It seems to have been so long ago that I was actually thinking about the game on Saturday.
First up, looks like someone finally got around to wondering why QB Rod Rutherford isn’t running any more. Essentially, fear from the coaching staff that the backup, Getsy, would have to come in to the game if Rutherford was hurt. Considering the season is already circling the drain, and RB Brendan Miree may not be back for the rest of the season, they might want to reconsider that viewpoint. There is also a claim that his ankle was hurting for a couple games.
OF some interest, to me at least is the incident from the Notre Dame game. Here’s what I wrote.
On a 3rd and 10, Rutherford rolls out to the left (Notre Dame side) and runs for the first down down the line. Finally! Rutherford has speed, and he’s been staying in the pocket (such as it was) all day. Fans are standing in anticipation.
Then, as he nears the marker in front of him, he sees a defensive player coming at him.
Rutherford never shies away from contact before. He’s big, tough and strong — 6′ 3″, 225 pounds. We expect him to lower the shoulder and plow ahead for the first down. The stadium anticipates this. The fans were juiced, and I believe momentum would have swung.
Instead, he straightens up and cuts out of bounds 2 yards short.
Stunned disbelief. Dismay. Disgust. Anger. All of this moved quickly through the stands. There was no way he didn’t know where the first down marker was. It was directly in front of him. He chose to avoid the contact. Rod gave up on the play. It is safe to say, that was when the fans gave up. They showed the replay on the jumbotron, and there was no doubt. A blistering chorus of boos rained down on the field. People started moving to the exits.
That was really the end of the game. There was no faith left.
This never made it into a single story about the game. It is mentioned in the article.
Recently, Rutherford has taken some heat for a play late in the Notre Dame game because, on a third-and-10, he scrambled out of the pocket and ran for a first down but stepped out of bounds short of the marker rather than take a hit. Pitt was forced to punt and there were a smattering of boos from the crowd.
“Coach made a comment about it on the sideline and it was something I regret,” he said. “But I didn’t tell him that I was injured at the time. That’s still no excuse, I knew what the situation was. That one still bothers me.”
Rutherford said he won’t make the same mistake.
I hope so.
From the Syracuse viewpoint, they see 5 keys to the game.
Control the ball and clock, using play action. Don’t let Pitt stuff 8 men in the box to key in on stud RB Walter Reyes — this was what VT did to decimate ‘Cuse a couple weeks ago. Of course, this means the passing game has to be working. Something that you can never be absolutely sure of with Syracuse.
Contain Fitzgerald, by making Pitt one-dimensional. In a way the easiest and hardest thing for Syracuse to do. Shut down the running game, and allow the safties to help cover Fitzgerald. Even the most blinkered Orangemen fan knows that the best they can hope to do, is to limit Fitzgerald. No one has had much trouble shutting down Pitt’s running game without Miree. The question will be, can Pitt pass underneath to TE Kris Wilson, and will the other receivers make plays?
Keep Rutherford in the pocket. Now, I’m not sure I get this one at all. I don’t know if they’ve seen the same games from Pitt, that I have. Rutherford is much more accurate in the pocket then when he rolls out, or takes off. Yes, he has potential to take off and run, but as mentioned at the beginning, he isn’t doing much of that.
R.J. Anderson to Johnnie Morant. This is the Syracuse version of Rutherford to Fitzgerald. Uh, okay. Basically, they think this should be the tit-for-tat big play combo to respond to any Pitt quick strikes. Right.
I really don’t know what to say here, because it is just a stupid and contradictory point to controlling the ball and clock.
Don’t panic if you fall behind, just stay close. Pitt has shown in all but the Texas A&M game, that it doesn’t play as well in the second half, and especially in the 4th quarter. The fade, wear out, don’t adjust to new schemes. Even if Syracuse is losing going into the 4th, they still can win.
If I was Syracuse, here would be my one key to the game.
Walter Reyes running right. Reyes running left. Reyes running straight up the middle. Until Pitt shows that it can stop the run on a consistent basis, you just run him repeatedly and often. Maybe an occasional screen or short pass to keep Pitt off guard, but just run the ball. He’s their best weapon against Pitt’s weakest point.
