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John McGonigal's Pitt football chat: 11.05.20
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John McGonigal
11:00
Howdy folks, it’s time for the Pitt live chat. We’ve got plenty of questions to get to, so let’s start.
Guest
11:01
Can Pat cut the crap and just announce that Pickett is out for the season? Paris Ford probably left because he knows the QB isn't coming back
John McGonigal
11:04
Narduzzi always says that he’ll announce if a player’s injury is season-ending. And while he’s lied in the past about injury information, I do think it’s a possibility that Pickett gets medically cleared to come back later this month. Now, if he’s still dealing with pain, would it be worth it? Probably not, unless he wants to try to end his Pitt career on something other than an injury. In regards to Ford … even though Pickett’s injury had a hand in Pitt’s four-game losing streak and the overall sense of dread around the program, it didn’t directly factor into Paris’ decision to leave.
Buzzard Bill
11:05
Hi John,  the mood in the Pitt locker room must be pretty dismal right now, especially with Ford walking out on the team.  This doesn't seem good for the remaining 4 games.  What is your best guess as to how many of these games Pitt will win?
John McGonigal
11:08
The players and coaches maintain that they’re positive coming out of the off week. But if the mood on the South Side was dismal, I wouldn’t blame them. I’ve got Pitt splitting these final four games 2-2. Now, I should preface that by saying I don’t believe in this Pitt team one bit. They could lose every single game to close the season, and I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. But it’s more of a gut feeling that the Panthers win at Florida State and then against Georgia Tech or Virginia Tech.
Retire21
11:09
Will Pickett get another year because of Covid?
John McGonigal
11:10
Because of the pandemic, the NCAA is implementing a blanket waiver. This year doesn’t count toward anyone’s eligibility. So in theory, Pickett, Jimmy Morrissey, Patrick Jones, Rashad Weaver and Damar Hamlin could all decide to run it back. Will they? I highly, highly doubt it.
Guest
11:11
looks like now the players are throwing the towel in now, paris ford leaving just shows how the coaching  staff has let the players down, if lyke doesn't get rid of the entire coaching staff then get rid of lyke, what do you think !!!
John McGonigal
11:14
One player leaving shouldn’t speak for the entire team. If all the players were done with this year, Patrick Jones, for example, would opt out, too. But for Lyke to pull the trigger, Pitt would probably have to lose its remaining games. And even then, it might take a booster’s deep pockets to help offset the buyout. Pandemic financial issues are no joke within college athletic departments.
Yuri
11:15
Hello John.  What effect if any, did the decision of Paris Ford to end his season have on Derrick Davis to eliminate Pitt to play his college football and Khalil Dinkins to play at PSU?  I have heard that Ford and Pat N. didn’t get along.  Thank you.
John McGonigal
11:18
Well, Dinkins committed to Penn State a couple weeks before Ford left. And from my understanding Penn State has always been the favorite for Derrick Davis. I don’t blame him for having LSU and Ohio State round out his final three, either. So I wouldn’t read too much into that. But the relationship between Ford and Narduzzi was rocky at its worst and imperfect at its best. Will that affects Pitt’s hometown recruiting? Only time will tell.
Donna
11:19
Hi John, do you think Pickett has a future in the NFL?  Would you comment on his strengths and weaknesses?  Thanks.
John McGonigal
11:23
I do think Pickett has a future in the league. While it’s an adventure sometimes, he has tremendous pocket awareness and scrambling ability. People also don’t give him credit for how accurate he is. According to Sports Info Solutions, 80% of his passes this year have been on-target. The main weakness would be ball security. There’s a lot of competition after Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Trey Lance and Zach Wilson. But with a good Senior Bowl, Pickett could get into the top 10, maybe top 8, quarterbacks selected.
Gino
11:24
Any idea who, if anyone will take the fall for Pitt’s collapse?
John McGonigal
11:26
I’d be surprised if there weren’t a couple of changes to the coaching staff this offseason, as long as the results remain the same. I think you’d have to if you’re Narduzzi.
Chris
11:27
Those uniforms Pitt wore against Notre Dame sure were UGGLY!!! Pitt would be better off wearing the Blue and Gold and focusing on trying win a game.  H2P!!
John McGonigal
11:30
The players made that call, and I can see why: the steel alternates were the last uniforms they won in against Louisville. But I agree, they were awful. I’m all for giving players power. But as an athletic department, you made the switch back to the script … so that you can look unrecognizable in maybe your only nationally televised game all year? Maybe someone should’ve stepped in.
Pope
11:32
Do you agree that Narduzzi has lost the team?  Ford quitting for the remainder of the season speaks volumes about both his character and not being a team player as well as Narduzzi losing control of the ship.
John McGonigal
11:35
I don’t know, I rarely buy into the whole “lost the team” narrative. Narduzzi didn’t see a lack of effort on film the last few weeks, and I actually agree with him. After rewatching the NC State, Boston College, Miami and Notre Dame games, I didn’t see many instances of players overtly giving up on a play or not trying. But I’ll say this: if we haven’t already, we’ll find out what kind of team Narduzzi has built here in these final four games.
