BC-Pitt preview

Things are not good. We just went through back-to-back games as favorites and blew double-digit leads. The schedule is only going to get tougher from here. My belief that we would manage the schedule and season well is gone. But I don’t want to see the team rollover. If anything momentum and pride is all we get from here on out. I don’t know what to expect, but I would feel a lot better about everything if Billy O gets a win this week.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I wonder what Father Butler thinks about the season so far. I thougth of him when I caught a glimpse of the new chaplain on the sidelines of the last game. Father Jack has so much institutional knowledge of BC Football, I think Billy O could use him right now as a calming presence and for some perspective. It also must be frustrating for Butler to watch the team he has been a part of for so long struggle when he's gone. Plus the success of BC Football has an impact on the new job he is about to take over.

Three Simple Keys
1. Turnovers at the goal line. Three losses all include three turnovers right when we are about to score. I would love to blame bad luck, but it has been bad decisions. That needs to end this week.
2. Don’t force the run. Narduzzi is going to be aggressive and try to make us one dimensional. We need to dictate pace and play our type of game, so let’s throw it early.
3. Get pressure from the front four. It has been bad. We need to try different guys or add some more stunts and twists because these guys haven’t made enough plays.

Gambling notes
-- Pitt leads the all time series 18-16
-- BC is 1-3 at Acrisure Stadium
-- Narduzzi is 2-3 vs BC
The current line is BC+6.5

Factoid
Since Bcknell, BC coaches are 5-1 on their first trip to Pitt. Hafley is the only one who lost on his first time playing in Pittsburgh.

Scoreboard watching
Florida State-Miami. Miami needs to hang on to keep the ACC relevant. It will also be interesting to see how Castellanos bounces back from the UVA loss.

BC is in trouble if…Lonergan throws more picks. It might not be fair to put it all on him, but if he makes mistakes, I think this game will get away from us.

I hope to see…the same Oline combo as last week. It was a nice improvement.

What ChatGPT Thinks: "If I had to pick: Pitt wins, likely by a 1–2 touchdown margin."

Bottom line
While I am frustrated with where we are and how Billy O has managed the games, I am not giving up. I still think we can score on these guys. If we are going to win, it has to be through the air. I think we light it up and snap the losing streak.
Final Score: 35-24

BC-Pitt preview

The Jeff Hafley bandwagon got a little less crowded after the Hokies kicked BC’s butt. At this point I am aware that Hafley is not a Tom Coughlin-like shooting star. And I still believe in patience. In my opinion, how he finishes the season matters. It matters to who he is and what he is capable of becoming. Hafley has shown he will make changes and bold moves (they won’t always work). But now he needs to stop the bleeding and get momentum back. Pitt is reeling coming into this game. A good coach and a good team goes on the road and puts this game away. Let’s hope we are that good, because the difference between six wins and seven is monumental.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I’ve hit on this theme a good deal on Twitter, but the Jimbo Fisher firing is a reminder that hiring is hard. When we make a change at BC, people always gripe about the small time nature of our process or that we don’t have the money to hire anyone good. I always disagree because of two aspects. First there are only so many of these head coaching jobs and a bottomless pool of guys looking for their shot. Second throwing money at the problem doesn’t guarantee anything. Texas, Nebraska, USC, etc. have churned through coaches despite having historically great jobs and blank checks. Alabama stumbled for two decades before the timing worked with Nick Saban. Clemson had no idea what they were getting in Dabo. There is a lot of luck involved in this. I don’t think BC’s process when hiring should be haphazard or thoughtless. They should have a vision of what they want and a professional approach. But thinking that hiring the hot name or the expensive guy will deliver us to the next level is foolish.

Three Simple Keys
1. Come out running. For two weeks we’ve come out throwing and it has been a momentum killer. I know you want to work against tendency and show new wrinkles, but we are not built that way. We need to come out, hit them in the mouth and never look back.
2. Protect the ball. The VT loss is a different game without the turnovers. TC can’t force things and obviously needs to hold onto it when he takes off.
3. Stop the run. Pitt is going to try to win this on the ground. If we stuff the run, we win.

