Please forgive a little too much sentimentality. In what has already been a strange season, it is even stranger that this was my last roadie to the ‘Burgh. Technically we have one more home game, but I’m now an old, settled fart with a family and kind of satisfied with that. I can’t take off on Thanksgiving day for the Backyard Brawl and expect to remain married (I know, seems unreasonable).
As was oft repeated on Saturday, by many, “I hate noon games.” Just doesn’t work well for tailgating. Too early to feel up to putting away much in the way of burgers, dogs and beers at 9:30-10 am. Afterwards, it seems too early in the afternoon to party when you still have the night ahead of you (either to go out or drive home).
The only recollection to the nooners from the student days was non-existent. Or as Lee put it, “I didn’t f***in’ go to them in college. Why the f**k am I doing it now?” The difference, I suppose, is we can only get together for the games, so the incentive is as much to gather to drink, talk and abuse Shawn as it is to see the game.
The weather was excellent. High 50s/low 60s. Mostly sunny, light breeze. Very warm for late October, and the last home game for a month.
Enough of that. On to the game. Unlike Lee, I haven’t watched SportsCenter or College GameDay this morning. Not really by choice, but that’s not the point (I really want to kill that red, furry muppet). I have 24+ hour recollections to work from with nothing but the boxscore, drive chart and play by play to help. I’m going to keep this short, because this game was effectively over in the first half. As *ahem* improved as Rutgers may be, to paraphrase Dana Stubblefield from the 49ers in the in the early 90’s, they are still the “same old sorry-ass Rutgers.”
Argument from the parking lot carried over prior to game time as to the over under on points in the game (45 1/2). There was a leaning towards taking the over based on the piss-poor pass defenses of both teams, but neither team has exactly translated the yardage to a lot of points this year. I think I was leaning towards under, because neither team could get to 20 in regulation last week. Good thing I don’t bet.
Pitt looked solid right from the start. First drive, right down the field for that amazing one-handed-snag in the endzone from DelSardo. 80 yards in just under 3 minutes. Palko was 4-4 for 71 yards on the drive. Rutgers’ pass defense was as porous as advertised.
Rutgers looked nervous and went 3 and out. But Pitt gave the ball back on a poorly thrown ball that was intercepted. Despite having the ball just in the Pitt side, Rutgers only got to the 30. They settled for a 48 yard field goal. 7-3 Pitt.
Pitt went backwards and 3 and out. Punting from the 11, Graessle punted a 49 yard hanger that was returned for -1 yards. The defense though, could expect the pass given Rutgers limited running game. Tyrone Gilliard, the defensive back, intercepted the ball to even the turnover battle.
The turnovers killed Rutgers. Their QB threw 4 interceptions and had a fumble. 3 interceptions in the first half led to 21 points including that spectacular interception by Josh Lay taken back 82 yards for a score. Lay finally cracked the starting line-up, displacing freshman Mike Phillips. Lay tends to try and hang back then break on the ball. He has great closing speed so he can take some chances like that.
I can imagine how sick to the stomach Rutgers fans were, by the end of the first half. Pitt was up 38-3. The game was already over. It would take a Houston Oilers vs. the Buffalo Bills playoff style collapse for them to win. In the stands we were laughing and arguing that if Pitt got up by 50 we would just go back to the parking lot for an early celebration.
I guess if Rutgers fans want to find a positive, it’s that their team at least put some second-half points on the board and actually made those of us in the stands start to rumble nervously in the 3rd quarter. Rutgers had two straight big drives for touchdowns, and Pitt seemed to be sitting on the lead rather than trying to step on their neck.
The Pitt defense stiffened, though, after that. They forced Rutgers into 2 straight 3 and outs; and Pitt added a field goal to make it 41-17. Then, as Rutgers seemed to be answering with another big drive, Hart threw his 4th interception to Darrelle Revis at the 1 yardline with a little less than 10 minutes left in the game.
That seemed to break their spirit. Even with 2 consecutive blocked punts and some great field position, Rutgers got nothing other than some yardage. They ended up with more total yards than Pitt (417 to 378), but they couldn’t get into the endzone.
For Pitt, this was a good, solid win. For once they never looked like they were clueless and struggling against a clearly inferior team. They actually appeared to know what they were doing. Pitt now has a bye week to get ready for Syracuse and then Notre Dame.
Only other thing to note, was that Pitt’s new merchandising deal with Adidas has yielded a great new throwback hat,
that Lee and I were drooling over. Neither of us could pull the trigger on the buy at the time. They also have a fitted version.
