Q&A with Pitt Blather

As is tradition around these parts, I exchanged questions and answers with Chas of Pitt Blather. Pitt Blather is an independent website that's been providing Pitt coverage August, 2003. Chas' answers to my questions are below, my answers to his questions are on Pitt Blather.

Is the formula for stopping Pitt's offense loading the box, corralling James Conner and forcing Chad Voytik to win the game with his arm? Have you seen anything from Voytik and the passing game that makes you hopeful he can pass over an 8-man box?

It's a formula that makes sense. Since losing the starting center near the end of the BC game, I think the coaching staff has gotten a little too cute with shuffling players on the O-line. There was less of that in the Virginia game, and the running game noticeably improved.

That said, any team would be foolish not to make sure that Pitt has to throw the ball. I would also add, force Chad Voytik to throw more to the middle of the field. He is trying to avoid making mistakes, and prefers to throw to the sidelines, where a sailing pass will land out of bounds. He has had most (all? almost all?) of his interceptions throwing in the middle of the field, when the pass sails. He is not a tall QB, and prefers to throw on a roll out -- where he can see a lane easier. In the pocket, he has the bad tendency to go backwards and throw off the back foot rather than step into a throw. Again, the offensive line hasn't been stellar, but he isn't helping in those cases.

Pitt's ranked 4th nationally in total defense and 17th in scoring defense. S&P ranks Pitt as having the 51st best defense. Is Pitt's defense among the nationally elite or has the unit had success against some inferior offenses? What's the unit's strength and weakness?

Linebackers and safeties are where the best players can be found.

It is a solid team against the run, but it is especially susceptible to passing attacks for two reasons.

The secondary is woefully thin. It wasn't deep before the season started, but one player suspended for the year and another quitting the team made it precarious.

The defensive line just has not been able to generate any pressure on quarterbacks. Combine the two with a defensive philosophy that is geared towards being aggressive and the killer has been the big play. Iowa. IOWA! torched Pitt several times with big pass plays. That goes against every Kirk Ferentz narrative, but it actually happened.

Same with Virginia and Mike London. Not the natural state of things.

After three straight losses (20-24 to Iowa, 10-21 to Akron, 19-24 at Virginia), is Pitt looking at Thursday night's matchup as a crossroads game? Close losses to 5-1 Iowa and 4-2 Virginia are nothing to laugh at, but what the hell happened against Akron?

I hate putting so much more pressure on the game, but yeah. This just about puts the season in the balance. At least from the fan perspective.

Lose this game and Pitt is 1-3 at home (0-3 against 1-A teams). A 4 game losing streak. And outside of the Syracuse game, no reason Pitt wouldn't be the dog in all the remaining games. It wouldn't be another treading water/mediocre/BBVA Bowl-esque season. It would be a noticeable step backwards when the belief coming into the season was that this was the bridge year to a higher expectation 2016.

Akron was a debacle. I can't even explain it, except to say that Pitt just didn't take them seriously and paid the price.

It has been pointed out that if Pitt had at least taken care of Akron, things wouldn't seem so dire. Iowa and Virginia have been a bit better than expected, so the losses wouldn't seem so bad. Especially since Pitt played well for at least a half in both games. Unfortunately, they sandwiched a poor second half versus Iowa and a painful first half against Virginia around complete shitfest of four quarters with Akron. 8 consecutive bad quarters, and three straight losses later this where things stand.

With border foe West Virginia, and in-state rival Penn State not annual matchups, is Virginia Tech the closest thing to a yearly rival for Pitt?

I guess. Not to diminish the game, but realistically Pitt simply doesn't have a real on-the-field rival at this time. I don't want to pretend or insist that it is so, when it really isn't. That is the reality of things. It sucks, but if there is any ambition to be a national player in college football you smile politely and chase the money in realignment.

You can't mandate rivalries with a trophy (River City Rivalry Trophy -- Cinci-Pitt). You can't dictate one simply because of geography (a number of Pitt fans wanted to make Maryland that game when the ACC move was announced -- no, no not at all because of the Baltimore Ravens-Pittsburgh Steelers -- it was all about proximity. Really.) You can't even claim one because of the number of times played (Syracuse and Pitt have played 69 times and neither side can muster real hate on the football side of things).

They can form. They can be created over time, but they take time. They take real stakes for both sides. Pitt has screwed up some VT seasons about a decade ago. It's a nice start. But it will take both teams playing for something going forward. That hasn't happened, and it sure doesn't look like it will start this year.

Until there is some sort of real continuity of playing Penn State annually, Pitt won't have a real annual rivalry game.

What's your prediction for Thursday?

After all that, I'm still going to believe in the Pitt upset. The running game comes alive and there is just enough passing to keep the Hokies off-balance. I'm counting on Michael Brewer to be a slightly worse version of 2012 Logan Thomas and keep the ACC Coastal Wheel of Destiny in motion.

Pitt 27 VT 21