JScazzz
11:36
Same Old Pitt.  Another preseason of high expectations and another losing season is upon us.  I have been a fan since the glory years of 1976-1981...and I don’t see Pitt football becoming relevant anytime in my lifetime.  Do you agree it is time for Narduzzi to be shown the door?  His recruiting is not good; his game day management is not good; and we are in year 6 of below average results.
John McGonigal
11:40
I was actually talking to my colleague Craig Meyer last week about timing and a pandemic-affected coaching carousel. We agreed that if an athletic department has the money (or the booster dollars) to buy out its underperforming coach, this year would actually be the year to do it. Think about all the schools that will hold onto their coaches because of financial reasons and then clip them at the end of 2021. There will be a feeding frenzy as Power Five programs fight for the best candidates. Just something to think about if Pitt loses out.
JR
11:40
Duzz recent comment keep running until you break one is bizarre. Davis appears to be too small and is offer tackles by one player. Your thoughts on the running game?
John McGonigal
11:42
The running game is really, really bad. And praying to break one is a bad reason to continue doing something that clearly doesn’t work. At the same time, I don’t see a clear fix. It’s not as simple as getting a better running back or a better offensive line or a better coordinator. I think that aspect of this offense is rotten to its core.
SteveY
11:43
Do you think the season’s losing record will impact some of our recruits?  Have you heard any rumblings?
John McGonigal
11:46
Losing never helps, but I don’t think it matters as much as people think it does — especially in a weird year like that. For now, the early signing period still starts Dec. 16. I’m sure Narduzzi and his staff hope their 2021 commits sign at that time. But plenty of these guys haven’t visited campus and are basing their commitments on relationships with the coaching staff. And with the recruiting dead period still in effect, I don’t see visits happening anytime soon. What I’m trying to say is, it’s too early to tell what these kids might do. They might stay committed regardless of outside interest or visit opportunities because they’re comfortable with the staff. We’ll see.
Guest
11:47
do you see Kenny back next year
John McGonigal
11:47
I don't, no.
Donald
11:47
What will happen first? The election ends or Pitt score 35+ points
John McGonigal
11:50
Oh boy. It seems like this thing could get dragged out for weeks. But I have more faith in vote counters than I do Pitt’s offense.
Anthony
11:50
Do you have any stats on deep ball attempts? It seems like Pitt is rarely taking deep shots downfield. I for the life of me whey they don’t take a chance in man coverage. Seems like a row risk, high reward type play that good offenses take advantage of.
John McGonigal
11:54
I don’t have deep-ball attempt stats at my fingertips unfortunately. I do know that Pitt has seven completions of 30 yards or more through six ACC games this year, after having seven through eight conference games last year. So on a per game basis, that number is slightly up … but both figures rank(ed) second-worst in the ACC. From an eye test, it doesn’t seem like they’re taking enough deep shots, especially with a guy as fast as DJ Turner. Chris Beatty said Wednesday that Pitt has to get him the ball more, and I couldn’t agree more.
Guest
11:54
How do you feel about the secondary next year? Is Hill and Pinnock playing good this year? Mathis back will be a major boost
John McGonigal
11:55
Pinnock’s a senior, but with the waiver he can come back. So if it’s him, Mathis and Marquis Williams as the third corner, with Rashad Battle factoring in, that’s a solid group. At safety, I’m intrigued to see what Brandon Hill does with these final four games. At the very least, the coaching staff is confident in him. This final month will go a long way in determining what that secondary looks like in 2021.
Guest
11:55
Why do the the coaching staff like 31 so much. Every time you see him on tv, he’s getting beat or missing tackles
John McGonigal
11:56
Erick Hallett? He’s a versatile guy that can play both corner and safety. But he doesn’t tackle all that well and has been late providing help over the top on at least a couple of Pitt’s longer touchdowns allowed.
Ryan
11:56
Is Dennis and Kancey on the right track to become the next great playmakers? I would like more Hayes. He’s been great in limited action
John McGonigal
11:59
On a defense that has not lived up to the hype — featuring senior leadership/production in Patrick Jones, Rashad Weaver and Damar Hamlin that will soon be gone — Calijah Kancey and SirVocea Dennis have been bright spots for the future. Dennis’ 10.5 tackles for loss rank fourth nationally, and Kancey has done a solid job disrupting on the interior. Impressed with both of them. As for Hayes, he’s seen action in only two games: Austin Peay and Miami. While he tallied a couple sacks in the opener and provided pressure against the ‘Canes, he still has to develop more before becoming a consistent contributor.
Guest
11:59
The OC is a joke ...The QB running to the sideline for plays.is ridiculous. If you look at the previous OC they utilized the talent and strength of their players not Wipple . It is going to get a lot more difficult to recruit players if the program keeps going in this direction.
John McGonigal
11:59
I get the running to the sidelines gripe. But even though it hasn’t produced positive results, I would say philosophically Whipple has played to the offense’s strength, which is the passing game.
Chip
11:59
why
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