Throwing away a victory

EAST LANSING, Mich. – LeSean McCoy couldn’t win this one for Pitt.

He ran for 172 yards… EAST LANSING, Mich. – LeSean McCoy couldn’t win this one for Pitt.

He ran for 172 yards and a touchdown – the seventh-highest rushing total by a freshman running back in Pitt history. He even lined up in a shotgun formation, taking direct snaps as Pitt unveiled its new “Wildcat” offense.

But none of it was enough to make up for costly mistake after costly mistake that allowed Michigan State to win, 17-13.

“We were ready to win,” McCoy said. “But we just made a lot of turnovers. That kind of cost us the game.”

Perhaps the worst turnover came late in the game right after the Pitt defense stopped Michigan State on a fourth-and-one situation in scoring territory.

McCoy took the direct snap on the first play after Pitt took over in its own zone and handed off to wide receiver T.J. Porter on an end-around. Porter couldn’t find a seam in the right side of the line, went down and fumbled.

Michigan State recovered the ball and kicked a field goal four plays later, putting the Spartans up four and leaving Pitt without the option of a field goal to tie the game.

With a minute left, redshirt freshman quarterback Kevan Smith completed several open passes with the Spartans in a deep prevent formation but was sacked as many times, and his hail mary to Oderick Turner was intercepted.

“Turnovers cost us the game,” Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt said.

Penalties helped, too. The Panthers were in scoring range in the third quarter after Porter took an end-around into the red zone, giving Pitt a scoring opportunity. But center Chris Vangas was flagged on an ensuing play for a 15-yard facemask that pushed Pitt out of touchdown contention and forced the Panthers to settle for a field goal.

It was the same story all game. As Pitt progressed the ball with less than one minute in the first half and Michigan State showed no pressure in a prevent formation, the Panthers took it upon themselves to move backward.

After several generous gains that put Pitt at the Michigan State 45-yard line with 30 seconds left and in position to move into field-goal range, the Panthers were flagged for two consecutive false starts, backing them into their own half of the field.

Then Smith was sacked for another 10-yard loss, and Pitt went into the locker room still down seven. Of the 157 total yards Pitt gained in the first half, McCoy accounted for all but 42.

Pitt must have gotten the hint in the second half. The first four offensive plays were direct snaps to McCoy. He lined up in the shotgun formation with Smith split wide to the boundary – a formation the Panthers reverted to throughout the remainder of the game.

Wannstedt and the Panthers knew they’d unveil the “Wildcat” formation, which the Pitt coaches picked up from Arkansas, who runs a similar formation with Heisman Trophy hopeful Darren McFadden, because of the inexperience at the quarterback position.

“I knew we’d be forced into this situation sooner or later, and we didn’t use it the first two weeks, but we practiced it,” Wannstedt said. “It’s something that gives us a change of pace and something that teams will have to defend because we’ll continue to use it.”

McCoy took the first two snaps and ran up the middle, getting a first down on the second run. McCoy handed off to wide receiver T.J. Porter on the third play for an end-around that gained five yards.

After another direct-snap McCoy dive for a few yards up the middle, Smith took the fifth play in the drive under center and threw behind tight end Darrell Strong on a crossing route, which would have been a first down had the pass been completed.

Smith finished the game 9 of 18 for 85 yards and two picks.

“I’ll give credit to the Michigan State defense,” Smith said. “They got a lot of pressure on us.”

Smith was sacked five times, but Michigan State quarterback Brian Hoyer was sacked six. The major reason Pitt stayed in contention despite so many offensive miscues was the defense.

“I think we won the battle in the trenches,” Pitt defensive tackle Tommie Duhart, who also blocked a field goal, said. “We fought for four quarters, and that’s all you can ask for.”