Gambling Notes
-- Hafley is 1-0 vs Pitt
-- Narduzzi is 0-2 vs BC
-- BC is 1-2 at Acrisure Stadium
The current line is BC+3

Factoid
BC last played Pitt on a Thursday night in 1996. It was Halloween. Some of BC’s play and reaction was so bad people assumed something was up and suddenly the gambling scandal exploded. It thankfully was the beginning of the end of the Henning Era.

Scoreboard Watching
Louisville-Miami. The Path is dead, but this game matters to us from a Miami perspective. It has been a rough year for the 'Canes. I am hoping they get stomped by Louisville and are demoralized and checked out coming into our game next week.

BC is in trouble if...Jurkovec plays. I don’t see Narduzzi using him at QB or TE unless Pitt is either up or Narduzzi feels like it will lead to a Pitt win. He is not going to embarrass the guy. So if Phil is on the field in a critical spot, I have a feeling things won’t be going BC’s way.

I hope to see…the defense step up without Jones. He has been the best defensive player and saved our butts multiple times. He won’t play this weekend or likely the rest of the season (undisclosed reasons). We need big games from everyone else.

Bottom line
Pitt is bad and seemingly checked out. Syracuse ran all over them. BC needs to keep is simple and do the same. If we try to get too cute or make mistakes, this could be a nail biter.
Final Score: BC 28, Pitt 10

Enjoying the roller coaster ride

Close games are not good for your health or your W-L record. But after three weeks of tense, back and forth games, I am thrilled that BC beat Pitt to improve to 3-1. But like our other close games, the big picture is still very encouraging. We have plenty of areas to improve (penalties, OL execution, Jurkovec's decision making) but we are still winning. The winning is coming from areas that have been much harder for BC to fix in previous administrations (in-game adjustments, aggressive play calling, late game execution).

The other thing that is great about a coaching change, is that there is always some guy who was overlooked or misused by the previous regime, who blossoms. For BC that is Zay Flowers. He had a huge day and made numerous unbelievable catches. 

There is still a lot of football left to play this year, but this first month of games has provided lots of hope and promise and wins...and that's all we wanted.  

Game Day: Pitt

No comments this year. 

What you need to know

Weather: Mid '60s with no chance to rain. Another perfect football day

Radio: SiriusXM 193 

TV: The ACC Network. If you don't have the ACC Network, perhaps get a temporary login for Hulu+ or Youtube TV.

BC-Pitt preview

We just played Pitt in November, yet BC Football and the world has changed dramatically since then. My fear at the time was gutting out that win might have saved Addazio. We know it didn't and instead led to the welcome change in leadership. This Pitt game is unlikely to provide any sort of capstone or turning point, however, it should be fun and winnable, which is all we can ask for at this time. 

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
While winning is primary, I think how this season is playing out should be good for Hafley and BC's recruiting. Stadiums are empty everywhere so using the "no fans" argument against us is negated for now. Hafley is getting a ton of positive media coverage, especially after last week's impromptu rant after the Long injury. The student life is still not back to normal, but BC is providing a more traditional college experience than most. If the team wins, the BC sales pitch will look that much better.

Three Simple Keys
1. Stops on 3rd down. Last week was beyond frustrating. The whole point of a bend but don't break D is not to allow long 3rd down conversions. Pickett is a good QB. If you give him time, he will find someone open. They need to bring him down.
2. Go deep more. The ease in which Jurkovec can fling it is probably something we haven't had since Shinskie. The late TD called back that Long caught was just a rope. We need to challenge donwfield more. The explosive plays can be backbreakers for Pitt.
3. Stay aggressive in Special Teams. The short kickoff didn't work, but the idea was good. I think we need to keep trying things like that, especially as an underdog.

Gambling Notes
-- Pitt leads the all time series 17-14
-- Pitt is 8-7 all time in Alumni
-- Narduzzi is 14-12 following a loss
The current line is BC+6

Factoid
This is the first time we've played Pitt in back to back years since the Big East days.

Scoreboard Watching
The only ACC game that matters -- other than ours -- is Miami-Clemson. Are the 'Canes back (again)? This season is already unpredictable. Who knows what the playoff will bring. The ACC will likely have at least one team in it, but if Miami proves to be great, maybe two can get in.

