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#53 R.P.I. Virginia Tech #66 R.P.I. Pitt:

Today’s word of the day is… funambulist!

Fu‘·nam·bu·list

(fyo͝o-năm′byə-lĭst)

noun. mid-Latin.
  1. One who performs on a tightrope or a slack rope.
  2. Latin fūnambulus : fūnisrope + ambulāre, to walk.
  3. This V.Tech football program for every single second of the next 180 sporting minutes.

Pitt Head Coach: Patrick Regan Narduzziage=54, (44-33 at Pitt and overall); has a rep’ for defense, willingness to take risks, stubbornness, and as a quote-machine!
And for being a peaking Mr. November coach.
$3,213,000.oo base with an additional $450,000 in incentives.

Like him or lump him… Duz; ain’t, dull!

Baller Narduzzi was a nepotistic collegiate Linebacker his ownself at Youngstown State and then he later transferred to Rhode Island. He holds a Master’s from Miami Ohio after his playing days were finished; .edu props on that.

Coach Narduzzi began his career at Miami University in 1990 where he was a graduate assistant in 199o and 1991 and where he tutored the Wr’s in 1992. From 1993 to 1999 Narduzzi coached back at the University of Rhode Island coaching the Rams Lb’s from 1993 to 1997 and as the defensive coordinator from 1998 to 1999. From 2ooo to 2oo2, he served as the Lb’s coach at Northern Illinois University. He was the defensive coordinator at Miami University in 2oo3 before joining the University of Cincinnati staff as defensive coordinator in 2oo4

At that point… and so the story goes, coach Duz’ tried to leverage Cincy into giving him the head job, and instead wound up at Michigan State as D-coordinator. From 2o11-2o14, Michigan State was the only team to rank in the D-1 Top-10 in total defense and rushing defense alike. I’d say that counts; as does being the coveted 2o13 Broyles Award winner as top assistant coach accordingly. Father (Bill) was the big whistle at Youngstown State, so coaching is in his blood.

Poppa bear Narduzzi and his wife, Donna, have four children:
Arianna, Christina, Patrick, and Isabella.

2019 record: 8 up 5 down and 4-4 in the A.c.c.

 Pittsburgh Defense: (starters back=was 8, now; 6)

  • 9th in Total D!!
  • 2nd vs. the run!!!
  • 46th vs. the throw.
  • 30th in passing efficiency D.
  • 35 in zone D.
  • in Qb’s sacked.
  • in Tackles for a Loss (TFL) inflicted.
  • 10 outta 10 in dLine Havoc. Patrick (8-Qb’s sacked ¦ 13.5 TFL) Jones II De … stud! A plays both odd/left and even-right-De stud at that. Seriously, he’s an oversized yesteryear Foster Stud-De. Studly. Studded. An absurd -to the point of questionable- 53-graded Qb pressures says so! That’s Hugh Green territory folks. So are 8 FF’s (forced fumbles) for his career. Stay away from nine-one… and #91 and his fellow gangSTARS are as flexy, swaggy, and cocksure as they come. And some say fellow De: (Rashad Weaver, knee history here; St.Nikon help!) is more natural and/or even better! 70 combined Qb pressures between these two De’s; alone! Kinda entertaining, never dull; and they are playing on straight fire of late with bulwark Dt’s really punking the run. As this is a front-4 that blends some size with some athletics like a champ. This is a big-strong Dline, albeit noticeably more bookend experienced by-the-bye. Therefore, De is better due to the Dt1 opt-out of: Sunday quality Jaylen Twyman. (SEE: the inserted boxing on the chart below)
  • 7 outta 10 in Linebacking Havoc. (13.5 TFL) SirVocea Dennis LB1 is now the alpha. Lb2 Cam Bright (now statistical beta) is a feature type of blitzer. Reminds me somewhat of the 49’ers schemed open and came hard on the aggressive red-dog when they did pop free better historically ‘backers {cue: Kenna Turner, et al}. This is a solid second-layer that flirts with being dynamic at times. And as you see below… Pitt will drop their Lb’s just a little deeper. Making them much hard to scrape/fold to… and this tells you Pitt wants them speedy and clean. Will/Sam Lb’ers are modest on size (one (Campbell II is really a Ss); whereas the Mike-Lb (c.Pine) looks like a cinderblock that ate a barrel; twice. And yet this is the 3rd of 3-layers; which is a relative statement indeed— as the Pitt 2nd-layer is the closest to average of the triune lot. And not unsurprisingly the least experienced layer to boot. No wonder they deal some of these guys between the red-dog Ot’s. (i.e. helps get rid of them in coverage).
  • 8 outta 10 in Secondary Havoc. Damar Hamlin Fs and Paris Ford Ss and Co. are/were causing Havoc+++. Like an Anne Hathaway director’s cut make-out-remake. As Pitt plays the ball even when the ball’s bladder has no air in it and is still in an equipment manager’s canvas sack! Very ball-aggressive pass/route jumping D. As only a couple of teams have carved mo’ notches in their intercepting belt’s then Pitt has (4th best) this campaign. And honestly, they get there more often than they don’t. As several real-live ballhawks Jayhawk the rock in the Panther hind-4 or hind-5 shapes. As Pitt is up a whopping 183% in passes-pilfered compared to Pitt opponents with a serrated-looking 27 passes defended and 11 more broken-up! The Panther defensive-backfield is okay on height and maybe just a little light in the pants.  Safety is thinner only due to Paris Ford (a mini-me j.Tatum hitter) parking it somewhere other than on the 2020 Panther football-fields. Leaving Cb1 Marquis ‘toast’ Williams as the feisty Pat Fischer sized hind-4 alpha Cb via default. (tho’ he is hell or high-water, hence the appliance tag). Cb2 (Pinnock, ‘personal’ is probable; Godspeed). And this defensive backfield is sneakier/slicker than its pure Man-on-Edge rep’ suggests. There are bait-n-switch ‘pass-off’ elements behind that designed to be pure INT misread traps. p.s. if the Pitt Wr’s hands are questionable— then the Pitt secondary is Roberto Duran… i.e. ‘hands of stone’. (and the smaller Cb’s catch mo’ blocks than they shed).

