The Lame Duck Bowl is the Big East/ESPN+ game of the week. This means some stations will actually carry the game. If you don’t live in Pittsburgh, the game will be aired on regular TV on these stations around the country. Unfortunately, this doesn’t include anywhere near Cleveland. Yet, it will be on in Detroit and Des Moines?
I’ve been debating springing for it on ESPN GamePlan, but since is the first time I looked into it, I didn’t know they had changed the a la carte ordering. Rather than paying $6-10 for the one game, they want you to spend $20 for all the games that week. Nice. Way to set it up to rip off the customers. Look at the rest of the list of games:
Duke @ (13) Florida State 12:00 PM ET
Northwestern @ Penn State 12:00 PM ET
(5) Georgia @ Kentucky 12:30 PM ET
Arkansas @ South Carolina 12:30 PM ET
Oregon @ (6) California 3:30 PM ET
Minnesota @ (4) Wisconsin 3:30 PM ET
San Jose State @ Nevada 9:05 PM ET
No way. Unless you bet the games or attended, you wouldn’t have much burning desire to see many of these match-ups. I could have slipped it past the wife on the cable bill for just one game, but not an extra $20. I could have rationalized it to myself up to maybe $10 for the one game. Instead, I might spring for the $5 for a month’s worth of radio broadcasts on Yahoo!. Still not great, but a better price, and I’ll be able to squeeze in a couple of the patsy basketball games as a topper.
Any ways, game notes from Pitt are here (PDF, 32 pgs.). Pitt has won the last two games against Syracuse. Coincidentally the only 2 games Pitt has won under Coach Harris and Syracuse has lost to Pitt under Pasqualoni (11-2). 60th meeting between the teams, with Syracuse holding the edge 29-27-3.
TALE OF THE TAPE (per game statistics)
PITTSBURGH ………………………………………………….SYRACUSE
26.7 ………………………………. Points ………………………………. 21.0
338.3 ……………………….. Total Offense ……………………….. 320.8
108.7 ………………………. Rushing Yards ………………………. 163.9
38.9 ………………………. Rushing Attempts ………………………. 38.3
2.8 …………………………. Yards Per Carry …………………………. 4.3
229.6 ……………………… Passing Yardage ……………………… 156.9
31.4 ………………………. Passing Attempts ………………………. 25.0
13.2 ……………….. Yards Per Pass Completion ……………….. 11.0
21.4 ………………………… Points Allowed ………………………… 26.4
380.1 ……………………….. Total Defense ……………………….. 428.5
109.4 …………………. Rushing Yards Allowed …………………. 187.1
270.7 …………………. Passing Yards Allowed …………………. 241.4
+5 …………………………. Turnover Margin …………………………. +5
For more detailed info, here are the conference stats through this weekend’s games.
Pass Efficiency Defense, Pitt is ranked 46th nationally while Syracuse is ranked 100th. Pass Defense, though, Pitt is 109th (last in BE), Syracuse is 94th. Rush Defense, Pitt #23, Syracuse #85 (last in BE). Total Defense, Pitt 7oth, Syracuse 98th.
Passing Offense, Pitt #42, Syracuse #103 (last in the BE). Pass Efficiency, Pitt is 53rd, Syracuse 95th (last in BE). Rushing Offense, Pitt is #98, Syracuse #52. Total Offense, Pitt 81st, Rutgers 89th (the worst two in the BE).
Looking at the depth chart, Josh Lay will be starting at right CB. Darrelle Revis at left CB, with Mike Phillips now behind Revis. Allen Richardson is still listed as the primary punt returner, but on kickoffs it is Kirkley and Furman.
