I had to leave midway through the 3d Quarter. The 6-year old girl was fine, but a 17-month old boy in the sun just was gassed. We left just before Iowa took a 17-14 lead. I had promised the wife that I would leave after Pitt’s next series. Unfortunately for me, that was in the midst of Pitt’s 5 straight 3-and-outs.
I’m stunned Pitt managed to win the game. Honestly, the Pitt coaches did their best to lose this game. Even before the half, we were looking at each other and saying “Bowling Green.” It’s like, the minute that Pitt reaches a double digit lead, Wannstedt decided that it was up to the defense to win the game and castrated the offense. As much as Cavanaugh’s playcalling and offense enrages me, I put it on Wannstedt.
The whole tone and style of the offense changed. You know this was what he wanted. It’s all runs and time to eat the clock. Can’t risk a pass because there could be turnover, the clock would stop on an incompletion and/or if theres’ a sack field position is at risk. There’s a reason the fans were booing Pitt before the first half even ended. The fans in the stands knew what they were seeing.
Thankfully, the Iowa coaching staff was able to top Pitt. The stubbornness at sticking with Christensen in the second half. That and Shonn Greene may have been hurt.
To say nothing of the fact that Iowa is one of the few teams in college that Wannstedt can actually coach against. They play standard pro-style. Right down to the conservative playing for field-position POV.
If Bill Stull doesn’t step into his throws, they are going to suck. He is decent enough, but his arm strength is not there to let him try and throw without using his body.
Anyone shocked that Baldwin still doesn’t have a catch? Or that after Greg Cross gets a TD on his first touch in the first quarter and he only gets one more chance in the final few minutes of the 4th quarter when everyone knows Pitt will not do anything but run. It’s like Wannstedt resented the fact that the “gimmick” offense worked.
The defense is being overworked. There’s no reason teams shouldn’t stack against the run. Especially if they are losing. Everyone knows what Pitt will do. The coaches will kill their own momentum.
If Pitt had lost, you know Wannstedt would have blamed it on turnovers? Afterall Pitt had a fumble and an Int. Iowa only had one fumble. Clearly it was the turnover battle.
I know. A win’s a win. Hard to be too enthusiastic. Just relieved.
Yes, maybe PITT didn’t play up to the pre-season hype. But what I watched yesterday was a team that stuck through adversity to pull out a win against a decent, undefeated BCS conference team.
Bitch as much as you want about the conservative coaching, but it won us the game in the fourth quarter. Anyone with two eyes can tell you that DW will do anything to avoid turnovers at all costs, and running the ball – and playing the field position advantage late in the game – set this win up. We did see some things that we’ve wanted to – and again, as is DW’s style, he puts a taste in before he does a lot of it – but let’s not bitch about his showing his players he trusts them and then going 3-3 on fourth down conversions.
I want to see more points on the scoreboard also, but more importantly I want to see us have one more point than the other team at the end – and that’s what we got.
How about, after looking at all the aspects of the game we didn’t do so well in, and they are there, we also look at some bright spots. Our O line gave the QB time to throw, our D line rose to the occasion and put pressure on the QB, our pass defense was good, and our special teams contributed. We gave up some big yardage plays then made Iowa waste those plays as we held them without TDs in three series, something that didn’t happen in the past.
I’ll take it… and give those kids, and their coaches, well deserved congratulations for a hard earned win against a decent opponent.
The coaching staff is too conservative, it cost them the BGSU game and it almost cost them this game.
The fundamentals are in place for a decent team and a decent year but I’m sorry our coaching is a train wreck.
Complements of the Sunday Trib.
RECRUITING TRAIL: Two Pitt Class of 2009 basketball recruits — Dante Taylor, a 6-foot-9 power forward from Fort Washington (Md.), and Lamar Patterson, a 6-5 wing from Newark (N.J.) St. Benedict — attended, along with two highly regarded players considering Pitt: Durand Scott, a 6-4 shooting guard from New York and Talib Zanna, a 6-9 forward from Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara. It was the first official visit for Scott, who also has offers from Louisville, Memphis and Connecticut. James Padgett, a 6-7 forward from Brooklyn, canceled his visit.
The team looked ready to play and there was lots more emotion and focus on the sidelines (compared to Bowling Green). Players were jumping around, excited after plays, even DW was vocal and showing some energy!
As everyone else mentioned, we need to stop the playing not to lose routine after we get a lead. The crowd was deflated after seeing Bowling Green all over again. The play calling overall was pretty good, except for the over conservative approach in the late second. They used a flee flicker (underthrown or a TD), an end around, tight end Dickerson made a big catch, Cross in the wildcat (needs more touches but they did use him and effectively, they also threw more on first down. I think DW and Cav are still afraid to trust Stull especially when we start from our 20. And rightfully so. Stull seems to be able to throw a nice 15 to 20 yard pass but everything over that seems wobbly, inaccurate and often underthrown – so maybe they are extra conservative for a reason??? After all, they see practices everyday, is there a chance they know more than we do? Just asking.
The energy at Heinz was as good as I’ve seen it in a while. Over 50,000 and loud when Pitt needed them.
The sweet caroline thing is ok with me, it got fans chanting Lets Go Pitt and we can in some way call it our own. The students seemed to like it, so lets stop complaining and join in.
