I guess it depends on when you turned in your column, or if you are a “half-full” or “half-empty” kind of guy.
Pitt did win. They didn’t lose. Pitt made their own luck and took advantage of mistakes. Something they never did on the road last year.
Give Pitt credit for surviving and advancing. They did so largely on the backs of a stout defense and a stellar receiving corps that continues to be the story of the young season.
They also did it without tailback LaRod Stephens-Howling (ankle) and with right guard John Simonitis on the bench because of an ankle injury sustained on Pitt’s first play. Pitt’s new game-breaker is junior receiver Derek Kinder, who torched the Cincinnati secondary for touchdowns of 80 and 55 yards in a 16-point third quarter (believed to be a River City Rivalry record).
The game’s pivotal play, however, occurred with a little less than 3 minutes left in a hideous first half, when Bearcats quarterback Dustin Grutza dropped back at his 21-yard line. Heavy pressure from Gus Mustakas forced an errant pass that wound up in the eager arms of cornerback Kennard Cox at the 18.
Two plays later, Tyler Palko absorbed a huge hit as he delivered a 15-yard strike to Oderick Turner – another one of those eye-catching receivers — in the corner of the end zone.
Pitt carried that momentum to the first play of the second half, when Palko and Kinder connected on an 80-yard scoring play – tied for the longest of Palko’s career. Kinder completed half of it on his own, splitting two defenders at the Bearcats 40 and running away from safety Haruki Nakamura on a cross-field sprint to the end zone.
In other words, he made the kind of play Greg Lee failed to make in that crushing loss to Nebraska last season.
A little perspective. Kind of how I was feeling after a little sleep this morning.
Then there’s the column written just after the game. The frustration is a little higher. As were expectations.
OK, so maybe it is some kind of sign of improvement for Pitt that we’re nitpicking after it wins. It wasn’t so long ago that it would have lost this game. Can you say Ohio U. last season? How about Rutgers?
Be thankful for small favors.
At least Pitt won.
On the road no less.
But that doesn’t change the fact this Pitt win almost felt a little like a loss. Tell the truth. You almost were ready to give your heart to the Panthers after their convincing 38-13 thumping of Virginia in the opener last Saturday night, an impressive start to Year 2 of the Dave Wannstedt era that was better than anyone expected. Now you’re not so sure after this largely lame performance against one of the Big East Conference bottom feeders. You want to see a little more before you commit. The offense that was so impressive against Virginia did next to nothing, a couple of terrific individual efforts by wide receiver Derek Kinder aside. There were special teams breakdowns galore, including two big ones by punt returner/cornerback Darrelle Revis, the team’s best player. Thank goodness for the defense. It didn’t just shut down the Cincinnati offense until weakening in the fourth quarter. It made the play — a second-quarter interception by cornerback Kennard Cox deep in Cincinnati territory — that swung the game Pitt’s way.
Kind of mirrors my immediate reaction after the game, so it’s not like I can criticize.
Over in Cinci, where the loss was expected, the focus is on the lack of fans. They did crack 20,000 for the game, but the are averaged around 22,000 last year. So far they are behind even that average.
Even with the coach’s pleading, UC attracted just 20,611 souls Friday. Blame it on high school football or a Reds home game. Blame it on Rio. Regardless, counting heads remains as much an interest at UC football games as counting touchdowns. Until the Bearcats win games such as this, and win them often, life won’t change.
Dantonio this week could have been Rick Minter five years ago, who could have been Tim Murphy a decade back. At least now, the Bearcats are on national TV. Speaking of the uneasy marriage between television and football programs such as UC’s:
You can’t have it both ways. If you want the TV exposure, you take the time slot they give you. A Big East official at the game Friday night said UC could have rejected the Friday night slot. Or, at the very least expressed its reluctance. UC did not. The Bearcats wanted the ESPN2 national attention. Which is fine, but if you make your bed with television, be prepared to lay in it.
Did anyone else get a big laugh when the announcing crew kept talking about how Cinci is a Bengals town and has always been a Bengals town?