    Fortythree: …just as you’d expect.
  • D overall: This is a stop-the-run first, second, last defensive scheme that gladly risks old Beamerball Island type coverage on the edges. Ergo, therefore, to Whit… it works best with just that, 7-hardcore lead pipe run-pluggers in the middle and a Haynes and Hayes Oaktown Raider set of Cb’s as lockdown guys out on the edge. Tackling is both fundamentally sound and technically well-struck. You gotta give Coach Duz’ that practice-field tackling-dummy round 10-8; some years 10-7. (film-study): …understand… some coaching sewing circles find this Jam-on-Edge look to be a bit (Spread-fighting) antiquated. And it may indeed be; in years where Pitt is suspect on the Corners. Tho’ if/when Duz’ has quality individual lockdown Cb’s on edge? You’d better serially air-it-out to beat him. As you won’t be whoopin’ much of anything with his mid-field run-combating cheats. That said, for such an elementary look, this is a grad’-school set of pass rushers and run-fit rock-hammers. Pitt uses lateral pass-offs from Cb’s to OLb’s and a really tricky O could catch (pun intended) one or both of ’em in no-mans-land at times. Pitt will arrowhead flex its Mike forward to run-fit-max’ at times, they are also a bit shallow on their run-fits in the 2nd-layer here-n-there. Curious that Pitt teaches 1st-oLine-movement and not ‘go’ on the ball; as, as great as the Pitt rush-fits are they could be even better with twitcher-vision. Pitt has halves, with a few thirds, quarters, and deep Fs Centerfielder Tampa one behind all of this, and you’d better beat the Panther hind-7. As you won’t be taming the Panther front-4 this side of being the ‘Sota Vikings oLine any time soon.

  • ∑ (summary): returning D production=60% (79th most). The whole front-7 is your conflict defender here. Pitt is 24th in defensive scoring and will advance (or jump) rather than cover the rock. On top of that… Pitt has a mind-boggling +30 TFL (tackles for loss) advantage and a likewise back-breaking +28 (that’s NO typo) Qb’s-sacked advantage. When taken as indices… that’s ➕ 240% mo’ Qb’s-sacked and ➕ 147% mo’ runners stooped in their backfield than Pitt has in their Panther’s Den! WoWzo! That’s 1976 Steel-Curtain beat-your-damn-ass types of imbalances men. As Pitt does not play in your backfield, Pitt plays with your backfield, and basically, vagrant squatters-rights lives there Scot-free. And oh by the way… only 38-Qb-Hurries lurk behind all of ^that^. geeeeeeez! And… only a national-best 2.2 yards a carry on the ground. That’s it/that’s all. (and two starters/studs have… opted-out). From a team that was ranked first nationally in sacks (3.92 per game), ninth in tackles for a loss (7.9), 11th in pass efficiency rating (112.93), 12th in rushing yards allowed (108.5), and 15th in total yards allowed (312.9) last season. So, as you can see; less a little less pass coverage acumen? These Panthers are in a 2020 defending bull-market everywhere else; and that is indeed sayin’ sompthin’! This D is seismic… just ask the Dering Hall seismograph come ~8 PM.

