First off I always continued to support Franklin, Pry, Rahne, and Limegrover. As I said in another post I am not some negative troll and have always been in the coaches corner. I also said Franklin has done a good job, but needs to get his team over the hump and to the nest level already. Despite ALWAYS giving the coaches the benefit of the doubt, I no longer have any faith in Franklin, Pry, Rahne, or Limegrover to take us to the next level.
I am going to break down the offense and defense explaining my reasons, bare with me.
OFFENSE
1. Rahne - His RPO offense is very uncreative, stale, and does nothing too mix it up and keep defenses off balance. A Joe Paterno offense from the '70s or '80s may have more creativity then Rahnes offense. Ok I'm exaggerating but you get the point.
When Pitt was playing overly aggressive in the first half with all their blitzing and getting pressure, it is Rahne's job to find a way to counter that aggressive defense. You know take what the defse shows. Rahne failed to do this. Where were any dump off screen passes to he RB to catch the blitzing defense, like Pitt did to us with success quite a few times in the same situation? These are things Mudge has pointed out. Where were some end around's to Hamler to counter Pitts aggressive defense? Where was any adjustments?
Bottom line their weren't any adjustments Rahne made that worked to counter Pitts defense? Their was nothing. Pitts DC totally out coached Rahne.
OLINE - LIMGROVER
Like Franklin, Pry and Rahne and I ways tried to give Limegrover the benefit of the doubt and stay positive.
The Oline was my main concern before the season and it's worse than I thought. We could not block Pitts Dline despite their top two Dlineman being out. When Pitt was blitzing and ALWAYS getting pressure, where was adjustments through the ENTIRE 1st half to stop this and pick the blitz up? We have a bunch of highly ranked 4 star Olinman that could not stop Pitts Dline that is NOT made up of top recruits like our Oline, and missing their top two DL. This is really bad. In fairness to Limegrover maybe the players on the Oline are not as good as were to be expected for their rankings, but I'm not buying it anymore. I don't know if it's a scheme problem, but Limegrover through the entire first half could not make the necessary adjustments to pick up the blitz and stop Pitts onslaught. It did not help that Rahne did NOTHING on his part to counter this like with some screen passes or other things. It's just bad all the way around.
NOAH CAIN
The handling of Noah Cains carries was pathetic by the coaching staff. In the 3rd qtr Cain was the ONLY RB to put together a drive with Cain running effectively between the tackles for steady 5 - 6 yrd runs, where he scored a TD at the end of the drive. But then they take him out and he doesn't play the rest of the game when he was the ONLY RB running with some consistency? What happened with going with the hot hand. That was an absolutely horrible coaching decision to not keep Cain in. I don't care about some scripted rotation. That was pathetic.
DEFENSE
It is not Prys fault we could not get pressure with are OVERRATED 4 Dlineman, which is sad considering this is just Pitt. But in the 1st half Pry barely blitzed to try and pressure Pitts QB. Way too many times Pitts QB would find the WRs that would just find an opening in the seam and zone, which also played horrible today with no adjustments that worked. Are Pitts WRs just that much better than Reid and TCF? The entire first half for the most part Pitts QB would just find his WRs open in a seam or gap in the zone. Where the adjustments? That is on PRY. it should not take half way thru the 3rd QTR too see adjustments.
The 2nd half Pry blitzed more but it was picked up unlike our Oline that couldn't pick up blitzes. Pry just couldn't find way to stop Pitt'as passing attack. People will say we held Pitt to 10 pts but that does not excuse the fact that Pitt passed up and down the field on us most of the game.
The scariest and worst part of all this, is Pitt was completely one dimensional on offense and couldn't run the ball. So think about this. We are loaded with top 4 star talent all over the defense, know Pitt is only passing the ball, and Still can't hardly stop it. That Is really bad.
LASTLY 3 HORRIBLE PLAY CALLS and a PLAY on DEFENSE
1. Most obvious was Pitts 4th down pass to the TE and it was 4th and 1 around mid field. I was watching the game with 4 people that all said watch the play fake to the TE. How does the DB get sucked in and let the TE break free and get behind him? That is the most classic play on 4th and 1. The offense either runs it up the gap or play fakes to the TE. How could Pry NOT have his defense ready for that?
2. 4th qtr. Pitt trapped deep facing a 3rd and long. It's been proven PSU can't get pressure with its 4 DL, so what do they do. They don't blitz and let Pitts QB AGAIN finds the open WR for the first down.
3. Next series we again hold Pitt to 3rd and very long. Again all 4 people I'm watching the game with say "Watch the Screen!" Pitt dumps of the screen pass and PSU is not ready for it and the RB again gets the first down. How could Pry not have his defense aware of a highly possible screen pass.
It's very easy to see why Pry and PSUs defense couldn't hold onto 4th qtr leads against USC, OSU twice, and MSU.
