Opposing fan perspective

[Pitt97]

hello friends. just to start off: a lot of us Pitt fans joke that GT is the Pitt of the south for many reasons (urban, hate the instate rival with a passion, etc). I always root for GT - good people.

pre-game: it seems fans on both sides had some confidence in winning. I did not, b/c Pitt has burned me so many times - I never know what to expect. we beat Tennessee then lose to Western Michigan - it's who we are. And I know this may sound odd coming from a team that won by 31, but I think you could've won this game.

I doubt any of you watched our WMU game but they put on a clinic on how to beat us - what they did was fake handoff, draw the LB's in, hit quick receivers behind the LB's. all game - the blueprint was there. so no offense to you guys, but I wanted to come and ask some questions:

1. why didn't you call almost any RPO's?
2. why did they keep running that QB option and just hand it to the RB over and over again for no gain?
3. Kenny Pickett: he's the best thing we've had since Aaron Donald. the one thing you can't do is give him time b/c he's dealing right now. but you guys rushed 3 or 4 and couldn't get anyone home, at all. why just let him back there with all day with a clean pocket? it's the one thing you can't do.
4. our run game is horrible. HORRIBLE. we were averaging 3.8/carry before the last drive. if a defense holds those numbers, you usually win.
5. sims could've been used so much more - he stayed b/w the tackles all game. why? roll him out!
6. one of our fans in GA said the players hate Collins? is this true?

I suppose this whole post was an indictment on your coach, which wasn't my goal but I guess it is. I had no like/dislike of him before the game. It was just such an odd gameplay and was curious of the GT community's thoughts.

 

[herb]

I would very much like to know the answer to question 2 myself.

 

[slugboy]

If (6) is true, it’s a surprise to all of us.

1. We have a good write up on the RPO in here, and there’s a pre-snap option and a post-snap option. We can do the pre-snap, but we’re not good enough with the mesh to do the post-snap option. Some of us are a little baffled that we haven’t mastered the signature play of this offense, but neither QB is good at it. They’re good at other things, and some of our fans would rather we just run the other things
2. I’d have to go and look through the plays. In the past, we’ve run a play for no gain, then changed the blocking and it worked well.
3. I agree that Pickett has been a great player for you, and I hope he gets drafted high and does well. Looking that the game this week, you have some decent players on offense, but Pickett is the one who needs to be limited. You have some decent tight ends, but to me Pickett is the only “skill” player that stands out on your offense. Your line is pretty good. The one goal of an opposing defense should be to contain and pressure Pickett, and we didn’t. I think we thought “we’ll do the same thing on defense that we did against Clemson and UNC and win”, which was a really bad plan. You were going to get some points, but Collins and Thacker deserve heat for their defensive game plan.
4. Strong agree. It was also horrible last year, and we made your RB look like a Heisman candidate.
5. I think some of this is the Cam Newton/RG3 fear—you’ll have a good year or two, but you’ll wear your QB out.
6. I’m not hearing any thing like this.

 

[bke1984]

1. Good question
2. Also a good question
3. Another good question
4. Yep, true
5. Yet another good question
6. I haven’t heard this. For all his shortcomings I think the players love him

Thanks for helping validate my thoughts!

 

[Pitt97]

If (6) is true, it’s a surprise to all of us.

yeah that seemed odd - I thought he was a players' coach. he also said that big donors are trying to get rid of collins but I hadn't heard anything about that, either.

 

[UgaBlows]

If #6 was true people would be transferring out like crazy.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

1. I think the int's on the passes over the middle put fear in our coaching staff, so we shied away from it the rest of the game. Bad choice.
2. I want to know as well.
3. I want to know as well.
4. Not sure this needs a response.
5. I want to know as well.
6. If this hasn't happened, void any results, it will. Winning cures a lot of ills, but his persona will wear thin if we don't win. I am pretty sure he still has the team on his side so far.

 

[4shotB]

pre-game: it seems fans on both sides had some confidence in winning. I did not, b/c Pitt has burned me so many times - I never know what to expect. we beat Tennessee then lose to Western Michigan - it's who we are. And I know this may sound odd coming from a team that won by 31, but I think you could've won this game.

