Column | Snubs and last-second misery: Times Pitt sports got screwed

Pitt sports fans are no strangers to dashed hopes and disappointing games, and the Pitt News sports desk is here to recount the most tragic snubs and calls that left supporters heartbroken.

Ishmael Leggett did not touch the ball // Ari Meyer, Staff Writer

Just a few weeks ago, in a pivotal game that was set to shake ACC standings up, Pitt men’s basketball lost a close game to Wake Forest, falling 76-74.

Up by three with 17.8 seconds remaining, Wake Forest was set to inbound the ball on the opposite end of the court, and sophomore Demon Decon guard Ty-Laur Johnson was struggling to find an open man before the five-second violation was set to occur. 

Just as the referee was about to blow his whistle, Johnson got the ball off, passing it to senior Wake Forest guard Cameron Hildreth. Hildreth struggled to maintain possession and was guarded closely by Pitt senior guard Ishmael Leggett. Leggett got his hands on the ball and hit it into Hildreth’s hand, who hit it out of bounds. 

The play was called out of bounds on Leggett, and due to NCAA basketball rules that there must be “clear, indisputable evidence” to overturn a call, the referees believed it was too close to call and left it as out on Pitt. Multiple video angles showed Hildreth as the last person touching the ball, yet Wake Forest retained possession and went on to win the game.

Snubbed of a 2024 March Madness Tournament Bid // Camille de Jesus, Staff Writer 

In my opinion, one of the very worst times Pitt got screwed was by the NCAA Selection Committee for the 2024 March Madness Tournament. That year, the Panther men’s basketball team was 22-11 overall and 12-8 in ACC play, with a 7-4 record on the road — tied for the fifth-most among power conference teams. 

It was a crushing defeat for the Panthers, who had a stellar offense at the time, including current guards sophomore Jaland Lowe and senior Ishmael Leggett. They were also joined by former forward Blake Hinson and former guard Carlton ‘Bub’ Carrington. They made for a thrilling offense that would have certainly put up an amazing performance in the tournament if given the chance. 

Over the past few years, Pitt has held the label of a “bubble team” — always on the cusp of a tournament bid, never sure if it’s in or out. There’s no denying that Pitt deserved a spot in the 2024 tournament, though. New Mexico, Duquesne, UAB, Oregon and NC State all received automatic bids, but the biggest blow of all was Virginia receiving a bid over Pitt while having undoubtedly worse numbers.

Virginia’s “Fifth Down” versus Pitt Football // Alex Porter, Senior Staff Writer

When Pitt football’s 2024 ACC title dreams remained within reach, Virginia headed to Acrisure Stadium to take on the number No. 18 Panthers. With injuries to first-year quarterback Eli Holstein and senior receiver Konta Mumpfield, Pitt’s offense grew stagnant. It seemed like the defense’s school of sharks would again have to carry the load.

With six minutes left in the game, it looked like the defense came up in the clutch. On fourth and one, the Cavaliers attempted a QB sneak into the jaws of the Panther defense. The stadium erupted in cheers as the Panthers appeared to stuff the Cavaileer far short, gaining possession in a great position for senior kicker Ben Sauls to soon take the lead.

Not so fast, though. If you look at the play-by-play recaps for this game, the aforementioned play never happened. Outside of firsthand retellings, sites like ESPN simply report that Virginia ran three yards for the first down. What happened?

Well, to the displeasure of Pitt, apparently the referees were not set before the play, so they needed a do-over. To most, this sounds like some type of offensive infraction, and in many interpretations of the rule, it was. 

However, the interpretation that mattered was that of the beloved ACC referees, and they decided Virginia deserved another try. On the second fourth down, Pitt failed to change its call amidst the chaos, and the Cavaliers ran an end around out of the same formation for an easy first.

“They got five downs,” head coach Pat Narduzzi said. “I haven’t seen that many times in my career.”

As a result, Pitt dropped its first home game of the year, 24-19 — entirely because of that play.

Larry Fitzgerald Heisman Snub // James Carter Staff Writer 

Larry Fitzgerald was undoubtedly one of the best receivers college football has ever seen. In his two seasons at Pitt, Fitz put up video game numbers, with 2003 as his magnum opus. Fitzgerald finished the season with an insane 92 receptions, 1672 yards and 22 touchdowns, leading the country in all categories.

For his efforts, Fitzgerald was awarded a spot on the All-American team, the Biletnikoff Award, Big East Offensive Player of the Year and the Walter Camp Award. However, one highly coveted award escaped him, which is one of the biggest travesties in its recent memory.

Fitz finished second in Heisman voting that season, behind Oklahoma’s Jason White. White finished the season with a stat line of 278/451 passing, with 3846 yards and 40 touchdowns to 10 picks. 

Comparing statistics from players with different positions is hard, so a lot of this debate comes down to the roles of the position and how they helped their team. 

I’d argue that Fitz’s stats are more impressive, considering that wide receiver is largely dependent on factors beyond his control, mainly the quarterback throwing him the ball. At the time, Fitz’s yards and touchdown count were 11th and third all-time. While voters couldn’t know it then, Fitz would go on to have one of the greatest careers of any receiver in the NFL, while White never even played a snap in the pros.