Offense sputters in stunning road loss

ATHENS, Ohio – Sometimes, one play says it all for a struggling football team.

Already… ATHENS, Ohio – Sometimes, one play says it all for a struggling football team.

Already trailing huge underdog Ohio University by three in the third quarter, Pitt starting tailback Rashad Jennings took the ball and rushed left. He was instantly met and wrapped up by three Bobcats. The freshman pushed and pulled and tugged with all his might, but his opposition failed to yield an inch as he fell to the ground.

This is what the Panthers dealt with for more than four quarters Friday night as a ruthless Ohio defense not only shackled the Panther offense, but scored twice, including the game-winning score, for a stunning 16-10 overtime win over Dave Wannstedt’s shocked Panthers.

“It’s so disappointing,” Wannstedt said. “Right now, it’s obvious we’re not a very good team. Last week it was the defense, and this week it was the offense.”

Ohio’s Dion Byrum provided the knockout punch three plays into a stunning overtime frame. For the second time of the night, he stepped in front of and intercepted a Tyler Palko pass and chugged his way down the left sideline on his way to the score. This one gave first-year head coach Frank Solich his first win at his alma mater and gave a school-record crowd of 24,545 reason to flood the field of Peden Stadium to celebrate one of the biggest wins in school history.

“It’s a punch in the gut,” said defensive tackle Thomas Smith. “A loss is a loss. You can’t say one aspect didn’t do its job. It’s a team loss.”

It wasn’t Smith and the defense that collapsed this week, however.

Six days after Notre Dame shredded Pitt’s defense for more than 500 yards, the offense took its turn faltering, producing only 268 yards of offense and 13 first downs – none of which came in the second quarter – as the Panthers fell to the Bobcats for the first time ever.

Few figured the Pitt offense to struggle so mightily against a Bobcat team that gave up 550 yards of offense – 356 coming through the air – in a 38-14 loss to Northwestern last week. But Palko, who threw for only 49 yards in last season’s 24-3 win over Ohio in a game that was also his first career start, turned in his worst performance as a starter.

The junior tied a career-high by throwing three interceptions, two of which went the other way for touchdowns, in hitting only half of his targets on his way to a mere 120 yards passing. All of this came against a team that was decimated by the pass only a week before. Palko hit only one receiver in a first half in which passes were overthrown and assignments missed. Additionally, the Panthers couldn’t execute simple screen passes, as balls hit the ground or went right through receivers’ hands.

“We had all spring and summer to work on [a new offense],” receiver Joe DelSardo, who had no catches on the night, said. “Right now, we’re just not gelling. All we can do is keep working.”

“The game plan was great,” Palko said. “The scheme was great. I just executed it poorly. Coaches expect me to make better decisions than that. I know I’m definitely a better decision-maker than that.”

Byrum’s 85-yard touchdown scamper put an end to a slugfest that was tough to swallow for any offensive mind. As much as Pitt’s offense failed to move the ball, it still produced more yards than the Bobcats. Ohio’s defense picked up the slack, however, keeping Pitt’s offense out of the end zone after the Bobcats’ special teams dug them an early hole.

A boisterous crowd banged its thunder sticks and stretched its vocal chords to the limit as Ohio kicked off its home opener. Unfortunately for the Bobcats, the ball found its way to true freshman LaRod Stephens-Howling, who’s blinding speed proved too much for Ohio’s kickoff team. The freshman bounced quickly to the outside, evading all green jerseys and out-running everyone on his way to a 95-yard score to quickly quiet the crowd and give the Panthers an early 7-0 lead.

Not one other Panther graced the end zone for the rest of the night, however, and Ohio steadily laid the foundation for the school’s fourth-straight home-opening win.

After forcing the Bobcats to punt with just over two minutes left in the opening quarter, Pitt wasted no time in throwing the lead away. On the very next play, Palko’s sixth pass of the game was picked off by a streaking Byrum, who struggled to keep his balance as he stumbled down the left sideline for a 33-yard, game-tying score.

From there, things were never the same for the Panthers. On the ensuing possession, Pitt moved the ball deep into Ohio territory for what would be the last time until late in the fourth quarter, but came away with no points when Palko was intercepted in the Bobcat end zone. On third down, he was flushed from the pocket and scrambled left before letting go of a pass intended for DelSardo. But the junior receiver slipped before the ball got there and Ohio’s Todd Koenig came down with it to halt the drive.

Ohio took the lead two possessions later, capping a 17-play, 76-yard drive with a field goal that Pitt wouldn’t answer until late in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime. In between the field goals, no team scored, Ohio missed a field goal and Pitt didn’t make it past the Ohio 47-yard line in slipping to its first 0-2 start since 1984, one that could extend to 0-3 with a trip to Nebraska up next for a reeling Panther squad.

“I had a bad day,” Palko said. “My coaches and teammates expect a lot more from me than what happened. I fully accept responsibility for this loss. When you personally account for [13] points for the other team, nothing feels good.”

“I’m disappointed,” Wannstedt said, ” for our team, for our university, for everybody. We’re all disappointed.”