Post by rainman on Oct 11, 2007 8:10:04 GMT -5
Navy stops Panthers' 2nd-overtime drive to grab 48-45 victory
Thursday, October 11, 2007
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Conredge Collins breaks to the outside and scores a touchdown in the first quarter last night against Navy at Heinz Field. Pitt lost to Navy in a high scoring game, 48-45.Pitt and Navy staged a scoring-fest before 30,103 at Heinz Field last night as both defenses were completely overmatched by the offenses.
Joey Bullen gave the Midshipmen a 48-45 lead with a 29-yard field goal to open the second overtime, which meant the Panthers had one possession from the 25 to tie or win the game.
Freshman quarterback Pat Bostick found Marcel Pestano with a 16-yard pass on the first play then two runs by LeSean McCoy gave the Panthers a third-and-goal at the 2.
After an incomplete pass, the Panthers lined up for a fourth-and-2, and Bostick's pass for Darrell Strong fell incomplete to end the game.
Navy took a 35-31 lead with 19 seconds left in the third quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. The score capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly five minutes.
The Midshipmen (4-2) appeared to be ready to put a tighter grip on the game when cornerback Rashawn King intercepted a Bostick pass to end Pitt's next drive. But Navy's drive stalled at its 43, and the Midshipmen attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-3. Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop stopped Navy punter Greg Veteto before he could reach the first down.
The Panthers (2-4) made the Midshipmen pay for that mistake as they needed only six plays, five of which were runs by McCoy including a 21-yarder that went for a touchdown, to take the lead, 38-35. The lead would be short-lived, however, as Navy used 11 plays to drive 46 yards and tie the score on a 36-yard field goal by Joey Bullen.
The teams traded scoring drives the entire game, so it wasn't a surprise that it ended up in overtime.
Pitt won the opening coin toss and took possession, but the Panthers' first drive stalled at the 41 when Bostick's pass third-down pass for T.J. Porter fell incomplete. Dave Brytus punted, and Navy took over at its 23.
The Midshipmen, however, did not attack Pitt by land -- or by sea, for that matter -- as expected, but went to the air on first-and-10 and caught the Panthers off guard when Kaheaku-Enhada hit a wide open O.J. Washington for a 49-yard gain.
Four plays later, Reggie Campbell ran four yards around the end for a touchdown and a 7-0 Navy lead with 9:02 to play in the first quarter.
Pitt tied the game on the next possession when Conredge Collins ran it in from two yards out.
The drive might have been the Panthers' most impressive to date as they went 75 yards in 13 plays and took nearly six minutes off the clock. Pitt went for it on fourth-and-1 at its own 46 and converted when McCoy ran for 13 yards to set up a first-and- at the Navy 41.
Still, the key to beating Navy is stopping the triple-option offense, and the Panthers were powerless to do that in the first half.
That much was evident when the Midshipmen took the next possession and drove 61 yards in 12 plays and took a 14-7 lead when Kaheaku-Enhada hit Campbell with a 10-yard touchdown pass. The drive was extended when Navy went for it on fourth-and-2 at the Panthers' 11 and converted when Shun White ran for two yards.
Pitt came right back and tied the game with a two-yard touchdown run by McCoy that capped a nine-play, 44-yard drive. The drive was set up by a 45-yard kick return by LaRod Stephens-Howling, who was returning kicks for the first time because Wannstedt wanted to give the return game a spark.
But once again, the Midshipmen's offense proved to be too tricky for the Panthers' defense, and they took the ensuing kickoff and drove 65 yards on ten plays and again took the lead, 21-14, with a 2-yard touchdown run by Adam Ballard.
Bostick, however, went right back to work and led the Panthers on their third consecutive scoring drive, this time for 78 yards on nine plays, to tie the game. The touchdown was a 5-yard pass from Bostick to Oderick Turner with 40 seconds to play before halftime.
Navy refused to sit on the ball and nearly took a halftime lead after Kaheaku-Enhada hit Tyree Barnes with a 37-yard pass to give the Midshipmen a first-and-10 at the Panthers' 19. Navy's Joey Bullen, however, missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt wide left, and the half ended, 21-21.
The Panthers' defense began the second half reeling again but the Midshipmen made their first mistake of the game on the opening drive of the second half and it turned out to be a crucial one. Navy appeared to have converted a first down on a 2nd-and-6 run but was penalized for holding, pushing the ball back ten yards and putting the Midshipmen in 2nd-and-15.
That was a big break for Pitt because, the triple-option offense is not designed to convert long down-and-distances and sure enough, the Panthers held and forced the Midshipmen to punt for the first time.
Pitt then took its first lead of the game --and its first lead since the second game of the season in a win over Grambling --when McCoy capped a seven-play, 54-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
But Campbell returned the ensuing kick-off 60 yards to the Panthers' 33 yard-line and eight plays later, the Midshipmen tied the game on a 1-yard run by White.
