It happens

[Crusty]

...to good and bad teams. Bad matchups, injuries, questionable calls at inopportune times and sometimes just getting outcoached and/or outplayed are some of the reasons for embarrassing blowouts. A good Nebraska team gets boat raced 56-7, Chapel Hill gives up 70 against JMU, South Carolina drubs OU 35-9, TAM 41 Mizzou 10 etc. It happens.

Given what we have seen this season, this was bound to happen to us. McCord, who has been outstanding, throws a lot of 50-50 balls and is forced to rely on the quick game far too often with our work-in-progress oline. All in all a somewhat high-risk passing game. The perfect storm of a good pass rush, corners that can play good press coverage and fast LBs hit us with a well-coached Pitt team. Granted, 3 pick sixes is a bit much - where interceptions happen explains a lot. I don’t expect a repeat.

The good news is the defense. We held Pitt to 13 first downs, 2-9 third down conversions. 217 total yards and only 73 rushing yards. TOP was 41:12 to 18:48. We should win every game with those defensive statistics.

I don't mean to absolve McCord as it was a terrible performance. His well-known lack of mobility and run threat caught up with him. It probably destroyed his draft prospects.

Remove the twenty-one points on pick sixes makes it 21-13 not counting lost scoring opportunities. Who knows, probably a different outcome.

We have four winnable games remaining. I think winning three of them would be a great step forward for Coach Fran's first season.

Forget this one and move along.

 

[Millhouse]

...to good and bad teams. Bad matchups, injuries, questionable calls at inopportune times and sometimes just getting outcoached and/or outplayed are some of the reasons for embarrassing blowouts. A good Nebraska team gets boat raced 56-7, Chapel Hill gives up 70 against JMU, South Carolina drubs OU 35-9, TAM 41 Mizzou 10 etc. It happens.

Given what we have seen this season, this was bound to happen to us. McCord, who has been outstanding, throws a lot of 50-50 balls and is forced to rely on the quick game far too often with our work-in-progress oline. All in all a somewhat high-risk passing game. The perfect storm of a good pass rush, corners that can play good press coverage and fast LBs hit us with a well-coached Pitt team. Granted, 3 pick sixes is a bit much - where interceptions happen explains a lot. I don’t expect a repeat.

The good news is the defense. We held Pitt to 13 first downs, 2-9 third down conversions. 217 total yards and only 73 rushing yards. TOP was 41:12 to 18:48. We should win every game with those defensive statistics.

I don't mean to absolve McCord as it was a terrible performance. His well-known lack of mobility and run threat caught up with him. It probably destroyed his draft prospects.

Remove the twenty-one points on pick sixes makes it 21-13 not counting lost scoring opportunities. Who knows, probably a different outcome.

We have four winnable games remaining. I think winning three of them would be a great step forward for Coach Fran's first season.

Forget this one and move along.

Time of possession is worthless and this game proves it

When your opponent can't stop scoring on themselves, you play it safe on offense the few times you even have the ball

 

[Crusty]

Lots of other variables involved but certainly not worthless.

 

[FrancoPizza]

Time of possession is worthless and this game proves it

When your opponent can't stop scoring on themselves, you play it safe on offense the few times you even have the ball

Exactly. And our defensive stats are misleading. Give Pitt 3 more possessions and a longer field to drive and they may very well have racked up 400+ yards.

 

[dollarbill44]

Time of possession is worthless and this game proves it

When your opponent can't stop scoring on themselves, you play it safe on offense the few times you even have the ball

Until you're in the final minute of a blowout and you go hurry-up. That was bush league by Narduzzi.

 

[DPCuse]

Exactly. And our defensive stats are misleading. Give Pitt 3 more possessions and a longer field to drive and they may very well have racked up 400+ yards.

Or factor in the return yards on their 5 INTs to their offensive stats.

 

[upperdeck]

Exactly. And our defensive stats are misleading. Give Pitt 3 more possessions and a longer field to drive and they may very well have racked up 400+ yards.

Pitt had the ball all game and they only moved it one time. The scores mattered for sure

We had 5 drives of over 10 plays that led to two scores.

We probably worked the ball well enough we deserved to be in the high 20s even with the pick 6s

 

[OrangeTarheel]

Pitt had the ball all game and they only moved it one time. The scores mattered for sure

We had 5 drives of over 10 plays that led to two scores.

We probably worked the ball well enough we deserved to be in the high 20s even with the pick 6s

That’s where I’m at with this game. I doubt any team has won after giving up 6INTs with 3 of them pick sixes. I’m fine with seeing we did not give up despite the circumstances and appear not to have had any significant injuries.

I really wanted this to be a coming out game for us but this is Fran’s first year. He put together a fine enough team to improve from last year, I’m still hopeful we win out and shock Miami. Go ‘cuse!

 

[CuseIn282xx]

Not Fran Brown's fault at this point. But until we recruit or transfer in top-shelf OL's and DL's in quantity, games against quality teams are going to go like this. Skill positions are nice, but games are won or lost at the line of scrimmage.