Ron Cook: Hard to see this coming for Panthers
Saturday, October 01, 2005
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Pitt hired Dave Wannstedt for this?
Wannstedt came back to Pitt for this?
A 37-29 beating last night by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey?
If you saw this coming, you're a lot smarter than me.
I knew Pitt wasn't as good as its Fiesta Bowl bid last season indicated. It was a Bowl Championship Series team, but it wasn't a Bowl Championship Series program. It got to play in the BCS only because the Big East Conference was horrible.
I also knew there would be a period of adjustment for Wannstedt. There almost always is for a new coach. It's hard to win with your system when you have to play with the previous coach's players. And it's not as if Walt Harris left a lot of quality offensive and defensive linemen.
But, never in my wildest imagination, did I envision Pitt getting beat by Rutgers, which always has been a sure victory on its schedule, even in the dark days of Johnny Majors II and Paul Hackett.
Or that Pitt would be 1-4 at this point and staring hard at the possibility of 1-10.
Or that there would be so many questions so soon about Wannstedt being the right man for the Pitt job.
The only good news for Pitt is that this nationally televised fiasco was on a Friday night. Many of its recruits were playing their games and missed it. Wannstedt should be thankful of that. This was the type of performance that could make recruits rethink their commitment to Pitt or make them think twice about considering Pitt at all.
Of course, this was the third time this season Pitt embarrassed its once-proud football name in America's living rooms.
Its recruits must be getting used to it by now.
This might have been the worst, uglier even than the loss at Ohio University. Pitt did nothing right in the first half and came up short in the second half against Rutgers, an opponent it had beaten six consecutive times by an average score of 36-14.
Pitt's defense was bad, especially early. On Rutgers' second play, running back Ray Rice ran for a 32-yard gain. On its seventh play, quarterback Ryan Hart threw a 43-yard pass to wide receiver Shawn Tucker. On its ninth play, Hart and running back Brian Leonard connected on a screen pass that went for a 33-yard touchdown, Rutgers' first score on their way to a 27-0 halftime lead.
This was a Rutgers' offense, by the way, that produced all of 17 points in its previous game against noted powerhouse Buffalo.
Pitt's offense was worse. It started OK, quarterback Tyler Palko finding wide receiver Greg Lee for a 32-yard gain on Pitt's first play. But the next nine plays went for a total of minus-7 yards. The lowlight came in a two-play sequence on Pitt's third possession. Palko, almost unbelievably, took a 21-yard sack on a second-and-1 play at the Pitt 36, then running back Raymond Kirkley lost 5 yards on the third-down play despite holding by center Joe Villani.
How bad is that?
Then there were Pitt's special teams. Marcel Pestano fumbled on a kickoff return, leading to a Rutgers field goal. And Rutgers' Willie Foster returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown.
It hurt to watch.
Rutgers even beat Pitt up. Glen Lee just about took off Pestano's head on that kickoff return. Tight end Sam Johnson knocked Pitt linebacker H.B. Blades into next week with a block on a screen pass. And Leonard ran over linebacker Derron Thomas to score on an 11-yard catch that gave Rutgers its 27-0 halftime lead.
You couldn't possibly have seen this coming.
This was the type of loss that would challenge any coach's will.
Yes, Pitt played better in the second half, but not quite well enough.
Wannstedt has to fight off creeping doubts about what he is doing as a coach. He's a strong guy, but he's also human. Going back to his time with the Miami Dolphins last season, his teams have lost 12 of their past 14 games. And his one win at Pitt was against creampuff Youngstown State.
But even if Wannstedt is able to fight his way through this, he has to carry his team with him. That won't be easy. Players have a hard time believing when their hard work isn't rewarded with success. That's especially true of players in program that's gone to a bowl five years in a row.
Pitt's biggest problem among many is the play of Palko. Maybe those four touchdown passes he threw in the second half will get him going. That seems to be Pitt's only hope at this point. He hasn't looked like the same quarterback who lit up scoreboards last season. He doesn't look comfortable in offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh's system.
Cincinnati is next at Heinz Field next Saturday.
Once that looked like an automatic win for Pitt.
Not anymore.
There no longer are any easy wins for this team.
Don't even try to tell me you predicted that.
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