Oct. 2, 1981: Doug Flutie leads near comeback

Editor’s note: This is eighth in a ‘Greatest Games’ series that will appear in The Pitt News… Editor’s note: This is eighth 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 Johnette Howard on Oct. 2, 1981.

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‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — Call him Fran Tarkenton’s legacy and credit an assist to Paul Revere. Boston College signal caller Doug Flutie led a Halloween uprising Saturday that almost overthrew the No. 1-ranked defense — and perhaps team — in the country. Almost.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The second-ranked Pitt Panthers survived a 349-yard passing day by Flutie and a nightmarish fourth quarter that included three successive turnovers, to pull out a 29-24 win before 25,500 at Alumni Stadium.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ For the second consecutive week, the heavily-favored Panthers, now 7-0, have shown that the so-called soft underbelly of their schedule is iron-plated. At least that’s the way they’ve played it, first against hapless Syracuse (2-5-1) then Saturday against BostonCollege (2-5) and a freshman quarterback, however crafty, who was making just his third collegiate start.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ If Dan Marino, Pitt’s Heisman Trophy hopeful, is the archetypical quarterback, the 5-foot-9-inch, 172-pound Flutie is the unlikeliest.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Saturday, he was also the most effective, relying on guile and a catalog of shovel passes, laterals and scrambling runs that aren’t choreographed in a any playbook — guaranteed.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘He was running around back there like a little rabbit,’ said Pitt linebacker Sal Sunseri. ‘He did a hell of a job.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ It was enough to send the bewildered Pitt defense into fits of indecision while the good Jesuit fathers of BostonCollege smiled and nodded their heads benevolently, even after defeat.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Eagles’ late comeback left Pitt defensive coordinator Foge Fazio shaking his head, too.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The kid is fantastic. Unbelievable. That’s one of the best games a quarterback has played against us,’ Fazio said. ‘He was on his back throwing and throwing passes underhanded.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ For Fazio, an emotional coach who, according to one player, cried at halftime of the Pitt-West Virginia game as he implored Pitt’s defense to stop its sloppy play, life on the sidelines was too nerve-racking.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ A telephone breakdown forced Fazio out of the coaches’ loft in the press box and onto the field. After a first-hand look at Fazio during the game, Sunseri said, ‘I thought he was going to have a stroke.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ It was that close of a game. The outcome went down to the final play with Flutie scrambling and heaving a pass down field that fell incomplete.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Panthers, who at one junction in the third quarter led 29-10, were left struggling, smiling and rolling their eyes in relief after the game.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘They deserve all the credit in the world. They gave us a hell of a game,’ said Marino, who ended the day with 225 yards passing, completing 19 out of 33 tries.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ For the second straight game, Marino had some uncharacteristic problems passing — overthrowing receivers, forcing passes in to double and triple-coverage and interceptions. His two interceptions Saturday give him six in the last two games.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The last two weeks, we haven’t been clicking the way we were earlier,’ Marino said. ‘Everyone has to work together. Mistakes and turnovers cause the whole team to let down.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ After jumping out to a 29-10 lead, the roof seemed in danger of coming down on the Panthers in the third quarter.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ BostonCollege, disdaining the run, drove 88 yards in eight plays for a touchdown, to draw to 29-17 with 11:38 left in the third quarter. Flutie completed seven of eight passes to key the drive — including a 30-yard touchdown pass that Pitt cornerback Troy Hill tipped into the hands of Eagle wide receiver Rob Rikard.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The two team’s exchanged turnovers — Pitt’s Pappy Thomas intercepted his second pass, but Pitt fumbled the ball back to BostonCollege on the very next play. Two downs later, Flutie hit Rikard — again the ball was tipped — for a 17-yard touchdown pass to pull the Eagles within in five points with just under 14 minutes left in the game.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The Panthers turned over the ball three times on their next three possessions and BostonCollege took over all three times in Pitt territory. The Panther defense stiffened. Led by a sack and a fumble recovery by defensive end Michael Woods, the defense preserved the win.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In their strongest scoring threat, Boston College had the ball and a first down on Pitt’s 8-yard line with 3:48 left, but the Eagles failed to score after a holding penalty and Woods’ sack pushed them back. John Cooper hooked a 40-yard field goal try wide to the right.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The narrow win, combined with No. 3 Clemson’s 82-24 massacre of Wake Forest, could keep the Panthers at No. 2 in the college football polls.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Even if the Panthers should inherit the top spot vacated by Penn State, head coach Jackie Sherrill would have been glad just to escape with a win.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The polls will take care of themselves. The name of the game is not to lose,’ he said. ‘Twenty years from now, no one’s going to care what the score was, they’ll just care who won or lost.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Sherrill admitted the team will have to improve on its lackluster performance of late to avoid getting knocked off. The problem with the team has been too much success too easily.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘All of a sudden we’re ranked where we are. We’re 7-0 and it’s hard to make some of our younger people realize they got there through hard work,’ Sherrill said. ‘Some of our younger people aren’t playing the same football they played earlier.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘The biggest problem is our ‘instant success,” he continued. ‘I don’t know, *SS maybe they’re sitting back and reading press clippings.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘It was just a sloppy game,’ tight end John Brown said. ‘If we’re going to keep winning, we have to cut that stuff out.’

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ A scheduling change has already cut out one unhappy thought for Pitt — the thought of facing Flutie next year. Pitt does not play Boston College again through 1983.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ The unlikely quarterback — he wasn’t listed on the Eagles depth chart at the beginning of the season, was recruited as a split end, wears No. 22 and scored 1600 on his college board exams — almost pulled off the unbelievable upset.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Harvard and Yale wanted him for his brains. But Saturday, Flutie gave Pitt more of a football game than they asked for. It was almost enough.