Still believe all the hype? Pitt humiliates itself in opener

Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett gathered his unit on the sideline benches and paced back and… Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett gathered his unit on the sideline benches and paced back and forth. On the field, a Bill Stull pass fell incomplete and the offense once again trotted off the field. The boos from the stands became quieter as the students and fans began filing out of the stadium, giving up on a game that had been all but over for some time. Even in the August heat, all of the hype, expectations and excitement of the Pitt football season froze on the Heinz Field turf Saturday afternoon. In front of 45,063 fans, Pitt lost to a lesser team, a team with a less talented offense and a less talented defense with less talented players ‘mdash; a team with lesser-known coaches and fewer expectations. But for more than three hours, that Bowling Green team was more than Pitt could handle. It was the first time that Pitt, which lost the game 27-17, had ever lost a home game against a school from the MAC. Pitt is now 24-1. Pitt tailback LeSean McCoy, who rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, was at a loss for words after the game. ‘I’m sure nobody would’ve expected this,’ said McCoy. ‘It’s tough. When you lose like this, it’s tough.’ It was especially tough for Pitt since it built a 14-0 lead and looked to have the game won during the second quarter. The Panthers were experimenting with two, three and four receiver sets, two tight end sets and different motions. The passing game looked somewhat strong to start, and tailback LaRod Stevens Howling looked unstoppable. But like it did against Notre Dame three years ago and in so many games in between, Pitt couldn’t pull it off. And like he’s had after so many of those games before, Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt didn’t have much of an explanation for why his team lost. But this time he seemed even more confused than ever. ‘They gave us some unusual formations, which we knew they would do,’ said Wannstedt of the Bowling Green offense. ‘We had a tough time adjusting to it.’ One of the most difficult adjustments for Pitt was made when starting linebacker Adam Gunn went down after a head collision. All-American linebacker Scott McKillop was left as the lone starter on the linebacking corps since Shane Murray, another starter, didn’t play because of a shoulder injury sustained during summer practice. Still, the linebackers weren’t Pitt’s biggest problem. Nate Nix came in for Gunn and hustled. Austin Ransom, who started for Murray, led the team in tackles and had an interception. And the defensive line, one of Pitt’s strongest points, played an overall good game. But the Bowling Green offense earned its first downs and played its heart out. Pitt was outsmarted, out-hustled and out-coached. After a quick and easy first drive, the defense adapted to the one-sided attack Pitt brought about. On offense, Bowling Green spread Pitt out and found the soft spot in the defense. On defense, the Falcons loaded the box and nearly begged Pitt to throw the ball downfield. But still, the play calling didn’t change. Matt Cavanaugh continued to run the same conservative run plays with McCoy and stopped going to Stevens-Howling, who was obviously having the better game and could have brought about a change of pace. Cavanaugh stayed with the same, conservative passing plays that got little yardage or fell incomplete. There was little play-action and hardly anything down the field, either of which could have kept the Bowling Green safeties and linebackers from stacking the box. And after Bowling Green adjusted to Pitt’s initial push, the Panthers couldn’t do much of anything after the second quarter.’ The receivers were a step slow, and the offensive line struggled to protect Stull. Then in the fourth quarter, Wannstedt brought in backup wide receivers T.J. Porter, Aaron Smith and Jonathan Baldwin. Was it a message to the team that some of its players had given up? It could have been, but we we’ll never be sure. The most troubling thing about this situation is the fact that Pitt has the players to be a very good team. Pitt has one of the best tailbacks in the nation in McCoy and one of the best linebackers in McKillop. It’s had three years in a row of top-ranked recruiting classes. And it has a coach in Wannstedt who has completely implemented his schemes. And with talent like that, there’s not much of an excuse for another losing season or more disappointment behind this program. There’s not much of an excuse for losing to a Bowling Green team which, while talented, doesn’t nearly match up with Pitt. This season isn’t lost. Pitt still has a chance to win a lot of games this year. The team is better than this, and it will eventually show it. But this loss definitely hurt. The game separated Pitt from the elite teams in the league and showed that maybe the media and fans got ahead of themselves once again. It was a game that should have been about building from a big win at West Virginia last year and proving that the hype was deserved. It was a game that started with enthused players, coaches and students. It ended with Smith being hit in the shoulder pad with a perfect pass in the fourth quarter, then Lou Groza candidate Conor Lee missing a 42-yard field goal before a Bill Stull interception capped it off. But most of all, it ended another eight months of hype and excitement for thousands of fans. And it’ll take a lot to get that back.