Pitt has a record of 3-8-1 in the Carrier Dome. Prior to winning in 2002, Pitt had not won there since 1982. According to some of the players the noise is the thing. The stands almost feel on top of the players on the sidelines. Part of what Pitt attributes to winning there in 2002 was taking the crowd out of the game early with a good start. Kind of a truism for Pitt, anyways. Except for Furman and Temple, if they get out to a lead first they win. Fall behind or struggle and, well, you have Nebraska and UConn. I’m not sure if noise will be as much of an issue this time. Another review of the Syracuse game notes (PDF), shows that the Dome hasn’t even come close to meeting its nearly 50,000 capacity. Last week against UConn, they didn’t crack 35,000. Even when they hosted Florida State, it was only 40,539.
Harris seems to know what the key to stopping Syracuse is, stop their running game. He is saying all the right things about not looking past this game. Others are willing to look back at some of the positives.
Harris might not want to think about it, but the facts are the facts. Should the Panthers defeat the Orange, he would hold the distinction of being the only district Division I-A coach to finish with at least a .500 record the past five seasons, in addition to securing a potential fifth consecutive bowl berth.
Since 2000, West Virginia has been to three bowl games, including the past two under coach Rich Rodriguez, and Penn State has been to one, which occurred in 2002 under longtime coach Joe Paterno.
The Mountaineers, who are 7-1, will garner their third consecutive bowl bid this season, while the Nittany Lions, at 2-6, are out of the running.
Pitt is 36-21 (.632) since 2000, WVU is 34-23 (.596) and Penn State is 24-32 (.428). Over the past two-plus seasons, Pitt is 22-11, WVU is 24-10 and Penn State is 14-19.
The pessimist or cynic (hi) might point out that, that is more indicative of problems with the other programs than any true superiority by Pitt. Still it’s something.
Pitt was able to “contain” Walter Reyes last year with help from the Syracuse coaching staff. You have to believe that with Reyes fully recovered from the flu, I have to believe that Syracuse will go to the game plan I presumed they would use last year: Walter Reyes running right. Reyes running left. Reyes running straight up the middle. For variation, they give the ball to Damian Rhodes. I know Pitt has good numbers against the run, but I also saw a good/solid running back — Cornell Brockington at UConn — absolutely wear down and shred the Pitt defense. I think Reyes is a better back, and I worry that he will do the same.
On the defensive side, Syracuse has been improving. And they have been getting key turnovers, led by their safety.
“I think the key to becoming a good turnover-strip team is to get the kids to focus on it in the emotion of that moment,” Pasqualoni said. “You’re going hard, trying to make a tackle, an interception, whatever it is, and sometimes you don’t stop to think, ‘Maybe I ought to try to strip the ball.’ ”
At least one player seems to be thinking along those lines. Safety Diamond Ferri leads the Big East with four forced fumbles, ranks second with three recovered fumbles, is tied for first with three interceptions, and leads the conference with 117 interception return yards.
“Diamond Ferri has got himself to the point almost like Dwight Freeney,” Pasqualoni said. “Every time he sees the ball, he’s after it. Diamond has become that kind of guy for us.”
Pitt has done a good job in its last two games of neutralizing the big defensive playmaker of the opposition. It will need to continue.
For Pitt, one big plus is that the team is at its healthiest point in the year.