The fan experiences are similar then. I said somewhere else that paradoxically I knew our team was going to lose bc I felt confident that we would win this game. I never learn and am stuck in Groudhog Day. I don't think the people capable of answering your questions however post here.

 

[Pitt97]

The fan experiences are similar then. I said somewhere else that paradoxically I knew our team was going to lose bc I felt confident that we would win this game. I never learn and am stuck in Groudhog Day. I don't think the people capable of answering your questions however post here.

yes, Groundhog Day is a term used quite frequently among Pitt fans. I haven't been confident in us winning a game since 2003, and that turned out to be a terrible mistake.

 

[Gtswifty81]

hello friends. just to start off: a lot of us Pitt fans joke that GT is the Pitt of the south for many reasons (urban, hate the instate rival with a passion, etc). I always root for GT - good people.

pre-game: it seems fans on both sides had some confidence in winning. I did not, b/c Pitt has burned me so many times - I never know what to expect. we beat Tennessee then lose to Western Michigan - it's who we are. And I know this may sound odd coming from a team that won by 31, but I think you could've won this game.

I doubt any of you watched our WMU game but they put on a clinic on how to beat us - what they did was fake handoff, draw the LB's in, hit quick receivers behind the LB's. all game - the blueprint was there. so no offense to you guys, but I wanted to come and ask some questions:

1. why didn't you call almost any RPO's?
2. why did they keep running that QB option and just hand it to the RB over and over again for no gain?
3. Kenny Pickett: he's the best thing we've had since Aaron Donald. the one thing you can't do is give him time b/c he's dealing right now. but you guys rushed 3 or 4 and couldn't get anyone home, at all. why just let him back there with all day with a clean pocket? it's the one thing you can't do.
4. our run game is horrible. HORRIBLE. we were averaging 3.8/carry before the last drive. if a defense holds those numbers, you usually win.
5. sims could've been used so much more - he stayed b/w the tackles all game. why? roll him out!
6. one of our fans in GA said the players hate Collins? is this true?

I suppose this whole post was an indictment on your coach, which wasn't my goal but I guess it is. I had no like/dislike of him before the game. It was just such an odd gameplay and was curious of the GT community's thoughts.

I definitely want to know number 3. I hadn’t heard that on number 6 but some of the fans do hate Collins. I know tech had a new player at left guard who missed a few blocks early in the game that lead to the ints which could have impacted some of the RPO and run game calls.

 

[Pitt97]

If #6 was true people would be transferring out like crazy.

yeah I'd agree with that. the one thing I can't knock Narduzzi on is that the players love him and aren't transferring out.

I definitely want to know number 3. I hadn’t heard that on number 6 but some of the fans do hate Collins. I know tech had a new player at left guard who missed a few blocks early in the game that lead to the ints which could have impacted some of the RPO and run game calls.

I can see the point. but the WMU coach had been on Syracuse's staff a few years ago. post game, he literally said he knew exactly what we'd do on defense and exploited it. I just can't believe other teams aren't just going to do exactly what they did against us. especially getting down in points so far, you'd think Collins would have changed SOMETHING on offense. the natural idea would be to try to take advantage of your opponent's weakness.

 

[slugboy]

yeah that seemed odd - I thought he was a players' coach. he also said that big donors are trying to get rid of collins but I hadn't heard anything about that, either.

I added a few other responses to your points later.

If big donors are trying to get rid of Collins, they’re being pretty quiet about something that’s going to need a lot of fundraising. I don’t doubt they’re upset. Who does your buddy talk to that he hears this? It’s not like big boosters spend a lot of time giving out information to people in the stands.

 

[Papa Foxtrot]

he also said that big donors are trying to get rid of collins but I hadn't heard anything about that, either.

That would be surprising since they're the ones that put us in this situation. If so, then they'll be the ones to come up with the buyout money...

 

[Pitt97]

I added a few other responses to your points later.

If big donors are trying to get rid of Collins, they’re being pretty quiet about something that’s going to need a lot of fundraising. I don’t doubt they’re upset. Who does your buddy talk to that he hears this? It’s not like big boosters spend a lot of time giving out information to people in the stands.

one of our board posters who lives in Georgia. I didn't put much stock into but curious if you all heard anything.

