Right now, the scoreboard is saying that the end of last season was the aberration.
I haven’t read the comments yet. 190 is what I’m seeing as I start this. They should be fun.
The worst thing about a loss and a noon games is that I come back the same day. No drinking afterwards to try and lessen the pain. Just hanging around in the parking lot for a little while as the traffic lessens, then 2.5 hours of driving home. Alone with thoughts about the game and replaying much of what was seen.
From a marketing standpoint, this was an abject disaster. Bordering on a worst case scenario. The one thing that could not happen was Pitt to come out and flop. To lose at home to start the season. A team that showed very little that could be considered a positive. The team’s performance completely lost the crowd and turned them. A crowd that was looking to support, felt let down.
I haven’t even looked at the stats yet. I’m just giving some impressions from sitting in the stands for (almost) the entire game.
The offensive line is a mess. Bowling Green’s D-line was supposed to be improved, but there’s no excuse for how badly the O-line looked. They were continually being blown backwards up front. Trying to run in the middle of the field was a joke.
Stull felt the pressure. With the O-line struggling, Stull had trouble finding room to set his feet to throw. As the game wore on, he got worse with his footwork. Shuffling his feet a lot and losing zip off the ball. Especially when he was finally allowed to try and go deep.
The lack of deep balls until it was too late was frustrating. There was no pass for 20 yards or more attempted in the entire 1st half. No attempts to stretch the field. What good are all the weapons Pitt is supposed to have on offense if they don’t use them?
The defense sure didn’t look fast. Maybe the defense looked fast against Pitt’s offense in practice, but practice is over. Everyone knew the offense BG runs. Everyone knew they were down a running back and forced to rely more on Turner and throws. The BG O-line had its own problems.
Pitt players and the defensive coaches did not adjust to the short tosses and having receivers all over the field. That’s why they call it a spread offense.
A big problem for the defense last year, showed up again in this game. The inability to get off the field on 3d downs. BG showed contempt for Pitt’s defense in the 3d quarter. 6:41 left and facing a 4th and less than 1 at midfield. Still only trailing 3, they went for it. And they got it. There was no heart.
Ever have the alternator on your car go? You lose power, and everything dies. I may be forcing this a bit, but since the wife called me before the game to tell me the car died on her while out with the kids — and yes it was the alternator — it seems something of an apt comparison. Pitt came out and scored, seemed solid on defense. Then sputtered, faded and just had no juice.
Pitt had never, ever lost a home game to a MAC team until today. Pitt has lost 3 times to MAC foes in its history — twice under Wannstedt.
It’s hard to pinpoint when Pitt let the game get away from them. It was a slow fade. Started well, missed an opportunity, but still up 14-0. Then the Falcons found what was working. The short, underneath passes. Getting the ball in Turner’s hands.
As soon as the game was tied at 14, I knew it was going to be a tough game. BGSU had confidence and knew they could hang with Pitt.
Still, Pitt had a chance before the half as they got down field quickly. Then Wannstedt went ultra-conservative. With 12+ seconds left 1st down, and Pitt inside the 20, Pitt could have called a time-out and taken at least one shot to the endzone. Instead, and to a chorus of boos, Pitt let the clock wind down and took a 33-yard Field Goal to end the half with a 17-14 lead.
The first deep ball was thrown with 3:02 left in the 3d quarter after Pitt had lost the lead. An underthrown ball to Oderick Turner.
The wide receivers as a unit was a complete disappointment. They were running poor routes, turning the wrong way. Showing poor hands.
Matt Cavanaugh, is not distinguishing himself thus far. The O-line was giving nothing up front, but both McCoy and Stephens-Howling were getting good chunks when going outside. Yet there was a stubborn streak of sticking with straight up the gut — and getting shoved back.
By the way, what happened in the second half to Stephens-Howling? BGSU was keying on McCoy, but LSH was tearing through them. Yet, he barely touched the ball in the second half.
You could sense the panic on the offense in the 4th quarter as they realized they were running out of time and chances.
This Pitt team came out and faded. They showed no heart, no pride and no clue. They seemed unprepared to actually battle for an entire game. They were a complete disappointment.
With 4:43 left in the game, and another blown offensive series, there were sporadic chants breaking out in the stands of “Fire Wannstedt!” That was unexpected and not a good thing
It goes back to and on Coach Wannstedt. These are his players. The Walt Harris recruiting excuses are done. The players came to play for him. It is his job to get this team ready to play an entire game.
When the game started going south, it was up to him to get them to slow down and just take one play at a time. Instead, much like in the stands, the sidelines seemed to be in a collective state of, “uh, what the hell do we do?”
Ugh.
