That 2nd half effort was pathetic. Bad turnovers. Unable to put the ball in the endzone. Complete and utter inability to stop the run. When a defense allows just under 400 rushing yards to just 2 players, there is not a lot to say.

Give credit to WVU for not doing anything stupid or foolish by even pretending to pass in the second half. They threw the ball only 10 times in the game (was a pass even attempted in the second half?), and that was the smart thing. Why bother when Pitt couldn’t stop the run?

Stephens-Howling had a game that should gnaw at him for a while. Turning the ball over twice and nearly a third time. Eric Gill had another key fumble. Just thoroughly depressing.

Open thread. Let it rip.

UPDATE 1 (9:13): If anyone has a frickin’ explanation as to why Pitt would choose 4th & 3 to punt rather than 3d & 13 to try again when the D hasn’t held I’d love to read it.

UPDATE 2 (10:20): Apparently the offense no longer can hold onto the ball.

The Post-Gazette lists its “Fabulous 22” from the WPIAL and City League. There are 20 Seniors on the list. 6 have committed to Pitt (Dickerson, Nix, Malecki, Pinkston, Webster, and Aaron Smith). 2 more are undecided and have Pitt in their final list (Fields and Miller).

Coach Wannstedt is starting to talk a lot about next year and the incoming talent (despite saying he doesn’t want to talk about what happened this year until the season is actually over).

“We’ve got one or two players stockpiled at every position. Good players want to come here, but we don’t have scholarships to offer them …

“I spend a couple of hours on Sunday nights talking to them. At least half a dozen have told me, ‘Coach, we’re coming there and we’re going to make a difference in the program.’ Imagine that. I’m trying to pump them up, and they’re pumping me up. I love it.”

Wannstedt was rolling now.

“This will be my first recruiting class from start to finish. It’s going to be a special group, the foundation of something special to come here. The players know it. Their parents know it. Their coaches know it. Everybody knows it, including the people we’re recruiting against.

“And you can quote me on that.”

While Coach Wannstedt doesn’t want talk about this year in the past tense, others are starting to. Bruce Feldman at ESPN.com blogs his list of worst coaching jobs of the season (Insider Subs.).

5. Dave Wannstedt, Pitt: Tinkered with a dangerous passing game and unsettled his own QB Tyler Palko. The Panthers opened 1-4 with the lone win over Youngstown State. The Panthers, who last season averaged 358 yards per game, brought back the same QB and receivers and yet rank 7th in the Big East this season at 325 yards per game.

I don’t disagree with Wannstedt making the list for coaching, but I would have put him further down the list behind at least Callahan (Nebraska), Amato (NC State) and Koetter (Arizona St.). The top 4 were Fulmer (Tennessee), Franchione (Texas A&M), Groh (Virginia) and Smith (Mich. St.).

Game time temp is supposed to be around 30, with winds up to 20 mph. The parking lots will be opening at 2 pm allowing those planning to deep fry their turkeys on site plenty of time. Naturally there will be very little drinking before hand by the fans. Not on Thanksgiving.

A list of 5 memorable Backyard Brawls for the Hoopies and Pitt. Clearly a flawed list if the Pitt list manages to exclude the 1997 game.

Sorry, not going to do a full narrative. Too much going on in the parent’s house. Too many relatives and things happening. It figures to get even worse when the drinks start flowing, so this will be disjointed.

Summary story on the game, what’s on the line and stuff like that. This version, pretty much takes quotes from all week long to make the story.

This piece looks at how WVU plans to stop Pitt’s offense (hint: it ain’t by worrying about the running game).

This story argues that the key to stopping the WVU running game will involve a huge game from H.B. Blades. Actually, stopping the running game will require career games from the entire d-line and Thomas Smith playing at least half the game.

Final story is a puff piece on the McKillop boys and their family.