Fallout of PSU’s win over Pitt
If someone who did not watch Penn State鈥檚 51-6 win over Pitt at Heinz Field Saturday night saw the final score, they may have thought that the Nittany Lions dominated the game from the start.
While Penn State led 14-6 at the half, the Panthers could have been leading, and they probably should have been.
But actually, it was as if the two separate halves were different ball games as Penn State outscored Pitt, 37-0, in the second half.
Let鈥檚 take a look at several key aspects of the game, which provided the biggest point difference between the teams in 50 years, as well as what is ahead for the teams.
n Pitt had 31 carries for 214 yards in the first half with Qadree Ollison rushing for 119 yards.
The Panthers averaged 7.5 yards per carry in the first half but only 1.5 per carry in the second half.
What happened was the Penn State defensive coaching staff made an adjustment at halftime and had the defensive ends fire inside instead of looping out and around the tackles which clogged up the middle.
n Pitt punter Kirk Christodoulou had a game that he would like to forget about.
He bobbled the hold on an extra point as well as on a field goal attempt, and then he misplayed a snap on a punt that led to the Nittany Lions scoring a touchdown late in the first half to make the score 14-6.
Had Christodoulou handled those three snaps, Pitt probably leads 10-7 at the half.
n Add in Narduzzi鈥檚 decision to go for it on fourth down at the Penn State four in the second quarter on fourth-and-three instead of kicking a field goal.
Had the team kicked the field goal, and made it, along with the other four points, Pitt leads 13-7 heading into the third quarter.
But instead, Ollison was stopped for a three-yard loss.
n The weather limited the quarterbacks, but Pitt fans have to be disappointed in the play of Kenny Pickett.
The sophomore only threw for 55 yards and while Penn State鈥檚 Trace McSorley only completed 14 of 30 pass attempts, there were five dropped passes.
n PSU freshman KJ Hamler scored on a 32-yard jet sweep, had three receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown and had 73 yards on kickoff returns.
Hamler was one of 22 first or second-year players for the Nittany Lions who saw action, and most casual fans do not realize how young the team is as they only have four seniors listed as starters on the depth chart.
n Penn State鈥檚 average start was at its 44 while Pitt鈥檚 was at its 25 and PSU punter Blake Gillikin, one of the top punters in the country, was a big reason why.
n Pitt fans leaving at halftime while a host of the program鈥檚 Hall of Famers, including Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino and Hugh Green, were honored on the field at halftime was a disappointment.
n McSorley was motivated for the game by the actions of Dorsett after Pitt鈥檚 42-39 win in 2016.
As McSorley was being interviewed after that loss, the former Pitt star walked by and taunted the Penn State quarterback.
The video from last year can be seen at https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/Article/McSorley-was-motivated-by-Pitt-Heisman-winners-2016-taunts-121715974.
After Saturday鈥檚 game, McSorley was asked about the taunt.
鈥淚 remember it, I remember exactly how it went like it was yesterday,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e used it as a little motivation 鈥� it got shown during the team video (Saturday), just kind of a little added boost right before the game for a lot of guys.鈥�
Dorsett was not seen after the game near the press conference area, and he may have left early like a lot of the Pitt fans at the stadium.
James Franklin鈥檚 decision to challenge that late fumble in the fourth quarter was unnecessary, and I wonder if it was a way to stick it to Narduzzi.
Speaking of Narduzzi, he was penalized 15 yards for going onto the field and later took the blame for Pitt鈥檚 performance after the game saying that they were not ready.
What an awful excuse.
Narduzzi has already stated that Pitt will play for the ACC championship, and maybe it will.
But if not, when factored in with losing by 45 points to Pitt鈥檚 most hated opponent, will things start to get a little hot for Narduzzi?
From day one, he bought in to Pitt鈥檚 disdain for PSU, and he even went as far as bashing former Clairton star LaMont Wade last week.
Wade, who was believed to be a Pitt lock, spurned it for Penn State.
Does Narduzzi think that by bashing one of the top WPIAL players of the last 25 years is going to get him more WPIAL recruits?
Narduzzi is so consumed with beating Penn State, and I do get it.
But he needs to start recruiting better and bashing former recruits who went elsewhere isn鈥檛 the way to get it done.
Could this have factored into North Allegheny cornerback Joey Porter, Jr. committing to Penn State Tuesday over Pitt?
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