When there are no pro teams in a state, there tends to be a lot of focus on the college teams, if they are any good. West Virginia media has plenty on their Hoopies.

First, from the student paper, a column that includes thanks for the night game.

That is why I am glad the University decided to move this game to a late start, because now the game means so much more, particularly to the students.

After all that happened in the aftermath of Virginia Tech, I think it is great to give the students another chance.

After all, we are all young adults, and we should act and be treated as such.

Um, apparently he didn’t know who really pushed for the night game. Nor does he seem aware of how WVU really feels.

Regarding the decision last week by the network to move the game from noon to 7 p.m., Athletic Director Ed Pastilong said, “It is an honor and a privilege for our Mountaineer football team to be showcased on national television. They have worked hard to earn this prestigious opportunity. With that said, however, we did discuss with ESPN and the conference options for different start times for the game, but in the end, the network invoked its contractual right to televise the game in prime time.“

Emphasis added.

The press release details the increased security precautions taken for the game and the alumni association paid to install hinged goal posts. Expect more stories about extra security taken in Mountaineer stadium and around Morgantown in general in the coming days.

On the injury front, starting senior defensive end Fred Blueford is done for the season with a knee injury.

That sign with the date 11-15-03? According to this AP report, it’s been in Pitt’s weight room all season long. The article echoes a point John made yesterday — the game has always meant more to WVU than Pitt.

The Dominion Post lists its 5 greatest Hoopie victories over Pitt. Pat, you’re our resident historic Pitt expert. Counterpoint?

“Paranoia in Hoopie Land” could be the alternate title to this column on how WVU could get jobbed out of the bowl picture this year. Apparently, there’s some lingering bitterness over ending up at the Continental Tire Bowl. Of course, the writer of this piece shows no real intelligence since he couldn’t even read a box score. In his “game analysis” he refers back to the VT-Pitt game scores

f nothing else, both coaches know the dangers involved in not facing up to the other’s offensive strength. For West Virginia, that means trying to contain Fitzgerald, Pitt’s Heisman Trophy candidate at wideout.

“There’s two trains of thought. You can let him get his and control everybody else or you can say, ‘We’re not going to let one great player beat us. Let’s make the other ones beat us,’ ” West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said. “The problem with Pitt is that they have a lot of other guys who can catch the ball and get open. And I think people are finding that out.”

Those other guys, though, didn’t necessarily hurt Virginia Tech last week. Yes, Princell Brockenbrough and tight end Kris Wilson caught some passes and the Pitt running game did some damage. But Tech still led 24-14 in the second half and 24-21 with under four minutes to play.

Emphasis added. Uh, no. Pitt led by those scores. VT took a 28-24 lead, which led to a 31-28 Pitt victory. I don’t think his analysis should be relied upon by Mountaineer fans — especially considering treceiverse two receiers from Pitt he refers to as catching “some passes” combined for 11 catches, 171 yards and a touchdown.

Meanwhile the coverage of Walt Harris’ press conference was excerpted and shows that Harris is gung-ho for the game.

But Harris said, “Our focus is on what we have to do to get better for West Virginia. They’re going to be a formidable challenge.

“That’s all we’re concerned about right now. We’re not concerned about destiny or anything like that.

“If we struggle down there, it will be because of the quality of the opponent – not because we’re still thinking about having beaten Virginia Tech or that West Virginia won’t show up.

“This is the Backyard Brawl. It’s an all-time rivalry for this university.”

As far as game analysis goes, it’s early but there is plenty of focus on Pitt WR, Larry Fitzgerald. Another cocky corner is ready.

Larry Fitzgerald vs. Adam “Pac-Man” Jones.

Pay-per-view worthy.

Or maybe Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh’s sophomore wideout and leading Heisman Trophy candidate, and Jones, WVU’s sophomore cornerback who fears no leading Heisman Trophy candidate, should be a separate bout placed in the 1920s. You know, the ones outside in Montana or Yankee Stadium. Dempsey, Tunney, Johnson, etc.
…
“I’m emotional, but I know how to control myself,” Jones said.

Like it or not, Jones is someone who has to be noticed. An exceptional talent, he sometimes is his worst enemy, on and off the field. He is serving probation for bar-brawl participation two summers ago.

On field, he takes more risks than a New River Gorge Bridge jumper. Any kick he handles could be a touchdown — for either team. Yet he returned an interception and a kickoff for touchdowns Saturday at Boston College. As he crossed the goal line on the kickoff, he raised his arms wide. Six points and extra running this week.

Now he faces Fitzgerald, an anti-Winslow in that he usually flips the ball to an official and even helps opponents off their cans after plays. A sticks-and-stones guy.

“I love playing against great competition,” Jones said. “I’d rather play against someone like Fitzgerald than a rinky-dink.”

We’ll see.

This piece considers that while Fitzgerald is major talent, he also allows for other parts of Pitt’s offense to beat a team. It notes, that the area where WVU’s defense has struggled has been against the Pass. Both teams offenses play to the defenses’ weaknesses. It should be wild.

