Bryce Perkins: I’m going to go B, after thinking B-. The slight uptick is because Perkins didn’t turn the ball over.
We would’ve been in B+ territory if not for the lackluster second quarter. The offense stagnated as Pitt turned a 10-0 first quarter into a 14-13 halftime lead, with Perkins missing on four of his last five pass attempts after starting 10-of-12.
The final statline is a bit pedestrian: 20-of-34 passing, 181 yards, 123 rating, 18 runs for 44 yards, though that one puts sack yardage against his final total.
Even accounting for the sacks, though, you’d have Perkins running 15 times for 62 yards.
Perkins seemed unsure on some of his reads in the read option, and there was that odd sequence at the closeout of a second quarter drive in the red zone, when Perkins and wideout Joe Reed were on completely different pages on first- and second-down throws, forcing a third-and-long that allowed Pitt to blitz and force a quick throw that was incomplete to Reed, ahead of a field goal.
Still, no turnovers. You can tell I’m really thinking B-, but I’ll stick with B.
Running backs: I’ll go with a B here as well.
Wayne Taulapapa had a nice outing in his first career start, gaining 66 yards on 10 runs and hauling in one catch for 27 yards. PK Kier got some meaningful work as the changeup back, gaining 19 yards on five carries.
Chris Sharp had a TD catch on a nice design and well-executed third-down play at the goal line in the first quarter.
Only one of the rushing attempts by the backs resulted in a loss. No fumbles. No egregiously missed blocks in pass protection.
Solid B.
Wideouts/tight ends: I’m going to bore you here, but, again, B.
It looks like Joe Reed is being slotted into the role that had been occupied by Olamide Zaccheaus. Reed was the target on the swings and screens at the line of scrimmage intended to get him the ball in space.
He didn’t do all that much with those plays, unfortunately, gaining 34 yards on his seven catches, on 11 targets.
Hasise Dubois had a touchdown catch among his four receptions, but also had catches of three and four yards, and fumbled one ball out of bounds as he was trying to stretch the ball for a first down.
Terrell Chatman was targeted five times, but had just one catch, a nice 33-yarder in traffic outstretching two Pitt defenders.
Offensive line: I’m going to be mean here, and go, B-.
Pitt was credited with three sacks and six quarterback hurries, and did a nice job keeping the Virginia ground game in check.
The ‘Hoos had 129 yards rushing on 33 attempts, but it felt like the run game was bottled up most of the night.
B- is not nice, considering, I know.
Defensive front seven: Solid B+ here.
And I’d go solid A if not for the burp that was the second quarter.
The 59-yard pass down the sideline on the first play of the second quarter seemed to affect Virginia defensively the rest of that 15 minutes.
Pitt went tempo, and too many times the front seven was out of position at the snap, looking to the sidelines for play calls, on its heels.
That got fixed up nicely in the second half, and Pitt wasn’t able to go tempo at all, even on its one good drive, the one resulting in the missed 50-yard field-goal try.
I want to give the front seven an A. For three quarters, it was borderline A+.
Secondary: A, just short of A+.
Maurice Ffrench had six catches on 11 targets for 54 yards. That’s just about all you need to know in terms of the job the secondary did Saturday night.
Pitt threw for 185 yards, but 59 came on that aforementioned wheel-route pass to a back on a play that was just a nice call by offensive coordinator Mark Whipple that was well-executed by Kenny Pickett.
The wideouts had a grand total of four receptions of 10 yards or more.
Stifled.
Solid A.
Special teams: A, again, just short of A+.
A blocked punt set up a first quarter touchdown. Brian Delaney connected on three field goals – 39 yards, 36 yards and 45 yards, though he did miss once, from 40.
(That miss is why I’m not giving the unit an A+, incidentally. Life isn’t fair, I know.)
Nash Griffin, in his first collegiate game, averaged 45.5 yards per punt, and dropped three of his four punts inside the Pitt 20.
It was Griffin’s issues on the hold on the 40-yard kick that led to the miss.
Ahem.
Joe Reed averaged 24 yards on kick returns. Chuck Davis had a 12-yard punt return, and no issues on fair catches, not letting balls get over his head to get pinned down, not having a ball in front of him hit an up-man.
Good job all around.
Column by Chris Graham
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