
63Alex Officer6-4/290OLFRRochester, N.Y./Eastridge
64Shane Johnson6-5/330OLRS JRFort Washington, Md./DeMatha Catholic
68T.J. Clemmings6-6/305OLRS JRTeaneck, N.J./Paterson Catholic
71Gabe Roberts6-5/305OLRS FRNew London, Wis./New London

 

[Eric]

So we should be able to handle the DL they have right?

 

[collegeballfan]

Here is the Pitt depth chart:

Offense - Starters OL
OT 69 Adam Bisnowaty | 6-6, 275, RS FR
OT 68 T.J. Clemmings | 6-6, 290, RS JR
OG 78 Cory King | 6-6, 325, RS SR
OG 74 Matt Rotheram | 6-6, 335, RS JR
C 57 Artie Rowell | 6-2, 300, RS SO

Defense – Starters Front 7
DE 37 David Durham | 6-1, 245, RS JR
DE 93 Bryan Murphy | 6-3, 255, RS JR
DT 97 Aaron Donald | 6-0, 275, SR
NT 50 Tyrone Ezell | 6-4, 300, RS SR
LB 28 Anthony Gonzalez | 6-3, 210, RS JR
LB 8 Todd Thomas | 6-2, 215, RS JR
LB 44 Shane Gordon | 6-1, 220, RS SR

Eric is correct, if physical size is an advantage, GT has the advantage.
Plus the Pitt DB are 6'0 and under going against GT WR of 6'2 to 6'6.

But as Knute Rockne proved at ND, it is the size of the heart that matters.