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John McGonigal's Pitt football chat: 09.09.20
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John McGonigal
2:00
Alrighty folks, it's game week. Let's get the questions going, and I'll answer them over the next hour.
Anthony Fauci
2:02
Austin Peay has an All American WR in DeAngelo Wilson who didn't play in their first game. Do you suspect Pinnock will shadow him or will Marquis Williams also get a crack considering Wilson is only an inch taller than him?
John McGonigal
2:04
We actually just spoke to Jason Pinnock, who said he's been asking Narduzzi to allow him to shadow receivers this season, especially given Damarri Mathis' injury. But ultimately, Pinnock thinks he'll be needed as Pitt's boundary cornerback — a little bit of a more challenging position without as much safety help. Marquis Williams will play the field corner, so it'll most likely just depend on where DeAngelo Wilson lines up.
KDub
2:06
John, appreciate your reporting. What’s the biggest challenge for Pitt I’m getting balance on offense? Do you think it’s the need for a running back to step up or does the line need to drastically improve?
John McGonigal
2:08
Thanks for that. And I do think it comes down to the offensive line. The running game was bad, no way around that. And the running backs have a responsibility in that. But between A.J. Davis, Todd Sibley, Vincent Davis, Daniel Carter and Israel Abanikanda, Pitt has a mix of young and experienced backs with differing talents. It's just a matter of them 1) staying healthy and 2) getting the necessary holes. Plus, Pitt allowed 22 sacks in 8 conference games last year. The blocking needs to improve if this offense is going to take the next step.
JR
2:10
Was optimistic about coming season until the schedule was revised. Pitt got screwed. The team will be fortunate to go 7-5. What say you?
John McGonigal
2:13
I've gone back and forth between 8-3 and 7-4, but I've got them 7-4 in the regular season. I can see 8-3 with losses to Clemson, Notre Dame and either Miami or Florida State. To pull off 8-3 or better, they've got to start the season 5-0 going into the Miami game on Oct. 17, which I think is totally possible. But a loss to Louisville in a few weeks could totally nix a pursuit of an ACC championship game berth, which is still the team's goal despite Jaylen Twyman opting out and Damarri Mathis' injury.
Guest
2:15
Any transfers close to joining PITT
John McGonigal
2:17
After putting John Petrishen and Jake Zilinskas on scholarships and adding DJ Turner, the grad transfer from Maryland, Pitt hit its 85-scholarship limit. So unless someone departs or wants to walk on, the Panthers don't have the roster space to add another piece.
SiliconValleyPanther
2:20
Your thoughts on opt outs?  I would think Jones, Ford, Weaver, possibly Morrissey, opt out after 3-4 games if they perform well and have enough on film to satisfy scouts.  What am I missing?
John McGonigal
2:22
Eh, I don't know. I wouldn't count anything out during a pandemic, but I really don't see those players opting out while the season is going on unless there are a bunch of cancellations and the COVID-19 situation in ACC states gets way worse. Morrissey, Jones, etc. came back to play. They were very clear about that when training camp started on Aug. 7, and they reiterated that intent last week. Don't see that changing unless something drastic happens.
Geo
2:24
How much confidence is there in an O-line that wasn't very good last year?
John McGonigal
2:27
Actually wrote about this yesterday (https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/Pitt/2020/09/08/Pitt-football-offe...). Basically, the players are confident in the experience they're returning. Carter Warren, a redshirt freshman as a first-time starter last year, now has 13 starts under his belt. Redshirt sophomore Jake Kradel started games at right guard, and Bryce Hargrove — a rotational player in 2018 — was a third-team All-ACC pick at left guard last year. So the linemen feel good about themselves going into the season. But Narduzzi is basically taking a "prove me" approach. He said Monday that he's "confident until he's not confident." So we'll see how confident he is after Saturday and the coming weeks.
BK
2:31
Lucas Krull seems to have the size and athleticism to be a great pass catcher. Do you know his run blocking ability? What kept him off the field at Florida (besides playing behind Kyle Pitts, possibly the best TE in the country)?
John McGonigal
2:35
I think that's the real question in Krull's game. At least it has been in the past. From everything I've read and heard from his time at Florida, run blocking was an issue for Krull and the Gators' tight ends as a whole. Frankly, the SEC fronts he faced were probably more menacing than what Syracuse, N.C. State, Boston College and some other ACC schools have to offer. But when the running game was an issue last year, it's a fair concern to have about Krull.
Smoky Burgess
2:36
Please rank candidates for the everyday CF spot next season.