I hope to see...BC establish some sort of run game. I am not Addazio but I do think not running more is hurting the offense. So much would open up if we had believable play action. I also think Bailey is too much of an asset not to use.

BC is in trouble if...we are down going into the 4th Quarter. As much as I embrace the feeling of always being in the game, digging out of a hole game after game is not good for anyone. BC came up short last week. Let's not have that again.

Overall
I think this is a relatively low scoring defensive game. I think BC gets lucky with some turnovers to stall Pitt drives. I think instead of trying to comeback, this week we get ahead and hold on to the win.
Final Score: BC 21, Pitt 14

BC-Pitt preview

Under normal circumstances all the gossip about Addazio to Rutgers or the pressure he has at BC would be a major distraction. I actually don't think it is a big deal. The players and staff have known about Addazio's Hot Seat all season. At this point they are used to it. If anything, they know that this game is important for everyone but Addazio. They need to win to keep playing. They need to impress future coaches. This won't be about Addazio. It will be about this group fighting for one more game.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
There is an outside chance that BC could play in a bowl even if they lose this game. IF not enough teams qualify for bowls, the empty slots are then filled with teams with the best APR. Right now Duke holds the first spot. BC is No. 2. This remains a long shot, but it could happen. I would prefer to just win, but more BC football is always welcome.

Three Simple Keys
1. Scoring before the half. This is directly related to last week but it was a problem for the whole Addazio era. He has wasted time and possessions over and over. This is probably his last game. Try to be smart.
2. Grosel using his feet. There will be plenty of chances for him to run. He needs to be smart and convert when given the chance.
3. Don't allow big plays. For Pitt, I would prefer a little bend but don't break. Make them work the field and hope for mistakes.

Gambling Notes
-- Pitt leads the series 17-12
-- Addazio is 3-3 in season finales
-- BC is 0-2 at Heinz Field
The current line is BC+8.5

Factoid
This is the first time BC has played in Pittsburgh in an ACC game.

Scoreboard Watching
Michigan-Ohio State. Beyond all the BC connections on both sides, there are two names attached to watch: Jeff Hafley and Anthony Campanile. Both will be mentioned for the BC job...probably as early as Monday.

BC is in trouble if...
Pitt stops the running game. Narduzzi is a good defensive coach and will try to make BC one-dimensional. If Pitt controls line and stops the running game, BC will not win.

I hope to see...
A huge day from Dillon. This is probably his final game at BC. He has been great. Unfortunately the team has been forgettable during his three seasons. It would be nice to go out with a big win.

Bottom Line
I think we control the line of scrimmage and Grosel has a big day. The D gets a bit lucky with turnovers and we grind away with the run game in the second half.
Final Score: BC 28, Pitt 20

BC roars back after awful start against Pitt

If BC starts as poorly as they did  -- including Robinson's foul trouble -- against any team other than Pitt, they don't come back. But Pitt is terrible, so BC was able to run away with the game and secure a winning season.

Even with the extended time on the bench Robinson scored 27. If he keeps this up, he is going to be first team All ACC. A really strong finish puts him in player of the year conversations. The foul trouble and blowout also meant that Baker got more minutes and actually looked confident with the ball. He finished with 11.

BC takes on Notre Dame next. Nothing is a must win yet, but all homes games should be Ws from here on out.

Basketball loses to Pitt

Basketball's slide continues as they lost another game Wednesday...this time to Pitt. BC built an early lead but Pitt made a run to tie the game going into the half. In the second half Pitt stayed hot. BC did not.

BC needed this game. Not for postseason play or resumes. But for momentum. It was at home against another bad ACC team and we didn't respond after their run. BC's shooting faded and there was no answer. The challenge remains with the front line and with the D. If our shooters are not hot, we have no chance.

The team's next outing is against Georgia Tech on Saturday. I will be there in person. Hopefully the momentum will change.

Pitiful against Pitt

BC lost another lopsided basketball game Saturday. This time to Pitt. I am torn on the Eili Carter issue. Carter filled up the stat sheet and played a statistically efficient game, but I feel like the team is suffering because of it. It would be one thing if Carter was carrying the team to wins. But we are getting killed and none of the young guys are developing. 

