Oddly enough, and despite a little knot of fear about this game in my stomach, I’m starting to feel optimistic about the game tonight (no, I haven’t started drinking yet). Can’t say why exactly. It’s little things. Freshman Cornerback Darrelle Revis seems to get that he will have to step up his game after last week and because the talent on the opposite side will be even better. Then there is the fact that if it is a close game, Pitt has the advantage in the kicking game. Even people in Connecticut know about “Sunshine” Cummings after this puff piece.
There’s the intangibles issues. If this wasn’t a week for Harris to get the players to close ranks and start the “us against the world” mentality, then it really is time for him to go. Opponent they were expected to beat easily nearly upsets them, everyone is ready to write them off, first road game, national game, everyone drooling over the “potential” of UConn — it’s the perfect set-up.
Pitt knows there are plenty of doubts and questions. Maybe a road game would be a good thing right now.
Then there is something about UConn’s attitude for the game. They seem more concerned about making a good show. About the TV.
“We want to get it going; we want another chance after losing on national TV before,” UConn wideout Jason Williams said. “We’ve experienced the cameras, the national TV, all of that. All the things that made us nervous before are gone. It should be a lot different this time.”
That’s the stuff for the fans and the PR guys in the athletic departments to worry about. It shouldn’t be something the players should be concerned. And even if they are, you don’t vocalize it. UConn is acting like it is looking for redemption against ESPN, not playing an opponent they have never faced before.
Am I being delusional? Grasping at straws? I don’t know.
Joe Starkey seems to think Pitt should be fired up.
Sure, UConn has built its program quickly and impressively since moving up to Division I-A in 1999.
That doesn’t erase these facts:
The Huskies didn’t get a full complement of scholarships until 2002. They’re 2-13 against past, current and future Big East teams, their only wins against Rutgers. Their only victories this year came against a I-AA school, and two winless I-A schools — Duke (0-4) and Army (0-3), which has the nation’s longest losing streak at 18 games.
The victory over Duke, by the way, came only when Duke’s kicker missed a last-second, 36-yard field goal.
Yet, Pitt is a touchdown underdog.
If the Panthers aren’t going into this game with a giant chip on their shoulder pads, something is wrong. They should be embarrassed to have been cast into the role of cuddly underdog.
The glare of the lights from national television – which will also be glowing tonight – and the pent-up emotion of facing rival BC were factors in a 27-7 loss.
“When we went into the BC game everybody was kind of uptight,” linebacker James Hargrave said. “We weren’t relaxed. We’re not uptight about this game. We’re taking it like a normal game.”
The game will be the first nationally televised UConn game (ESPN2) from Rentschler Field and the first UConn night game at the two-year-old stadium. Both are milestones for a program that has been Division I-A only five seasons.
“It’s something that we’ve dreamed about since I’ve been here,” Markowski said. “The changes we’ve gone through in the program are just amazing. To finally have it where we’re playing a Thursday night game against a Big East team and we’re in the Big East Conference is just huge.”
If you have to claim you’re not uptight this time, you’re uptight.
Of course some columnists are only now getting around to the Furman game. Bob Smizik returns to bash Walt Harris. The problem for me, is that while I want to bash him for the smug tone and almost glee he seems to take in attacking Harris
Five days after the Furman debacle, Pitt gets a chance to prove the narrowness of the score was a fluke when it plays at Connecticut tonight. Before the game can be played, though, it has provided the Pitt program with its second major embarrassment within a week. The fact the Panthers are a seven-point underdog to Connecticut is a stunning humiliation. Connecticut is in only its third season of Division I-A play and, like Furman, should have nothing approaching the personnel Pitt does.
Who would have thought when Harris was impressively turning around the Pitt program a few years back that well into his tenure his team would go to Connecticut and be a seven-point underdog?
Both the Furman outcome and the Connecticut point spread are indication of the regression of the Pitt program under Harris. Unquestionably, the loss of stature of the Big East Conference has hurt the program and contributed to the loss of key recruits in this year’s class. But those factors are not in play with the 2004 Pitt team. Pitt was recruiting in the best of times when it attracted its current senior and junior classes. The program was on the upswing with excellent facilities and playing in a respected league, yet Harris and his staff could not recruit well enough to manhandle Furman and be favored against Connecticut.
I can’t argue with the basic point he made at the beginning of his column — that losing to Furman would have been the end of Harris’ tenure at Pitt. And I can’t argue with his final points.
The games against Furman and Connecticut and the game against Temple Oct. 9 were expected to be the soft underbelly of the schedule after Nebraska. Instead, it has turned into a minefield. Unless the Panthers significantly pick up their play, there’s no guarantee they’ll have their way at Temple.
After that the schedule gets considerably more difficult.
It’s a must win tonight — for Pitt and Harris.
After all, I wrote earlier this week:
I don’t care if the oddsmakers are favoring UConn over Pitt (UConn -7.5). This is a must win for Pitt and Walt Harris.
Let’s Go Pitt!
