Pitt spent most of its season trying to play at a fast, "High Octane" offensive pace under former coach Todd Graham. The Panthers acheived mixed results, finishing ranked No. 69 in points per game with 25.8 and limping to a 6-6 finish. With interim head coach Keith Patterson and interim offensive coordinator Todd Dodge in charge, though, Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports Pitt might sport a different look on the offensive side of the ball.
Both said they'd like to possess the ball and play ball control and they will look to run time off the play clock before snapping the ball. They will still be no-huddle but they will not try to snap it every 18 to 19 seconds. Patterson said the reason for this is he believes the strength of the team is the defense and he wants to keep the defense fresh and he's not afraid to play some field position.
Certainly interesting coming from a pair of guys who spent the season coaching in Graham's system. Graham has frequently been criticized for not coaching the team to its strengths, and this would appear to be an acknowledgement that the team may not have been quite suited for the "High Octane" routine it was pushed into by Graham.
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