Occasionally you would see Carter find Diallo or someone else for a nice assist, but it didn't happen enough. 

BC's Defense was not good. There were plenty of breakdowns and terrible rebounding. 

I don't know the answers, but either this team is really inconsistent or just plain bad. 

Something special and something miserable

Olivier Hanlan is in the middle of a hot streak that has rarely been seen around BC. He scored 39 against Pitt despite getting double-teamed on nearly every possession. Yet his heroics were not enough as BC lost 71-65. The best thing about the past two weeks is that any concerns about Hanlan's shooting is over. His percentages from 3 and on FTs have improved and are reverting to his norms from the past two years. The guy is an elite offensive player, regardless of the coach, the system and certainly the players around him. This team is terrible. I would say just give the ball the Hanlan, but that is what they are doing at this point. The problem comes when the other guys have to play defense, grab a rebound or pass. BC was in a big hole early just from stupid plays from Brown, Heckmann and Clifford. If not for Hanlan this team would be completely unwatchable.

The depleted bench cannot score. We know that. But against any team with size, we are cooked. Carney plays hard but is over matched. Odio has athleticism, but is still not a complete player.

Heckmann is a mess. When he's off, he needs to get closer to the basket and help on the boards.

Brown's stats are bit misleading. He was our second leading scorer, but did not have a good night. The turnovers and whining to the refs hurt the team.

As the season comes to a close, I am going to keep watching to see what Hanlan might do next. I am also aware that these might be his last few weeks as an Eagle.

Second viewing thoughts and grade report: Pitt

There are plenty of people bailing on Murphy after the game. I'm not. He wasn't great but he was also our best offensive player. Outside of the obvious mistakes, the biggest issue that I noticed the second time around were the mistakes near the line (on Offense and Defense). I think this game will haunt us late in the season, because it was winnable with better play.

Offense: C

Murphy's passes weren't great (but I will get into some of the passing game issues with the other position) but that is not what concerned me. I was more frustrated by his hesitancy in the pocket. He can run on anyone. If the passes aren't there I want him taking off ASAP. Don't pump or wait in the pocket. His runs were good. I wish he had kept it more on the options since he had space.

The running backs weren't productive, but I think much of that was due to Pitt focusing on stopping it. Willis was contained. Hillman was ok. Rouse was fine but he struggled in pass protection. I wish Wofford had got his knee in on the pass.

The Offensive line was good early, but then started getting pushed around a bit. Gillik was the best. Kramer was good again. Silberman struggled the most of the starters. No one did a great job getting to the second level. But watching it back showed that a lot of the breakdowns on pass protection came from the Tight Ends and RBs.

We knew WRs were going to be an issue, but things were bad. Crimmins had way too many drops. If he catches even three of the six he missed (including the INT) it is a different game. Bordner needs to adjust a bit better to balls in the air. Phillips was good. I want to get Alston more touches.

I am giving Day a bit of a pass on play calling. Now that he's seen what works and doesn't with Murphy, maybe he will simplify the schemes. My biggest gripe is that we didn't do more running (what he does well) and we did too much passing (things he and the WRs struggle with). You need to do enough to keep them honest and try to get points, but too often, we looked rushed and uneasy throwing. Do more of the bootlegs or give Murphy a moving pocket. It will make the difference. Day also needs to figure out how to get the run game going. Still no explosive plays.

Defense: C-

As a group, the defensive line had the biggest drop off from Week 1 to Week 2. They didn't get enough pressure or control the line or make tackles. But it wasn't all bad. I thought Kavalec looked really good. He held his own on the line and didn't miss tackles. Gutapfel and Wujciak had a few moments and then at other times really got pushed around. Mihalik was fine. Landry looked good late. Abdesmad looked like a shell of himself. I doubt he is 100% and most of his tackles were after getting pushed well off the line.

