Never quite in it, never quite out. At least they're consistent.
Hard not to notice how flat this team looked through most of the game. Where was the fire we saw at West Virginia? Why does this team play so well on the road one week and then look unprepared to execute the game plan at home the next? Speaking of which, what was the game plan today?
Many of those participating in the game thread felt the play-calling regressed this afternoon. I'd have to agree. Too many predictable running plays on first and third downs. Execution was lacking at times, too. Teddy made mistakes that are typical of a freshman quarterback, but he didn't get much help from his receivers. Or whatever routes they were asked to run, especially on third and long.
From my vantage point, it looked like the coaching staff, offensively at least, did not put this team in position to win the game today. Sure, injuries played a role, but Pitt's been dealing with injuries all season, too. Maybe that's too harsh. That's my knee-jerk reaction. Have to credit Pitt's defense and its suffocating coverage in the passing game. Their secondary, with a little help from the wind, shut down U of L's big play ability.
One big positive takeaway was seeing Pittsburgh deal what should've been a knockout punch late in the fourth quarter, only to see this young, plucky bunch recover and throw a few wild punches that kept things interesting. With Strong, this football team will always have a fighter's chance in the final rounds and that mentality should not be ignored.
This roller coaster has been as fun on the way up as it has been vomit-inducing in the twists, turns and drops. And it's that last drop that hurt the worst. The silver lining, strangely enough, is that this was Louisville's last home game. The Cards sit one win away from bowl-eligibility with two winnable games remaining at UConn and at South Florida.
Time to play our road balls off.