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September 22, 2008

Not Taking Chances

Filed under: Football,Tactics — Chas @ 2:27 pm

The Church Brew Works made All About Beer’s 125 places to have a beer before you die (in the world) list. I really have to get back there some time. ESPN.com’s Big East reporter/blogger Brian Bennett was in Pittsburgh for the game and was smart enough to go there that night.

I’ve been to places before that used to be old churches, but this was something different. This still looks exactly like a working house of worship, except for the huge vats of microbrew beer. Very cool place, especially for someone who spent 12 years in Catholic school. As Homer Simpson once said, “Mmm…sacrilicious.”

He also listed Dave Brytus as BMOC on special teams in the Big East this week and Mick Williams for defense. The Big East agreed with him about Dave Brytus, naming in special teams player of the week. On defense, though, they gave it to Scott McKillop.

Cat Basket wants to see more of Greg Cross — not get called for more plays — just out on the field more.

The disappearance of Cross for most of the game made Paul Zeise’s ugly list. In “Bad” is it any surprise that the return of conservative play calling the minute Pitt had an 11-point lead?

The idea that a 14-3 lead in the first half is something worth trying to protect — as opposed to extend — is a little frightening.

Especially while still in the first half.

The booing by the fans at the end of the first half seems to have become a topic of debate.

Q: What the heck is going on with all this booing from “Pitt fans”? I watched the game at a bar with a few people from Pitt and was embarrassed by the fans who need a reality check. I mean, the team was beating a pretty good Big Ten team at half time and getting booed running into the locker room. What is wrong with these people?

ZEISE: I agree. In fact, if I had not been at the game and just based the outcome on my e-mails I would for sure thought they had lost the game given all the negativity and the venom directed at the coaching staff. I don’t get it — yes, the coaches didn’t make every play call they should have and yes, they gave up on a few possessions when they got into second and long by getting very conservative — but Pitt did win the game.

Let me repeat — Pitt won a game against a BCS conference team (time will tell how good this team is obviously, but it seems like a good team with some good players) with a big crowd at home on a beautiful sunny afternoon on national television. What is there to be angry about? …

Sigh.

The booing was not at the players but the playcallers. I would think most people understood this. This was in the midst of the 5 straight 3-and-outs. While letting the clock run out at that point at the end of the half was defensible given the field position, that was as much a carry-over from Pitt’s previous series.

With 1:21 left, Pitt started on its own 20 after Iowa had missed a 35-yard FG. Pitt’s plan was to go into the half by running LaRod Stephens-Howling straight ahead impotently to burn the clock. Iowa and Kirk Ferentz seemed to surprise Wannstedt by immediately calling timeout. Which they did on each play since he had all 3 timeouts left. Pitt didn’t do anything to counter. If anything, Wannstedt seemed stunned that Iowa would be that aggressive. As if it violated the book on how you play football.  Instead sticking with another run straight into the defense and a 2-yard pass. All, very safe and took all of 18 seconds. Again, for those in the stands, it was seeing the reversion to Bowling Green conservatism at the end of the half. That had some small booing, but mainly muttering and looks of disgust in the stands.

Luckily, Brytus had a solid punt and no return yards. Iowa fell a yard short and had to punt. Pitt had 2 timeouts and 17 seconds from the Iowa 20. Yeah, the likelihood of anything happening was really low, but to simply take the knee and run off the field was so typical. The fact that Pitt didn’t even try to move the ball on the prior possession along with taking the knee was too much for most fans. That’s when the booing really hit. I didn’t blame them at all. I was too disgusted to bother booing.

Pitt was lucky to be leading 14-10 when they could easily have been down 17-14. Yet the coaching staff had played  most of the second quarter like they had built a big lead.

And you know what? That was what really helped color a lot of the negativity, despite the win. A strong perception that this is what we will see. A coaching staff that is so afraid of mistakes and so conservative that it will paralyze the team at the first opportunity.

In a way, it made things more frustrating since Pitt actually took some chances. They did learn from the BGSU game to go for it more on 4th down rather than punt inside the 35.

In fact, all three of Pitt’s touchdown drives were extended when, at some point, Wannstedt made the decision to go for it on fourth down instead of punting or attempt a long field goal.

And the third time he went for it on fourth down — it was a fourth-and-one at the Iowa 30 in the third quarter — the Panthers were trailing 17-14 and could have easily opted to try and tie the game with a 47-yard field goal.

“We felt like we would have to be aggressive, go for it,” Wannstedt said. “Where we were at on the field we were just out of field goal range and we felt good about the down and distance. I think most of them were 2-yards or less and in that situation I don’t feel bad about going for it but when it gets up to three or four yards, then you are rolling the dice.”