Meanwhile here is the official Hoopie sports site. Coach Rich Rodriguez also has his own site.

It even has a page with photos of their cheerleaders, and the Mountaineer cheer, which features the always popular line:

Come on you old grads, join with us young lads.

I guess the sheep get a night off.

No word yet as to whether the WVU Alumni Association is offering its ancient moonshine bottle up as a prize again.

These were Lee’s thoughts on the “prize” last year:

I don’t even know where to begin with this one…

— A moonshine jug? Gee, that’s great. So much for West Virginia trying to live down its unfortunate national image.

— So is the “Backyard Brawl” now going to become known as the “Founders Jug Game?” And if so, what about a moonshine jug says anything about Pittsburgh?

— Now that we’re apparently playing for the “Founders Jug Trophy,” have we stooped to the level of the “Land Grant Trophy?” Does this mean that I can’t make fun of Penn State/Michigan State anymore?

If we won this game, I’d seriously give the jug back to WVU.

Just because the Big 11 has trophies for every game, doesn’t mean we need one. The game has enough meaning and history without trying to bootstrap a stupid trophy.

Here are the Game Notes (in PDF, both 36 pages) for the Pitt-WVU game from both sides.

Pitt

Hoopies

The Pitt game notes are just updated from the week before, so there isn’t much that is new. Just updated stats.

Looking at the WVU game notes, the things under Coach Rich Rodriguez that I noticed:

— The Mountaineers are 3-7 against ranked teams. Virginia Tech, twice; and Pitt.

— Hoopies are 5-3 in night games, and 2-0 at home.

— The only Big East losses by WVU in 2002 and 2003 have been to Miami.

I’ll get to the West Virginia media coverage later, but right now I’ve got way too many browser windows open that I will crash the computer.

First up, yet another reminder that this game is on at 7pm on ESPN2. Apparently the Big East and, especially, WVU fought like hell to keep the game as a 12 noon start, even if it meant limiting it to regional coverage. Why? Well basically, they are fearful of Morgantown burning — again. People hitting the bottle early, often and late into the evening. Ron Cook’s Post-Gazette column is the kind he loves to do, and the ones that make me wince: moral scold. You know the kind of drill. Sanctimonious, self-righteous, and condemning ESPN for daring to want to make a profit off one of the biggest games of the weekend. How dare they. How dare they actually assure those not living in Western PA or WV of actually being able to see the game (like me), rather than risk the vagaries of regional ABC telecasts — like say being stuck in Big 11 country where it inevitably is a key Indiana-Illinois match-up that is shown. How dare the game get national exposure — at a time when both programs and the Big East can surely need it. If the threat of riots would drive off a recruit, then Tom Izzo and Michigan St. wouldn’t be a perennial contender.

Anyways, it appears the big deal in the Pittsburgh media is Coach Walt Harris closing off all practices for the first time in his tenure. This year, Walt seems to be embracing the idea that this is a “big game” rather than “just another game.”

“It’s a real big game to us,” he said. “Our guys seem to focus better when there are not a lot of distractions. We tried to reduce the number of things we have to focus on (outside) as a staff for our players, and it seems like this is helpful. …. We have to keep our eye on the bull’s-eye.”

Somebody then asked Harris about the sign hanging in the locker room. The coach turned to media relations director E.J. Borghetti and asked how reporters could have seen it. Borghetti simply said, “through the window.”

“First of all, they’re our biggest rival,” Harris said, explaining the sign. “It’s an exciting game for both universities to play in the Backyard Brawl. This will be my seventh, and I have some vivid memories, of all-time highs and all-time lows. Last year, was an all-time low.”

Ah, the sign. Apparently it is simply a sign reading: 11-15-03.

Media lockout is the way some see it. Chuck Finder lays into Harris for this, in a somewhat amusing fashion. Finder, who doesn’t hide a strong distaste for Harris, thinks that Harris is risking making his players too tight by playing up its importance.

I have mixed feelings. I want this game to be played up. It is a big game. It is a rivalry game. It is for 1st place in the Big East. It would keep Pitt in the driver’s seat for the Big East BCS bid. That being said, I’m just not sure that closing off practices is that necessary. It seems like a useless gesture that pisses off the media needlessly, and forces the writers to look for other things that may cause a bigger distraction. Sportswriters, especially the beat writers, are already limited and probably a bit bored with the same routine. It’s not the smartest thing in the world to make them part of the opposition.

There’s a decent article talking about past Backyard Brawls — but you have to be able to stand excessive quoting of Beano Cook.

Pitt QB Rod Rutherford was named Big East offensive Player of the Week. RB Brandon Miree is likely to still be out for the game on Saturday. WVU’s stud running back, Quincy Wilson has been cleared to play after bruising a lung and spitting up blood in the win this past weekend over Boston College. WVU QB Rasheed Marshall has also been declared fully recovered from his concussion.

