Just before we joined in serenading the departing BC players with chants of “A-C-C” that was what we ended up saying to each other.
Let’s begin at the beginning. We weren’t upbeat about the prospects for the outcome. Strangeness from the get go. Hindsight suggests that the omens and portents were there to suggest how strange a day it would be.
Ugly morning. Not raining as I headed into Pittsburgh from Ohio, but already a biting wind. Shortly after I got to Pat’s the rain came. Lee, coming from Altoona, was stuck on 376 until about 9 am because of a deadly accident in the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. He called a couple times to say he wasn’t moving on the highway.
The rain that was coming down was cold and a biting wind added to the misery. Pat, our spiritual leader of tailgating and his house on the South Side is the nexus point of gathering before heading for the lot, was going to miss the game because of a wedding. Pat not attending a Pitt football game is something that just doesn’t happen. It just doesn’t. Pat is one of the most loyal and dedicated Pitt fans I know. He is also the only 2nd gen. Pitt guy in PSB. Guess there is something to it. Still, the wedding wasn’t until 2, so at the very least Pat was going to tailgate with us.
Then Pat looked outside at the dark skies, the wind and the rain and said something that was stunning. “You know, there probably won’t be a lot of people at the game. We could just tailgate in my place and then you could head over shortly before the game starts.” This from Pat. Pat, a guy I have been going to games on a regular basis for the last 6 years. A guy during the hideous 1998, 2-9 season, I had to practically beg to leave a horrible game at the half in cold rain/snow against Temple that Pitt lost. Even then, we hung out in the parking garage by Pitt Stadium listening to the game. Pat actually suggested we stay inside, watch some College GameDay and head to the game at the last minute.
Naturally we agreed. It was like receiving a blessing from a higher authority to take the easy way out. A sign that we are getting softer and lazier? Perhaps, though, I prefer to rationalize it as being older and wiser.
We did get to our seats before kickoff, so we did make it. It took some effort though. There was not a lot of enthusiasm about the prospects of the game. We know what Pitt has done so far, and Boston College was coming off a bye week. Except for that loss to Wake Forest, they looked like a team that would kill us. A strong running attack, great lines. Honestly, we all thought that BC at -9 1/2 was a steal. If any of us were actually regular gamblers, we would have taken BC. I mean, we were sitting down arguing about how many points Pitt would have to be down at halftime to justify leaving the cold and rain in the stadium to go back to Pat’s place and watch the second half on TV. We started at around 21, but after the rain picked up it dropped to about 15.
I don’t know how it looked on TV, but it was not much of a crowd. The weather and the way the team had played had killed fan enthusiasm for this one. They didn’t even bother to announce the always overstated “paid” attendance.
Oh, the game. You know the rules. Just the box score, drive chart and play by play data for the sake of accuracy.
The first series was not encouraging. BC ran it down Pitt’s throat and chewed up 6 1/2 minutes before they stalled out inside the 10, and had to settle for a field goal. That, however was the last time they actually ran the ball effectively. The Running Backs gained 40 yards on the ground in that drive, but ended up with only 76 for the game.
Pitt made a decision about their defense. They were going to shut down BC’s running game, and make BC beat them with passing. Until I had more time to think about it this morning, I was bothered by how many underneath passes and wide open receivers in the middle of the field Pitt had allowed. I hadn’t fully understood, but now it makes a bit more sense. Pitt didn’t drop any linebackers into coverage, and brought the safeties up to help the line. This meant the corners were one-on-one with the receivers all game, and it allowed the WRs to get free over the middle for 5-15 yard gains all day. You have to do this when you don’t have a strong defensive line, and you are facing a team that loves to run the ball and has depth at the position.
Pitt’s decision to stop the run threw BC off kilter. They weren’t prepared to throw in the first half. They had the ball for 5 other series in the first half, and they only had one other drive that lasted more than 3 1/2 minutes. The 3 of the remaining 4 were for less than 2 minutes.
Pitt wasn’t exactly lighting it up on offense, but they were surviving. Then in the second quarter BC went for it on 4th and 8 from the Pitt 36. Rather than try a long field goal or even punt, they presumed that their D could completely shut down Pitt. They failed. Arrogant, and it seemed to fire up the offense when Pitt took over on downs.
Pitt took advantage and drove 64 yards for a touchdown. Taking a 7-3 lead. Most of the yardage came when Kirkley busted a 37 yard run. Lee turned to me amazed, “Do you know what I saw? I saw a Pitt RB run through a hole. The offensive line gave him a hole.” He was just stupified. This reminded me of a Bill Cosby routine, when he was talking about playing RB for Temple (sadly the relevant portion of the track — #14, TV Football — is not available for listening. It went something like, “And I had never seen a hole before… Playing for Temple.”)