Must strictly follow formula. No deviation allowed.





The “sigh” and explanation of the booing by the “Pitt fans” seems to be a way of defending the action. I don’t buy it, and I never will. First of all, you should never boo kids who are not being paid to play. (That’s why it’s curious that the Auburn administration asked their fans not to boo the Tigers.) I know they were booing Cavanaugh and Wannstedt, but some of the kids could have thought they were being “booed,” and therefore, the “fans” should err on the side of caution. Additionally, it helps nothing. It just makes for a sea of negativity from which the fans and players need to escape in order for both groups to have a positive afternoon. Why would you want to do that to your team? Why would you encourage (and, by, extension) want to be around people who are so negative?

Defending this action in any way — in fact, doing anything but condemning it — is indefensible for a publication that seems to traffic in “support” for those who are taking the abuse.

Comment by JeffC 09.22.08 @ 4:04 pm

This isnt little league, this is big time college football. If your feelings are hurt by booing you need to toughen up. And like everyone said, the boos were directed at the coaching staff/playcalling, never at the players. I dont see the problem in it as long as it doesnt get out of hand.

Comment by matt in orlando 09.22.08 @ 4:58 pm

I am a supporter of Wannstache, let me say that first. So take all of this with a grain of salt. I am not a fan of Cavanaugh however. The playcalling was starting to get on my nerves as I watched the game also but I think they were made with the idea that we should be able to get positive yards on 1st and 2nd downs when runs are called. I don’t always blame the play callers when these don’t work. Honestly, it was hilarious when our two guards pulled opposite directions and ran into one another. That is just poor execution. As fans we are expecting too much out of Stull right now, and personally I believe keeping things simpler for him is better right now. We know he doesnt have a cannon for an arm, so the idea of keeping things manageable is a good idea (3rd and under 6). The calls are to get the ball into the hands of our skilled recruits and see what they can do with it, sadly we aren’t doing enough after the catch that is what is hurting. As for all the three and outs in a row, I wanted to shoot myself watching them. If we get 2 three and outs in a row put cross in there and let him run a couple and then use the cannon of an arm he does possess when the D is playing up close. Can’t be worse than another 3 and out.

Lastly, WE WON!! COMEON! seriously, don’t say iowa is that bad, just be happy we won and Wannstache’s conservative play calling worked!

Comment by Lee 09.22.08 @ 7:23 pm

It’s not about feelings be hurt, and I certainly didn’t suggest that my feelings were hurt. It’s about fun. It’s about sitting in front of and behind the same people year after year (we tried to change seats) who do nothing but complain about the team through the game and boo when they think it will be the most effective. It creates a miserable environment for everyone, including, by perpetuating their perspective-less lives, the “boo-ers.”

And, again, it doesn’t help at all. It doesn’t improve the situation. What does it accomplish, Matt? And, if it does accomplish something, is it enough to outweigh the fact that people think we are some of the nastiest fans in college football?

The players supposedly like Wannstedt. If the crowd boos him, what if they stick with Wannstedt? Maybe they say “eff it” when they come back out for the next series.

Of what if a recruit is in the crowd. We already operate at a disadvantage given that we can’t fill our stadium; a stadium half-full of people who only support the team when they are winning and winning the way the fans want them to? That could have an effect on someone, couldn’t it?

So, again, Matt, besides the strong argument you posited that it “isn’t Little League,” why are we supposed to “boo?”

Comment by JeffC 09.22.08 @ 7:39 pm

Wow, the Wannstache and Co must be devistated by this loss….

They lost “the running game.”
They lost “the passing game.”
They lost “the time of posession game.”
They lost “the turnover game.”
They lost “the yardage game.”
They lost “the field position game.”

Christ, it seems like the only thing they won was “the scoring game.”

Maybe if our players “execute better” next week we can win some of those other games instead.