Greg Cross needs to see more time. I think that would take some pressure off stull and make other teams prepare for 2 QB’s.
It wasnt pretty but it was a win we needed over a quality opponent. I still believe that just like last year this team will continue to get better as the year goes on. But for now we still have a shot at a bowl game and a decent season.
Agree with your assessment of the team and game. Progress has been made week to week by this team which any football coach would tell you is what they expect to see. Pitt can build on the Iowa game and pick up momentum to a good season. I still think we could use a creative OC to compliment the offensive talent.
Again, the coaching let us down after a great start. Starting at the 2 is one thing, but just because you start a drive on the 17 instead of the 35 is no cause to go into Operation Shutdown.
You see all these other programs using freshmen, I think Alabama is starting 4 or 5 true freshman and aniother 4 redshirts but at Pitt they are not ready because the college game is so complex. So much bull!
I like DW but it is far past time to wake up and play college football.
Stull might not be incredibly accurate and he may not have mastered the art of not staring down his receivers, but at least his throws have some zing on them.
Also, is it me or does it seem like Stull throws better balls 8-15 yards downfield than he does screens and dumpoffs in the flat?
We won, I’m not going to bitch about that. Sure we should’ve blown them out. We were faster and more skilled than Iowa, but Wanny (once again) had trouble adjusting to Iowa’s adjustments after the 1st quarter.
And being scared to do anything but run up the guy w/ Shady inside our own 30 was a bit ridiculous.
If Stull can’t throw the short stuff well, but is decent at the intermediate stuff, THEN THE THROW THE 10 YARD PASSES!!! We have the talent at WR and TE to catch those balls even if we still refuse to put in Baldwin.
One positive that stood out to me was on the 4th and 1 when they called the QB keeper, the O line completely blew the Iowa D line off the ball. That is a very encouraging sign. They knew it was coming, but our guys just plain beat them. HAIL TO PITT
A few kudos:
1. Cav for opening up the playbook at the beginning of the game. He has been villified for his play-calling all year by fans, so let’s give him some props for the first two series….and let’s in a positive manner encourage more of the same.
2. Watching on TV, Aaron Berry looked superb in his coverage–kept up with his assigned receivers and stays with them. He also had a bigtime deflection in the endzone.
3. OL…for the most part their protection on passing was good….Joe Thomas seemed to have a good day, keeping his man away from Stull.
4. LBs…the young and inexperienced guys did a good job, and Scott, despite having tissue up both nostrils to stop bleeding, never stopped.
So, our summer season ends at 2-1…and now it’s on to Syracuse.
Hail to PITT!
-al-
I would rank yesterday’s game as one of Aaron Berry’s worst games as a Panther. He was continually beaten, did little in the return game and committed penalites.
Send me some of those special sunglasses you’re wearing, please.
The flea flicker was a decent play call. I would have preferred to have Cross in there for that series. Run on first to set up the flea flicker. Unlike Stull, he has the arm to throw that pass correctly.
Brytus’ punts were almost all directed to certain spots – I paid close attention to him since he’s been getting so much flak on the boards – but he did a great job of putting the ball where the chance of a return was minimized.
Stull was OK as far as his overall play, his passing was hit and miss (you could see that INT happening). His decision making and pocket presence is very good and his play action fakes are good also. Give credit to the O Line for Saturday’s protection – our QBs are getting time to run through their check downs out there.
McCoy still is missing the initial holes created by the O Line regularly. Better than against BG and Buffalo though, but I still believe he has to think first down rather than TD. Us fans have to come to the realization that he really isn’t the big play breakaway scat-back that everyone wants him to be (a la’ Dorsett). McCoy’s value is getting chunks of yardage to keep series going, with the occasional bigger play due to his talent. Big plays will come when he starts following his blockers consistently. I’m not complaining as he’s great at finding the end zone, but he can get better at his bread and butter worth.
I don’t see a complete blow out at Syracuse, but a game where we start to put together all aspects of O and D and win handily.
“The flea flicker was a decent play call. I would have preferred to have Cross in there for that series. Run on first to set up the flea flicker. Unlike Stull, he has the arm to throw that pass correctly.”
Sorry, you must have seen a different play, Stull’s pass was very good and the receiver had the ball in his hands – not much more you can ask for on that play.
We’ll see how far around the corner we are when I am sitting in Tampa on 10/2.
But then there is reliable Chas, saying how it is. Having left with 5 minutes left in the game for a prior obligation with Pitt up 21-20, I was sure that Pitt would blow it.
Yes we won. Congrats to the team. But there is no reason to become complacent with this team yet. Win the next two games (the next one handily) and I will agree with Mr. Cook that Pitt is on the right track.
As for now, Pitt is still falling short of expectations. 5 straight three and outs? Seriously?
Throw the ball on first down. Do some good old college trickery. If Wanny looked at the films of his big wins, he will find that there were a few tricks/going for it on fourth down/gambles that lead to thw win. We have the talent and we arent playing an NFL Defense – this is college. Tricks work.
Now that I have rambled, I am proud of this team. Good for Shady for saying the win is more important than personal stats. And more importantly, good for Pitt that Shady will likely be a junior at Pitt rather than a rookie in the league.
Win the next two, and Bowling Green is behind me. Stumble and I will continue to be mad that I am flying cross country to see this team.