Pitt headed for Tempe to play Utah in Fiesta Bowl
PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh head coach Walt Harris shared a story Sunday night after accepting a BCS Bowl Invitation on national television to play in the Fiesta Bowl on New Years Day against undefeated Utah. In preparation for last Saturday’s game against South Florida, the Panthers played another game of sorts the night before.
“John Gruden came over and talked to us Friday night and he hosted a game of Let’s Make A Deal for us,” Harris said of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach. “Door No. 1 was thinking about the BCS Bowl instead of the game and barely winning. Door No. 2 was allowing South Florida to beat a team going to a BCS Bowl. And door No. 3 was the Panthers making a statement and showing they are ready to go a BCS Bowl.”
After making the statement on Saturday, Pittsburgh (8-3) accepted an invitation on Sunday to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1 at 8:30 p.m. to play undefeated Utah (11-0) of the Mountain West Conference.
The Panthers are No. 19 in the Associated Press poll and No. 20 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, both released Sunday, while the Utes are No. 5 and No. 6.
Harris feels the team has come along way since September.
“We weren’t on anybody’s preseason polls when the season started, and when we were 2-2 and not playing well, a lot of people were counting us out and thinking we were going to pack it in,” Harris said. “Lo and behold, we went on to win six of our last seven, with our only loss being on the road in double overtime to a Syracuse team who is also bowl eligible, so we’re honored to go to the Fiesta Bowl and represent the Big East Conference.
“We all stuck together and I think the adversity early helped rally us to stay together rather than pull us apart, and when we had to get it done, we did, so I think we earned this BCS Bowl Invitation. Our talented younger players developed into older players right before our eyes, with the help of our excellent leadership of our seniors.”
One senior, nose guard Vince Crochunis, feels the team deserves the BCS invitation since the Panthers just worked within the system that was put in front of them.
“Until we have a playoff system, this is the way the bowl bids work, the winner of the Big East goes to a BCS Bowl,” Crochunis said. “All I know is I tried to show leadership on and off the field this year and everybody on our team stepped up and we did what we needed to do to get invited to a BCS Bowl.”
Harris felt the team turned around in the second half of the victory over Temple in the fifth game of the season.
“We had a couple of goal line stands against Temple and got back into it to win that game after a tough loss the week before (at Connecticut) so that was probably a turning point in our season,” Harris said. “The important thing for us right now is to achieve our best record with a win and that is a big motivator for us.”
Quarterback Tyler Palko thought the whole season was a developing experience and did not see one game or one play as being a turning point. For that reason, he is also happy for his head coach who endured a lot of criticism this season.
“I am real happy for coach Harris because he’s been a rock throughout all the criticism and never swayed from his attention to us, so we kept our foot on the gas pedal all year,” Palko said. “Sometimes people expect perfection, and we hoped to compete for a national championship this year too, but sometimes everything doesn’t work out the way you hope, so we think going to the Fiesta Bowl, and hopefully winning it is the next best thing.”
In order to win, the Panthers will have to brace themselves against a high-octane Utah team. Harris described the Utes as being tough on both sides of the ball, even though they have been credited this year mostly on their offensive juggernaut.
“Utah’s offense has received most of the accolades and they’ve done a good job this year being wide open and innovative, and they have a real good quarterback in Albert Smith,” Harris said, “but we think their defense is pretty doggone good too, and they have a good head coach in Urban Meyer.”
“The entire system will receive some criticism about Pitt playing in this game, but not from me,” said Meyer, who is headed to Florida after the season. “I know how good this Pitt team.”
The Panthers also appeared in the Fiesta Bowl in 1984 (28-23 loss to Ohio State), 1979 (16-10 victory over Arizona) and 1973 (28-7 loss to Arizona State during Tony Dorsett’s freshman year at Pitt).