Defensive letter-grade:

Pittsburgh Offense: (returning starters=7)

  • 93rd in Total O.
  • 114th in ground O!
  • 46th in aerial O.
  • 90th in passing efficiency O!
  • 86th most passes picked here!
  • 71st in yards per catch.
  • 42nd in zone O.
  • O overall: Rb(s): 6′, 215 lb., final-year AJ Davis is your 9′ in a cloud of dust proverbial runner for Pitt. He’s okay, and that’s what he has been fo’ the last couple of years; although he has been flashing a few signs of late. A.J.D. was ESPN’s no.14 Rb in America, after a dual-threat type Floridian all-star career that brought in a slew of D-1 offers. No Conner or whomever to be found here this year, and although the Pitt run-fits may not want for dust although they do lack burst. Lottsa singles and a few doubles nearly so far. And you almost are left wondering if Davis has underachieved just a scosche? Though this Davis has been industrializing a little mo’ utility of late; getting healthier is the ‘vibe’. How Pitt leading-rusher Vincent Davis Hb, gets anything on his head Eye do not know? I do know there are ‘dreads, there are predator ‘dreads and then there are VeeDee’s… ‘dreads. Vinny is a 5′8″, 175-lb. knifey/slicey Ginsū kinda Rb in his true second-season of carrying the mail. Rival’s #32 Rb in all the land after he tabbed his high school’s first-ever AAAAA Florida state-title. Tho’ he only has a season-high of 68-yards in a game and has not gone north of 50-yards rushing in over seven weeks. And dang if I can find those 175 ‘ish pounds on film, as this is one leaner looking ‘back to me men. As this is decent speed built into a decent athlete who is decent enough and not much mo’ than that. As this decent Rb is decently down right at 40% on ypc from last season. Overall: Pitt rushers generally hold their h20 pretty well, not much incontinence or dribbling (fumbling) here. Tho’ you don’t have to look far for them… as they only tally 1-rushing-attempt (good for 28-yards) north of 18-yards year-to-date! As all-Nor-East Rb recruit: t-Fr. Israel Abanikanda, the New York Gatorade Player of the Year, has been mo’ parts Bronx bombed and less parts All-State. Qb1: 6′2″, 220 lb. t-Sr., Kenny “red-state/carrot-top” Pickett is solid. He does not beat you or beat himself, a nonabusive Qb1 if you will. He can run a bit, and he makes just enough short to shortest-medium plays to move the sticks. Kinda a super Steve Casey of Hokie 1980’s redux fame with a better run-shape. That all being said, Pickett may be the best Dooley era “roll-out style play” redux in the A.c.c. since Mark Cox finished off all of that. He’s very comfortable here, to the point of having an N-S pressuring knack when he finishes extending plays E-W and actually heads up-field. Best I’ve seen at this in a minute, or a season; or three. This Pickett charges a bit better this year than before, as his average completion distance marker and his Qb-rating marker are both trading at career highs. So, although not epic, this Ken’ Doll has come up each and every year as a baller, and how many get to stylistically say the same? As Ken’ was the no.10 Pro Style Qb in America per 247Sports; even if his scholastic throw-game numbers were decent, not great. Daddy Ken’ some of you will recall was an all-American monsta Lb in his own right so the Pickett’s Family Genome Project is in charge and projects well enough now. He also enjoyed something of a cardiac relief Qb2 tag’ three seasons ago pulling the fat outta the 2017 fire; twice! Ken has been a little less inconsistent this year than before… tho’ still inconsistent itself overall. What with 3 games ≥69% passing and 3 mo’ games ≤59% passing. This statistical variance has tightened-up a bit, tho’ it still gets loosey-goosey (both: hi’ & lo’) at times. The one obvious improvement has been Ken’s protection of late as he has been sacked 300% less in his last 12-Quarters of airwaves. So, that helps, as does his warming into November at 77.8% passing thus far. And although Ken is a bit better @home (+5%) he sees his Q-by-Q metrics diminish quarter-by-quarter to the point of being final-stanza of play 14% less in the 4Q than he was to start in 1Q! As 100% of Ken’s INT’s have been chucked after intermission. (and the grapevine says: ankle ding and elbow ding to boot (St.Philip and St.Julia bless). And yet his overall metrics for the season are (still) his season-best. Go fig’ on all of this? As in… this is one Qb1 who can even be in-game inconsistent. And his good/bad streaks can extend to consecutive games plural. And his last two games have been more productive, after three-weeks of rather murky Allegheny River football. Making this one tough Qb1 kid to peg… an F.Gump wildcat “…never know what you’re gonna get…” type of Qb1. (tho’ he gets the rock in the red-zone with six (6) rushing TD’s so far!) Wr(s)/Te: Underneath solo-artist Jordan Addison Slot-Wr1 and Dj Turner X-Wr2 are your mainstays of a so-so pass-catching cadre here beyond Addison & Turner. Well, actually beyond Addison, who has virtually 200% more grab-game production than anyone else. Tho’ the squirrely thingy is… although not individually dazzling beyond the fairly dazzling Addison… the Panther Wideouts widen the field vertically here-n-there. They all get their looks too. On seams ripped-open or YAC (yards after catch) or just real good downfield blocking. Which is impressive from such middle of the isle throw points. As here-n-there Pitt houses a short or medium snag for 6-points, BIG! And file this one away for future reference… Addison is a rookie-year-voter. Who was more parts H.S. Qb1 and Db1 than anything else. As he only toggled to “it is better to receive” for his final scholastic season. (no.24 Wr is really wild nationwide (247Sports) for it to boot). Very interesting Wr prospect if not an outright 2022 Wr contender here folks. Does need butterfingers or handsy Jugs Machine reps, however. Overall, the Panther catch-crew may not be heavyweights, tho’ they are heighty enough. And they are really missing all-conference (Florida Gator) caliber Te (L.Krull, leg, St.Culberth bless).

