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Brian Batko's Pitt football chat: 9.12.18
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Brian Batko
2:01
Howdy, folks. Some game last weekend, huh? A humbling experience all-around, including for the media types such as myself who predicted a close one. Anyway, I've got a couple soft pretzels from the South Side to munch on for lunch, so let's get into the chat.
SOMD Panther
2:01
To someone who was unable to watch the game live, and unwilling to watch a replay, what would be your answer to the following question: what in the wide, wide world of sports happened?!?!?!?!?
Brian Batko
2:02
Well, where should we begin? Pitt won, but actually lost the opening coin toss, and it was all downhill from there, my friend. Outplayed on offense, defense and in special teams. It wasn't pretty.
Jake Adonizio’s Baby Mama
2:02
After PSU begged us to take the game in the first half, does This team lack Killer instinct ?
Brian Batko
2:03
A killer instinct? After that performance, you could say it lacks a starting instinct, a battle-back instinct, and basically any other instinct needed to not lose a game by 45 points. To your rival. At your home field. On national TV.
tonto
2:04
I think Pitt's main problem is the 'important' people there think they have a lifetime membership in the blue blood club because they competed 40 yrs ago.
So my question, when are they going to realize they have to actually win something now? Like even a minor bowl? Wait make a minor bowl? That they can't just transfer credits, they have to retake and pass some courses first? All the other good stuff, nfl, hof, etc rings hollow until they do? Thanks
Brian Batko
2:06
Well, let's saddle up, Tonto. I didn't really know what you meant by that first comment, so I'm glad you followed up. The most "important" people in Pitt athletics and Pitt football haven't been here long at all, so I'm not sure that concern makes much sense. Pitt has made and won minor bowl games and guess what, that doesn't move the meter much. Obviously, things have changed in a major way since the halcyon days of Pitt winning the 1976 national title. Finishing on top in the ACC Coastal someday would be "something."
Bobby Bottleservice
2:07
How much longer do we have to put up with Shawn Watson?
Brian Batko
2:08
At least 10 more games, I reckon. Then again, he did get removed from play-calling duties after the season opener at Texas in 2014. I don't see Pat Narduzzi doing that, though.
SOMD Panther
2:09
What are your top three disappointing games in Pitt regular season history? Mine have to be Miami-2010, GA Tech-2014, and 51-6.
Brian Batko
2:11
Sorry, that was the 2015 season at Texas for Watson.

