Now the second half was entertaining. Not just because Pitt won. It sure helped, but the USC announcing crew seemed to pick up their own effort in the second half to make the difference.

In the first few minutes of the second half, they commented that to this point, this may have been the Gamecocks’ best defensive effort. They didn’t, however, sound sure that it would continue. Kept commenting about how they’ve played some good teams tight, but haven’t won yet. Then as Pitt was on a 10-0 run about halfway through the second half, they were just going off on the team. Talking and ranting about their mistakes. How they were giving away the game and the opportunities. It was a riot. Sure they were homers, but you expected that. They were just funny about it.

As for the second half of the game itself. Pitt turned up the intensity and really started getting the ball inside. Troutman, who only took one shot in the first half, went 8-10 from the field in the second and stayed on the boards. He finished with 20 points and 12 boards. His only negative was going only 2-5 from the Free Throw line, including 2 misses at the end of the game when Pitt needs to have them.

Krauser finished the game strong after a hideous first half. He definitely didn’t have his shot tonight. After going 1-6 in the first half, he only attempted 4 shots (making only 1) but was the guy making the clutch free throws at the end when USC was successfully fouling to try and snatch the win back. Krauser made all 6 FTs in the last minute to help Pitt hold onto the game. He ended up with 14 points and 10 coming from the charity stripe. He can annoy and frustrate at times in the game, but he is still the guy on the team I like seeing with the ball in the last couple minutes.

Taft had a so-so night. I expected a better game from him, and I’m starting to wonder if maybe his elbow that he hurt in preseason might still be bothering him. He was dreadful at the FT line at 2-7. He finished with 5-10 shooting and 12 points but only had 6 rebounds and 1 block. Plus he had at least 2 shots blocked by USC during the game. Just should not happen.

Ramon played a solid game. He was 50% shooting 3s, making open looks that were given. He will keep earning minutes with 11 points in only 21 minutes.

Yuri Demetrius gave his usual defensive effort, but also provided some actual offense tonight. He hit 2-3 3-pointers. Clearly Coach Dixon likes the defense Demetrius gives the team.

Antonio Graves, coming off the ankle sprain was not much of a scoring factor with only 3 points. He did however have 5 assists and a steal while playing a good defense.

Mark McCarroll is losing minutes rapidly. He has become this year’s Toree Morris. The big senior who just is getting lapped. McCarroll still looks lost playing defense, and is now afraid to shoot. If he can’t even provide the offense, he will not be getting off the bench much. It’s part of the reason, Pitt has gone to starting 3 guards, rather than using 2 guards and 2 forwards.

Aaron Gray has become the most reliable bench player to spell Troutman or Taft. He is showing a much better touch on his shots and is handling passes much better. He still needs to improve the defense, but he is staying at home more. I expect his minutes will keep increasing.

Looking at the boxscore, what is missing? Keith Benjamin and John DeGroat. Neither even got in the game. This was Pitt’s toughest game, and the first one they really had to fight and the outcome was in doubt until the end. Suddenly the Pitt bench got a lot shorter. The players out there this night will be the ones we will be seeing when Pitt starts playing the upper-half of Big East teams. The only guy I think could get on the court still, is DeGroat. McCarroll, if he continues to struggle will get less time. Perhaps Levon Kendall as well.

First time Pitt has trailed at the half this year. Also the first time Pitt has ever trailed at the half at the Pete. Down 28-25.

Listening to the first half of the South Carolina-Pitt game has been annoying. Hard to tell with the USC announcers how much Pitt is just flat or if they were unprepared for South Carolina’s defense. I’m thinking more of the latter. In game, halftime stats can be unreliable, but Pitt has committed 9 turnovers (4 from steals) and had 3 shots blocked. South Carolina has only 6 turnovers (0 from steals).

Neither team has shot exceptionally well. Pitt near 40% and USC at almost 45%. Pitt struggled with FT shooting. 3-7 (actually it was mainly Taft 1-4), but did hit 4-10 3-pointers. USC missed all 5 3-pt shots.

Krauser not having a good night. 4 points, 1-6 shooting, 0-2 on 3-point attempts. More later

I’ve yet to see anyone actually predict a Pitt upset. Maybe that’s for the best. Just give the players more reason to get fired up for the game. Let that “us-versus-the world” cliche get full use.

This breakdown via ESPN.com from ScoutsInc. (subscription only), gives every facet they analyze to Utah. Essentially, they predict a blowout in the second-half:

Expect Utah to prove it belongs in this game, while also helping to prove the theory that the BCS’ automatic bowl bid system is flawed. A Panthers’ pass defense that has been among the worst in the nation will have problems slowing down Smith. Once the passing game is established, Johnson and Smith will have more room to run. Pittsburgh’s conservative offense will keep the score close in the first half, but the Panthers will eventually abandon the running game in an effort to come back and Palko isn’t capable of keeping pace with Smith.

Prediction: Utah 38, Pittsburgh 17

In the breakdown, what they say is that Pitt has not shown itself to be a fundamentally and technically sound team. That is what will catch up to them in the second half as Utah exploits their mistakes.

On the lighter side, there is the chat session with Beano Cook:

Johnny (Ann Arbor, MI): Is Wanny going to be able to bring Pitt back to prominance? Do you think he’ll unload those horrendous uni’s?

Beano Cook: I hope he gets rid of the uniforms .. if he can recruit, they will be real good again. If he can’t, they will struggle. However, the feeling here is that he will do a good job in recruiting.
…
Sean_Peadar (Hoboken, NJ): Beano, what will it take to get Pitt & PSU to renew that rivalry?

