What a game! Probably the best game I’ve ever seen at Heinz Field. I came within 1 point of calling the exact score. While I didn’t expect Pitt to win the game the way they did, I was certain this would not be a blowout either way. I meant to get this out yesterday, but just didn’t have time
The box score shows a very close game, with Pitt surprisingly holding a 5 minute edge in time of possession. Neither team had time consuming drives. Pitt had one drive that lasted 5+ minutes (but resulted in a punt) while the longest drive from VT was just over 4 minutes. Other wise the box score is very even. Tech dominated on running, while Pitt was huge with the pass.
The refs kept their whistles in their pockets. A total of 4 penalties for the entire game, and no pass interference calls. I mention this, in part, because the guys at TechSideLine seemed to hint at being jobbed that there was no call on a 4th down passing play in the 4th quarter; and because there could be a legitimate argument that Kris Wilson was interfered with by Mikal Baaqee at the end of the half, when he had a ball bounce off his chest in the endzone (that was one of the best interceptions I ever saw, though). Sorry, even the VT cover guys weren’t that good, and I know Pitt’s CB’s definitely weren’t. The refs decided to just let them play.
Pitt came out dressed in pure blue. Tops and pants. Lee, commented to me that Pitt looked like a high school team. He was right. Drop the single color scheme, guys. VT, though, wore their white jersey’s with maroon pants. The last time they wore that combo was at Pitt Stadium in 1997. Pitt won, 30-23. I don’t know when they will next break that scheme out, but I have to believe that if Pitt and VT meet in a bowl someday, it won’t be then.
Kevin Jones was amazing. Hopefully that will be the last RB named Jones that Pitt encounters for a quite a while.
Kris Wilson had a statistically great game, but if Pitt had lost, he stood to be the biggest goat. Not only did the one interception occur because it bounced off his chest in the endzone — which would have helped Pitt to a 10 point halftime lead, rather than the 3 point — he fumbled after making a great catch deep over the middle for 33 yards early in the 4th quarter. That killed a drive where Pitt appeared to be immediately responding to VT’s touchdown that gave the Hokies their first lead since midway through the 2nd quarter.
So, in an up and down season for Pitt, it is going up right now.
As of Sunday, there wasn’t much in the way of talking by either side about the game. The only backhand insult in print came from VT Center, Grove
“I said at the beginning of the week, the most physical team was going to win this game, and I don’t think that proved true,” Tech center Jake Grove said. “But that’s the way it works. They played better at the end than we did.”
Pitt scored at the end, leaving less than a minute in the game, when Marcus Vick — and by the way, I agree with Lee, we were amazed by how good a passer he looked; I don’t see how Randall starts again — airmailed one right into the Pitt defense. The coaching decision people will ask Beamer will be his use of timeouts at the end of the game. Pitt marched right down the field and it was clear that they were going to score with less than 2 minutes left and 1st and goal at the 4 yard line. Yet Beamer never used his time outs. Pitt scored and VT got the ball back with only 42 seconds left.
Beamer admitted he made a mistake, but didn’t explain it.
“Before the third-down play I should have called a timeout to save the clock,” said Tech coach Frank Beamer, who did not say why he didn’t call for the clock to be stopped.
After the interception, VT didn’t even try to stop the clock.
What made this game amazing, is that Pitt won this game despite not playing a perfect game. Pitt had some key turnovers and missed opportunities, as did VT. The point is, Pitt was still able to win the game. There was no second guessing. We saw the team do everything right in the final drive — including Rutherford running 12 yards for a first down, and lowering his shoulder to make sure. Lee and I turned to each other at the same time and said, “He lowered the shoulder to get it!”
I don’t say this often, but there was an excellent column in the Post-Gazette from Smizik that summed up and captured the feel of the game. It said virtually everything we were saying to each other back in the parking lot after the game.