This looks to be a busy week for Pitt sports. The Backyard Brawl with the Hoopies on Saturday night (7pm ESPN2) down in Morgantown. Before that, though, Pitt basketball kicks off the regular season with a game against Alabama in Madison Square Garden in the “Coaches Versus Cancer Classic” on Friday night (7pm ESPN2). Still, one quick look back at the big win over VT.

I didn’t even mention how cool the lunar eclipse was that night. That was just an extra bonus.

Late in the 4th quarter, with VT still leading, and just before the Panthers big drive, some dumb-ass Hokie fan in a luxury box behind the student section (and near us) started shouting and running smack at the students. The entire student section turned and started giving it back. The nearby sections started getting into it, and it helped further fire up one of the most raucous Pitt crowds I’ve seen in 15 years. As soon as Pitt started driving and scored, the guy disappeared from the front of the box, and was not seen again. Here’s a couple free tips: (1) if you are in a luxury box, shut the hell up and don’t shout at the regular fans — you are already disliked even if you are for Pitt; (2) don’t start the smack, if you aren’t prepared to stand there and take it being thrown back at you — pure wussiness to hide in the back of the box after taunting those on the outside.

Anyways, the news from Hokie-land is mixed. Some are trying to spin blowing a chance to get back in the BCS as at least meaning VT will probably get a bid from the Gator Bowl as a consolation.

Mostly, though, there was annoyance at blowing their big chance.

In the press box, reporters were asking about the upcoming opponents for Southern Cal and Ohio State. The Buckeyes could lose to Purdue and Michigan, and Southern Cal might have problems with Oregon State.

Less than three weeks after Tech had been dismissed as a national championship contender, could it be that the the Hokies were back in the picture?

Not now.

Most teams don’t get one chance to win a national championship. This year, Tech had two and let both of them get away.

The big surprise, and what gave me my only feeling of dread as the game went on, was that the Hokies’ special teams hadn’t done anything big. Beamer Ball always shows up against Pitt, win or lose. Every punt, every kick, I worried — by the way, DeAngelo Hall is a hell of a punt returner, and has great hands; the way he could field punts cleanly on a bounce at full stride was impressive and terrifying as the opposing team’s fan — yet they never blocked a punt or took one back to the house.

There is still talk about VT going for it on 4th down and Pitt’s subsequent drive to win the game.

Facing a fourth-and-four with 4:16 left, Tech called a timeout and decided to go for a first down rather than try a 47-yard field-goal attempt or punt.

“We talked about it … if you punt, and Vinnie [Burns, Tech punter] had been a little shaky, you’d hope to get it inside the 20, and if you punt it to the end zone you gain 10 yards,” Beamer said. “We thought the risk of picking up a first down was better, and if we’re going to win the game that’s what we needed to do.”

The call was for quarterback Marcus Vick to pass the ball to fullback Doug Easlick in the flat. When seeing a defender close to Easlick, Vick lofted a high floating pass that was inches long for diving wideout Justin Hamilton at the 5-yard line.
…
It appeared that Pittsburgh defensive back William “Tutu” Ferguson may have gotten a piece of Hamilton’s left arm as the Tech receiver stretched out for the ball.

“Yeah, I saw it but the refs didn’t call it,” Vick said when asked if he thought Ferguson may have interfered on the play. “We don’t have instant replay in college football, so there’s nothing we could do about it.”

To be fair, most VT players and Coach Beamer didn’t seem to blame the refs for the non-call. As I said earlier, the refs hadn’t called anything all game, so it was consistent. My personal take, I think he may have grabbed at the arm, but the ball would have been just out of the VT receiver’s reach anyways.

Here’s another view on the final 4:16

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer and defensive coordinator Bud Foster would probably love to burn the last 4 minutes, 16 seconds of game film from Saturday’s 31-28 loss to Pittsburgh. That part of the reel won’t make it into the annals of great decisions in Hokie coaching history.

There was Beamer’s failed resolution to have quarterback Marcus Vick pass on fourth-and-4 from Pittsburgh’s 30-yard line. Then, there was Foster’s defense providing huge cushions and open spaces for Pittsburgh receiver Larry Fitzgerald and quarterback Rod Rutherford to work. Finally, there was Beamer’s decision to hold on to two timeouts during Pittsburgh’s decisive drive.

It’s all there in that final 4:16, not to mention Vick’s interception at the start of Virginia Tech’s final drive. After watching it one more time in team meetings today, the Hokies will move on. Beamer and his staff can’t afford to misfire on the decisions and methods they used last week to help their team move on. If they do, losing could become habit-forming like it did last season.

Meanwhile on the Pitt side of the ball, the defense did give up 455 yards total, and 241 yards to Kevin Jones. This is worrisome going into the game against WVU. I’m not sure I feel as good as Pitt Defensive Coordinator Paul Rhoads appears. He seems to think they are simple things that will be fixed.

Rhoads said the problems Saturday were a combination of blown assignments, poor tackling and, at certain points, the fact that Pitt’s defensive line was manhandled by the Hokies offensive line.

