#H2P... PITT IS IT! - A Pitt Panthers Dynasty (NCAA 14)

[moose141]

CALI CRUISING
Report by Matt Schmidlin | September 17, 2022





Three Thoughts from the Peanut Gallery

1. Road, Sweet Road?

The Panthers went on the road for the first time this season, and looked far more comfortable than they have in their last pair of home contests. The defense forced green behind the ears QB Iyaz Durbin to beat them all day, and while he racked up the yards the Bruins struggled to find the endzone. On the other side of the ball, the Panthers rode Da'vion Reynolds for a huge day on the ground and CJ Kirk made just enough plays to win confortably. The Panthers look to keep the road cooking going as they have two more contests away from home before heading back to Heinz Field.

2. KJ finally outshines Ceno

Redshirt freshman Ceno Rodgers III was the talk of PantherLair after 3 breakout performances, including an impressive debut against West Virginia. Junior KJ Welsh, the leading returning receiver and expected top dog in the receiver room, certainly must have taken notice. Welsh finally exploded for a pair of huge touchdowns, as the junior reeled in three grabs for 88 yards.

3. Swat Squad

With UCLA chucking the ball all over the yard as they fell behind on the scoreboard, the Panthers' DBs got plenty of action and made some big plays. FS Sedric Granger had arguably his best day as a Panther, picking off a pass at the goalline, forcing a fumble, and swatting away two passes. As a whole, the Pitt defense defended 10 passes by Durbin, likely a record for a single game total in the history of this dynasty (don't have it written down to be able to know).

[Careless Whisper]

That's more like it! Really impressive win on the road, particularly on the defensive end with how that unit shut down Sanders and the UCLA running game. Would have liked to see Kirk take care of the ball a little better and have a more efficient red zone attack, but it's hard to really complain about those things after a 27-point road win, haha.

[moose141]

Quote: Originally Posted by Careless Whisper

That's more like it! Really impressive win on the road, particularly on the defensive end with how that unit shut down Sanders and the UCLA running game. Would have liked to see Kirk take care of the ball a little better and have a more efficient red zone attack, but it's hard to really complain about those things after a 27-point road win, haha.

Thanks CW! Absolutely, I've made sure over the last few seasons to make sure the CPU running attack provides a real challenge, and we were up to the task in spite of that. The fumbling and overall turnovers have definitely been an issue for us, but I think it shows that this team could really be a problem if we can clean that up, because a game like this even in spite of giving the ball away like that shows how good this squad is.

[moose141]

Week 4 Recap: TOPPLING THE TIGERS
Report by Matt Schmidlin | September 19, 2022



Lanoux is a Load

Redshirt sophomore Donatien Lanoux continues to show off his pedigree, with the former five-star recruit racking up five touchdowns in Houston's 52-24 beatdown of Rice. The Louisiana product, who suprisingly chose the Cougars over in-state LSU, racked up 255 yards on the ground and 68 through the air in his biggest breakout to date.

Hokies Ride Henderson to Late Win

Eddie Henderson scored a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes, including one with just 1:01 to play as Virginia Tech stunned Louisville, riding a 15 point unanswered run to eke out a 32-28 victory.

Cowboys Throttle Clemson in Death Valley

Oklahoma State rode the legs of stud tailback Antoine Byrne-Horton (134 yards, TD) and the arm of QB Jackson Thomas (284 yards, 2 TD), while Clemson star QB Will Alford tossed a pair of interceptions as the Cowboys shocked the Tigers, 37-13, in Death Valley.

Notable Matchups in Week Four

#11 Texas A&M (3-1) @ Arkansas (2-2)
#3 Oklahoma (3-0) @ #10 Notre Dame (3-1) -- College Gameday Game of the Week
#25 South Carolina (3-1) @ #21 Auburn (2-2)
#4 LSU (3-0) @ #16 Tennessee (3-1)
Indiana (2-1) @ #22 Nebraska (4-0)
#2 Ohio State (2-0) @ #23 Wisconsin (1-2)
#8 Texas (3-0) @ Baylor (3-0)
#17 Oregon (2-2) @ #24 Cal (3-0)

[moose141]

#PantherNation Preview: Virginia
Report by Matt Schmidlin | September 23, 2022

What: Pitt (4-0) @ Virginia (2-1)
Where: Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA
When: Saturday, September 24, 2022, 3:30 PM EST
Watch:
Listen: Pitt Panthers Radio Network

Game Line Pres. by FanDuel: Pitt (-9.5)
ESPN Prediction: Pitt

Last Meeting (2021): 37-6 Pitt
Last Meeting at Venue (2020): 41-20 Pitt
All Time Series: 11-3 Pitt
Dynasty Series: 6-0 Pitt

Is This the Year?

Virginia doesn't beat Pitt. It just doesn't happen. The Cavaliers are 0-6 against Pat Narduzzi in this dynasty, and after Pitt's performance last weekend that doesn't look likely to change this year. Kevin Harmon and Curtis Ross are talented players on the offensive side of the ball for the Cavs, but they just don't stack up to the Panthers across the board.

Weather Forecast Could Play a Factor

The biggest thing going in Virginia's favor is tomorrow's weather forecast, with the game likely to be played throughout constant rain showers all afternoon. That could play in the Cavs favor, as Pitt QB CJ Kirk has struggled holding onto the football, and with a slippery pigskin, the Panthers signal caller will have to be extra careful.

What to Expect on the Field This Saturday



Sound Off: Is this finally the year Virginia breaks through and knocks off the Panthers?

[moose141]

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[moose141]

WET AND WILD
Report by Matt Schmidlin | September 24, 2022





Three Thoughts from the Peanut Gallery

1. Dat Dude Da'vion

Da'vion Reynolds finally is showing why he turned up on so many prognosticators' Heisman watchlists this offseason. After a 168 yard, 2 TD performance against UCLA, the super sophomore showed out again to the tune of 155 yards on the ground and a touchdown. The more he touches the ball, the better things seem to go offensively for the Panthers.

2. Real Deal has Real Nose for the Endzone

With just nine touches, redshirt freshman Ceno Rodgers III found the endzone three times, continuing to make an impact in all facets of Pitt's offense. He has the speed to scoot past defensive backs for deep balls, his route running enables him to be an elite target in the slot, and his shiftiness lets him take the ball on options and jet sweeps and turn things into big gains and scores. Weapons are certainly not a weakness for Pitt's offense.

3. Third Down Lockdown

Pitt's defense made a big impact on third down, holding Virginia to just three conversions on 13 attempts. What really helped the Panthers was their early down run defense, holding tailbacks Kevin Harmar and Jamar Jefferson mostly in check and forcing a number of 3rd and behind the sticks. Keith Hughes compiled a ton of yards for the Cavs, but oftentimes completed passes in front of the yardline to gain that the Panthers sniffed out and stopped short. It was a solid performance for a unit that is frequently using the refrain "bend, but don't break."

[Careless Whisper]

Really nice performances by the kids to help lift Pitt to another road win. Reynolds is really coming into his own as the lead back, and Rodgers is a weapon that can change a game in an instant. Shoutout to Corso for missing on yet another prediction - not sure who he took in the WVU game, but other than that he's gotten every single Pitt game wrong thus far!