Nov. 1, 1971: Panthers take coach’s advice in victory over Syracuse

Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a “Greatest Games” series that will appear in The Pitt… Editor’s note: This is the seventh in a “Greatest Games” series that will appear in The Pitt News the day before each Pitt football game this year. Each part in the series will detail Pitt’s greatest game against that week’s opponent, and will contain the original game story as it appeared in The Pitt News. This story was written by Marty Hellman on Nov. 1, 1971.

Before Saturday’s contest with Syracuse began, Pitt head coach Carl DePasqua told his team to “have some fun in this game and not to worry about mistakes.”

The calming approach resulted in a 31-21 victory for the Panthers – now 3-4 – as they beat the Orangemen at their own game of grinding out yardage and ball control.

Additionally, the Cats had the chance to capitalize on someone else’s mistakes for the first time this season. The Orangemen turned the ball over on three fumbles and the Panther offense converted the recovered fumbles into two touchdowns and a field goal.

“We got some fumbles and good field position in the second half, and we were able to cash in on them,” said DePasqua after the game.

The Panther defense got off to a rough start – the Orange scored the first two times they had possession. After that, Pitt stopped Syracuse from making a first down a majority of times they did have the ball.

Panther linebackers Ralph Cindrich and Joe Carroll were outstanding, as the two combined for 30 tackles in leading the defensive unit.

Unfortunately, the convincing win by the Panthers was marred by a severe injury to sophomore quarterback Bob Medwid. Early in the third quarter, Medwid suffered a broken collarbone. He will miss the rest of the season.

He was hurt immediately after he threw a short touchdown pass to Steve Moyer, which knotted the score at 14 all. Bill Coghill, Syracuse’s left defensive tackle plowed into Medwid after he released the ball.

Until Medwid left the game, he engineered the Panthers’ power-I offense, which moved the ball well on the ground against the SU defense. Medwid injected some nifty running of his own between carries by Stan Ostrowski, John Chatman and fullback Lou Julian.

After Medwid left the field, John Hogan replaced him, only to have his first pass intercepted by Syracuse’s Howie Goodman as the bounced out of Moyer’s hands.

Seven plays later, QB Frank Ruggiero scored from the one, and the Panthers had to come from behind again.

Dave Havern, who has rallied the Cats in past games with passing, took over and stuck to the ground until it was necessary to put the ball in the air again. Havern led tight end Joel Klimek in the far corner of the end zone with a 20-yard pass and Klimek made a leaping catch to tie the score again.

The offense got the ball right back as Syracuse was stymied by the aroused Panther defense. A drive halted on the 28-yard line and Eric Knisely’s field goal attempt hit the crossbar and bounced back onto the field.

“When I hit it,” said Knisely after the game, “I thought it was good.”

Cindrich knocked the ball loose from Ron Page two plays later on the 27-yard line, and the Panthers did not waste the golden chance. Julian extended the ball over the goal line as he plunged two yards for the winning TD.

The fumbling Orangemen obliged immediately as John Rosella turned the ball loose on the ensuing kickoff. Though the Panthers could not move closer, Knisely proved accurate from the 34-yard line with three points that put the game out of the Orangemen’s reach.

In the waning minutes, Syracuse drove to the Panther 1-yard line. Without the pressure of an imperative goal-line stand, the defense held for the first time this season. Syracuse’s frustrations ended as the clock ran out.

“We were in a prevent defense,” said defensive coach Serafino Fazio about the final SU drive. “That goal-line stand did more for us that anything – it gave us a lot of confidence.”

A surprise addition to the Panther starting lineup was John White, the soccer teams’ goalie and forward. Although he just began practicing kickoffs this week. DePasqua elected to have him perform the specialty.

White, who played goal earlier in the day for the booters, was ecstatic after the contest.

“This is what I dreamed about,” he exclaimed. “I just wish that I had done better.”

Bob Kuziel, the Panther center who represents one gridder that Syracuse coach Ben Schwartwalder missed in recruiting, brimmed with joy in the locker room.

“For me, this meant winning the rubber match with Syracuse,” he emphasized, referring to the past three Panther-Orange contests.