But he said, unlike earlier in the season, he had “complete confidence” that the Panthers would respond to the adversity because they have a better understanding of what it takes to be successful. He said they are playing more as a team and are practicing better.

WHAT?! Those are the same problems that have been plaguing the defense all season. There is not much to see as encouraging from seeing them repeated once again, in the actual game.

Okay, I think that’s enough basking in the win. Time to get ready for the Hoopies and beat them, or this win is meaningless.

Having lived in Morgantown for only a few months and taught at WVU for a little more than a year, I’m fascinated by the hoopie perspective on Pitt, especially this week.

There’s still plenty of hatred. Pitt is to the Mountaineers what Penn State used to be to Pitt. A superior school in academics and athletics, a school we looked down on because we knew our reputation didn’t stand up to theirs. Thankfully, that Penn-State-Sucks attitude is changing at Pitt as we have more and more to be happy about (though I still like the PSS cheer). WVU’s attitude toward Pitt has not changed.

But as life in the Big East has gotten dicey these days, there’s a certain brothers-in-arms feeling here regarding the Panthers. I don’t expect quite the same emotional buildup to this game as happened with VT/WVU, because that game was fraught with a feeling of betrayal.

But … how long has it been since the Backyard Brawl actually meant anything? Pitt is #1 in the BE; WVU is tied for #2. The USA Today rankings have WVU at 35 and Pitt at 16. After four consecutive wins, Eers fans are expecting … hoping … for a good game. Utter lack of confidence but high hopes. A lot like Pitt, circa 1999 or 2000. The Mounties know they have the ability to win against major opponents, but they don’t really believe they will. I think that attitude has changed at Pitt.

The amazing thing is how Pittsburgh is regarded as a major program all of a sudden. It’s almost like Miami is coming to town. The papers are full of stories about Fitzgerald and Rutherford’s prowess, Walt’s genius.

Should couches be afraid? From what my students say, yes. According to them, local stores are selling out of pepper spray and gas masks. At WVU’s glorious new gym this morning, law students on the treadmills were saying that the ticket line at the student union was the longest they’d ever seen — a four-hour wait.

Hail to the Brawl!

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.

First and foremost, we’re still composing our thoughts here at PSB (keep in mind that I got back to Central PA from Heinz Field at about 3:00 AM). Chas, John, Shawn, Pat, and I will probably have more complete and better thought-through analysis of last night’s thrilling, come-from-behind, last-minute 31-28 win over the #5 Virginia Tech Hokies in a day or so.

Chas called for Pitt to beat Virginia Tech in a close one. But I don’t think that anybody, including Chas, saw this type of win coming. Virginia Tech had the perfect game plan (just run Jones and Vick) and executed it very well. Kevin Jones — easily the nation’s best tailback — gave a Heisman-esque performance against our once-again-exposed run-defense. Marcus Vick had moments that suggested that there may be more than one Vick playing on Sundays in short order. Finally, the Hokies — despite some ill-fated turnovers — had us right where they wanted us late into the fourth quarter.

But against years of its own tendencies when backed against the wall, Pitt suddenly put together a flawless, clockwork drive right down the field to win. There was seemingly nothing that Tech’s talented defense and secondary could do to stop it, especially the go-ahead touchdown blast by Lousaka Polite. And Heinz Field was louder than it had ever been during Tech’s last, futile drive. I still have no idea who Vick was throwing to. But after the stellar night he had, at least one mistake can be expected.

Beyond the players on the field, what made this game even more fun was the legions of loud-mouthed Hokie fans who came to Pittsburgh… even though most of them probably never got in to Heinz Field. Those that did pissed off the Pitt faithful into making more noise than even the Steelers get. Plus, I have to commend Virginia Tech for bringing it’s entire marching band, not just a small traveling contingent. The Marching Virginians are still probably the best (and definitely the biggest) in the Big East. They got the Pitt faithful (as well as the Hokie faithful) even more fired up.

In short, great game by both teams and one of the greatest nights for Pitt football in years. The Hokies graduate to the ACC without having beaten us in three seasons. And we graduate to… uh-oh… Rich Rodriguez’s very talented and well-coached Mountaineers. Yes, the PSB crew will be at Mountaineer Field next Saturday. And I’ll be more nervous than a couch on a Morgantown front porch.

(On a secondary note, my picks against the spread went 2-1, my one loss being picking Virginia Tech to cover. Hey, I’ll take that loss with a smile. I’m now 19-21 for the season.)

Hail to Pitt!

Everyone here at Pitt Sports Blather wants to wish our friend and occasional contributor Harlan well and to hope he stays safe. Harlan, an army reservist, has been recalled to active duty. He will be going to Germany within the next few weeks in the JAG. In Germany he will have the unenviable but necessary duty to prosecute US soldiers who have committed criminal acts while in Iraq.

Good luck Harlan, all of us respect what you will be doing and are proud to call you our friend.