    One could dare type: ‘a buncha‘ Panthers here.
  • oLine: Infrastructure is sexxy… or at least it was 2020 supposed to be. As the Pitt oLine is okay sized to just a smidgeon slight in build; tho’ more experienced itself. The V-shaped Pitt passing-cup is average ‘ish, and the Pitt run-shapes are more rhomboid than that. Which is not helping limited ground-gainers one inch. The queer thingy is… the G-c-G blocking wedge trifecta is supposed to be pretty dang (cliff) Stout. First-team All-ACC C Jimmy Morrissey and senior left-G Bryce Hargrove are supposed to have the goods. Ditto returning starters at right-G and blindside-Ot. (as only right-Ot had to be replaced: graduation). To make all of that all the more, squirrely for the Panthers, they had a stud Ot transfer (from: Hampton) and a good looking Te/Ot hybrid kid all set to go. So, they should be at least a very solid 7-deep; possibly Eight Is Enough. And yet this oLine is Gestalt Theory raised to the negative one power. Or (oLine)^-1. i.e. less than the sum of its… parts.
  • ∑ (summary): returning O production=77% (24th most). (film-study) this is nearly a Dinty-Moore Stew kinda offense. A bit more basic less some oblique/acute run-shapes. Key/follow the ball and generally there you go. As in… last year? Well, last year Pitt scored the fewest points per game since the 1996 team that went 4-7, and yet it tied for the most games won in a season since 2009! Oh wait, am Eye in the defensive section or not? Well, either way, you’da thunk the only way to go was, ups; right? And yet here are their ’19 vitae for your observation: Total Offense=87th, Rushing Offense=119th, Passing Offense=40th, and Team Passing Efficiency 94th. Do you (look comparatively upstairs) and do you see what Eye mean? As I see a Most Valuable Picket-line, 1 Wr, 1 C, and not much else, here. On tape… Pitt runs split (Hb’s) and single shape ‘backs and Team Captain Pickett is a sawed-off shotgun drop-back-5 or 7-step 1970’s set-up thrower off of that. Tho’ he will Bradshaw-Webster/Mansfield and work under C more than most do in the basketball on grass era. Pitt will hit all passing points from near laterals to dump-offs, to quick-hitting angular routing to a few medium thingys. Then they air one out Al Davis style just to get a vertical ‘heat-check’ in here and there. Keeping you at least a bit northwardly honest. Run-fits do a lotta turn-n-shield thingys that really give ground at times. They have a 45° hand-fighting pushy/shovey element between the Ot’s. There is opposing negative stop availability here. As Pitt pulls even against itself on massive crossbuck looks. Get in a G’s hip-pocket and you should be near either play either way. As you gotta stay backside HOME here. Pitt will use 3 or 4-wide normative sets then scrunchie everything in tight on bunch sets that are a bit more crossing/chipping or picking complex downfield. As the bunch sets are a bit more elastic (stretch) E-W and N-S. And the mo’ traditional ones are a little bit more b.Walsh left-coast. Though either way… this Pitt O goes exactly and entirely every bit as far as Pickett and his Jim McMahon glove can will it or wing it— and no further. As The Bridge of Death “swallows” Pitt up if anything happens to the dentable Pickett.