Pitt actually missed a chance to extend the lead, when they forced BC’s quarterback Paul Peterson to fumble on his own 16. Unfortunately, Pitt couldn’t move the ball and Josh “Sunshine” Cummings hit the left upright on the fieldgoal try at the tortuous open end of the field.
Neither team did much to start the second half. Then BC got arrogant again and went for it on 4th down. Things went awry and through some confusion they actually got to punt after a penalty. Tom O’Brien should be so grateful to the New England Patriots and Red Sox for helping to keep the local media away from covering his team. If anyone in Boston actually paid attention to BC this year, I have to think there might be some questions about his coaching. Pitt had the ball at midfield and again took advantage. Palko, on second down, through a deep pass that Greg Lee made a spectacular lay out to grab. Pitt, 1st and goal at the 6. On two straight carries, Kirkley pounded it and Pitt took a 14-3 lead.
Shock, confusion, excitement and then the cynicism as we wondered how Pitt could blow this game. We got our answer on the kickoff. 60 yard return from the 9, so BC began at the Pitt 31. 2:40 later, it was 14-10.
Then things really got weird. Pitt got the ball and went 3 and out, but on the punt, BC blocked. The ball however, skittered sideways and forwards — not backwards. Mike Phillips of Pitt, also the freshman starting cornerback, playing on special teams, picked up the ball and ran it for the first down.
Pitt took advantage of the mistake and put together a 6+ minute drive. The running backs Furman and Kirkley starred with their runs and catching the ball. Kirkley had an 18 yard run to put Pitt at 1st and goal at the 3. For the last play of the 3rd quarter, Palko kept and the line pushed forward for 2+ yards. Amazing. It looked almost like a QB sneak, and the line just surged. It was barely outside of the goalline Would they do that again to start the 4th quarter? Maybe run the ball to the outside? Perhaps even a fade pass to Lee?
No. Harris for all his offensive creativity, wouldn’t risk anything. He ran the ball straight up the middle with Kirkley for no gain twice.
We were all screaming for him to go for it on 4th down. A field goal wasn’t enough at this point, up only by 4 in the start of the 4th quarter. Better to try and fail and make BC start deep. Maybe play a little field position strategy at this point than merely kick the field goal and still make it a one possession game. Go for the kill. Make BC have to score twice.
Well, Harris is still the Pitt head coach. He kicked the field goal. 17-10. Immediate disgust from the fans. Don’t know what the ESPN2 crew was saying in the booth, but in the stands it was, “That’s why Harris is still gone after this year! This sucks! S**t!”
BC gets the ball and starts from its own 23. In a nearly 5 minute drive they get to the Pitt 4 for 1st and goal. They lose a yard on the first run. And here BC Coach Tom O’Brien shows that he is Harris’ equal. Despite 2/3 of the yardage to get to this point coming on the pass. He proceeds to run it 2 more times for no gain. 4th and 5, but O’Brien and BC goes for it. A quick pass to the right, and as Adams surges forward, he is hit and stopped outside the goal line. Despite the small crowd, this took place at the enclosed student section which erupts. I’m starting to think this is the 2002 BC-Pitt game all over again.
Pitt does nothing. 3 and out in a little over a minute. Punter, Adam Graessle, though, may have earned his second Big East Special Teams Player of the Week award with a monster of a punt. 80 yards total. 70 of which was in the air. Wow. Loudest cheering for a punt I ever heard.
Unfortunately, BC finally grasped that Pitt was fully committed to stopping the run and would leave the underneath and over the middle passes easy choices. BC marched 90 yards down the field in under 4 minutes for a touchdown to tie the game. 17-17.
Both teams got the ball back to do nothing, leading to overtime. BC won the toss and naturally chose to play defense first. Pitt chose to start on the enclosed, student end of the field.
BC’s defense, on the very first play lines up offside. They played a very sloppy game. It was like their 4th or 5th offside. Pitt got to the 10, but ultimately had to settle for the field goal.
BC takes their shot in the student section. The small crowd is doing its best to be disruptive. A run for no gain and an incomplete pass sets up 3rd and 10. We are screaming and hoping that they get someone to help cover the middle. Sure enough, a pass some 5-6 yards down the middle to an open receiver, but Mike Phillips hits and strips him of the ball as he starts to go down. Thomas Smith, a Pitt linebacker falls on the ball. The officials rule Pitt ball. Pitt wins!
We are turning to each other screaming and high-fiving. We missed some skirmishing between some Pitt and BC players who do get separated before we knew what happened.
Then the cheering of the Pitt players who gather in front of the student section, and then to the departing BC players and coaches: A-C-C! A-C-C! A-C-C! A-C-C! A-C-C!
I should end it here, but a few of us caught Team America: World Police. A definite must see. John had his cell phone off, so he didn’t know his wife’s water broke during the movie. Hope everything is okay, John.
