What to do with the extra half week to prepare for Pitt

[businesslawyer]

Besides the obvious (a day or two of rest and working on blitz protection schemes) the following would be what I would do.

Team meeting. "Gentlemen. We have one of the best kickoff returners in the country. I know that because he proved it over the course of a season. This year, we haven't even been average returning kickoffs. I am willing to wager the change has left to do with Nick Williams and more to do with the way we aren't blocking for him. So, this one time, forget chain of command. Someone stand up and tell me what we were doing differently last year on kickoff returns so that I can understand it and we can start doing it that way again.

Frankly, I would not be at all surprised if that meeting takes place. One kickoff return for a TD may very well be the difference this year between getting to bowl eligible and not doing so.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Pitt looks and plays like a team of (think another word for cat). This Pitt team looks like some of Walt Harris' teams, without the skill players. Wanny, for all his flaws, had his teams playing tough and mean. Graham has Pitt playing like a Powder Puff team.

This is a game where we have to come out really physical and we can break that team's will. This is a game where we really miss not having a power back, because I think Pitt is the kind of team that you can punch in the nose and they will crumble.

I want to see some hard hitting early in this game.

 

[CTMike]

No disagreements on either of the above. And I know you hit upon it BL, but - protection, protection, protection.

 

[Dann]

i think alot of recruiting news is going to be coming out this week.

 

[businesslawyer]

Pitt looks and plays like a team of (think another word for cat). This Pitt team looks like some of Walt Harris' teams, without the skill players. Wanny, for all his flaws, had his teams playing tough and mean. Graham has Pitt playing like a Powder Puff team.

This is a game where we have to come out really physical and we can break that team's will. This is a game where we really miss not having a power back, because I think Pitt is the kind of team that you can punch in the nose and they will crumble.

I want to see some hard hitting early in this game.

I'm not sure I get the response to my post, but I fully agree with what you said. We can win this game on O by doing exactly what we did last year -- turning the OL loose to punch them again and again and again.

And they look pathetic on offense. I don't see why we can't shut them down.

 

[uconnbaseball]

Agreed. Sunseri is a mess and their OL isn't what it was against USF; they have had injury problems at that position.

I am quietly confident we can stop their excellent running game. Todd Graham defenses are something that even this offense can move the ball well against.

We win, and we can salvage this season.

 

[HuskyBandDad]

i think alot of recruiting news is going to be coming out this week.

Any more info on this ?

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

Getting back to the OP, I don't doubt that blocking schemes are partly to blame, but I'm not sure I'm as willing to let NW off the hook as others. My eyes tell me he's a bit timid this year. Almost like he's thinking too much and not just playing. He needs something good to happen to get his confidence back. Its showing more on punts where he almost seems like he doesn't even want to catch the ball. He got an earful from P on the sideline after he let a catchable ball roll inside the 5.

More than just blocking IMO.

 

[DieHardHusky]

Rest the wounded.