This will be a long one.

Okay, I’ve wasted enough time. I’ve put it off long enough. The wife and daughter are out of the house so I can vent without offending. I’ve got some rum courage going via the Glenfiddich, and to use the most annoying phrase of 2003, it’s time to “Cowboy up” like in Boston — the new west.

Pregame
I don’t care much for omens and portents, but I suppose I should have started to worry when the “Check Engine” light on my Explorer came on halfway between Cleveland and Pittsburgh.

A big extended tailgate with the 6pm start. We got to our lot near 2pm and walked over to another lot to tailgate with some others. A big, special game; some bigger fun. They were even selling t-shirts that included the phrase “In Rod We Trust,” in reference to Pitt QB, Rod Rutherford. This lot was much louder, dustier and more crowded than our usual — who knew we were in the sedentary lot — still it was a change.

The next bad sign came around 4 pm. Plugged into my walkman so I could listen to the Yankees-Red Sox Game 3 playoff. Instead, the ESPN Radio station was carrying the goddamned Penn State-Purdue game. Are you freakin’ kidding me? Clemens vs. Martinez at Fenway, and I can’t even hear the game. Then it turns out to be the wildest thing so far. Damn. Well, at least the Yankees won.

The Game
Going into the game, I said that ND had a pretty good defense. Like everyone else, though, I figured their offense would be no where to be found — a true freshman making only his second start at QB, and a running game that hasn’t existed all year long. Well, ND quickly established that they couldn’t pass, but surprisingly, they could run. And did they ever.

[Julius] Jones averaged 10.9 yards per carry – including runs of 25, 39, 49 and 61 yards – and became the first Notre Dame running back to rush for over 200 yards in a game since Reggie Brooks did it twice in 1992.
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As a team, the Irish ran for 352 yards, including 49 yards on the final drive of the game.

Notre Dame actually stalled on their first possession because they tried to pass as was expected, but Pitt immediately helped by fumbling the punt in an incredible brainlock. The punt was not particularly strong and was drifting towards the ND sideline near the 31. For some reason, rather than let it bounce out of bounds as it would have, William “Tutu” Ferguson signaled for a fair catch — and let it bounce straight off his chest into the arms of a ND player who promptly fell on it. ND scored a touchdown off of that turnover.

Pitt did respond, late in the 1st quarter, with the favored Rutherford to Fitzgerald connection; so it was still only a 7-7 game. Not too worried yet. Sure Pitt hasn’t been able to run the ball, there seems to be a lot of pressure on Rutherford, and the receivers are dropping some passes, but it just means that Pitt got off to a slow start after a bye week; and will shake loose now that they scored.

In fact, after the start of the 2nd quarter, Ferguson redeems himself somewhat, with a 71 yard punt return to the 4 yard line — I don’t think they kicked to Ferguson after that. Rutherford to Fitzgerald for another score. Now it’s 14-7 Pitt. Feeling a little better.

But the offense is still sputtering. Princell Brockenbrough, the other WR for Pitt keeps dropping passes. Running Back, Jawan Walker (filling in for the still injured Miree) is not getting much yardage, and the offensive line is giving Rutherford no time to throw.

ND gets the ball, and is all but abandoning the pass. With good reason. Brady Quinn is horrible. He finished 5-17 with an interception. Not that he needed to do much. Notre Dame suddenly has a running game, and Jones breaks off a 49 yarder to tie the game at 14.

Notre Dame is having its way with both the offensive and defensive lines of Pitt. We are getting edgy and angry in our seats. Pitt is missing tackles, leading to this observation in an exchange between Lee and I as the second quarter winds down.

Lee: He [Jones] is running right through us.

Me: We’re just trying to hit him, not actually tackle.

Lee: That’s all on the coaching. Fundamentals.

Me: It’s like Harris can coach talent, but he can’t teach.

Lee: FIRE HARRIS!