Conor Lee then gave the Panthers a 31-28 lead with a 23-yard field goal with 4:57 to play in the third quarter.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
By Paul Zeise, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Conredge Collins breaks to the outside and scores a touchdown in the first quarter last night against Navy at Heinz Field. Pitt lost to Navy in a high scoring game, 48-45.Pitt and Navy staged a scoring-fest before 30,103 at Heinz Field last night as both defenses were completely overmatched by the offenses.
Joey Bullen gave the Midshipmen a 48-45 lead with a 29-yard field goal to open the second overtime, which meant the Panthers had one possession from the 25 to tie or win the game.
Freshman quarterback Pat Bostick found Marcel Pestano with a 16-yard pass on the first play then two runs by LeSean McCoy gave the Panthers a third-and-goal at the 2.
After an incomplete pass, the Panthers lined up for a fourth-and-2, and Bostick's pass for Darrell Strong fell incomplete to end the game.
Navy took a 35-31 lead with 19 seconds left in the third quarter on a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. The score capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly five minutes.
The Midshipmen (4-2) appeared to be ready to put a tighter grip on the game when cornerback Rashawn King intercepted a Bostick pass to end Pitt's next drive. But Navy's drive stalled at its 43, and the Midshipmen attempted a fake punt on fourth-and-3. Pitt linebacker Scott McKillop stopped Navy punter Greg Veteto before he could reach the first down.
The Panthers (2-4) made the Midshipmen pay for that mistake as they needed only six plays, five of which were runs by McCoy including a 21-yarder that went for a touchdown, to take the lead, 38-35. The lead would be short-lived, however, as Navy used 11 plays to drive 46 yards and tie the score on a 36-yard field goal by Joey Bullen.
The teams traded scoring drives the entire game, so it wasn't a surprise that it ended up in overtime.
Pitt won the opening coin toss and took possession, but the Panthers' first drive stalled at the 41 when Bostick's pass third-down pass for T.J. Porter fell incomplete. Dave Brytus punted, and Navy took over at its 23.
The Midshipmen, however, did not attack Pitt by land -- or by sea, for that matter -- as expected, but went to the air on first-and-10 and caught the Panthers off guard when Kaheaku-Enhada hit a wide open O.J. Washington for a 49-yard gain.
Four plays later, Reggie Campbell ran four yards around the end for a touchdown and a 7-0 Navy lead with 9:02 to play in the first quarter.
Pitt tied the game on the next possession when Conredge Collins ran it in from two yards out.
The drive might have been the Panthers' most impressive to date as they went 75 yards in 13 plays and took nearly six minutes off the clock. Pitt went for it on fourth-and-1 at its own 46 and converted when McCoy ran for 13 yards to set up a first-and- at the Navy 41.
Still, the key to beating Navy is stopping the triple-option offense, and the Panthers were powerless to do that in the first half.
That much was evident when the Midshipmen took the next possession and drove 61 yards in 12 plays and took a 14-7 lead when Kaheaku-Enhada hit Campbell with a 10-yard touchdown pass. The drive was extended when Navy went for it on fourth-and-2 at the Panthers' 11 and converted when Shun White ran for two yards.
Pitt came right back and tied the game with a two-yard touchdown run by McCoy that capped a nine-play, 44-yard drive. The drive was set up by a 45-yard kick return by LaRod Stephens-Howling, who was returning kicks for the first time because Wannstedt wanted to give the return game a spark.
But once again, the Midshipmen's offense proved to be too tricky for the Panthers' defense, and they took the ensuing kickoff and drove 65 yards on ten plays and again took the lead, 21-14, with a 2-yard touchdown run by Adam Ballard.
Bostick, however, went right back to work and led the Panthers on their third consecutive scoring drive, this time for 78 yards on nine plays, to tie the game. The touchdown was a 5-yard pass from Bostick to Oderick Turner with 40 seconds to play before halftime.
Navy refused to sit on the ball and nearly took a halftime lead after Kaheaku-Enhada hit Tyree Barnes with a 37-yard pass to give the Midshipmen a first-and-10 at the Panthers' 19. Navy's Joey Bullen, however, missed a 35-yard field-goal attempt wide left, and the half ended, 21-21.
The Panthers' defense began the second half reeling again but the Midshipmen made their first mistake of the game on the opening drive of the second half and it turned out to be a crucial one. Navy appeared to have converted a first down on a 2nd-and-6 run but was penalized for holding, pushing the ball back ten yards and putting the Midshipmen in 2nd-and-15.
That was a big break for Pitt because, the triple-option offense is not designed to convert long down-and-distances and sure enough, the Panthers held and forced the Midshipmen to punt for the first time.
Pitt then took its first lead of the game --and its first lead since the second game of the season in a win over Grambling --when McCoy capped a seven-play, 54-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run.
But Campbell returned the ensuing kick-off 60 yards to the Panthers' 33 yard-line and eight plays later, the Midshipmen tied the game on a 1-yard run by White.
Conor Lee then gave the Panthers a 31-28 lead with a 23-yard field goal with 4:57 to play in the third quarter.
