Hurricane blows game to December

The Pitt-South Florida game has been talked about for weeks and now that the game day has… The Pitt-South Florida game has been talked about for weeks and now that the game day has come, fans will have to wait for the last game of the season to play South Florida thanks to Hurricane Frances.

The once category-4 hurricane caused Pitt and South Florida officials to agree to postpone the game scheduled for Sept. 6 to either Dec. 3 or 4. The decision on exactly what day the game will be played will be announced at a later date.

“It was really a no-brainer for us to not go down there,” head coach Walt Harris said on the Big East conference call yesterday. “From watching the news, it was obvious there was no way [that the game could be played].”

Athletic directors for both schools made it clear that safety was the main priority.

“After consultation with the University of Pittsburgh, the Tampa Sports Authority and other area public safety officials, due to the uncertainty of the weather created by Hurricane Frances and the desire to provide a safe environment, we have decided to reschedule the game,” USF Director of Athletics Doug Woolard said on Gousfbulls.com.

“Tampa’s location on the west coast of Florida and the unpredictability of hurricanes prompted us to delay the decision until we had enough information to warrant the postponement,” Pitt athletic director Jeff Long said in a statement. “The safety of our student-athletes and the general public welfare were at the forefront of our decision. Certainly the state of Florida is facing more critical issues than football at this time.”

Hurricane Frances slowed down on Friday and took her time crossing the Sunshine State, dumping an incredible amount of rain and causing widespread flooding. West Palm Beach, Fla., recorded rainfall totals of over 13.5 inches.

Even though it was only a category-2 hurricane when it made landfall, it caused the largest evacuation in Florida’s state history, because of its size, slow speed and unpredictability — all of which played a major role in postponing yesterday’s game.

The Panthers were scheduled to fly out on Sunday, exactly when Hurricane Frances’ eye traveled over Tampa Bay.

The Pitt-South Florida game was not the only game affected by the hurricane. Florida State and Miami were also scheduled to kickoff yesterday, but the schools made the decision to move the game back to Friday night.

Some fans had already traveled down to the game and now have to weather the storm, like Pitt senior Adam Telleri.

“It’s starting to pick up,” Telleri said over the phone on Sunday, just as Frances was making her way over Tampa. Telleri was upset at the fact that there would be no game. “Obviously, you make the trip to see the game and now, nothing is happening.”

Players who have been gearing up for the big road game now have to focus their attention to the home opener against Ohio.

The postponement of the game is somewhat of a relief for the Panthers’ young offensive starters. Quarterback Tyler Palko and the crew will get an extra week to prepare for the 2004 season.

“We’ll get a week smarter,” Harris said.

The Panthers will open Saturday at Heinz Field against Ohio. The kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Hurricane Frances might affect Pitt again as its remnants could pass over Pittsburgh sometime at the end of this week.