  • 48% run:pass 52% mix. Jordan at Wr is no secret; so, maybe Wr4 (#5, Jared Wayne) with game-breaking speed would be your secret sauce offender here. Or acrobatic Lynn Swann Lyte: Taysir Mack Wr5? This is a very balanced play-calling and hard to key set; even at the expense of individual greatness itself. This is a moderate distance Pittsburgh throw-set. It is a less than that Pittsburgh run-set. And unlike the last few years, there is no Rb that you just have to mind the O&M store upon and be sure that you take away {sic: from Pitt’s O}. Or in other words… don’t give Pitt any freebies, or slip-ups or fall-downs or blow assignments or bailout bonehead flags and it may not take anything mo’ than a quarter-century count to tame these Panthers on O. In-game barometer: …over the last two seasons, the program is 9-nil when it averages 7.9 yards per throw —not that big a bar to get over. (or: 7223.76 mb’s of Mercury if you are keeping Dr. Glanville score at, home).

Offensive letter-grade:

Panther Special Teams: (both return)

Pittsburgh is 25th in Net Punting and so is Kirk Christodoulou. Up from 121st in Net Punting so last time we checked. Kirk is yet another (young) Man Down Under. Or imported Aussie punter the same as our own, (per Melbourne, Australia). Kirk goes 6′1″, 215 r-Jr. season lbs. Down in ‘bloody’-‘roo-land, “keptin” Kirk was a standout Australian rules football player before embarking on his goal to play college football in America. Kirk worked with the renowned Prokick Australia program that has produced many successful collegiate and N.f.l. punters alike. Kirk has a pretty dang healthy leg when he gets it into the pigskin bladder, 36 career punts this season >50 yards and six >65 for his bigfoot career says so. Kirk can and has changed field-position all by his ownself before. Kick also has faked one on the ground last year —that went for negative-seven nowhere. He additionally has a higher off the turf than normal toe-to-leather impact point. Go’on and aim high(er) if you wanna be a blocker, here. This is a very good very leg-game-willing Punter, who will only get better and he prolly does have a Pro’ strength leg: be that N.f.l., C.f.l. or Aussie Rules Football southern hemisphere ‘down-under’. He just needs some punt-coverage love; as he’s individually improved quite a bit off of a pretty impoverished 2018. (and this is an A or B-Gap wider punt-protect formation Eye’d enjoy challenging on speed-rush-max’).

  • Pitt is a useful 38th in Punt Returns | and a centrist 58th in KO returns.
  • Pitt is a below-average 86th in punt coverage | and deliberate 32nd in suicide-squad.
  • Pitt has blocked 1 kick and allowed 1 kick to be blocked.
  • Pitt has blocked 1 punt and allowed 1 punt to be blocked.