The praise heaped on Josh Keyes might have been the ultimate jinx. Not only did he miss that easy sack, but he was terrible the rest of the night. He couldn't shed blockers and missed multiple tackles. I am hoping it was just an off night. The Silver Lining of the LB corps was Strizak. He was solid in his tackling and also cut through traffic well to close on the targets. Daniels was fine and his INT was nice. Duggan missed a few tackles before getting hurt.

The DBs were not terrible but they were also not great. On one play they would look decent and then outclassed on the next play. Asprilla seemed to make the fewest mistakes. Simmons was really active but missed some too. Simmons wasn't great in pass coverage. Jones got totally faked out on a big pass. Brown seemed fine.

Tackling was the biggest issue, but I still put a lot of this on Don Brown's schemes. Why not do more to stop the run? Let Voytik beat you through the air! Voytik made a few plays but he was also very wild and made some really clunky throws. We showed him a lot of different looks but it never became an issue because of how well Pitt ran the ball.

Special Teams: B-

Willis did a nice job with his Kick returns. He's finding the space that he's not finding in his regular touches. I didn't love the young guys letting punts roll, but they started catching them as the game progressed. Howell's punts and kickoffs were good. Missing another FG hurt. Hopefully he becomes more dependable on that front.

Overall: C

After the game Addazio mentioned the tackling and the missed passes. He wasn't throwing his players under the bus like some former BC coaches we know. But he was doing the knee-jerk reaction that all coaches would do. "We would've won if not for our kids..." He has a point, but he's also missing the point. Bad tackling doesn't just happen. As Addazio mentioned in the preseason, this team is raw. It looks like they needed more tackling work. Murphy can be explosive, but he also seems to struggle in the pocket. He does other things really well. Maybe you shouldn't have him pass so often. Do more option. Or have him rollout or bootleg. If the WRs have the drops, put in other guys. I am oversimplifying, but so is Addazio when he says it is about execution.

As for game management...there was one issue when we declined a penalty that might have pushed them out of FG range. The announcers mentioned it, but I agreed with Addazio. Why give them an extra down when we were happy to settle for 3 and get the ball back? I also don't love punting down 16, but we were still able to get back in the game.

Good coaches lose winnable games sometimes. But now we need to regroup. Last year they made the most out of their talent. I think the talent level is close to last season, so it now becomes what can we do well. Addazio didn't do it against Pitt, but I have hope for the coming weeks.

That was the Pitts

This game reminded me of the Georgia Tech loss in 2009 2008 [corrected]. It was early in the season and frustrating. After that game, the team regrouped. I hope this team can do the same. Pitt won but we didn't play well. There were plenty of missed opportunities on both sides of the ball. At this point I am more concerned about the defense. Murphy does enough well that we can build an offense around him.

Addazio's tenure has been mostly high points. Now he's got to earn his money. This season could go either way. A good coach will keep the team fighting and competitive.

I will have the second viewing thoughts and grades up Sunday.

In-game comments post: Pitt

Pitt returns to the Heights. Fans return to the Heights. Students are back. It is the home opener, so let's make it a good one! Leave your thoughts and comments below.

You can also follow me on Twitter.

Game Watches: Pitt

It is Friday, so celebrate the end of the week with a little BC Football. Here are the clubs hosting Game Watches. If your local chapter is not included, post it in the comments section.

Atlanta Game Watch
Taco Mac Lindbergh
573 Main St NE
Atlanta

Chicago Game Watch
Nic and Dino's Tripoli Tap
1147 W Armitage (Armitage Brown/Purple Line L)
Chicago

Dallas Game Watch
Corner Bar
4830 McKinney Ave.
Dallas

Denver Game Watch
The Whittier Pub
2000 E 28th Ave
Denver

New York City Game Watches
Joshua Tree
513 3rd Avenue (between 34th and 35th Street)
New York, N.Y.

American Whiskey
30th Street between 7th and 8th Ave

Brazen Fox
13th and 3rd

Phoenix Game Watch
Gallagher's Sports Grill
7575 N. 16th Street
Phoenix

San Diego Game Watch
The Beer Company
602 Broadway St.
San Diego

San Francisco Game Watch
Shanghai Kelly's
2064 Polk St.
San Francisco

Tampa Game Watch
Beef O’Brady’s in South Tampa (4516 S. Dale Mabry Hwy)

Washington, D.C. Game Watch
Irish Whiskey Public House
1207 19th Street Northwest
Washington, D.C.