Lee did a fine analysis on the game while making his weekly picks. The Hokie faithful also have a pretty good analysis on the game. Lee wisely hedged, while picking Pitt to cover but lose. This year when and wherever VT plays, the home team covered. Just an interesting point.

I realize Pitt has played VT the best (outside of Miami) the previous 3 years, and winning the last 2 games, but I am shocked at how much Pitt and Coach Harris seems to be in their heads. The TechSideLine folks are bordering on neurotic over this. Apparently the scars of the last two years worth of November collapses are a big cloud. Still, even they seem to think VT will win this one.

Randy King, the Roanoke Times VT beat writer provides a weekly “Insider” column online. Most of the column is devoted to defending Center, Jake “Dirty” Grove against the charges of being a dirty player — by arguing that the whole thing has gotten out of hand. (I’ve rarely seen such a butt-kissing article to a player, this side of NFL writers talking about Brett Favre — like, say, Peter King. Good God, man, a little detachment, please).

King, Randy, not Peter, decides that BC had the right approach and starts the jockeying for the officials to be “fair” to the Hokies.

One would have to be naive to think that the Big East football office isn’t pulling big time for Pittsburgh to win the league title and earn the conference’s BCS bowl ticket. With Tech, Miami and Boston College defecting to the ACC, Pittsburgh automatically inherits the role of the league’s marquee program.

Particularly with the loss of Tech and Miami, the Big East desperately needs Pittsburgh — not to mention a rebound by onetime power Syracuse — to remain on on the rise in order to maintain any hope of keeping its automatic BCS bid down the road. Certainly, a trip to the Orange Bowl this year would help Walt Harris when he goes into homes in January and tries to sell recruits in regards to the future of his program and the league.

Floating that theory, I can’t help but wonder if Tech will get a fair shake from game officials Saturday night at Heinz Field. Certainly, I would like to think that would be the case. Still, I can’t forget how Boston College coach Tom O’Brien was quick to raise that point on the heels of his school’s recent announcement it was bolting to the ACC.

After BC lost 24-13 at home to Pittsburgh last Saturday, I can only wonder what was going through O’Brien’s mind when he looked at the stat sheet and saw the visitors were penalized only twice for 10 yards.

Hmmmm … just a thought. Nobody could be that shady, could they? Well, unless you’re talking about the folks of the ACC.

Let’s see, Pitt is the least penalized team in the Big East, and King knows that. Still, he backs his “theory” with the only had 2 penalties in a game. Funny that he fails to mention that BC had a gargantuan total of 4 penalties in the same game. Nice context. Set up the whining early.

Really, both Lee and the TSL boys see the game breaking down the same way:

Line play will be key — okay, when isn’t it?

VT will run the ball like crazy. They may not attempt only 8 passes like last week against Miami, but you can be sure that they will be overwhelmingly favoring the run.

Pitt will look to pass. Whether up top to Fitzgerald, or underneath to Wilson, the backs, or the other wide receivers. Especially look for Pitt to do a lot of passing in the first half with VT’s stud CB DeAngelo Hall sitting.

VT special teams will look to block punts as they always do. Pitt is susceptible to this, anyways, and VT excels. Really, this could be the difference in the game.

VT will try to force Rutherford out of the pocket to get him moving, because he’s less accurate when he rolls or can’t sit in the pocket.

Pitt knows the run will be coming, and will rely on a lot of one-on-one coverage even on WR Wilford; trusting in CB Shawntae Spencer and the other corners, and the inaccuracy of Randall and/or Vick.

Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald. All they have heard is Fitzgerald. The Hokie secondary has been dealing with the Fitzgerald question all week. They are talking a good game. And I like that. Corners and Receivers need to have an arrogance bordering on the absurd. Of course I still wonder what they mean when they say something like this:

“I don’t think anybody really went out and played Fitzgerald like they should have been playing him,” [Eric] Green said. “They get caught up looking at the rankings and where he is on the Heisman list. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great receiver, but I don’t think people have tested him. We have to play our football. This isn’t about Larry Fitzgerald, it’s about Virginia Tech and what we have to do to win.

“I figure if I can cover this guy, the nation’s best receiver, I can definitely make a name for myself.”

Two things: (1) What? Has he seen the kind of coverage and people all over Fitzgerald? I mean short of trying to take out his knees, what does he mean by that? (2) Seeking to make a name for yourself is not the sort of thing the VT coaches should want to hear or read. It suggests some extra gambling and perhaps reckless play trying to beat Fitzgerald. I think there will be some early pass interference calls against VT.

Despite the 31 points VT put on the board last week, the VT offense has been practically nothing the last two weeks. It has become extremely one-dimensional, and overly reliant on special teams coming up huge. I see this costing them again.

I’m going to pick Pitt to win this game 31-27.

I mentioned yesterday the stupidity of the parking at Heinz Field with ESPN College GameDay. The point was further driven home by a Pitt AD spokesman

“If they come to see you, you’re on the major college football map,” said E.J. Borghetti, a Pitt athletic department spokesman.