Still, despite how bad Pitt has continued to play, it’s a tie game. The Kicker, Abdul, usually very good even missed a 38 yarder. Then, with under a minute to go, and Pitt has the ball inside Notre Dame’s 20, Harris elects to call for 3 straight pass plays. Incomplete, incomplete (there was a drop on won of those), then a sack and fumble of Rutherford. ND has the ball on the 9 yard line. Somehow the Pitt D actually holds ND to a field goal.

Pitt runs off the field to a chorus of boos at the half.

Pretty good halftime, though. Honored a former Pitt great, and new college football hall of fame inductee, Jimbo Covert; and presented Big East Championship rings to the 2002-2003 basketball team.

The 3rd quarter. Against Texas A&M, Pitt was down by 4 at the half, but came roaring out. Harris actually made halftime adjustments. Surely he’d do it again. Something, anything to give Rutherford time; and maybe, just maybe, remind the defense about tackling rather than hitting.

Uh, no.

The defense knew what was coming, but still could not stop the run. ND wasn’t even hiding it, and the Pitt players knew it.

“They just kept coming at us with the same four running plays they used all game,” [Pitt defensive tackle Vince] Crochunis said. “We couldn’t stop it.”

Crochunis claimed that Jones was just too fast for them to get their arms around him to tackle. B***s**t. I watched the game, I’ve suffered the lowlights. They weren’t trying to tackle. They were trying to hit.

Pitt managed to burn all 3 of their time outs in the 3rd quarter because they couldn’t get the plays in. Even if Rutherford tried to take the blame, That goes straight on the coach.

“The lack of timeouts is all on me,” Harris said. “It’s difficult to call plays when you’re not sure what will work. I will continue to try to improve.”

Harris added that on two of the timeouts the play came in late, and he blamed himself.

That’s fine, we blame you too. The problem is, Harris isn’t a rookie coach. He’s been at Pitt since 1997. Now is not the time for looking to improve that. It shouldn’t be an issue any longer. And how about admitting he no longer knew what would work, but he will try to improve? Say what? I’m just stupified.

A little later in the 3rd quarter, despite ND continually shoving the Pitt lines about, they could only manage another field goal to go up 20-14. As an aside, let me say that as bad as Pitt played — and they stunk up the joint. ND is really bad. To have only managed 20 points in that game is amazing (I concede that they could have added a garbage score at the end when they just held the ball for the final 9 minutes of the game, and I respect the hell of Tyrone Willingham — even more than before — for not; but they really blew some chances to end the game in the 3rd quarter).

Rutherford looked worse in the second half. In the first half, he was shaken by the rushing and blitzing, but especially by drops from many of his receivers. Even Fitzgerald dropped a couple. Fitzgerald was shut out in the second half. Inconceivable! The effect of being sacked 8 times and no time to pass, led to a lot of bad passes in the second half. Most behind the receivers. I’m willing to ascribe part of this to Rutherford not having confidence in the receivers, and trying to be too perfect with the pass.

As I said, the 4th quarter, despite being absolutely abysmal, Pitt was only a score from leading the game (shades of Boston College from last year?). Fan mood was getting down, even in what had been a very raucous student section

The end of the game and beginning of complete disgust for the fans in the stands came at the end of the 3rd quarter (Pittsburgh at 00:53) (yet I find no mention in the various accounts of the game). Pitt got a quick first down and was near midfield. Then two incompletions. On a 3rd and 10, Rutherford rolls out to the left (Notre Dame side) and runs for the first down down the line. Finally! Rutherford has speed, and he’s been staying in the pocket (such as it was) all day. Fans are standing in anticipation.

Then, as he nears the marker in front of him, he sees a defensive player coming at him.

Rutherford never shies away from contact before. He’s big, tough and strong — 6′ 3″, 225 pounds. We expect him to lower the shoulder and plow ahead for the first down. The stadium anticipates this. The fans were juiced, and I believe momentum would have swung.

Instead, he straightens up and cuts out of bounds 2 yards short.