BC-Pitt preview

I hate to put so much emphasis on one game, but this matchup could swing the whole season. If BC wins, it is a good measurement of where we are and also gets us 1/3 of the way to bowl eligibility. A loss would put this young team in a deep hole. If we cannot beat Pitt at home, where are the other five wins needed to be bowl eligible? This is a transition year with the bar set relatively low, but that still means winning a game or two against peer programs.

What's on my mind (not totally related to this game)
I always think that Pitt should be better at football than they are. They have a better history than most programs and are in a better recruiting territory than most programs, yet they are never a consistent winner. They have high points, but then coaching changes disrupt the whole thing and they start again. Ultimately it has been good for BC that they have been mediocre for 30 years, but it is also raises a question. If Pitt cannot win National Championships or keep coaches around, will BC ever be able to reach our ultimate goal?

Three Simple Key
1. Explosive plays on offense. Addazio pounded this point home in the media, but it is fair. As boring as the offense might have seemed last year, we could at least count on a big play from Andre or a deep ball to Amidon. If we don't have a player or two who can turn a five yard run into a 50 yard run, our offense will get stagnant.
2. Keep Pitt under 150 yards rushing. I really liked our front seven against UMass. They did a good job controlling the line and tackling. Pitt ran all over Delaware and will try the same with us. The key will be winning the battle in the trenches.
3. No breakdowns in the secondary. I don't expect perfection, but we cannot have WRs running free. It cost us the shutout against UMass. In ACC play it could cost us a game.

Gambling Notes
-- Chyrst is 4-7 on the road
-- Chryst is 3-2 as a road favorite
-- BC has lost its last three games to Pitt
The current line is BC+4

Factoid
This is the second year of the ACC's new TV deal that mandates at least three Friday night games (one of which will be a BC game). This is our obligation this year. Last year it was against Wake. Given the contract, I assume that our game against Syracuse next year will be in the post-Thanksgiving slot.

Scoreboard Watching
It couldn't have worked out better that USC takes on Stanford the week before our game. It will have their focus and they will be playing a team similar to us. Whatever happens, our coaches should have plenty of film to analyze and adjust our game plan accordingly.

I hope to see...
A decent turnout. The Groupon push has me worried that Alumni will feel empty. This is an important game and it would be nice to have the stands full.

BC is in trouble if...
We can't get Pitt off the field. With both teams trying to run the ball, possession will be critical. If we cannot force a few three and outs, I fear that Pitt will control the game and limit our scoring.

Bottom Line
I think last week served as a good blueprint for this week. BC will run the ball well with Murphy leading the way. I think our Defense will slow Pitt down. We take an early lead and build on it. Pitt makes it interesting late, but can't do enough.
Final Score: BC 27, Pitt 20

Guest Blogger: Pitt Blather

I haven't had a guest blogger in a while, but felt the time was right to have Chas from Pitt Blather answer a few questions. Pitt is similar to BC in that they are building a run-based offense in a passing game sport. Unlike BC, they are now just getting used to life in the ACC and figuring out how good they can be under Paul Chryst. To get a better feel for what to expect, I asked Chas some questions. His answers are below. 

1. The Delaware score put a scare into me. How much of that was FBS vs FCS and how much was Pitt finally being really good?

Pitt Blather: I just am not sure.

On the side of it being FBS v. FCS there's plenty of evidence. Delaware was picked for 6th in the CAA. They only had 2 players on the All-CAA preseason team -- a punter and tight end. And this is not Joe Flacco's Blue Hens. K.C. Keeler is not the head coach. Now it is Dave Brock.

The kind of offensive guru that has been the OC for such luminaries in the coaching world as Kurt Flood (Rutgers, 2012), Ron Prince (K-State, 2008) and the immortal Bobby Wallace (Temple, 2002-04). Oh, and he also coached Tight Ends at BC from 2009-11 for Frank Spaziani. Dear god, I'm so glad I didn't know his resume before the Delaware game. There's no way I could have taken them seriously.