Agains I have ALWAYS tried o be fair and give Franklin and his coaches the benefit of the doubt. I can't do that any more. We will never get to the next level with Franklin, Pry and Rahne. They have had their chances. With the current coaches they will continue to be 8-4 and a 9-3 team. And that is a shame with the talent we have recruited.
I am going to break down the offense and defense explaining my reasons, bare with me.
OFFENSE
1. Rahne - His RPO offense is very uncreative, stale, and does nothing too mix it up and keep defenses off balance. A Joe Paterno offense from the '70s or '80s may have more creativity then Rahnes offense. Ok I'm exaggerating but you get the point.
When Pitt was playing overly aggressive in the first half with all their blitzing and getting pressure, it is Rahne's job to find a way to counter that aggressive defense. You know take what the defse shows. Rahne failed to do this. Where were any dump off screen passes to he RB to catch the blitzing defense, like Pitt did to us with success quite a few times in the same situation? These are things Mudge has pointed out. Where were some end around's to Hamler to counter Pitts aggressive defense? Where was any adjustments?
Bottom line their weren't any adjustments Rahne made that worked to counter Pitts defense? Their was nothing. Pitts DC totally out coached Rahne.
OLINE - LIMGROVER
Like Franklin, Pry and Rahne and I ways tried to give Limegrover the benefit of the doubt and stay positive.
The Oline was my main concern before the season and it's worse than I thought. We could not block Pitts Dline despite their top two Dlineman being out. When Pitt was blitzing and ALWAYS getting pressure, where was adjustments through the ENTIRE 1st half to stop this and pick the blitz up? We have a bunch of highly ranked 4 star Olinman that could not stop Pitts Dline that is NOT made up of top recruits like our Oline, and missing their top two DL. This is really bad. In fairness to Limegrover maybe the players on the Oline are not as good as were to be expected for their rankings, but I'm not buying it anymore. I don't know if it's a scheme problem, but Limegrover through the entire first half could not make the necessary adjustments to pick up the blitz and stop Pitts onslaught. It did not help that Rahne did NOTHING on his part to counter this like with some screen passes or other things. It's just bad all the way around.
NOAH CAIN
The handling of Noah Cains carries was pathetic by the coaching staff. In the 3rd qtr Cain was the ONLY RB to put together a drive with Cain running effectively between the tackles for steady 5 - 6 yrd runs, where he scored a TD at the end of the drive. But then they take him out and he doesn't play the rest of the game when he was the ONLY RB running with some consistency? What happened with going with the hot hand. That was an absolutely horrible coaching decision to not keep Cain in. I don't care about some scripted rotation. That was pathetic.
DEFENSE
It is not Prys fault we could not get pressure with are OVERRATED 4 Dlineman, which is sad considering this is just Pitt. But in the 1st half Pry barely blitzed to try and pressure Pitts QB. Way too many times Pitts QB would find the WRs that would just find an opening in the seam and zone, which also played horrible today with no adjustments that worked. Are Pitts WRs just that much better than Reid and TCF? The entire first half for the most part Pitts QB would just find his WRs open in a seam or gap in the zone. Where the adjustments? That is on PRY. it should not take half way thru the 3rd QTR too see adjustments.
The 2nd half Pry blitzed more but it was picked up unlike our Oline that couldn't pick up blitzes. Pry just couldn't find way to stop Pitt'as passing attack. People will say we held Pitt to 10 pts but that does not excuse the fact that Pitt passed up and down the field on us most of the game.
The scariest and worst part of all this, is Pitt was completely one dimensional on offense and couldn't run the ball. So think about this. We are loaded with top 4 star talent all over the defense, know Pitt is only passing the ball, and Still can't hardly stop it. That Is really bad.
LASTLY 3 HORRIBLE PLAY CALLS and a PLAY on DEFENSE
1. Most obvious was Pitts 4th down pass to the TE and it was 4th and 1 around mid field. I was watching the game with 4 people that all said watch the play fake to the TE. How does the DB get sucked in and let the TE break free and get behind him? That is the most classic play on 4th and 1. The offense either runs it up the gap or play fakes to the TE. How could Pry NOT have his defense ready for that?
2. 4th qtr. Pitt trapped deep facing a 3rd and long. It's been proven PSU can't get pressure with its 4 DL, so what do they do. They don't blitz and let Pitts QB AGAIN finds the open WR for the first down.
3. Next series we again hold Pitt to 3rd and very long. Again all 4 people I'm watching the game with say "Watch the Screen!" Pitt dumps of the screen pass and PSU is not ready for it and the RB again gets the first down. How could Pry not have his defense aware of a highly possible screen pass.
It's very easy to see why Pry and PSUs defense couldn't hold onto 4th qtr leads against USC, OSU twice, and MSU.
Agains I have ALWAYS tried o be fair and give Franklin and his coaches the benefit of the doubt. I can't do that any more. We will never get to the next level with Franklin, Pry and Rahne. They have had their chances. With the current coaches they will continue to be 8-4 and a 9-3 team. And that is a shame with the talent we have recruited.
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