“This is the lollapalooza of college football,” he said. “It’s almost a Woodstock-like environment the way people come early and stay throughout the day and into the night for the show.”

Emphasis added.

Come early, stay all day. Got it. They know that the people who come want to stay there. So, Pitt and Heinz Field do the following.

Hoping to encourage as much blue-and-gold presence as possible, Pitt said it would run morning shuttle buses for students from Bigelow Boulevard to Heinz Field starting at 9:30 a.m., returning to campus at 12:30 p.m. Pitt said it will then run student shuttles to the game starting at the normal time — three hours before kickoff.

Fans who drive to Heinz Field for the morning telecast can park for free in the Gold 2 lot, adjacent to The Great Lawn, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Borghetti said. The lot will then be closed and all cars must exit to prepare for the 2:45 p.m. opening of all parking for the game.

Arrrgghhh! Don’t they get it? Students who come down will be shuttled back (roughly a 1/2 hour trip back, but obviously there will have to be multiple trips back and forth — to the point where they’ll just have to turn around to come back to the stadium. As for those who drove, they can’t get into their lots for over 2 hours. So, they have to find some place to park and hang around on the North Side or drive and come back later.

Complete stupidity. It discourages people from coming early because it’s such a hassle in the intervening time. Can’t stay, might too long a trip back. Stuck in a limbo.

Idiots.

Here are the games that I’m most interested in this week.

VIRGINIA TECH (-5) AT PITTSBURGH: Before I get started, how much quality Virginia “hempe” were they smoking when they decided that maroon and orange would look good together as school colors? I mean, the Hokies’s home unis look gawd-awful, like deer hunting on a Superfund site. Oh well. At least they aren’t trying to look like a cheesy corporate knockoff of Notre Dame.

Earlier this season, Virginia Tech Head Coach Frank Beamer called this the best team that he’s ever worked with. I believe him, insofar as this is the team that most closely adheres to Beamer’s particular philosophy of football — dubbed “Beamer Ball” by Tech’s media godparent ESPN. “Beamer Ball” — which emphasizes strong special teams, an opportunistic defense, and a slower-moving, ball-control offense — was executed to near perfection with sobering results in Virginia Tech’s rout of Miami last Saturday night.

Thus, when Virginia Tech has the ball, the Hokies are probably going to emphasize moving the ball on the ground as much as possible (against the Hurricanes, Tech rushed for 175 yards but passed for only 44). We’ll see a lot of their star running back (Chester, PA native and hall of fame Penn State tormentor) Kevin Jones (remember that hilarious press conference when he eschewed the Nittany Lions for Blacksburg?). Jones has been averaging 5.5 yards per carry, and is by far the best ball carrier that we’ll see this season (if not the best in the country). However, we’ll also see Tech’s quarterbacks Bryan Randall and (especially) Marcus Vick bolt out of the pocket from time to time. Will Pitt’s improving-but-still-average run defense be able to stop such a powerful running game backed up with the strongest offensive line in the conference? Of course not. But if Tech’s offense plays like it did against Miami and our defense plays like it did against Boston College and Syracuse, I think that we’ll be able to limit the Hokies’s offense to three or four touchdowns… not a big hole for our offense to dig out of, normally.

Thus, the outcome of this game will probably depend more on what happens when we have the ball. Last Saturday, Tech’s defensive line and linebackers skillfully pressured Miami’s quarterback (and more importantly, its coaching staff) into making one terrible decision after another. Tech’s secondary — featuring Eric Green, Vinnie Fuller, Jimmy Williams, and the absolute rocket DeAngelo Hall — then took full advantage of these bad decisions in spectacular fashion… including two of the prettiest scoop-and-score interceptions that I’ve seen all year. After they fooled the Hurricanes into thinking that they could neither pass nor pass protect, Tech’s defense then played lights out against the run (Miami only got 69 yards on the ground all day).

So we’re not going to be able to run much on these guys (not that we shouldn’t occasionally try). However, if our offensive line can protect Rod Rutherford, we should be able to complete some passes underneath to Kris Wilson and others. Plus, Larry Fitzgerald will always get his catches behind the secondary. Not even DeAngelo Hall can shut down Fitz all day (or in the second half, as it were), plus I’m betting that the Big East refs will keep Tech’s secondary mostly off of our receivers after last week’s scandal. So in the end, I think that our offense should be able to score three or (if our offensive line plays its best game ever) four touchdowns on Tech’s defense.

To me, the keys to this game for Pitt are mostly in the trenches. Our offensive line must pass protect, and our defense must slow down Tech’s running game and give the ball back to our offense. Plus, our special teams must not make any mistakes, because the Hokies will more than likely score on them. Do I think that we can accomplish all of that? Not for four quarters, I don’t. We haven’t played that flawlessly all year.

