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UCONN – PITT FOOTBALL RECAP

Tackling does in Connecticut in league opener

By Raphielle Johnson

No matter where you go for a recap of UConn’s 24-21 loss at Pittsburgh today the theme will likely be the same: tackling. The Husky defense, which came into today’s game ranked fourth nationally in total defense, missed many tackles on the afternoon and that played a major role in the Panthers coming back from a 21-6 third quarter deficit to win on a Dan Hutchins 18-yard field goal as time expired. Not sure what the exact number was in regards to Pitt’s yards gained after first contact but it’s safe to say that the number could be close to explaining the 489-303 difference in yards of offense.

Pittsburgh (5-1, 2-0 Big East) rushed for 221 yards on the ground, including 158 and a score from Dion Lewis. Ray Graham added another fifty-three yards, and when the run wasn’t working the Panthers were able to move the ball through the air. Bill Stull had his worst game of the season even though he did throw for 268 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The senior also threw a pair of interceptions, one to Robert Vaughn with the Panthers going into the end zone to end the opening drive of the second quarter.

The second interception was of the pick-six variety with Vaughn returning the third quarter mistake twenty yards to extend the lead to 14-3. After Hutchins’ second field goal of the game on the ensuing possession moved the Panthers within eight (14-6), Connecticut went sixty-one yards on eight plays to move ahead 21-6 with just under four minutes left in the third. From there the playcalling of Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti kept the Husky defense on its collective heels and when presented with opportunities to make stops the usually sound tacklers couldn’t make stops.

Jonathan Baldwin (8 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD) made a catch in the back of the end zone late in the third to move the Panthers closer, and Dorin Dickerson tied the game halfway through the fourth quarter with his seam route (Cedric McGee caught the two-point conversion pass). From there it was almost as if the final verdict was known; all that was left was figuring out how the Panthers would finish off the comeback. The one aspect of the Husky defense that was an issue before today was they occasional lapses in pass defense and that was a problem. But the ultimate killer was their tackling problems, which ultimately cost the Huskies the win.