Beano Cook: Remember this Sean, Auburn and Alabama didn’t play for about 35 years .. life goes on. If Penn St. doesn’t want to play, so be it. It’s up to them. It’s childish of Penn St. not to play but it is their choice.

He also suggests that Syracuse hire Tom Bradley from Penn St., but also writes off the ‘Cuse as ever being major players in college football again. I will however back Beano completely on junking the present Pitt unis.

You knew it was coming, but I thought they might wait until after January 1.

Syracuse fired football coach Paul Pasqualoni on Wednesday, eight days after a 37-point loss in a bowl game — and less than a month after giving him a vote of confidence.

Chancellor Nancy Cantor announced Dec. 6 that Pasqualoni would return for his 15th season with Syracuse, but 11 days later Daryl Gross was hired as athletic director and the Orange’s humbling 51-14 loss to Georgia Tech in the Champs Sports Bowl apparently sealed Pasqualoni’s fate.

The decision to fire Pasqualoni was made by Gross.

I love how they note that Pasqualoni did not attend the press conference. That might have been a bit awkward.

I’m guessing Randy Edsall, the UConn head coach and Syracuse alumn, will be one of the names commonly brought up for this search.

Lots and lots of stories. Very little time this morning.

Today is media day for both teams. Expect lots of quote-filled articles tomorrow.

The issue of coaches leaving for other jobs and should they still be coaching in the bowl games. I know I’m biased, but I think there is something of a difference where an assistant will be taking over as head coach (Utah), and where the new head coach wasn’t even decided until this past week (Pitt). The former suggests the departing coach should not, while the latter gives a little more of a rationalization/justification.

Utah seems to be enjoying the role of being the favorite. The defense is talking shutout. Maybe that’s because their star players on defense were originally members of the offense. Heck, even the Utah beat writer seems to be caught up in the idea of blowing out Pitt.

Quarterback Alex Smith has seen the odd alignments, the disguised coverages, and the blitzes from all angles.

And for the last time, probably.

Not only is the Utah junior expected to leave school and turn pro after leading the unbeaten No. 5 Utes against No. 19 Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year’s Day, but he does not anticipate seeing from the Panthers any of the complex defensive schemes to which he had grown accustomed in the Mountain West Conference.

Pair that with the fact that Smith has directed the third-most potent offense in the nation – 46.3 points and 520.7 yards per game – and the question becomes pretty obvious:

Can the Utes possibly be stopped?
…
The Utes have won 15 straight games, and withstood all kinds of defensive attacks – from the relatively basic schemes of Texas A&M and North Carolina to the wild blitz packages of New Mexico and BYU. Few of their own players have an idea of how an opposing defensive coordinator might best plan to stop them.

Yes, the Mountain West Conference. Where only 2 other schools finished above .500. Home to the most complex defenses in the country? Funny, looks like most of them are pretty much middle of the pack when compared to the rest of the D-IA schools.

Pitt on the otherhand, seems to be doing fine with the role of underdog. The label isn’t a problem.

Everyone wants to write about the Ute defensive lineman Sione Pouha who has love for Pittsburgh because his Mormon mission was in the Oakland section from 1998-2000. Heck, he was even at the final game at Pitt Stadium. Expect to hear that story Saturday night after his first tackle.

Greg Lee gets a nice piece in the Arizona paper talking about how he stepped up after Larry Fitzgerald left. Puff piece on Palko.

Notebook quick hits: Palko was recruited by Urban Meyer to play Safety at Notre Dame; Pitt’s offensive line coach and “run-game coordinator” will likely go to Stanford with Harris — considering how both have been, well the only response I can think of, is “good”.

That “spider” Rob Petitti encountered. It really was a scorpion.

Joe Starkey sees the potential for a fantastic game.

Where the money goes. The Mountain West is partying this year. Pitt, meanwhile is not reaping as much as expected. Interesting reads if the economics of programs and conferences are of interest to you. Then there is the money the players get — travel expenses and per diem.

Now for the Wannstedt features.

Smizik column on how hard Dave Wannstedt is working on assembling a staff, talking with other coaches, seeking advice, and — because the NCAA gave Pitt and Wannstedt a special waiver — talking to recruits.

H.B. Blades’ dad, Bennie Blades, was a star safety with the Miami Hurricanes and coached by the Defensive Coordinator Dave Wannstedt. Bennie is quite happy to have Wannstedt now in charge. He also would like to see Pitt and his son win the Fiesta Bowl since they blew their shot against Penn State back in ’87.

South Carolina is a good team. They are just outside the top-25, and the latest RPI has them at #38 (Pitt is at #51 thanks to the 260th rated schedule). They have lost twice this year. In OT to in-state rival, Clemson; and by only 4 points to #2 Kansas on the road. There is no reason to think this will be an easy game. South Carolina has veteran players.

“Pitt is going to lose to somebody sometime,” [South Carolina Head Coach, Dave] Odom said. “I’m not going to say it’s going to be to South Carolina, but I’m hoping it is.”

South Carolina returns three of its top five scorers from last year’s 23-11 team, including forward Carlos Powell, who tops the Gamecocks in scoring, rebounding and has recorded three double-doubles this year. Guard Tre’ Kelley and forward Tarence Kinsey also are averaging double figures in scoring.

With so much talent returning, Odom decided to beef up his non-conference schedule. He added home-and-away series with Kansas and Pitt, opting to play road games this season in exchange for home dates in 2005. He also scheduled Temple and Clemson at Colonial Center.

“I thought this year’s team required a different challenge,” Odom said.

Pity Pitt hasn’t considered that option.

South Carolina Coach Odom sees some familiarity in Chris Taft with Tim Duncan, who he coached at Wake Forest.

Despite all of that, the lines put Pitt as a 10 point favorite. You can catch the game free on streaming audio through South Carolina.