Cook: Pitt embarrassing in many ways
-
Pitt fans watch the final minutes of their team's loss to Miami at Heinz Field Thursday.
Share with others:
I can't report this with 100 percent certainty, but I believe no Pitt football player was arrested overnight.
Hey, I'm trying to be positive here.
After watching Pitt take a 31-3 beating from Miami Thursday night at Heinz Field, that's the best I can do.
They brought back legendary coach John Majors, the great Tony Dorsett and nearly 450 other former Pitt players to see this?
What was supposed to be a joyous celebration of 121 years of Pitt football quickly turned into a nightmare. If Majors, Dorsett and the others left after Miami took the opening kickoff and went 80 yards in 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead, can you blame them? At that point, it was fairly clear how this game was going to go. There was very little doubt after Pitt's offense went three-and-out on its first four possessions and produced 76 yards in the first half. There was no doubt after Miami scored a touchdown on its first possession of the third quarter to make it, 17-0.
Here's guessing Majors, Dorsett and the rest weren't real proud of their former school's performance.
"Thanks for coming guys. Sorry we wasted your time."
Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt should be embarrassed. This is his sixth season in charge. Shouldn't the Pitt program be a little further along than this sort of spanking at home on national television?
"I'm disappointed that we didn't match up better," Wannstedt said.
That was the worst part, that the Panthers were so outclassed. A lot of us -- I include myself -- have been spreading the propaganda for a few years that Wannstedt has done a fabulous job of recruiting great players even if he hasn't always done a great job coaching 'em up. Well, we saw what great players look like Thursday night. They weren't wearing Pitt uniforms. The Miami players were bigger, faster, stronger, better, smarter, better citizens, better students, better sons, better boyfriends or husbands, nicer to old ladies and animals ...
I think that about covers it.
The biggest mismatch was Pitt's troubled offensive line against Miami's ferocious defense. It was worse than anyone could have imagined. Pitt running backs Dion Lewis and Ray Graham had very little room to run until very late in the game. Quarterback Tino Sunseri was sacked three times and wide receiver Greg Cross was thrown for an 18-yard loss on a play when he was supposed to pass. As a topper, backup Pat Bostick, who replaced Sunseri in the fourth quarter after Sunseri complained of blurred vision, was sacked on his first play.
First Published September 24, 2010 12:13 am
