Pitt Take 5: Historic 9-victory season still possible
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SirVocea Dennis doesn’t like some of what’s happened to Pitt this season, but he believes there’s still time to do something about it.
A nine-victory season remains in Pitt’s grasp with Duke coming to Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. After that, the regular-season finale is Nov. 26 at Miami (a fourth road night game), followed by a bowl of some undetermined relevance to close out Dennis’ fourth season as a Pitt linebacker. Pinstripe, perhaps, if Pitt can win twice.
“It means a lot,” he said of winning nine games. “Nine wins is a good season.”
How good? In terms of Pitt history, it would be among the best in the past 40 years. In that time, there have been three teams that won nine games (1982, 2002 and 2008) and only two others that surpassed that number (10 in 2009 and 11 last year).
“A lot of people might look at it like, ‘C’mon, guys. We could have done better,’ ” Dennis said. “Which we could have. But nine games, we’ll take it and we’ll run with it.”
Here are some thoughts to ponder while awaiting the noon kickoff:
1. Something must give
This will be an interesting matchup of Duke’s offense vs. Pitt’s defense.
What does Duke do well? Gain yards on the ground and avoid sacks.
What are Pitt’s chief strengths? Stopping the run and sacking the quarterback.
Duke is second in the ACC in average rushing yards per game (203.8), and Pitt is second in the conference and 10th in the nation at stopping the run (97.7). Only nine other teams allow an average of fewer than 100 yards.
Pitt has been maniacal recently in sacking quarterbacks — 14 of a nation-high 37 just in the past two games. But try getting to Duke quarterback Riley Leonard. Opponents have only 14 sacks in 10 games against the Blue Devils.
Dennis said he likes playing teams that emphasize their running game.
“The way I look at it is, it gives a lot of the linebackers chances to get more tackles. I love playing teams like this. Let’s play a football game,” he said.
2. Another running quarterback
Leonard (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) is his team’s leading rusher with 625 yards — tops among ACC quarterbacks.
Bad sign: The four quarterbacks who have rushed for the most yards against Pitt did so in the Panthers’ four losses — Jeff Sims of Georgia Tech (81), Drake Maye of North Carolina (61), Malik Cunningham of Louisville (46) and Hendon Hooker of Tennessee (27).
Good sign: Dennis respects but isn’t in awe of Leonard’s mobility.
“We just have to play our game,” he said. “It’s nothing that they do that we’re not really ready for. It’s really us. We have to really focus on ourselves, really focus on the gameplan and execute it very well.
“He moves very well outside the pocket, inside the pocket. He’s going to be a challenge to get down. But you have to do it.
“Our defensive line and our linebackers diagnosed what we needed to and picked up on some things that we can keep guys in the pocket a little bit more and contain the rush.”
3. Don’t trust the preseason poll
Before the start of the season, reporters covering the ACC cast their ballots on how teams would finish in the standings. Their cumulative thoughts were clear:
Duke was on its way to a last-place finish in the Coastal Division. The only team that received fewer voting points in the poll was Syracuse.
Of course, in real time, the Blue Devils are 7-3 and second to No. 13 North Carolina in the Coastal. Syracuse won its first six games before slumping.
“I’m putting my vote in for coach (Mike) Elko for coach of the year in the ACC,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “I think he’s done a phenomenal job. They’re tough. They’re gritty. They’re physical. They play with an attitude.”
4. Tricks of the trade
Narduzzi is aware many teams try to steal signals, but he said Duke might be “the masters of it.”
“They’re going to try to steal as many signals as they can to try to get them in the perfect play. We’ll be very detailed and specific in what we do and how we do it.”
The Blue Devils also use other forms of trickery, including clapping to confuse the defense.
“They’re going to take all the play clock, clap three or four times before they snap the ball,” he said. “We have to make sure we don’t jump offsides on the first clap, the second clap or the third clap.”
Narduzzi is well-acquainted with Duke offensive coordinator Kevin Johns, a former Big Ten rival who helped run offensive units at Indiana and Northwestern when Pitt’s coach was defensive coordinator at Michigan State.
5. History lesson
Pitt and Duke have met 25 times, with the Panthers holding a 16-9 edge. Pitt is 7-1 with a six-game winning streak since joining the ACC in 2013.
Duke won 51-48 in double overtime in 2014, a year after the 58-55 classic in Durham, N.C., that featured Aaron Donald tackling two guys at the same time.
Duke hasn’t defeated Pitt in four quarters since a 14-7 decision Sept. 24, 1966, at Pitt Stadium.
A victory Saturday would be Narduzzi’s 60th as Pitt’s coach, tying him for second all-time with Pop Warner (1915-23).