So I’ll take the Hokies to cover a seemingly small five point spread. But cheer up, fellow Panther fans, because I suck! My record against the spread for the season is only 17-20. You didn’t want me picking the Panthers anyways (incidentally, Matt Hayes at the Sporting News picked Virginia Tech to win but not cover, and the Associated Press picked Pitt to win outright).

WEST VIRGINIA (+3.5) AT BOSTON COLLEGE: Like I said last week, I’m not so sure that West Virginia’s domination of Virginia Tech on October 22 was entirely a fluke or exclusively just another example of Tech self-destructing in the face of adversity. I think that the Mountaineers are for real (and I know their coach is). The Hoopies can run the ball effectively with Quincy Wilson, pass adequately with Rasheed Marshall, and dominate an opponent’s offensive line and running game with that weird-assed 3-3-5 defense (just ask Virginia Tech). Boston College, on the other hand, couldn’t even stop Pitt’s measly running game (we got 124 yards), let alone our aerial attack (364 yards). But our defense — which isn’t nearly as sound as West Virginia’s — was able to slow the Eagles offense down to a crawl.

In conclusion, how the hell is Boston College even favored here? Give me the Hoopies and the points.

MICHIGAN STATE (+7) AT OHIO STATE: In shredding the hearts of most Central Pennsylvanians last Saturday night (Joe Paterno and his staff allegedly broke down in tears in the locker room after the 21-20 last-minute loss to the defending national champions… Paterno then allegedly couldn’t sleep for three nights), Penn State demonstrated two key truths about the mighty Buckeyes: (1) don’t even think about running against them, and more importantly, (2) the Bucks can be vulnerable to short, underneath passes when they blitz a lot. If anybody can take advantage of this weakness, it is Michigan State’s brilliant quarterback Jeff Smoker.

So do you think that Ohio State’s equally brilliant Defensive Coordinator Mark Dantonio (who, incidentally, masterminded Michigan State’s upset of the then top-ranked Buckeyes in 1998) is going to be so stupid as to blitz Michigan State as often as he did Penn State? Of course not. Last week, I correctly predicted that the Big Ten’s Cinderella would lose her slipper to Michigan. This week, she’s gonna lose her dress. Gimme the Buckeyes to cover a measly seven point spread.

So this week, I got the Hokies, Hoopies, and Buckeyes — two to cover and one dog.

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Incidentally, does anybody else find it ironic that in expanding to become a better football conference, the ACC forced the Big East into becoming the nation’s best basketball conference? I mean, the ACC used to pride itself on having the best hoops in the country. But now, a league boasting UNC, Maryland, and (face it, mostly) Duke is no match for a league boasting Syracuse, UConn, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Marquette, Cincinnati, DePaul, and Louisville. Talk about selling out your roots. Of course, maybe we should all be reading this as further proof of how much more profitable football is than basketball.

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In the wake of the Big East Football Conference’s adding Louisville, Cincinnati, and South Florida (“GO BULLS!”), I still haven’t seen anything genuinely new out there as to whether or not the Big East will retain its automatic BCS bid after 2005. Please let me know if any of you spot any real news first.

Once again, my hopes of retaining this bid directly (without having to compete with the Mountain West or the MAC on a year-by-year basis) are dim. But there’s still hope.

Hail to a nice cold Saturday in Pittsburgh

I haven’t had much of a chance to collect my thoughts as to what both sides need to do to win the game. I mean aside from the obvious: VT – run left, run right, run up the middle, and stop the pass; Pitt – throw long, throw screens, throw underneath, and stop the run. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance today or tomorrow.

From the fans view, I actually think the Hokie faithful fear Pitt more than Pitt fans fear the Hokies. Pitt has beaten VT two straight years — exposed them, and started November slides for them. In 2000, it took an end of the game field goal for VT to pull out a win; but Pitt still hung 34 points on them. This has many convinced that Pitt and Walt Harris somehow have figured out VT when no one else has.

I don’t buy that. Pitt has really been up for games against VT, which helps. Pitt, under Harris, tends to play up or down to the level of their competition. A good part of it, has been a certain level of overconfidence and looking past Pitt by VT. The Pitt game has been late in the season, when the Hokies were rolling. The team seems to start believing their own press clippings.

This will be the 11th meeting between VT and Pitt. The Hokies have a 7-3 lead. The teams only started playing each other when the Hokies joined the Big East. It is unlikely that they will play each other again after this season (except in a bowl game) — because neither team really wants to play a non-con opponent where the outcome would be so unknown. It’s a shame.

On this blog, the others and I, have mangled phrases, spelling and been incoherent at times. But we are rank amateurs working without a net. So, I find it annoying to see a columnist get the following screw up past an editor.

Although Harris admirers will argue, these are not charges without merit. There is substantial evidence to back them up. The evidence is so strong that in some places it would have been enough to get a coach fired.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Bob Smizik had just rattled off the most common complaints about Coach Walt Harris in bullet points (and rather accurately). The rest of the column is spent defending Harris’ tenure despite his stumbles. Aside from the handy bullet point list of Harris flaws; and the completely obvious statement that beating VT means jack if Pitt doesn’t beat WVU next week (and maybe even Miami in 3 weeks — what, is he assuming the Temple game is a gimmee?); the article isn’t much to read.