Alex Kessman is Pitt’s K1 and he’s not a dull one to watch. As a lotta ‘tude gets copped by this Kicker here. 6′3″, 19o lb. r-Sr. year; and last year Special-K set a school record with four field goals of 50-plus yards during the 2018 season and he also owns Pitt’s all-time mark with six in excess of fiddy for his career! So, leg strength this bionic Lee Majors kicker gots in spite of his spindly looking string-bean frame. Which he will “FLEX” on you after any real distance-accord type make. Alex is a 2 outta 3 maker this year, same as last year; although understand that he is also 8 outta 11 from ≥42-yards as Pitt gives him a long-range FG-attempt looksee whereas others will short-punt and just play D. Alex has not less than 60 FGA makes for his four-year starting K1 career, so the experience-curve is not wanting either. Admittedly, his make% is not gaudy, tho’ Kessman can tie or win a long-range ½ play game for you when everyone else has to revert to a likely “Fail Mary” heave-ho. Just a bit more midrange or 5-iron type game and this kid might go… Touring.

Special Teams letter-grade: Pitt is not bad… and their legwork guys are surely above average on leg-day lifts. Just a bit inconsistent at times, as they are right at the lowest possible
B fence for all the little things being just off.

Unit Rankings:

  1. Pitt D.
  2. VT O.
  3. Pitt O/VT D (tie).

X-factor(s):

  • motive: hmmmmmm, hard to say… sick-Pitt vs. saggin’-VeeTee? EDGE=parts unknown
  • weather: Pretty dang decent weather from my hometown fo’ the week before Turkey Day. Don’t favor defenses. EDGE=La Niña!
  • health/off-field: neither team is a training room dreamscape at the minute; Coach God bless. As Pitt is prolly a bit more sickly… although a formerly not really dented-up VeeTee just got pretty well dinged vs. Miami.
  • penalties: My hometown is pretty liberal on getting flagged (119th worst) with yellow-laundry. Fu’ has a small bonus yardage advantage (93rd) so long as we stay composed. Prolly close to a ¼ a play at that. (tho’ VeeTee has gotten much Zebra worse here of late, and that’s not a good end-game signal). Slight EDGE=VT.
  • intangibles: Same as VeeTee… Pitt is okay in TOP (time of possession) and downright spiffy in Turnover Margin. Turnover Margin is literally deadlocked. EDGE=push here.
  • fatigue: Well, fo’ all the ‘rong reasons Pitt was (forced) OPEN last week— whereas VeeTee has been @work for over 3-straight-months now; yikes! EDGE=Pitt!!! (and it is as large a consecutive workweek edge as Eye can recall).

R.A.T.T.: ...upsetting the Panthers @Pitt is all about... what(s)???

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Illationconclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Panthers who could prowl @Tech=10

the takeaway:

Hate this for anyone/everyone… leave that tired ass blue/red shite at home… this hurts all things RW&You!

As one of the previews I read for this one, described this one as basically an old-school Extreme Championship Wrestling (“Eee-Cee-Dub!”) 3-way-match.

Pitt vs. Vah.Tech, Vah.Tech vs. Pitt and both vs. testing/viral this/that.


Sucks… as we here in the People’s Republick of the 3o4 are seeing High School Play-off games dropping mo’ and mo’ as Eye types. Ditto the Keystone State’s major Philly Friday night boxing card.

So, all the Plague Patron Saint’s (including St.Roch) bless and intercede.

xxx‘s & ooo‘s

Pitt has a preparatory film-study edge here… they themselves are not off the charts complex on either side of the LOS (line-of-scrimmage). Tho’ still yet, you’d have to think things favor Pitt upfront. With their (in theory) fully staffed dLine vs. our short-staffed oLine…. again; in theory.

(ask: the pregame broadcast right after 4 PM to get the final theoretical word). Then we see the classical Rest vs. Rust argument resolve itself.

***

Nonetheless… unless Haze’, Grimey, and Rambo all comeback (pardon the patterning pun); or unless Mitch’ and Trè “ole” these hard-charging Panther defenders?

This schemes-up well in favor of a Duz’zie.

’cause if this were a hoops game?
We’d all be typing: “Pitt has fresh-legs” here.

formulae here favors

Toss-up on paper. Tho’ less George Pimpleton’s truly EPIC N.f.l. work (A.K.A.: Paper Lion) … gridiron games ain’t played there.

Tho’ yes… the easy cookie-cutter turnkey allegory fits here, Lions, Panthers, and Hokiebirds. And the Audubon Society side being the operative part. As it will take a lot to go’on and whoop Pitt on the ground with our oLine at ~80% strength.

Or in other words… formulae football prolly favors the better
passing game on Saturday up in the Ketchup Bowl.