Comment by Stuart 09.22.08 @ 7:46 pm

didn’t see this as bowling green revisited–Iowa was an undefeated team that had been rolling, with some good players, big OL–a quality opponent. I though Cavanaugh was innovative at the right time in the first quarter–and I didn’t disagree with playing it safe at end of half–we don’t have the kind of passing game to pick up big yardage. So I do think that we are being too hard on this team–we all desperately want them to win, and it is easy to get frustrated–but I disagree with the booing and negativity. And on the bright side==this team has shown the ability to come from behind–which has been lacking with Pitt in the past few years. And special teams and D really stepped it up in the last quarter–so lets beat SU, continue to improve, and get to a bowl at minimum this year–and I will feel we are moving in the right direction

Comment by tph60 09.22.08 @ 8:15 pm

I agree, the booing is out of hand. The point isn’t that it is big time college football and the kids need to toughen up. The point is that it looks absolutely awful in the eyes of any recruit watching the game. You may defend it and say that it is not directed at players but in game 1 vs. BGSU Aaron Smith was clearly booed for dropping a ball at the end of the game (also a rumbling of boo’s could be heard when Porter dropped the flee-flicker). The one thing Wannstedt has done right from day one for Pitt is recruiting. Pitt fans are going to ruin even this by their incessant negativity and booing. Nothing could drive a recruit away faster than a program with no fan support. It is bad enough that they play at an off campus site with no college atmosphere. Add in a tough crowd (regardless if it is at coaches or not) and those big-time players are going to go to big-time schools, with big-time support, and fans who love there team. It is not enough to just show up at the game and believe this constitutes you being a fan. A fan is someone who cheers their team through good and bad. I am not saying don’t criticize and want more success but I believe Saturday’s should be about motivating and uplifting the team as a fan, not putting it down.

Comment by Pitt Is It 09.22.08 @ 8:38 pm

The booing is well deserved. Even the kids had to be frustrated. They aren’t stupid. They know why people were booing. No self-respecting Pitt fan could’ve been all that thrilled with that win. We should’ve mopped the field with that team.

The article above is 100% spot on. With this offense and this play calling, it’s ensures that we never blow out anyone and give opportunities for less talented teams to beat us.

Comment by CRIMHEAD 09.22.08 @ 9:25 pm

I know it isn’t practical but Pitt ought to have the ushers eject booers from the stadium. Booing at your own team at a college game for any reason is never justified and is always low class–feel free to boo your opponent, however. No matter what the reasons, and no matter how well intentioned the bottom line is it does zero good for Pitt and does lots of harm. I have a ton more respect for the “hand sitters” people are always complaining about than I do for booers. Cheer or shut up!

Comment by pitt1972 09.22.08 @ 10:01 pm

It’s usually the hand sitters that are the ones to boo. They won’t cheer for a good play and they will certainly tell you to sit down and shut up when you do, but they’re the first ones to boo when something bad happens.

Comment by DPJ 09.22.08 @ 11:25 pm

“No self-respecting Pitt fan could’ve been all that thrilled with that win.”

The level of ridiculous-ness here is getting out of hand. Count me among those who will NEVER boo my team or coach no matter how bad they play, or how frustrated I am with them. So, how any “self-respecting” Pitt fan could ever say this is beyond me. Its almost as if some people here would have preferred to have lost! At least then they’d actually have something to complain about.

Comment by gopittgo 09.23.08 @ 8:14 am

Didnt we make fun of penn state a few years ago when they instituted a no booing policy? I think during the rashad casey era? This is every bit as ridiculous. Fans were clearly booing the coaches and the way I see it, were supporting the players. In other words the fans were saying trust the players and let them play.

Comment by Rex 09.23.08 @ 10:07 am

Booing at college games is wrong PERIOD. Those of you on this board who think it is ok need to look in a mirror and get a life. If you need someone to tell you why you should not boo at college then you shouldn’t be watching college sports.

Comment by LBW 09.23.08 @ 10:33 am

Win 55-0. That will get rid of any booing.

Or more realistic….play to win all the time. Especially at home.

BTW…I never boo the Panthers…even in the worst of times.

Comment by Barry 09.23.08 @ 2:15 pm

My friend turned to me at one point last Saturday and said “Pitt fans boo louder than they cheer”. It’s true.

I suspect the same fans that make a show out of their displeasure by booing loudly at the games are the same fans that can’t give anyone a cheer or one iota of credit for the good things they do. They walk away from a win bitching about all the things we didn’t do and downplay those kid’s efforts in getting that win.

But hey, boo all you want – you paid your $12 to see a PITT football game, and you have a right to it. I just wonder why some one spends the time, energy and money investing in something that brings them so much displeasure on a constant basis.

Comment by Reed 09.24.08 @ 6:45 am

I didn’t boo but I sure bitch when I saw the Pitt coaching staff taking their foot off the gas in the second quarter. It is frustrating and I can understand why people Boo. We have a team that can move the ball as long as the coaches don’t hold them back and why do the coaches hold the players back?

It’s because they are pussies, chicken shit, wussies. In short the coaches are not “conservative” they have very small balls and need to grow a pair.

Comment by Tony In Harrisburg 09.24.08 @ 7:58 am

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