I slept like a baby last night. There will be plenty of time to stress about playoff scenarios. That can wait. I was always more worried about going 4-0. We've flopped in November since before Facebook. Four blowout wins later, and it feels like we have a real program again.
This has been a weird season. In August, anybody would've signed up for 10-2 and sweeping our rivals. I'm a pretty optimistic guy, and 10-2 was my preseason pick. It's the path that feels different. Everything looked smooth for a while. Now, we're sweating rankings instead of booking a trip to Charlotte. We still haven't gotten over the hump.
But these are good problems. Four years ago, we were in existential danger. The sport was leaving us behind. Our only draft pick was a seventh rounder. Every big game was a blowout loss. We were a joke. Now the U is everywhere- ESPN, the Draft, award shows, recruiting rankings. We're relevant for the first time in most players' lives.
Our biggest problem remains the ACC. The first issue is our own performance. We've done worse inside the conference than outside of it. Two more losses as double-digit favorites blew up our season. This needs to be the focus for self-scouting. Is it a style-of-play issue? Should we be playing higher tempo against less-talented conference foes? Mario needs to take an honest look at everything.
The second issue is the league itself. The refs, the rules, the representatives- it all screams all bush league. There may not be a single ACC team in the playoff because the tiebreaker rules are so stupid. The conference is an albatross around our necks, in recruiting and beyond.
Overall, this was a step forward. We lost the best player in America and got better. That's a sign of true program health. Here are some more thoughts on the Pitt win:
- Ahmad Moten set the tone on the first defensive play, and it was domination after that. Pitt came in averaging 38 PPG and got squashed. Justin Scott was making plays vertically and horizontally while looking every bit like a five-star player. Rueben Bain had his best game in a month. Everybody ate.
Defensive line is the most important position in college football, and the Portal has increased parity by spreading around the big boys. This is why the top of the SEC has fallen off. Mario and his staff have adapted and used a combination of blue-chip recruiting (Scott, Bain, Armondo Blount), savvy evaluation (Moten, Donta Simpson) and the Portal (Akheem Mesidor, David Blay) to build an elite front. If we can keep Moten and add a proven EDGE, this group can be lethal next year.
- The offense has continued to ascend, with added looks from Dawson and more reps for explosive young players. We're now 20th in scoring offense, 17th in yards per pass attempt, and 18th in third-down conversion percentage. The end result is within our expectations, but we dropped two critical games getting there.
- Carson Beck's arc mirrored the team itself: up and down, but ultimately where you hoped it would land. I think two things helped Beck: the evolution of the offense, and extra reps after missing spring and summer. All told, he ranks 9th nationally in passer rating and 2nd in completion percentage. When you combine stats, talent and winning (34-5 as a starter), I think he's our second-best quarterback since the Dorsey Era. Cam is the only one better, and Beck is ahead of the third guy by a good margin.
Beck is also another Portal success story. If you pick the five best Canes quarterbacks since Dorsey, it's some combination of Ward, Beck, King, Berlin and Kaaya. Four out of those five are transfers, including the best ones. I expect us to go back to that well.
- We're starting the see the vision of the Girard Pringle/Mark Fletcher backfield. Pringle fits our team perfectly because he's a North/South runner. His decisive cuts keep the offense on schedule while also threatening with 10.5 speed. And his size allows him to hide behind our giant offensive line.
A smaller back like Pringle needs help, and Fletcher is the Thunder to Pringle's Lightning. It's appropriate that Fletcher buried Pitt with a TD run that sent helmets flying. He's a huge part of our identity. Fletch is a good runner, but he's a championship-caliber football player. I like that we're using him more as a lead blocker- he brings a unique skillset with his size and physicality.
- Malachi Toney is one of the ten best football players in America. During camp, I said that I could throw a newborn baby at Toney and feel secure. Beck must feel the same way, because Toney hasn't dropped a single pass all year. I hope we keep expanding his passing role, as he's a legitimate quarterback we can trust to make decisions.
- I love that the regular season ended with a CJ Daniels highlight catch, because that's how he started it against Notre Dame. Him and Keelan Marion both brought veteran IQ and positive energy to a young room.
- It's been a rough year for the tight ends, so it's nice to see them get going. Alex Bauman had his best game of the season with 3 catches for 58 yards. Elija Lofton is still not moving and hitting at 100%, but he's finding a way to make an impact on some great calls from Dawson. This is another area where we continue to get better from the beginning of the season.
- Miami's elite pass blocking caused huge problems for Pitt's blitz-heavy attack. At times, it was target practice for Beck. And with so much scrutiny on Miami's running game, it was refreshing to see Francis Mauigoa laying on a defender like a beach towel.
- Bryce Fitzgerald's talent jumps off the screen. His ball skills (4 INTs) are Kam Kinchens-level, but he also brings the speed and fluidity of a cornerback. It will be fun to watch his career unfold.
Now we wait for the committee to do the right thing. I think they will. But if they BCS us, I hope we react like we did in 2001. And this time, our coach won't leave for the Browns. The program is being built to last. Go Canes.