But gee whiz, I'd have to really sit down and think about it to make an all-time list. Losing to Penn State, 48-14, to ruin an unbeaten season in 1981 has to be up there.  Probably even worse than Saturday night's pratfall. You could argue there have been even more disappointing ones under Narduzzi, such as Virginia Tech on a Thursday night at home in 2016, a game that if Pitt had won would've given them the Coastal title in retrospect. And then what about some of those losses to MAC and FCS teams over the years? And WVU was known to deal Pitt some pretty brutal defeats, as well. Too many to list, sir.
2:12
And yet, the 2009 loss to Cincinnati, the Gilyard kick return and Andrew Janocko game, surely takes the cake. Thanks for playing.
RickTrocano
2:13
Will Pitt score in second half this season?
Brian Batko
2:13
Yeah
Optimist
2:13
Should Pitt drop football?
Brian Batko
2:13
Pitt dropped football too many times Saturday night, so my suggestion would be no.
SadPittFan4Life
2:14
After Kenny threw the pick against psu, would you say he lost his confidence or the coaching staff lost confidence in him, or was it just the weather ?
Brian Batko
2:15
I think a number of things, really. Pickett would never tell you he lost confidence, but to me, it's human nature to doubt yourself at least a little bit after any mistake, especially when you're a true sophomore starting your third career game and first in this kind of atmosphere. As for the coaching staff, yeah, they might've panicked a little bit and got away from whatever balance they intended to have offensively, be it because of Pickett's struggles, the O-line's protection issues or, as you said, the weather. But here's my thing with the weather: Trace McSorley and his passing game didn't have NEARLY as much trouble playing pitch and catch.
2:17
Also worth noting on that pick is that it was a great play by Amani Oruwariye, Penn State's best corner and not a guy that I think any of Pitt's current wideouts are gonna beat for a jump ball/deep ball.
SOMD Panther
2:18
Any reason to be optimistic this weekend? The only thing I can think of is Q. Wirginis getting a lot of tackles.
Brian Batko
2:19
I do think Wirginis is in line for another big game. He wasn't Scott McKillop by any means Saturday night, but certainly stood out as both the best splash playmaker on Pitt's defense and probably its most consistent guy in getting to the ball. He should be a major help in slowing down the option.
Matt
2:20
Does this game change your opinion of Pitt's chances to compete for an ACC Championship
Brian Batko
2:21
Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, I'm much more dubious of their chances now than I was this time a week ago.
RickTrocano
2:21
Do you think Myrtle beach will still exist Monday?
Brian Batko
2:21
I'm more worried about my beloved Sandbridge
Optimist
2:22
How effective do you think Georgia Tech's passing game will be on Saturday?
Brian Batko
2:23
Depends on how effective it is in fooling Pitt on the occasional play-action deep ball. Can't say I really have the utmost confidence that this Pitt defense will stop that, given what we saw against Penn State and even Albany.
DSquared
2:23
Is Penn State a legitimate top 10 team or was Pitt that bad?
Brian Batko
2:24
Penn State was better than I thought, and I believe even their own fans and media would say that after the way they played vs. App State in the opener. I'm still not sure if they're Top 10 good, though, because Pitt really was that terrible Saturday. To me, it was their worst showing under Narduzzi, all things considered.
Fred Freeloader
2:25
Welp... will Pitt ever break this cycle?
Brian Batko
2:26
Forever is a long time, Freddy Free. But it's very fair to question the progress made, or not made, so far under Narduzzi. Especially now that players who were recruited by Paul Chryst are leaving the nest.
Matt
2:26
I feel like Kenny Pickett was the most disappointing part of that game for Pitt. I thought he could be a difference maker and he couldn't make any plays.
Brian Batko
2:28
Not sure I agree with you there, Matt. He made quite a few plays with his feet, though not with his arm. From my vantage point, he was on the run and uncomfortable in the pocket early and often. Sure, his pocket presence probably could've been better, but a lot of that was because of protection breakdowns in front of him. Was he overall disappointing? Yes. Most disappointing part of the game? Probably not. I'll take special teams, line play and coaching in that conversation.
Pat A.
2:29
What the heck happened to the special teams on Saturday ? Goodness gracious that was a poor display!
Brian Batko
2:30
Speaking of special teams, yeah, that was indeed special in its own way. Normally, I don't worry at all about Pitt's special teams units under Andre Powell. In fact, earlier this season in a chat someone asked me to rank Pitt's position groups from best to worst and I think I had ST fairly high. I would say their inexperience showed, but even fifth-year senior punt returner Rafael Araujo-Lopes wasn't fielding the ball cleanly.
Professor Plum
2:31
I understand the rain played a part and kirk doesn’t typically hold, but what happened to his leg? The punting was borderline horrific
Brian Batko
2:32
Yeah, Aussie punter Kirk Christodoulou had a night to forget all around. I actually thought his inexperience and even just cultural lack of awareness of this kind of game might show up in a bad way, but I figured it'd be more on his right foot than his hands. For one, I didn't expect him to be holding, and for two, I didn't expect him to just drop a punt (albeit on a less-than-ideal snap, as Narduzzi noted Monday).

As far as his punting goes, Pitt fans have to hope it was just nerves that made for some of those shanks and short ones. Or else Ryan Winslow may very well be Pitt's biggest loss from 2017.
Robert
2:33
Any chance the youner guys get more opportunities this week over the privileged upperclassmen that aren’t making plays? Their “knowledge” doesn’t seem to translate to competency
Brian Batko
2:35
There's certainly an interesting dynamic at work between trusting guys with the experience vs. trusting guys who might have more talent. At running back, I still think your two seniors are probably your best, most reliable guys. At wideout, youngsters like Shocky Jacques-Louis already are getting opportunities. I'm curious to see what happens on the O-line, where I thought Bryce Hargrove had some decent moments blocking as a tight end. Not sure the coaches would make a move just yet, but I do wonder if he might factor in at one of the guard spots, or at right tackle kicking inside. Alex Bookser.

The secondary is another place where you have to figure it's time for a new look at some relatively fresh faces. Damarri Mathis has been solid and obviously Dane Jackson is a go-to guy at cornerback, but I happen to agree with the legions of fans who want to see more of what Paris Ford can do.
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