 

[D-man44]

hello friends. just to start off: a lot of us Pitt fans joke that GT is the Pitt of the south for many reasons (urban, hate the instate rival with a passion, etc). I always root for GT - good people.

pre-game: it seems fans on both sides had some confidence in winning. I did not, b/c Pitt has burned me so many times - I never know what to expect. we beat Tennessee then lose to Western Michigan - it's who we are. And I know this may sound odd coming from a team that won by 31, but I think you could've won this game.

I doubt any of you watched our WMU game but they put on a clinic on how to beat us - what they did was fake handoff, draw the LB's in, hit quick receivers behind the LB's. all game - the blueprint was there. so no offense to you guys, but I wanted to come and ask some questions:

1. why didn't you call almost any RPO's?
2. why did they keep running that QB option and just hand it to the RB over and over again for no gain?
3. Kenny Pickett: he's the best thing we've had since Aaron Donald. the one thing you can't do is give him time b/c he's dealing right now. but you guys rushed 3 or 4 and couldn't get anyone home, at all. why just let him back there with all day with a clean pocket? it's the one thing you can't do.
4. our run game is horrible. HORRIBLE. we were averaging 3.8/carry before the last drive. if a defense holds those numbers, you usually win.
5. sims could've been used so much more - he stayed b/w the tackles all game. why? roll him out!
6. one of our fans in GA said the players hate Collins? is this true?

I suppose this whole post was an indictment on your coach, which wasn't my goal but I guess it is. I had no like/dislike of him before the game. It was just such an odd gameplay and was curious of the GT community's thoughts.

Not that he isn't now but Jordan Addison is going to be a real problem next year.

 

[Oakland]

one of our board posters who lives in Georgia. I didn't put much stock into but curious if you all heard anything.

There you go. A poster that lives in Georgia. Lots of misinformation in Georgia especially when it comes to football and the many dwags that live here. The players like Collins, but I don't after an embarrassing coaching job like yesterday. How on earth did y'all lose to Western Michigan. You guys would be in the running for the BCS today.

 

[buzzed]

yeah that seemed odd - I thought he was a players' coach. he also said that big donors are trying to get rid of collins but I hadn't heard anything about that, either.

I did hear that Collins did piss some players off following the Pitt game last year. If you watch his post game presser from that game, he did seem a bit unhinged and was in a mood that was very unusual for of him. The specific players involved in the rumor did end up leaving the program, but might have anyway.

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

I would expect that the more serious, mature players (probably not many in this category between 18-22) would get tired of his personality. It might be hard for some to believe, but players that see other players making bone-headed plays would like the coaches to make the necessary discipline decisions. (sprints, stairs, tougue lashing, etc.)

 

[Pitt97]

There you go. A poster that lives in Georgia. Lots of misinformation in Georgia especially when it comes to football and the many dwags that live here. The players like Collins, but I don't after an embarrassing coaching job like yesterday. How on earth did y'all lose to Western Michigan. You guys would be in the running for the BCS today.

our coach is a meathead. absolutely refuses to change his defensive scheme, regardless of how much a pounding we're taking. which brings me back to why in the world didn't collins take advantage of it the way WMU did?

I did hear that Collins did piss some players off following the Pitt game last year. If you watch his post game presser from that game, he did seem a bit unhinged and was in a mood that was very unusual for of him. The specific players involved in the rumor did end up leaving the program, but might have anyway.

yeah he wouldn't properly shake Narduzzi's hand after the game (some Pitt fans took exception to it - I could personally care less). but he was definitely in a mood.

 

[g0lftime]

I would expect that the more serious, mature players (probably not many in this category between 18-22) would get tired of his personality. It might be hard for some to believe, but players that see other players making bone-headed plays would like the coaches to make the necessary discipline decisions. (sprints, stairs, tougue lashing, etc.)

I was a very different person when I got out than my first quarter freshman year. Little did I know what I was about to undertake for 4+ years. Perceptions and reality often collided.