The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Pittsburgh Edition

What can you say after tonight?

No way a team with UM's talent has any business losing at home to Pitt.  No disrespect intended.

The Hurricanes are on their way to a mediocre and meaningless bowl game, and riding a a 3 game losing streak.

Thank goodness for Hoops?!

The Good:

• Hard not to like this group of seniors, including DP, amongst a classy group. Too bad they never had a break out season.
  

Last Canes Walk for Denzel Perryman, who stopped to see 1-year-old daughter Ella Grace. pic.twitter.com/amHrXaz0MJ

— Matt Porter (@mattyports) November 29, 2014

• Had to look far and wide early for a "good"......Walford was later injured and left the game with his knee wrapped, so even when things go good they sometimes go bad.
  

Clive Walford doing Clive Walford things. Good to see on a night when Miami looks brutal early.

— Christy Chirinos (@ChristyChirinos) November 30, 2014

• Brad Kaaya to Phillip Dorsett for 51!  Gave the 'Canes life

#Miami’s Brad Kaaya has 21 completions of 30+ yards this year. Only 5 Power 5 QBs have more but none w/higher % of passes.

— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) November 30, 2014

• Congrats to arguably the best RB in Miami history!

Duke Johnson passes Ottis Anderson (3,331) to become the all-time leading rusher in Miami Hurricanes history.

— Matt Porter (@mattyports) November 30, 2014

Now Duke Johnson just made a heck of a play for a touchdown! 17 yard reception from Kaaya to make it 21-20 early in the 3rd quarter! #TheQ

— 560 Q-AM (@560WQAM) November 30, 2014

The Bad:

• Tough break for UM,  kid was playing lights out.

According to @Manny_Navarro, who was listening to pregame show on the radio, Canes freshman OG Nick Linder won't play tonight due to injury.

— Matt Porter (@mattyports) November 29, 2014

• Busted coverage and missed tackle = 39 yard pass play to hobbled James Conner. 1 play later easy TD run.   Not just that but he gets in the Pitt record book breaking Tony Dorsett's single-season TD record with his 23rd rushing TD of the season before Duke gets in the UM annals.  UGH!

• And things just got worse from there.....

Pitt scoring drives: 60, 82 and 70 yards. Up 21-10 on Miami, 7:14 left in the half.

— Matt Porter (@mattyports) November 30, 2014

• No pass rush whatsoever, offensive line play was terrible, special teams were a bad as ever, and so on and so on and so on.........
  

The Ugly:

• Sparse crowd on Senior Night,  but hey 6-5 team, etc etc...

• Sigh........

Miami leads in fouls originally called on the opposition but later pulled off the field.

— StantonSMASH (@StantonSMASH) November 30, 2014

• Giving up yards is one thing, but when the other team just lines up and runs it down your throat, it is emasculating.

• Penalties, penalties, penalties....
  

Team Grades:

Offense - How lenient should we grade the O considering the O line was pretty decimated?   Well one of the players who came back from injury, Ereck Flowers, committed two costly first half false starts (and a 2nd half hold that was declined). Not many holes for Johnson,  too much pressure on Kaaya.

Defense - Jamal Carter is a flag magnet......

And how do you explain this?

James Conner, who was hurt and questionable for the game, has 75 yards on his first 4 touches. #PITTvsMIAMI

— ESPN ACC (@ESPN_ACC) November 30, 2014

Another awful night for Coach D'Onofrio's unit.

Special Teams - Corn Elder can sure cover kicks.  Besides that, not much else nice to say. Stacy Coley has lost his mojo.  Kick coverage was shabby again.

Coaching - What an up and (mostly) down year for the staff. They still have a bowl game left to prepare for.  After last season's debacle Vs Louisville in the Russell Athletic Bowl, consider it another proving ground.  A lot of fans feel like there is no way to salvage things for this staff.  Tonight did little to change that perspective.