If you're Holtz, when do you start game planning Pitt

[SRQ]

with the players?  Obviously the coaches will be working it over the next couple weeks, but does Skip take advantage of the soft opponents to get work in early considering the short week and risk let downs against FAMU/UTEP?

[BDYZR]

Kinda already has, running hurry-ups in Vero to get the D ready for the change in pace from the earlier games.

[Dogma]

with the players?  Obviously the coaches will be working it over the next couple weeks, but does Skip take advantage of the soft opponents to get work in early considering the short week and risk let downs against FAMU/UTEP?

I beleive it started in Spring

These early games provide a time to refine them... and the ND win providing confidence

[Mama_Bull]

Kinda already has, running hurry-ups in Vero to get the D ready for the change in pace from the earlier games.

Yep, we were doing that even before Vero to get ready for Pitt. Although that was done more for defensive purposes, I think we could see a much quicker run tempo on offense against Ball State.

[IncrediBULL]

I am sure he is telling the players about the "game to game, week to week" concept.

However, I can imagine he is adding in some wrinkles the next two weeks of practices as well as in game time situations that will be used starting in the BE run.  Why break out anything new/interesting in UTEP or FAMU when you really just need to play hard and clean.  Conservative is okay for the next two weeks, no mistakes, no costly turnovers, and get some depth into the game if possible.  Lets hope our opponents let us do that.

If we are ahead by at least 3 possessions/drives going into second half, no starters should be in there risking injury.

Then we will be ready for Pitt.

[Apis Bull]

with the players?  Obviously the coaches will be working it over the next couple weeks, but does Skip take advantage of the soft opponents to get work in early considering the short week and risk let downs against FAMU/UTEP?

September 25th

[slowdown]

I wouldn't focus on Pitt too much until the 25th.  They built this team with the Big East in mind and IMO the final touches aren't about X's and O's.  More than anything we need to challenge our  OL and stay healthy.  Against FAMU we may open it up a bit to get a final feel for what we can execute offensively before really stressing execution going into the UTEP game and Big East play.  Holtz and Snyder have experience against TG at Tulsa as well as Houston's wide open offense.  We are likely going to do the same thing we've done against ND and Cinci.  Make a passing offense stretch 14 or 15 offensive plays together without a mistake and then convert on the short field. Offensively, I'll just say Pitt's defense ain't looking too tough.

We also don't need to worry too much about Pitt having more time to gameplan than us.  They are getting pissed off Iowa and ND teams between now and then. 

[E.T.]

AFTER UTEP !

[Jihme]

uhhh you start at the beginning of camp!  he can gameplan while still maintaining focus on the current team.  why can he do that?  because he's a great coach.

look at how much we ran up-tempo stuff all camp in preparation for pitt (per articles we've all read), and yet we still come out firing on a "warm-up" team.  fantastic coaching job.  holtz is the real deal.

[DELdaBull]

uhhh you start at the beginning of camp!  he can gameplan while still maintaining focus on the current team.  why can he do that?  because he's a great coach.

look at how much we ran up-tempo stuff all camp in preparation for pitt (per articles we've all read), and yet we still come out firing on a "warm-up" team.  fantastic coaching job.  holtz is the real deal.

I like the way you think