Another collapse of the second half left of Pittsburgh Big East title hopes dashed.
The Panthers squandered a 10-point lead half-time was limited to 80 yards to the attack in the second half and lost to West Virginia 21-20 on Friday night.
It seemed all too familiar in a season of disappointment for the Panthers (5-6, 3-3 Big East), who also could not hold leads against the end of Iowa, Notre Dame and Cincinnati.
"Puzzle. Do not understand. Disappointing," said Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham. "This is obviously not what we're trying to run. Are not running. That's all I can say about it."
Pittsburgh defense forced three turnovers, but West Virginia was a defense that stood out. Tino Sunseri mountaineers fired 10 times.
Julia Miller registered four sacks in West Virginia, 10. Naje Goode had two.
"I'm sick to my stomach, we have lost this game because our players have done everything possible," said Graham. "I just do not."
Graham was an assistant defensive in West Virginia in 2001 and 2002. This was his first as head coach in the backyard brawl, which will have an uncertain future. Pittsburgh is going to the Atlantic Coast Conference, and moved to West Virginia in the Big 12 schools and sports directors have announced that they would like to keep 116-year-old series alive.
West Virginia (8-3, 4-2) can win a share of the title next week in South Florida. The climbers also expected to win the league fine BCS berth automatically, but needs help with a tight league race.
It appeared for some time that West Virginia was in danger of losing at home for the third time under the leadership of Dana Holgorsen-something that had not happened since 2001 in Rich Rodriguez's first season.
Instead, Holgorsen became the head coach of West Virginia to win his debut in the Backyard Brawl as a trout in 1903.
"Defensively, we just played fantastic," said Holgorsen.
Pittsburgh running back Zach Brown left the game with an injury just before half time and Confidential backup Isaac Bennett left the game in the middle third. Bennett then return, but Pittsburgh's offense stalled, and West Virginia crop.
"It was not only in the late match, it was all night. We had missed opportunities on the entire field, "said Mr. Graham." We have not done one reason or another. "
Shawne Alston eight yards to mid-term TD in the third quarter cut the deficit to 20-14 West Virginia.
In the fourth quarter, the mountain is the ball down and Tyler Urban has escaped the ball on the next album of climbers.
But the error of Pittsburgh staff is Aaron Donald gave West Virginia the first contraction of 28 Fourth-and-7, Geno Smith hit Tavon Austin nine yards. Panthers' Alston followed by a 11-yard run and then ran the go-ahead score with 6:10 left to cap 83-yard drive and give the West Virginia lead the game.
Pittsburgh was forced to punt with 2:30 left and has a last chance of his own 34, after West Virginia, after three and out. Sunseri ran for the first and fourth y-1. However, it was intentional grounding call on the next play and was sacked four times in the final drive before time expired.
Sunseri went to 137 meters on December 23.
Errors in the West Virginia special teams contributed 17 points early to Pittsburgh.
West Virginia, George Wright was called for a block down on a field goal attempt failed for Pittsburgh in the first quarter. Brown scored a courtyard with five plays later.
Serial 22-yard punt Michael Molinari at the end of the first quarter, was founded in Pittsburgh near the midfield, and the Panthers scored five plays, with Bennett going to 6 feet off the lead 14-0.
Molinari went after driving 27 yards and was replaced by Corey Smith, who was a great end of the game. West Virginia punted six of eight possessions in the first half went 0-for-6 third down and was held 141 total yards before the break.
A punt that bounces Pitt went to West Virginia is Ishmael Banks and the Panthers recovered at the West Virginia 33, leading to a field goal for a 17-7 lead by halftime.
The follies of the special units have continued in the third quarter. Austin fumbled a punt and Pittsburgh recovered at the Mountaineers 16, leading to another field goal Kevin Harper.
West Virginia, to replace its two offensive linemen early in the third and ran 44 yards with the green light to drive.
"We never say die" Geno Smith said. "We never surrender."
Smith completed 22 of 31 for 244 yards and will set one school record for pass completions on the season (291), attempts (448) and yards (3741), a story of Marc Bulger in 1998.
Halfway through the second quarter, West Virginia, Stedman Bailey took a long pass, and seemed stuck in the middle of three defenders, but he turned over the 63-yard scored pass play.
Bailey caught three passes for 80 yards, giving him a school record 1117 yards, breaking the previous mark of 1,043 set by David Saunders in 1996. Austin 10 receptions for 102 yards gave him 82 receptions, breaking the record of 77 shared by two other schools. It now has 1009 yards this season, giving the mountain two thousand yards receiving for the first time in a season.
