Falcons bowl strike against punchless Panthers

Three years ago, Pitt entered the 2005 season with high expectations after hiring head coach… Three years ago, Pitt entered the 2005 season with high expectations after hiring head coach Dave Wannstedt in the offseason. After starting the year nationally ranked, the Panthers lost their home opener to Notre Dame and didn’t sniff a winning season. Fast forward to this past Saturday at Heinz Field. A similar feeling floated through Heinz Field, and an all-too familiar result for Pitt fans came about in No. 25 Pitt’s 27-17 defeat to unranked Bowling Green. Pitt’s Achilles’ heel proved to be turnovers, with three of the four coming in the second half. The Falcons were able to capitalize with 14 points following the miscues. ‘To say the least, I can’t tell you how disappointed our football team is, all of us are, from the standpoint of how much work and effort was put into the start of the season,’ said Wannstedt. ‘At training camp, we’ve protected the ball, we’ve done a good job on turnovers, we’ve been smart with the ball. And to go out there today and put the ball on the ground several different ways against a team that can score points, that makes it very difficult.’ Linebacker Scott McKillop echoed his coach’s sentiments. ‘We’ve been saying all preseason and all last season [that] whoever wins the turnover margin usually has a high percentage [chance] to win the game,’ said McKillop. ‘That’s one of the things we’ve got to work harder on.’ Pitt did get an interception early in the game from linebacker Austin Ransom but still ended up with a minus-three turnover ratio against Bowling Green. At the start of the game, Pitt initiated a short passing attack to complement its running game on the first drive. LaRod Stephens-Howling faked out a Bowling Green defender at the line of scrimmage, propelling a 27-yard dash. Pitt tailback LeSean McCoy followed with his first touchdown of the young year, an 11-yarder, to open a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter. McCoy was mostly held in check by the Falcon defense, however. The sophomore ran for only 71 yards on 23 carries, as Bowling Green’s defense placed eight men in the box and dared the Panthers to pass. McCoy was visibly upset following the defeat. ‘I’m sure nobody would’ve expected this,’ said McCoy. ‘For three hours, they were the better team today.’ The Panthers built a 14-0 advantage with an 11-play, 41-yard drive, culminating in a four-yard touchdown reception by Derek Kinder from Bill Stull. But Bowling Green began inserting different formations during its next drive. The Falcons quickly marched down the field, resulting in tight end Jimmy Scheidler’s first touchdown to slice the deficit in half, 14-7. The first of Pitt’s three fumbles came in the second quarter with the Panthers leading, 14-7. McCoy was stripped by Falcons linebacker Erique Dozier, who recovered the fumble. Bowling Green quarterback Tyler Sheehan drove his team down the field in seven plays, connecting with Scheidler again on a misdirection pass for a three-yard score. Scheidler’s second touchdown catch of the day tied the score at 14-14. His first catch was his first career catch for positive yardage. Early in the fourth quarter and trailing by three, Pitt drove to the Bowling Green 43-yard line when receiver Cedric McGee fumbled after an 8-yard reception. Falcon corner and Pittsburgh native Kenny Lewis scooped up the ball and ran it back for an apparent score, but the referees blew an inadvertent whistle, stopping the play after the recovery. Bowling Green went three-and-out on its next possession, but Stull was leveled on the second play of the ensuing drive at his own 11 by Antonio Smith. The ball came free and was picked up by Bowling Green. Two plays later, Sheehan ran a quarterback draw to cement the final scoring, 27-17. Pitt had three more drives to mount a comeback and moved into Bowling Green territory each time. But a failed fourth-down attempt, a missed 42-yard field goal by Conor Lee and an interception in the end zone crushed Pitt’s chances. The Panthers had an early opportunity to go for a touchdown with 30 seconds left in the first half, and the game deadlocked at 14 apiece. Instead of going for a touchdown, Pitt chose to run down the clock to three seconds and kick a field goal. ‘We felt like we wanted points at that point,’ said Wannstedt. ‘I think any time you’re in that situation and you’ve got a chance at three points, you take the three points. ‘You could throw an incomplete pass, it gets deflected, a turnover, you get sacked. Now you’re not giving your team a chance to win.’ Lee made the 36-yard attempt. Bowling Green struck first in the second half. Anthony Turner finished off a nine-play, 59-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown run from the quarterback spot. Pitt blocked the extra point, keeping the score 20-17. Linebacker Shane Murray did not play with a knee injury and was replaced by Ransom. Fellow starting outside linebacker Adam Gunn left the game with a concussion after a collision with Ransom. Nate Nix and Greg Williams took Gunn’s place. ‘ ‘I’d be lying if I said myself and my team are not frustrated,’ said McKillop. ‘But, there are 12 games. We can’t get too down on ourselves.’ Pitt returns to action next week against Buffalo at Heinz Field.