Stunned disbelief. Dismay. Disgust. Anger. All of this moved quickly through the stands. There was no way he didn’t know where the first down marker was. It was directly in front of him. He chose to avoid the contact. Rod gave up on the play. It is safe to say, that was when the fans gave up. They showed the replay on the jumbotron, and there was no doubt. A blistering chorus of boos rained down on the field. People started moving to the exits.

That was really the end of the game. There was no faith left.

Post-Mortem
Too bummed and angry to drink.

We just sat in the lot looking at each other for a while, waiting for the traffic to die down.

Later an incident on the South Side.

Post-Game Analysis
This piece, effectively sums it up.

Offensive line/running game — The Panthers’ running game has been almost nonexistent, except for one half against Texas A&M. Brandon Miree might have helped against the Irish, but the way the line was dominated it probably didn’t matter. Sophomore tailback Jawan Walker was hit 2, 3 yards behind the line almost every play. And Rutherford was sacked eight times and was forced out of the pocket on countless others. This is a problem that might not be easy to fix because the five starting offensive linemen are likely the best five the team can put out there..

Defensive line — Defensive end Claude Harriott was billed as an All-American candidate, but he has yet to resemble one. He played hurt against the Irish, but even before that he had only one sack in four games against pedestrian competition. But he isn’t getting much help as opposite end Thomas Smith hasn’t made many plays, either, although he was fairly active Saturday. And while the tackles are serviceable, they were handled by the offensive lines of their previous three foes. The Panthers need to impose their will physically up front on defense.

Tackling — This is a problem that just won’t go away. Notre Dame’s Julius Jones ran for a school-record 262 yards against Pitt and many of those came after he was initially hit. On his 49-yard touchdown run, he was stopped for about a 2-yard gain, but shed two tacklers and sprinted to the end zone..

David Abdul — At one point last season, he was nearly automatic on field goals. But he has made only 4 of 8 attempts this season and has missed an extra point as well. His two misses against the Irish were crucial as one would have given Pitt a lead and the other would have tied the score. Pitt needs to be able to score points when teams take away its big plays and Harris needs to have confidence in Abdul from beyond 40 yards.

Coaching — On game day, the Panthers have looked confused and that has led to mental mistakes, poor use of timeouts and an endless string of delay of game and procedure penalties. And the defense’s problems have been blamed on poor alignment before the snap.

Suddenly this looks like a bad year. Pitt fell out of the top 25 (deservedly), and will not easily be let back.

Coach Harris may be an “offensive genius,” a “quarterback guru,” and a very good recruiter; but he is not looking like much of a gameday coach. There has continued to be inconsistency, unfocused play, and unpreparedness in big games. He can win the easy ones, and will even surprise with a couple when not expected, but when Pitt is expected to prevail in a tough game — he flops.

Other
Boston College accepted the bid to join the ACC. I can’t blame them.

I can rail at this, and only hope it has as much wiggle room as I want to read into it.

The University of Pittsburgh remains committed to the Big East Conference despite the loss of a third school to the Atlantic Coast Conference.
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Even before Boston College’s decision, there were rumors that Pitt might be interested in leaving a weakened Big East, perhaps to join the 11-member Big Ten. But athletic director Jeff Long said Monday that there are no signs the Big Ten has any plans to expand.
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Upset with Boston College’s abrupt decision to rescind its months-old commitment to the Big East, Long issued a strongly worded statement. Boston College expected an ACC invitation in June, only to be voted down by conference members.

“We are disappointed with the ACC’s continued attack on the Big East Conference and in Boston College’s decision to turn its back on its fellow members of the Big East,” Long said. “This is especially disappointing given the fact that Boston College had repledged its loyalty to the conference just a short time ago. Given this pledge, and the very public and very embarrassing rejection they received earlier from the ACC, it is somewhat surprising they have decided to depart.”

Here’s Long’s full statement on BC.

I am very disturbed that Pitt seems to be leading the charge to keep the Big East intact. We must get out at the first chance.