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

[moose141]

HALL TO MISS REST OF SEASON
Vertebrae injury sustained late in ACC championship takes out Pitt star
Report by Matt Schmidlin | December 12, 2018



The Pitt Panthers injury report was much shorter this week than it has been for most of the season, with just one name on the list. However, with that one name the list probably felt longer than it has all season.

Senior halfback Darrin Hall, who left the ACC Championship victory over Clemson late on the Panthers' final touchdown drive, was diagnosed with a fractured vertebrae and is ruled out for the remainder of the season, whether that be one or two College Football Playoff matchups.

"It's heartbreaking, really," Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi said. "For this football team, of course, but moreso for Darrin. That kid has worked his tail off and been an integral part to our success, so for him to not have the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage is devastating."

Thankfully for the Hall, the injury is minor as far as spinal injuries are concerned, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Hall should be able to attempt to resume playing football in the future, with his sights set on the National Football League. That said, the Panthers will certainly miss the Youngstown native as they try and knock off undefeated Washington in the Orange Bowl to make the College Football Playoff championship game.

Hall really came alive this season, racking up 1271 yards on the ground and 12 touchdowns, after compiling just 985 yards and 8 touchdowns in his first three years on campus. His stellar performance has formed a dynamic 1-2 punch with fellow senior Qadree Ollison, who has been the steady bruiser while Hall offers a shifty quality and great burst upfield. Ollison has added 1195 yards rushing himself as the Panthers field the nation's fifth-ranked rushing attack at 254 yards per game.

"Losing [Darrin] is a huge hit to our team, not just on the field but emotionally as well," Ollison said. "He's a great player and a great friend, and we're going to finish this season out for him and hopefully bring him back a championship."

[moose141]

PSA: I added a YouTube video that I just posted yesterday into the CFP Reveal article above, so you guys can feel free to watch that if you want. It's only 6-7 minutes long, but figured I would share that.

Life ended up being really busy the last two weeks, so we've had a little bit of a layoff, but I guess that's just like real life bowl week! I will be working this weekend on the next article which should be a playoff preview and then hopefully we can get the playoff underway!

As some of you that check out the regular NCAA forum may have seen, I ran into a bit of a snafu when editing in the playoff with LSU, but I got that all squared away and we will be good to go from here!

[moose141]

Third Time's the Charm | CFB Awards
Report by Matt Schmidlin | December 14, 2018



Lamar Jackson proved that the third time was the charm in his senior campaign. After finishing in the Top 5 in Heisman voting in both 2016 and 2017 (including 2nd last season), the Louisville senior signal caller finally was able to strike the Heisman pose last night. Jackson sealed the Heisman over runner-up Derrius Guice of LSU, capping a fantastic regular season where he compiled 41 total touchdowns and over 4100 yards of total offense.

Quarterbacks dominated the awards landscape, with 3 different QBs hauling in NCAA outstanding player hardware. Jackson raked in the most prestigious, but Middle Tennessee State's Brent Stockstill won the Maxwell Award and Cincinnati's Hayden Moore took home the Walter Camp Award. Stockstill also won the Davey O'Brien Award given to the top quarterback in college football.

For Pitt, their lack of award recognition signaled their overall team effort this season to achieve their first ACC championship while having little to no recognition on a national scale. Senior guard Alex Bookser finished in the Top 10 for the Lombardi Trophy given to college football's top offensive lineman, while junior cornerback Damar Hamlin finished sixth in voting for college football's top defensive back and in the top 10 for the Bednarik as college football's top defensive player. Sophomore Shaun Wolfgang did also finish in the top 10 in voting for all awards that included defensive lineman, as he finished the regular season as the national leader with 15 sacks.

For a full recap of all awards, check out the video embedded in the above story.

Up Next: Previewing the College Football Playoff semifinals

[moose141]

ORANGE BOWL PREVIEW
Panthers, Huskies Faceoff in College Football Playoff Semifinal
Report by Matt Schmidlin | December 27, 2018

Browning, Gaskin Lead Spectacular Huskies Backfield

After shutting down Kelly Bryant in the ACC Championship game, the Pitt Panthers have an even tougher task on order in the Orange Bowl, one of the two College Football Playoff semifinal matchups. Facing the Washington Huskies, the Panthers will be tasked with stopping seniors Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin, who have guided the Huskies to 34 wins over the past three seasons.

"They have a ton of experience, there's no doubt about that," Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi said. "Browning is a guy who just doesn't get rattled, doesn't make mistakes. And having a safety valve in Gaskin is a guy you have to have eyes on every single play."

Both Huskies were in and out of the Heisman races multiple times over the past two years. In this campaign Browning heads into bowl season with 38 passing touchdowns against 9 interceptions, leading a Huskies offense that ranks first in total offense and third in points per game. Gaskin has been a huge piece of that attack, rushing for 1564 yards and 15 scores while adding 37 receptions and a pair of scores.