The Panthers squandered a 10-point lead half-time was limited to 80 yards to the attack in the second half and lost to West Virginia 21-20 on Friday night.
It seemed all too familiar in a season of disappointment for the Panthers (5-6, 3-3 Big East), who also could not hold leads against the end of Iowa, Notre Dame and Cincinnati.
"Puzzle. Do not understand. Disappointing," said Pittsburgh coach Todd Graham. "This is obviously not what we're trying to run. Are not running. That's all I can say about it."
Pittsburgh defense forced three turnovers, but West Virginia was a defense that stood out. Tino Sunseri mountaineers fired 10 times.
Julia Miller registered four sacks in West Virginia, 10. Naje Goode had two.
"I'm sick to my stomach, we have lost this game because our players have done everything possible," said Graham. "I just do not."
Graham was an assistant defensive in West Virginia in 2001 and 2002. This was his first as head coach in the backyard brawl, which will have an uncertain future. Pittsburgh is going to the Atlantic Coast Conference, and moved to West Virginia in the Big 12 schools and sports directors have announced that they would like to keep 116-year-old series alive.
West Virginia (8-3, 4-2) can win a share of the title next week in South Florida. The climbers also expected to win the league fine BCS berth automatically, but needs help with a tight league race.
It appeared for some time that West Virginia was in danger of losing at home for the third time under the leadership of Dana Holgorsen-something that had not happened since 2001 in Rich Rodriguez's first season.
Instead, Holgorsen became the head coach of West Virginia to win his debut in the Backyard Brawl as a trout in 1903.
"Defensively, we just played fantastic," said Holgorsen.
Pittsburgh running back Zach Brown left the game with an injury just before half time and Confidential backup Isaac Bennett left the game in the middle third. Bennett then return, but Pittsburgh's offense stalled, and West Virginia crop.
"It was not only in the late match, it was all night. We had missed opportunities on the entire field, "said Mr. Graham." We have not done one reason or another. "
Shawne Alston eight yards to mid-term TD in the third quarter cut the deficit to 20-14 West Virginia.
In the fourth quarter, the mountain is the ball down and Tyler Urban has escaped the ball on the next album of climbers.
But the error of Pittsburgh staff is Aaron Donald gave West Virginia the first contraction of 28 Fourth-and-7, Geno Smith hit Tavon Austin nine yards. Panthers' Alston followed by a 11-yard run and then ran the go-ahead score with 6:10 left to cap 83-yard drive and give the West Virginia lead the game.
Pittsburgh was forced to punt with 2:30 left and has a last chance of his own 34, after West Virginia, after three and out. Sunseri ran for the first and fourth y-1. However, it was intentional grounding call on the next play and was sacked four times in the final drive before time expired.
Sunseri went to 137 meters on December 23.
Errors in the West Virginia special teams contributed 17 points early to Pittsburgh.
West Virginia, George Wright was called for a block down on a field goal attempt failed for Pittsburgh in the first quarter. Brown scored a courtyard with five plays later.
Serial 22-yard punt Michael Molinari at the end of the first quarter, was founded in Pittsburgh near the midfield, and the Panthers scored five plays, with Bennett going to 6 feet off the lead 14-0.
Molinari went after driving 27 yards and was replaced by Corey Smith, who was a great end of the game. West Virginia punted six of eight possessions in the first half went 0-for-6 third down and was held 141 total yards before the break.
A punt that bounces Pitt went to West Virginia is Ishmael Banks and the Panthers recovered at the West Virginia 33, leading to a field goal for a 17-7 lead by halftime.
The follies of the special units have continued in the third quarter. Austin fumbled a punt and Pittsburgh recovered at the Mountaineers 16, leading to another field goal Kevin Harper.
West Virginia, to replace its two offensive linemen early in the third and ran 44 yards with the green light to drive.
"We never say die" Geno Smith said. "We never surrender."
Smith completed 22 of 31 for 244 yards and will set one school record for pass completions on the season (291), attempts (448) and yards (3741), a story of Marc Bulger in 1998.
Halfway through the second quarter, West Virginia, Stedman Bailey took a long pass, and seemed stuck in the middle of three defenders, but he turned over the 63-yard scored pass play.
Bailey caught three passes for 80 yards, giving him a school record 1117 yards, breaking the previous mark of 1,043 set by David Saunders in 1996. Austin 10 receptions for 102 yards gave him 82 receptions, breaking the record of 77 shared by two other schools. It now has 1009 yards this season, giving the mountain two thousand yards receiving for the first time in a season.