For a far superior article on keeping perspective, there is this offering from Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Win or lose against Virginia Tech, Pitt will still have at great deal of significant football yet to play at that juncture.

For now, hosting No. 5 Tech means everything to a Pitt program trying to force its way into the neighborhood in which Tech has resided for the last 10 years (10 bowl appearances, an average of nine wins per season, three Big East Conference titles and one unforgettable shot at the national championship in that span). This is the type of game Pitt longs to play on a regular basis, in the type of environment it hopes will become commonplace.

But for the Panthers to truly glean from this season a large measure of what they had hoped to prior to Kent State, they’re going to have to do more than merely knock off the Hokies.

Looming after Virginia Tech is a trip to West Virginia, followed by a trip to Temple, followed by a visit from the finally-beaten Miami Hurricanes.

For Pitt to truly make this a season to savor, the Panthers are going to have to do better than 1-3 or 2-2 while navigating such a gauntlet.

I’m of mixed feelings. I agree that none of the 4 remaining games are locks — not even Temple which has given Pitt problems in recent years. That winning this game is meaningless if Pitt doesn’t at least go 2-1 afterwards.

However, I really hate to downplay the significance and importance of this game. It is important. It matters a hell of a lot. It is big. To pretend it’s “just another game” is an invitation to disaster (paging Lee, to discuss John Cooper and Ohio St.), because the team tends to get tense knowing that this is a big game, but being forced to pretend it isn’t.

Don’t shy away from treating this like a big game. Just don’t forget about the rest of the season.

Really, there is no other way to phrase it. Pitt, Heinz Field and its subcontracted parking lots managed evil entity ALCO aren’t opening the lots until 2:45 pm. Of course, there is the issue of College Game Day doing its live show in the morning on the Great Lawn, between North Shore Drive and the River Walk. Generally there are a ton of fans in the background to back the home team. Naturally, Pitt wants this and is offering the students free shuttles down from campus at 9 am with a return at 12:30 pm. If you drive, or have a parking pass, they’ll let you park free nearby. But they won’t let you stay or go into your own lot afterwards. Leaving these people with 2 plus hours to kill. Brilliant.

Just open the lots early, and be done with it.

You know, you reach a tipping point in media coverage where things are either justified or they end up looking to be so far out of proportion with reality. I think we are starting to reach that point with Larry Fitzgerald and the game this weekend.

The Game Notes from Pitt (35 pgs, PDF) are chock full of Fitzgerald material (not too surprising considering the national attention and his Heisman hopes) including a full page of quotes from analysts and columnists praising his talent.

The Heisman hype continues for him.

Then there’s yet another flowery column in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to declaring the total class of Fitzgerald the person. I’m just glad he’s on my team, otherwise I’d hate him.

Everyone’s getting into the act including Peter King, NFL columnist for Sports Illustrated, with this from his November 3, “Monday Morning Quarterback Column” — under “10 things I think I think” portion

[ 6. I think these are my non-football thoughts of the week:]

e. Pitt wideout Larry Fitzgerald sure looks like the genuine item. Twenty college games, 129 catches, 2,l79 yards, 28 touchdowns … most of the time, with a kitchen sink draped on his shoulders. Coverage, I mean. I’m not much on college football, but the kid is a great player and, apparently, one of the real sportsmen in the college game. I like the way he hands the ball to the ref after every touchdown.

So, is Fitzgerald a marked man against VT. Randy King of the Roanoke Times sure makes it seem that way.

Simple truth is, though, Fitzgerald’s mug shot might as well be posted on bulletin boards in Blacksburg post offices this week, say Tech’s defensive backs. Talk about a wanted man.

Eric Green sure wants the guy. So does Vinnie Fuller. Dittos for Jimmy Williams.
…
That’s OK. The Hokies’ trio of bounty hunters want him. They’ll see him at 7:45 p.m. Saturday when No.5 Tech (7-1, 3-1) meets No.25 Pittsburgh (6-2, 3-0) at Heinz Field. It remains to be seen if they can catch the guy whom many call the best player in the country.

While DeAngelo Hall, Tech’s No.1 cornerback, sits the first 30 minutes of the Big East biggie – because a half-game suspension levied by the league for his part in a fight in the Hokies’ 31-7 rout of Miami last Saturday – Green and Fuller, with help from Williams, will be in charge of stalking Fitzgerald.

Hopefully none of this is really coming from the VT players to almost imply dirty, viscous actions against Fitzgerald. The coverage may have a harder time now. The Big East officials know that Fitzgerald is a leading Heisman candidate, and they may be calling more pass interference calls if the VT players try to get physical. Or in an attempt to bend over backwards so as not to appear to show favoritism, they may let a lot of it go. A bit wishy-washy of me, but I don’t have the answer here.