(from either team Eye means).

“A zero point zero…” …w0w!

permutations:

  1. Δ1=38% Pitt wins a slugging match.
  2. Δ2=36% V.Tech get outgained and yet wins a tradecraft (out-coaching) match.
  3. Δ3=rest% that something gets away and snowballs downhill on someone here. Or an increased from ~10% chance up to right at 1 in 4 odds that the team that looks better on post-game film-study is not any scoreboard better than VHS-beta early on Saturday night.

#ChallangeA.c.c.epted… there are 1,440 minutes in a day and Virginia Tech needs to notch pretty close to 5 in 6 minutes of work just to be sure as road-warriors go in this one.

the optics
…methinks one of the hidden obit’ things here will be… field-position.

As Eye just do not foresee a lotta long Smith Barney “old fashioned way” type of sustained drives from either side on a Steel-Gray November day.

That or just one Special-Teams hero or goat
is gonna make someone look really “baa-aaa-aaa-d” indeed.

Additionally, a tip of the cyber GRIT hat @Chris Coleman of TSL. For his sage use of the word: “accuracy“. As the O&M passing Optics of the edge pressy Pitt defense will not be any better than cracked-glass for us sans that.

’cause if our Hooker has his fourth can’t hit a barn with a broad-side of cow passing day…

the skinny
…is a bit of a misnomer here. As Pitt’s D is a lotta things… and Jenny Craig or ‘skinny’ or Twiggy the 60’s imported British supermodel just ain’t among ’em. 

As in… this is one of the more physical sets we will face all year.

Or, if we really are: “Hard” and “Tough” under Fu’?
Now would be a smart time to sack-up and prove it.

Lo.FM (Long-field Management©)

  • Pitt is a solid 33rd in 1st-down O | whereas VeeTee is a pliable 116th best in 1st down D!
    Pitt is a shaky 91st on 3rd-down O | whereas VeeTee is a moderate 62nd on 3rd down D.
  • VeeTee is a strong 14th in 1st-down O | whereas Pitt is a bizarreO 88th best in 1st down D!
    VeeTee is a suspect 88th on 3rd-down O | whereas Pitt is a reliable 32nd on 3rd down D.

    Turnover Net: dee brown dunk! LOL!!!

Lo.FM Analysis:
Well, this is a mixed one to the point of being downright hard to fig’?

How Pitt is this piss-poor on 1st-down defense is a bafflement to me? As nothing on tape really explained this. They were not too aggressive (and missing plays); no more so than they were too passive (and giving Black Friday plays away early). Eye do know, however, that everything here cumulatively begins to tilt in the Panther’s favor— if only on the get off the field 3rd-down match-up that favors Pitt. EDGE=Pitt (at least a little bit).

TTT (Time To Throw©)

  • VeeTee is an okay 68th in sacks allowed | whereas Pitt is only #1 in Qb’s SACKED!!!
    Vee is a solid 40th in TFL allowed | whereas Pitt is only #1 in TFL INFLICTED!!!
  • Pitt is a nominative 53rd in sacks allowed | whereas VeeTee is a rough #6 in Qb’s sacked!!
    Pitt is a porous 111th in TFL allowed | whereas VeeTee is a sporty 24th in TFL inflicted.

TTT analysis:
Not much to analyze here… other than the betting Total.
As this one sure looks like one where the game clock will turn.
And that to me hints at an Under on the total if there are less total plays on Saturday.

The most recent 3-game splits, tell us that… the Fu’fense, although better than average (still) technically; has been stuck in about 3rd-gear on their run-shapes of late. The highly unexpected part was… that the Pitt halt-unit has slipped just a little it mo’ than the Fu’fense has! The slightly unexpected part is that… O&M eggs and j.Ham statistically equilibrium or break-even in the last 3-games compared to the seasonal O&M stop-unit norm’. It is however the Panther O that has been declawed by 90-yards per game to the worse in the last fortnight of play!

The H/A splits, tell us that… the VeeTee O & D alike and the Pittsburgh O & D alike… all things moved slightly to modestly in the Panther’s favor up on the 3-Rivers Triangle Point. Nothing killar or backbreaking mind you… tho a 5×5 set of movements in favor of Johnny Majors first National Champion team. About a ½-play indicator to two Safeties leaning Pitt’s way at most if you will.

