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John McGonigal's Pitt football chat: 03.31.21
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John McGonigal
2:00
Good afternoon everyone. It’s been a while since we’ve done a live chat. And with Pitt back from its spring camp COVID-19 pause, I figured it would be a good time to answer some questions. Fire away, and I’ll get to them over the next hour.
Lturko
2:04
How does Pitt get the receivers to catch the ball this year?  Use that sticky substance Junior Floyd used in Little Giants?
John McGonigal
2:06
Hey, that couldn’t hurt. To defend the receivers for a minute, you’re going to have more drops the more times you throw it. And Pitt’s 39.1 passing attempts per game over the last two seasons is 7th-most in the country. But drops are inexcusable. We all know that. Kenny Pickett will be hoping a veteran group won’t make the same mistakes.
H2P man
2:08
What’s the spring season starting O-line and D backfield looking like? Thanks.
John McGonigal
2:11
As of a couple weeks ago, it was Carter Warren at left tackle, Maryland transfer Marcus Minor at left guard, Owen Drexel at center, Jake Kradel at right guard and Gabe Houy at right tackle. Narduzzi said Vincent Davis is “the guy” in the backfield going into the 2021 season, which tracks with how many carries he got last season, more than Israel Abanikanda, AJ Davis, Todd Sibley and Daniel Carter combined. What Vince Davis does with his carries in spring and fall camp will determine if he holds onto that job. Abanikanda has made strides in pass protection, for what it’s worth.
Guest
2:13
Any update on blue gold game?
John McGonigal
2:17
Pitt’s plan is to keep the spring game on April 17. It’ll be a 1 o’clock kick and televised on the ACC Network. Narduzzi confirmed yesterday that they still hope be able to have fans in the stands, though he didn’t say how many. Of course, if another COVID pause happens, the game could be pushed back. But that’s the tentative plan right now.
Barry
2:19
Thoughts on Hayden Christensen returning as Vader on Disney Plus??
John McGonigal
2:23
Oh, I love it. Attack of the Clones was an abomination, but I actually liked Hayden Christensen in Revenge of the Sith. Not sure how much direct Obi Wan-Anakin stuff we’ll get in this series. Hope they don’t actually duel given how good the Mustafar battle was and the nostalgia attached to the New Hope matchup. Maybe force conversations like Rey and Kylo Ren? But seeing Vader at the peak of his powers, like the end of Rogue One, should be electric.
Vince
2:26
Do you think Mark Whipple finally found out what a tight end does on the football field?
John McGonigal
2:30
The thing is, the tight end position has been a problem for Pitt even before the Mark Whipple era. I know Pitt fans have heard this now for a few years, so totally get anyone keeping a “I’ll believe it when I see it” mentality. I’m in that camp, too, by the way. But word out of camp is that the Pickett to Lucas Krull connection is real. The two are friends and have built a bond over the last two years. That, combined with the  emergence of early enrollee Gavin Bartholomew in spring camp, could spell productivity out of the tight end position in 2021.
Guest
2:32
Hearing a lot about P.J. O'Brien. What is his background?
John McGonigal
2:36
P.J. O’Brien was the last addition to Pitt’s 2021 recruiting class. He was previously committed to Auburn and had offers from Alabama, Georgia, Florida LSU, Oregon and 25 other schools. Were all of those commitable offers? Tough to say. But he enrolled early and some of his teammates have been hyping him up. Linebacker Bangally Kamara tweeted yesterday that he’s going to be the “next great Pitt safety.” Meanwhile, Narduzzi said on Tuesday that O’Brien is a guy who “will whack you on the back end.” Those are good signs.
John Johnson
2:40
hi John, long time first time. Only have one question for you. What is your go to summer beer?
John McGonigal
2:43
The rain in Pittsburgh today has me longing for Memorial Day Weekend. We’re only two months away, folks. But I have two go-to summer beers: Landshark (strictly out of a bottle) and Victory Summer Love. I also love pretty much everything from Cape May Brewing Company. Excited to try their new hazy IPA.
2:44
Which reminds me, I haven’t been able to get out to as many breweries around here as I’d like. Any local summer beer recommendations are welcomed.
JoeKnew
2:44
Why not Goncalves on OL? I thought he impressed in the last couple of games.
John McGonigal
2:50
Goncalves definitely impressed in his three starts against Virginia Tech, Clemson and Georgia Tech. He even picked up freshman All-American honors from the FWAA. When we asked Carter Warren a few weeks ago, he said Goncalves was working as his backup at left tackle. Warren has also taken on more of a leadership role this spring, according to his teammates and Narduzzi, so his role as a starter should be safe, at least to begin the season. But a lot can change between now and Sept. 4. I certainly wouldn’t count out Goncalves at left or right tackle.
Guest
2:53
Is this a make or break season for Narduzzi?
John McGonigal
2:57
I’m not sure “make or break” is the right phrase, but it’s definitely important. You can talk your way out of last year’s 6-5 disappointment with COVID opt outs and Pickett’s injury. But in 2021, you have Pickett back, an experienced WR room and offensive line, and a defense that, while it lost a lot of starters, still has the pieces in place to be an above average ACC unit. Looking at Pitt’s schedule, I can see 7-5. I can also see 9-3. Anything less than 8 regular-season wins ought to be considered a disappointment, in my opinion. Losses to Clemson, North Carolina, even Miami would be more than understandable. But at some point, you’ve got to get over the hump and win the toss-up games. Between Virginia Tech, Tennessee and Virginia, there are a few of those next season.
2:58
That’s all the time we have today, folks. But thanks as always for your questions, and we’ll do this again next week as camp continues and the spring game approaches.
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