Canegrad89
Recruit
- Joined
- Oct 15, 2017
- Messages
- 1,149
Thankfully, this season is over. Grateful we didn't make a bowl. Time will be better spent on recruiting & overhauling every aspect of the program. Being offseason champs has never been more important. The '23 Class is loaded with Impact Players. Finishing strong on the recruiting trail is mission critical for changing the trajectory of this program. Adding impact players via the Portal will also be critically important. We added a few really good players via the Portal last offseason but also too many JAGs. We'll win again at a high level, if we stack a few loaded classes over the next few yrs & we make necessary coaching changes (starting with the OC...immediately).
Pitt was tougher, more disciplined & the better team on the night. However, this loss was also partially "self-imposed." Why? Because Jake was seriously handcuffed by the OC until late in the game. The coaches were so fearful of another INT occurring (after INTs by TVD & Jacurri) that the training wheels were placed on Jake until deep into the 3rd qtr. Notice that we scored:
The main problems again were:
(1) starting with TVD & Brown putting us in another hole (two INTs and a 7-0 deficit which could easily have been 10-0 or 14-0 after the brutal INT by Jacurri);
(2) Gattis keeping the training wheels on Jake until deep into the 3rd qtr (all of Jake's throws were required to be more no more than about 5 yds downfield in the first 3 qtrs which made it impossibly difficult to generate any real offense); and
(3) Undisciplined penalties by quite a few of our players (especially our OL) and poor protection of the QB. The QB was hit repeatedly in this game & had virtually no time to get the ball off on quite a few plays.
Pitt was very balanced on offense (had exactly 227 yds passing & 227 yds rushing at one point). Our D had a really bad day but they did make some good "flash" plays such as: (i) Mesidor's stop on 4th & goal (after the Jacurri INT) which prevented us from going down by two scores and (ii) a couple of other turnovers.
The worst part for me is the "self-imposed" nature of the defeat. Jake could have given Pitt a game, if he'd been given a chance to make all types of throws (not just passes close to the LOS). Pitt didn't really have answers for our faster players on offense (but the OC decided unwisely to keep our arrows in the quiver until deep in the 3rd qtr out of overwhelming fear of Jake throwing an INT). Our OC just needed to let him play (and not force him to throw into a loaded box for most of the first 3 qtrs). All that did was guarantee a loss.
Guess the QB from the box score:
Name Comp % Yds TD Int QBR
QB 1 63% 192 2 0 115.7
QB 2 50% 83 0 1 56.3
QB 3 67% 4 0 1 30.6
This pattern has repeated a few times this season (in games where both Jake & TVD played). Only one of our QBs has consistently outscored our opponents...when not playing handcuffed & truly being given a chance to show his talents.
Must-Haves:
Pitt was tougher, more disciplined & the better team on the night. However, this loss was also partially "self-imposed." Why? Because Jake was seriously handcuffed by the OC until late in the game. The coaches were so fearful of another INT occurring (after INTs by TVD & Jacurri) that the training wheels were placed on Jake until deep into the 3rd qtr. Notice that we scored:
- 13 points in the 4th qtr (more than Pitt's 7 pts) when the training wheels were finally taken off Jake; and
- 16 points in the 2nd half (more than Pitt's 14).
The main problems again were:
(1) starting with TVD & Brown putting us in another hole (two INTs and a 7-0 deficit which could easily have been 10-0 or 14-0 after the brutal INT by Jacurri);
(2) Gattis keeping the training wheels on Jake until deep into the 3rd qtr (all of Jake's throws were required to be more no more than about 5 yds downfield in the first 3 qtrs which made it impossibly difficult to generate any real offense); and
(3) Undisciplined penalties by quite a few of our players (especially our OL) and poor protection of the QB. The QB was hit repeatedly in this game & had virtually no time to get the ball off on quite a few plays.
Pitt was very balanced on offense (had exactly 227 yds passing & 227 yds rushing at one point). Our D had a really bad day but they did make some good "flash" plays such as: (i) Mesidor's stop on 4th & goal (after the Jacurri INT) which prevented us from going down by two scores and (ii) a couple of other turnovers.
The worst part for me is the "self-imposed" nature of the defeat. Jake could have given Pitt a game, if he'd been given a chance to make all types of throws (not just passes close to the LOS). Pitt didn't really have answers for our faster players on offense (but the OC decided unwisely to keep our arrows in the quiver until deep in the 3rd qtr out of overwhelming fear of Jake throwing an INT). Our OC just needed to let him play (and not force him to throw into a loaded box for most of the first 3 qtrs). All that did was guarantee a loss.
Guess the QB from the box score:
Name Comp % Yds TD Int QBR
QB 1 63% 192 2 0 115.7
QB 2 50% 83 0 1 56.3
QB 3 67% 4 0 1 30.6
This pattern has repeated a few times this season (in games where both Jake & TVD played). Only one of our QBs has consistently outscored our opponents...when not playing handcuffed & truly being given a chance to show his talents.
Must-Haves:
- A new OC (soon);
- A strong finish to the '23 recruiting class;
- Purge of the weaker/toxic players on the current roster; and
- Addition of impact players in the Portal.