That said, 62 points and 500+ yards of offense coupled with a shutout and keeping Delaware to less than 70 yards of offense is still something that goes beyond simply playing an overmatched team.

2. When he was a rumored candidate for the BC job at various points, the tag on Paul Chryst was that he was TOB-level boring in his game plans and persona. Now that you've got to know him, is that fair?

Pitt Blather:  Persona, there is more than a bit of white bread to him. Not in the grumpy joyless way Notorious TOB seemed to embody. Just, that he only wants to be a football coach and all the other stuff is just noise. Other members of the media swear he has a sneaky, dry sense of humor, but he doesn't really show that too often.

As for his game plans, there is no question that he wants to do the Wisconsin thing. He wants the BIG offensive line. He wants to run the ball a lot. Not in dispute. But I'm hesitant to label it boring simply because it is more traditional. We had Dave Wannstedt putting his controls to the offense. I like to think we know boring offense, and this isn't it. There are more moving parts to it, and better executed.

On defense, the emphasis is definitely more towards being more aggressive. I can't tell you the last time I saw Pitt execute a successful corner blitz, but they did it against Delaware.

3. Now that the ACC transition is over and the job is stable, what is the ceiling for Pitt Football?

Pitt Blather:  An open-ended question that doesn't have a fair answer. Within the next few years I believe Pitt will challenge for the Coastal (side question: how many years in the ACC does it take before you don't have to regularly double-check which conference you are in?). After that, it really depends on how things break. It isn't hard to believe that the way it is being constructed that Pitt can't become a regular 8-9 win team and have years where it does even better.

4. What is your prediction for the game?

Pitt Blather:  Big surprise, I like Pitt to win this game in a bit of a grinder. I think Pitt's O-line allows for the running game to wear down BC's defense. While the Pitt defense does just enough to contain Tyler Murphy.

Let's say a final score of 27-24 for Pitt.

BC vs Pitt a history

Although there isn't a lot of passion around our series with Pitt, there is plenty of history. The teams first played each other in 1959 and then faced off fairly consistently as both were eastern independents. After the formation of the Big East Football conference, the teams played annually until 2004. Pitt leads the series with 16 wins, but both teams dominated long stretches of the matchup. Since we won most of the Pitt games since I became a real BC fan, I only tend to remember the losses and their importance. Two truly standout.

1996
BC played Pitt on Halloween in one of ESPN's Thursday night games. This was at a time when Thursday night games were a huge deal. BC seemed to be in a daze the whole night and there were plenty of missed tackles and blown assignments. The performance was so bad that rumors started spreading that some players purposely threw the game. That wasn't the case, but the gossip and investigation led to the infamous "Gambling Scandal."

2004
At the time this we didn't know the importance of the loss, but it would cost us a Fiesta Bowl appearance as much as the loss to Syracuse did in the season finale (the Panthers actually won the Big East's BCS slot by virtue of a four-way tie). BC came back to tie the game late in the fourth during a huge day for Paul Peterson. However, TOB played for OT on the final possession and we lost in OT. It was a bitter way to end it all since we had lost to Pitt two years earlier on sloppy Heinz Field while TOB played it to conservatively.

As we renew the series, I know it won't all be easy, but I hope the rare losses are less painful or impactful.

BC wastes good effort from Hanlan, Heckmann in loss to Pitt

BC's reliance on 3s and converting at the free throw line isn't always going to work. It didn't in tonight's loss against Pitt, but that wasn't the real problem. Only having three guys show up for the game was the big issue...and terrible defense again. 

I am glad Patrick Heckmann is coming into his own as the season comes to a close. But his success and the terrible game from Rahon and Jackson highlight a less discussed Donahue issue -- our rotations. Because we lack a traditional lineup or a balanced roster, we have too many players competing for minutes and all bringing similar skills to the table. So players cannot get into a consistent groove or once one guy gets hot, another player becomes a non factor. The roster doesn't compliment each other. Hanlan had a great game. That should be enough, but if we don't have four more guys playing halfway decent, we cannot win. 

Wake is up next. Anyone want to take a guess on who will get hot next at the expense of Heckmann's minutes?