John McGonigal
2:36
We talking center fielders? I heard Mike Trout is pretty good. The Pirates should probably get him. (Sorry, I think you have the wrong chat)
KJ
2:37
With the NCAA allowing an extra year of eligibility due to Covid19 being around, how many of Pitt's seniors might you see staying at Pitt for the additional year of play? It seems not all would be considered due to financial considerations by the University.
John McGonigal
2:40
In regards to the financial aspect of things, Narduzzi was one of the coaches spearheading this idea publicly from the early goings, and Heather Lyke supported it as well. So I'm not sure how much of an issue that will be, depending on the player. It'll also depend on if the season finishes and programs get those TV dollars. I don't see any older veteran with draft potential coming back, barring injury. When the NFL calls, it's hard to ignore. But maybe Damarri Mathis comes back following his season-ending injury, or DJ Turner takes advantage of a second season if he doesn't make an immediate impact. There are a handful of guys who could use it. But to project a firm number this early is difficult.
Guest
2:42
Can Jordan Addison live up to the hype he’s getting through camp
John McGonigal
2:45
Is he going to be Antonio Brown in Week 1? No. But he was named a starter relatively early in training camp, and normally doesn't happen for freshmen, at Pitt or elsewhere. After talking to Addison and those who know him from high school, he seems like someone with a good head on his shoulders who's obviously talented. With limited immediate competition in the slot, outside of DJ Turner if Pitt deploys him there, I'm expecting a productive year for the true freshman.
SiliconValleyPanther
2:47
What happens if some ACC games are cancelled due to Covid?  See, LA Tech v. Baylor.  I'm presuming the games are not made up, so how does it figure in league standings?  Cancellations are inevitable. Eg. Pitt goes 5-1) in league play (after cancellations).  Clemson goes 3-1 in league play (after cancellations).  Who is ACC Champ?
John McGonigal
2:49
There are no divisions this year, so the two teams that reach the ACC title game are the ones with the best conference winning percentage. Not most wins, but best percentage. It's pretty clear they did that intentionally, understanding a game (or two or four or 10) might get canceled. Pitt, for example, shares an Oct. 31 off week with Miami and N.C. State if either of those games need to be rescheduled. But the Panthers don't share their second off weekend (Dec. 5) with anyone. So to get any of Pitt's final four games rescheduled — if Pitt is in contention for the ACC championship game — the title would have to be pushed back to Dec. 19 (it's currently an either or with that date and Dec. 12). A few variables in there obviously, but at its base level, the two teams with the best winning percentage get in.
UD Flyer
2:52
What was the logic in bringing in a transfer WR to an already deep group vs. a more compelling position such as CB or Tackle?
John McGonigal
2:54
Just going back and looking at the timeline here, the Damarri Mathis news was announced on Tuesday, Aug. 25. Meanwhile, DJ Turner's transfer was confirmed on Tuesday, Sept. 1 — but Narduzzi said he arrived on campus the week before, either Tuesday the 25th or Wednesday the 26th. From what it seems, they were locked into Turner right around the time Mathis went down. Also: Narduzzi said earlier in training camp that the transfer portal wasn't flooded with wantaways like some expected it would. If there was a corner out there that would bring something to Pitt's secondary, who wanted to come to Pitt and the timing worked out better, I bet Narduzzi would rather have that than another wide receiver. But at least Turner will provide depth / competition in the slot and outside while contributing at punt returner.
SiliconValleyPanther
2:56
So, theoretically, Duke goes 1-0 before all rest of their games cancelled (or cant be made up).  They have a winning percentage of 1.000.  Clemson goes 11-0 or 1.000, no cancellations.
John McGonigal
2:57
If Duke plays only one game in this wild scenario, I'd assume they had some kind of COVID outbreak that keeps them from playing in the ACCCG. Don't think it's going to come down to that.
Johnny miichelosen
2:57
7-4,eh?  Can you come up with a realistic Best Case Scenario?
John McGonigal
3:00
Here's Pitt's best-case scenario: It starts the season 5-0 with Marquis Williams/Rashad Battle holding up well at field corner, the offensive line working cohesively and Kenny Pickett slinging it. D'Eriq King doesn't work out as well as anyone thought he could, Rashad Weaver/Patrick Jones/Keyshon Camp pressure him, and Pitt beats Miami. Then the Panthers go 3-2 to finish their closing stretch, ideally with a win over Notre Dame. That puts Pitt at 9-2, which ought to be good enough for the No. 2 slot in the standings and a trip to Charlotte.
3:02
That's all the time we've got today, but thanks for all of your questions. Be sure to follow along this week as Saturday approaches and listen to the North Shore Drive podcast, where me, Craig Meyer and Nubyjas Wilborn previewed the Pitt season: https://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/the-north-shore-drive-sports-...
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