Our handy dandy friend, the so-called: Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is merely calling for an absurd looking 37-point VicTory on Saturday. Even when taken pro-rata… it is still calling for a ~12-point Tech Triumph come ~8 PM.

That said… there is a comfort to be drawn/taken here… as VeeTee has fared noticeably better vs. our 3-in-common opponents’ round-robin head-to-head than Pitt has.

With no word yet from Ghidorah, (the 3-headed Japanese movie monsta).

Pitt Projected S&P+: 39th.
Pitt Projected S&P wins: 8.8 W’s.

the call

1o5.
Memorize that one Hokie Nation.

4 PM tip-off!

As Pitt is 4-1 (or 80%) when they merely crack just north of the centennial rushing tally for any given game this campaign. (and the one L was by 1-point, in extra innings). Now, the sayers of “nay” among you will say that 105 yards rushing per contest ain’t much rushing, right? And you’d be correct good Sirs.

In that, it would only rate you 114th in rushing this season. (a 10-8 round for you).

PLANDEMIC:

Nevertheless… it almost makes the Pittsburgh O about 1.33 dimensional as opposed to uno-dimensional when they only churn out 86 ypg on the ground when getting beat. And two of those beatings they never broke 44-yards rpg and yet they got declawed by a combined 53 aggregate point-deficit in those two contests.

Do you see what I mean?

oOo

What Eye mean is… just a little over a buck and a nickel in rushing and the Pitt O is harder to key and goes from totally imbalanced to merely imbalanced itself.

As Pickett can wing his way at least a little ways… as it don’t take a lotta Pitt O productivity for the Pitt D to win.

    

As thus far, Pitt has only needed to best: 17, 20, 10, and 0 opposing points for the Panthers to hit the “meow-mix” and get totally cat-nipped post-game.

Or in other words… there is every science-fact Coach Spock reason to believe this one to be a race to 20. The first team there… wins. And that might just be code for a race to 17. Because both teams have been 2020 Smothers brothers’ yo-yo routines. It is just that Pitt’s basement-games’ Yo’ goes Yo’er or lower than V.Tech’s.

Making this one not so much my pet phrase of: ‘two ships passing in the night’…

...mo' like two ships trading paint.
  • So, do you pick the Home team with the best on-field front-line?
  • Or, do you pick against the recently viral (Godspeed) Home team, who has been a bit statistically slumped -if not outright regressive- in their last three?
  • Because being sure which team gets its sea legs here is hard to say this side of the pre-game participatory confirmation announcements. 

As the one thing Eye am sure about here is…
…this one is all about the wildcard Home team.

Their variabilities, their Δ’s.

As this is a close one… flip a coin and if you don’t like that flip it best 2-outta-3.

A Push. Pick ’em. Even. A draw kinda late afternoon scrum.
Which of course brings a playoff hole into play.

As somebody has gotta (eventually) funambulist this game.
i.e. someone tightens up ¦ and someone tightropes.
…at some point, at least Eye think?

🙏>>>😷>>>🏈

upset Index=46%

#wimps!

Virginia Tech=26, Pitt=29 (overtime).

LETS GO!

Please support the VT F.C.A.!

HOKIES!

bourbonstreet**

6 Responses You are logged in as Test

    1. Oops, I blew it…
      …it’s a moth.

      –Coach James Douglas Morrison

      b.street

  1. Love the write up, as your pre-homework shows…….H-back Mitchell is the key to this game as vs aggressive Dline & ?? LB play it’s the H-Back who is a Hooker’s best friend. 10+ in. The catch department and we go….otherwise if we ask our Read Option QB to 5 step drop back , these kittens will tear his head off & Steal lunch money. Or said another way–all the talk of Vice must get raise immediately, Vice for VP, Vice is the best OLine Coach in the land….today is his money day. Cause if his vice Squad can contain the Pitt’s front 7, VT can win….if he’s average or less… well the results are for Coach Ass Clown.

    VT 13. Pitt 24

    1. Or, just this dang medical/resulting report… whispers are bad here…
      Coach God Bless!!!

      b.street

    1. Thanks! As Eye was hoping someone would hit that…

      rushing Hooker+can hit a barn Hooker=a lotta Total O.
      Very close to Pickett, actually.

      (naughty Hooker and you win 10-7, easily)

      b.street

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