2017 PITT Football: Time To Take The ACC Coastal

Over the past few seasons since Pat Narduzzi has come aboard, the PITT Football program has started to prove that they belong in the conversation with the rest of the top tier teams in the ACC.  And the next thing that they need to do is win the ACC Coastal and make an appearance in an ACC Championship game.

Last season was frustrating because PITT did have a top tier offense with the leadership of Nate Peterman and James Conner, but the defense fell flat in key moments of a couple games last season.  Most memorably are the UNC and Virginia Tech games, both of which PITT probably should have won and if they did they would have won the Coastal last season.

When Training Camp has started this month, we heard the following phrase repeated over and over again by coaches and players, #TakeIt!  Meaning it is time for this team to take its place on top of the Coastal.

And this season is set up for PITT to be favorites in the ACC Coastal and it all starts at the Quarterback position.  UNC, Virginia Tech and Miami all have new Quarterbacks as well, but PITT is the only team with a new Quarterback who has a lot of Power 5 Conference experience in grad transfer Max Browne.

All training camp we have heard from Narduzzi and the coaching staff that it was a close battle between Browne and Ben Dinucci for the starting Quarterback job.  And today (Tuesday), Narduzzi made it official and named Browne the starting Quarterback for PITT this season.

I like this decision because when watching Browne play and practice he kind of reminds you of a Nate Peterman type.  Am I calling him the next Nate Peterman, No, but if he can manage the game and make big plays down the field like Peterman did last season, this PITT team could have a special year ahead of them.

Browne has the help in the backfield like Peterman as well with Qadree Ollison returning to the starting role and I look for Chawntez Moss and Darrin Hall to play big roles in the rushing attack as well.  And it will be curious to see how they use Todd Sibley and A.J Davis or if they redshirt one or both of them this season.  And the one thing you notice with Ollison, Moss and Hall is that they have 3 different running styles that can help the offense keep the opposing defense off balance depending on who is in the game.

The Wide Receiver position will be an interesting one to watch this season with Quadree Henderson the clear #1 receiver and I’ve said multiple times this summer that he should be on an early Heisman Watch list because I see him having that good of a season.  Redshirt Senior Jester Weah should be the #2 receiver and clear deep threat to put pressure on opposing secondaries in the passing game.  Weah had moments last year as a deep threat and showed that he can be dangerous and effective for PITT, but he also had his moments that made fans want to pull their hair out.  If Weah and Henderson are on their game, combined with a good rushing attack, this offense should keep projecting upward from last season under new Offensive Coordinator Shawn Watson.  With Maurice French out, I would keep an eye on Tre Tipton, Aaron Matthews and Rafael Araujo-Lopes and expect them to step up and provide the depth needed at the position.

Now, on to the question mark after last season and that is the defense.  Logic says they should be better this season because they will be a more experienced bunch. But, that took a hit when we learned that Jordan Whitehead and Quinton Wirginis would be suspended for the first 3 games of the season for violation of team rules.  I don’t think the linebacker core will miss Wirginis too bad, maybe his leadership as a senior, but on the field I think they will be fine.  Elijah Zeise is returning to the lineup after missing last season with an injury and he has impressed big time in camp.  Saleem Brightwell showed that he can be a top tier linebacker many times last season and look for Oluwasheun Idowu to step into a bigger role this season as well.

The defensive line should be solid again this season with Kam Carter, Dewayne Hendrix, Rashad Weaver, Amir Watts and Rashad Wheeler plus a number of talented freshman coming in.  So, just like last season the defensive line and linebackers should be the strong point of this defense.

It is a different story when it comes to the Secondary and the first 3 games will be even more interesting without the services of Jordan Whitehead.  Avonte Maddox is your clear #1 defensive back, but beyond that I am curious to see what Narduzzi and Defensive Coordinator Josh Conklin do with the Secondary.  The next two defensive backs I would use would be Damar Hamlin and Dane Jackson as when they played last season, they looked like they fit into the defensive scheme well.  I am also curious about what they will do at the Safety position, especially with Whitehead out, as you hear Dennis Briggs name a lot coming out of camp as he seems to be impressing the coaches.  I feel like we will have a lot of answers about the Secondary as we approach game week and after the Youngstown State game on September 2nd.

Narduzzi has kept the momentum rolling with excitement around the program and to keep it going this year will be a challenge.  I am predicting a 9 or 10 win season this year for PITT football.  I want to say I can see this team winning the ACC Coastal, and I can, but I don’t want to go on record and say it quite yet. Talk to me after the first few games after we see this defense against the likes of Penn State and Oklahoma State.  If the defense is on point after those games and the offense continues to grow from last season, then my confidence in this team winning the ACC Coastal will grow a little bit.

What is your record prediction for the 2017 PITT Football Season? What are your concerns with this year’s PITT team entering the season?  And do you like the decision to name Max Browne the starting Quarterback?  You can tweet me @MattyIcePGH or tweet Dream Backfield directly @IntoPitt.