"Those are the key guys, no doubt," Narduzzi said. "But we can't look past anyone in this lineup. These guys have been so successful because they have so many options. It's going to be a task that our guys have to be up for on every single play."

The Huskies have six different players with 30 or more receptions on the season, including the aforementioned Gaskin. Chico McClatcher leads the way with 63 catches and 11 touchdowns as the possession styled receiver, while Quinton Pounds has added 51 catches and 8 scores as the big play threat averaging 18.6 yards per catch. Drew Sample (44) and Erik Holland (30) have each made significant contributions from the Tight End position as well.

"Hey, if we can hold Clemson to 156 yards in the ACC Championship, do you think I don't have unlimited faith in our guys to do the exact same thing to Washington?" Narduzzi said. "We'll be ready."

All Time Series: Pitt, 4-1
Last Matchup (1979): Pitt 26, Washington 14
Last Bowl Matchup (1937 Rose Bowl): Pitt 21, Washington 0

Ollison Ready to Handle Workload

With Darrin Hall sidelined for the rest of the season due to injury, the Panthers' dynamic duo of halfbacks has been reduced to a single star. Qadree Ollison doesn't seem to mind the added pressure.

"I've been working my whole career to have this opportunity," Ollison said. "I'm not gonna shy away from a couple more carries."

Ollison, who has ran for 1195 yards on the season, will shoulder the majority of the workload in the contest. He is expected to be spelled by freshman CJ London, who has gotten spot work this season and has racked up 143 yards on 31 carries.

"We're just here to find the holes, no matter if it's me, CJ, or Darrin back there," Ollison said. "We have all the faith in the world in the big guys up front to do their job and open up lanes. We just have to do our job and hit the holes when they're there."

The Panthers will have their work cut out for them, going up against a Washington defense that ranks third nationally against the run and second overall.

#FridayReveal: #PittRetro will make playoff appearance in road whites

The Panthers will wear their white retro uniforms in the Orange Bowl, hoping to spark memories of the Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino-led teams of old as they look to have a chance to win their first national championship since 1976. Pitt wore their royal blue home throwback uniforms in the ACC Championship victory over Clemson and don't look to be switching back to the navy and gold anytime soon. The Panthers previously wore their white retros in their upset victory over Notre Dame in South Bend, which is the Fighting Irish's only loss this season.

Washington is expected to counter with their classic home uniform of gold helmets, purple jerseys, and gold pants.

Key Matchup: Youngsters on Special Teams

Both teams field youngsters at the kicking positions, and in games with such large stakes, individual moments in the kicking game can be magnified incredibly. The Panthers' sophomore kicker Jay Bump has been stellar, making 18-20 field goals, but he doesn't have the strongest leg (long of 46) and will put the Panthers in awkward spots around the 30-35 yard line. Washington's Rocky Harrell has been much more inconsistent, with the freshman making 13-18 attempts while sporting a solid long of 49 yards. Both punters are freshmen as well and sported similar campaigns, with Pitt's Eric Fox putting up a 40.3 yard average against Washington's Andrew Austin and his 40.1 yards per boot.

Bump has already made a game winner in his career with a walkoff kick in a 31-28 win over Boston College last season, and when all things are said and done on of these kickers may have to prove they have ice in their veins to send their squad to the national championship.

What to Expect on the Field This Saturday



Who do you think will be playing for the national championship: Pitt or Washington?

[thesportsguru11]

Well since you asked!....

Pitt............

Spoiler

But really I think Washington will win.

They're have few (or no) weaknesses as far as I can tell. Sorry

[moose141]

Quote: Originally Posted by thesportsguru11

Well since you asked!.... Pitt............ Spoiler But really I think Washington will win. They're have few (or no) weaknesses as far as I can tell. Sorry

It's true haha. We somehow took care of business against some teams that we probably had no right to against this season (Clemson and Notre Dame mainly), so it will be a lot to ask for our luck to not run out against Washington.

[moose141]

CFP SEMIFINAL PREVIEWS
Pitt Panthers Football Network previews Pitt-UW and OU-LSU
Report by Matt Schmidlin | December 28, 2018

Host Moose of the Pitt Panthers Football Network takes a look at the upcoming College Football Playoff matchups that pit Pitt against Washington in the Orange Bowl and LSU against Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. The winners will face off in the College Football Playoff National Championship.

For an in-depth written look at the Pitt-Washington matchup, check out the most recent post here: Orange Bowl Preview



Up Next: Coverage of the Orange Bowl where your Pitt Panthers take on the undefeated and top-ranked Washington Huskies!

[young22]

Wow I come back here for the first time in months and Pitt is in the CFP...

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