A few minutes to gametime. I’m at my folks house and the game is being shown locally.

12:14: Grife, is USF’s defense is just faster and better than Pitt’s O-line.

12:16: Greg Romeus with the sack to force an obviously frigid USF punt.

12:19: Noooo! Collins trips over his own feet on a wide open, well-placed pass that would have been a TD down the line.

12:21: A well-excuted screen. Who knew? McCoy with a great run for 40+ yards and inside the 15.

12:23: Are the USF players getting too cold? The Wildcat formation for McCoy picks up 5 yards to give Pitt 1st and goal at the 1. How could that happen? Everyone knew what was coming.

12:25: Pitt scores a TD! McCoy on a quick toss outside and in he goes.

7-0 Pitt.
12:35: Great special teams work. Giving up 35 yards on a fake punt. Ugh.

12:36: And then Mike Ford takes it in on for the TD — untouched.

7-7. 48 seconds left in the first quarter.

Pitt isn’t playing badly so far. The Bulls are definitely bothered by the cold. Ah, the joys of getting warm weather teams up north late in the season.

12:41: End of the 1st Q. Tie game. LaRod Stephens-Howling in for a series it seems. You know, because it wouldn’t make sense to switch backs within the series to keep a defense off-balance.

12:45: McCoy actually throws out of the wildcat, but just out of Porter’s grasp.

12:52: Just like they drew it up. Lousy 4th down play and then get the fumble to have a fresh set of downs.

12:53: Another screen works. This time to Shane Brooks down to the 25.

12:55: Shane Brooks seems to be getting a lot of work in the second quarter. Collins had a horrible first quarter, and some coaches must be feeling the heat for poor performances. Shorter leashes for players has become very noticeable the last couple of weeks.

12:58: Fake FG attempt. Pitt is close. Waiting for the measurement. Just as I wrote Collins was out, he was the one taking the ball. Figures.

And the ball goes over to USF. Well, at least they have to go 97 yards.

1:00: Just for good measure, Wannstedt challenged the ruling and of course lost.

1:08: 19 yard gain on an end around for Maurice Williams. Bostick sold it well and took a hit for it. Pitt inside the USF 20.

1:10: Crap. Byham is down. He’s being helped off. left leg.

1:11: It figures. Bostick had time to throw and McGlynn called for holding.

1:12: Now Turner has a hold on a screen. Pitt is taking themselves right out of FG range. 2nd and 23 from the 33.

1:13: Draw play for 12, but of course. Holding. This time on Strong.

1:14: Nice touch by Bostick to Turner, but that was solid coverage. There’s a reason for that. USF has one of the best pair of corners in the country.

This time, they do it again, but to Mo Williams. He used his height and took it away for the TD. Pretty.

14-7 Pitt, 2:56 to halftime.

(more…)

Good news, the Bulls are paying attention and trying not to be concerned about the weather.

The Bulls have never played well in inclement weather, and the thermostat should hit no higher than the upper 30s at Pittsburgh. There is also the possibility of rain.

USF coach Jim Leavitt isn’t spending his time watching weather on the nines.

“We don’t play in a lot of cold weather, and I don’t want to bring it down here to practice in,” Leavitt said. “We are just mentally envisioning cold weather in practice. We have won in some cold games and lost in some cold games, so there’s nothing you can do.”

Quarterback Matt Grothe, who grew up in central Florida, said he would prefer something warmer than he will face today.

Even though the season actually turned into disappointment it is still a record setting season for USF.

The Bulls (8-3, 3-3 Big East) will try to tie their best record for wins in the regular season in today’s noon game.

More importantly, their senior class will have set the bar high in terms of most wins.

The 16 seniors have made history during their five years of buckling their chin straps and tightening their shoulder pads.

There’s the school’s first-ever national ranking – not to mention climbing the polls to the second spot in the college football world – coupled with big-time wins over highly ranked opponents. There’s the first bowl victory in the school’s 11-year program, followed by multiple sold-out games at Raymond James Stadium and several national television appearances.

Part of what had USF on its slide was that they had stopped letting anyone else other than Matt Grothe run the ball. They finally started getting back to giving the ball to the backs. Especially Mike Ford.

Despite getting 21 carries in the second game at Auburn, Ford’s playing time fluctuated until the past two weeks.

“Part of that is attributed to the development of a very talented freshman football player,” USF running backs coach Carl Franks said. “I think that’s what people tend to forget because he’s been out of high school for a couple of years – he’s a true freshman. He’s still learning what to do, how to run.

“When they come out of high school, they don’t run with the body lean you need to in college football. Now that he’s able to get his pads down, it’s made him a lot more effective.”

Bull.  That’s on the coaches not giving him the ball. Leavitt got very conservative as the team was winning. Trusting only Grothe on the offense. Unfortunately, they finally realized that teams were completely keying on Grothe and not even bothering with the tailbacks.

Not that Grothe can or will be ignored.

Grothe is second in the Big East in total offense (280 yards per game) and is the Bulls’ leading rusher (69.5 yards per game). He has accounted for 22 touchdowns (13 passing, nine rushing) and passed for 2,314 yards.

Pitt defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads said his team has prepared well for the Bulls (8-3, 3-3), but he will have to hold his breath and hope every time Grothe has the ball in his hands.

“What you have is a quarterback who is accounting for roughly 75 percent of the offense,” Rhoads said. “And the scariest thing is, as we have all seen firsthand, is the ability to defend something then have a quarterback that can ad lib and then you are just holding on and hoping someone gets him down and we stay in coverage.

“You could spend seven days and 20 hours each day preparing and still not defend that, and that is the unknown that you are hoping doesn’t take place too often for those three hours on Saturday.”

Now feeling like I should start drinking now.

What else to say about the game. Pitt absolutely decimated Buffalo 92-45.

“We didn’t know it was going to be that much of a blowout,” said senior guard Keith Benjamin, who scored a career-high 17 points and posted three of the Panthers’ 16 steals. “We just wanted to go after them.”

The 47-point margin was the Panthers’ biggest victory at the Petersen Events Center, eclipsing a 45-point victory over Norfolk State on Dec. 3, 2002. It was the third largest rout in the past 21 seasons, and equals the ninth-best in school history.

Pitt’s defense, which I noted after the St. Louis game, seemed to be more aggressive and gambling on steals really went after the Bulls.

The No. 17 Panthers (5-0) were trapping, jumping into passing lanes and tied a season-high with 16 steals. The aggressive approach led to 25 Buffalo turnovers and another blowout victory. Pitt has won its first five games by an average of 32 points per game. All but one of Pitt’s games has been decided by 27 or more points.

“We like to get after people,” said Pitt senior guard Keith Benjamin. “That’s what we want to do. We don’t want to lie back no more. We want to blitz ball screens like you saw tonight and trap them. We want to try to get every steal we can get our hands on and just be the aggressor and don’t lie back and wait for somebody to attack us.

“It’s definitely a new approach. We work every day on denying the pass. Coach says if you feel like you can get it, go for it. We’re just trying to be more aggressive. You see the teams that go far are the more aggressive teams. We’re still going to be more patient on defense, but if there are opportunities to take, we’re going to take it now.”

The Buffalo team, of course, was not even comparable to St. Louis in terms of coaching and player talent. That would explain part of why Pitt could be even more aggressive against Buffalo. Not to mention more practice and comfort with it.

It’s about adjusting the game with the players. The players want to play more up-tempo. Are more comfortable with a faster pace. Especially getting out on offense. Well to get those extra possessions they have to stop the opposing team on defense faster.