Miami 28
Pitt 14
PITTSBURGH – The Heisman Trophy was decided last night, and Larry Fitzgerald barely got a chance to have a say in the matter.
The fabulous Pittsburgh wide receiver was done in by a bad game plan, worse execution and a Miami defense that displayed one last moment of Big East Conference dominance.
Playing in their last season in the Big East, the 12th-ranked ‘Canes ran to a share of the conference title and a trip to the Orange Bowl with an overwhelming 28-14 win at Heinz Field.
Fitzgerald will be lucky to get a trip on Dec. 13 to New York for the Heisman Trophy that almost surely will go to Oklahoma quarterback Jason White.
“At the beginning of the year, when the Heisman talk was coming out, I said it was never really important to me,” said Fitzgerald. “It’s still not important to me today. Our team goal come first to me.”
The Panthers’ goal was to win their first-ever league title and deny Miami from winning a fourth straight crown before it bolts to the ACC next season. The goal also should have been to get Fitzgerald the Heisman. That little bronze trophy brings better players, more recognition and added revenue to a school.
None of that will be forthcoming for 21st-ranked Pittsburgh. Instead of the Orange Bowl, it accepted an invitation to the Continental Tire Bowl on Dec. 27 in Charlotte.
“It’s not the bowl we were hoping for,” acknowledged coach Walt Harris.
Instead of Fitzgerald winning the Heisman, he might not even finish the season as the nation’s leading receiver.
“Larry Fitzgerald doesn’t care about awards,” said Harris. “He cares we lost. He’s been a big reason why we’ve won. Sometimes we win with someone else and sometimes we win with him and go his way.”
Shockingly, the Panthers threw just two passes to Fitzgerald in the first half. He didn’t make his first catch until early in the third and made an 18-yard who-cares touchdown reception with 2:43 left. It extended his NCAA record to 18 straight games with a touchdown catch.
When the Panthers did throw at Fitzgerald, he was double-teamed. Or the Miami front seven was pounding quarterback Rod Rutherford, who was sacked nine times.
“Our scheme lends itself to taking away receivers,” said Miami coach Larry Coker.
Miami’s new offensive scheme lends itself to pulverizing opponents. Against Pittsburgh’s I-AA run defense, the ‘Canes ran for 280 yards and three touchdowns on 50 carries.
Miami (10-2, 6-1) goes to the Orange Bowl, where it will likely play Ohio State. West Virginia (8-4, 6-1), which shares the Big East crown with Miami, goes to the Gator Bowl for a rematch with Maryland. Pittsburgh (8-4, 5-2) will likely play Georgia Tech or Virginia.
After Fitzgerald drew a pass-interference penalty on Miami’s Alfonso Marshall on Pittsburgh’s first possession, he never saw single coverage again.
“It’s wasn’t nothing we never seen from other teams,” said Rutherford. “They just did it better.”
