Everything was there for the taking. An undefeated football season, a second
consecutive Big East Championship, an unprecedented season of Bearcat football,
a probable trip to the Sugar Bowl…and oh yea, if Nebraska could somehow beat
Texas a possible trip to the National Championship Game. The stakes could not have been higher when
the Bearcats went to Heinz field on December 5, 2009. In so many ways, that in and of itself should
have been impossible. This was a program
that had spent decades in what in the best of times was mediocrity. Up until the Rick Minter era (the long, but
stable Rick Minter era) the program had spent a prolonged period of time as an
Independent. After a decade in
Conference USA, they were given a spot in the Big East conference largely on the
strength of Bob Huggins building a top 10 basketball program and the vision of
Bob Goin. Many thought Minter was the
best they could do. Instead the Bearcats
rose from the bottom of the Big East to Big East champions in a few years. They had battled, winning close games in 2008
and then taking the conference by storm in 2009. This impossible season, this impossible
college football ascension had built to this one game with everything on the
line. The game was a microcosm of
everything that came before and in the end the Bearcats rose doing the
impossible and completing one of the great comebacks in college football history.
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We
spent the night before the game in Washington, PA. The hotels were cheaper and from Washington,
PA we could reach Heinz field in 30-40 minutes.
With the game starting at noon, the tailgate started early. I remember the lots near Heinz field being
$50.00. We found one littered with
Bearcat fans and set up shop. By now we
were pros at road tailgates. This was my
5th road trip of the season (only missing Oregon State) and my 11th
in the past two seasons. We had the
grill set up by 8:00 a.m. and were mingling with Bearcat fans all over the
lot. We were confident. This was going to be our game. This team had never let us down. It was a bit cold and the snow was falling,
but we barely noticed. With so much on
the line we were ready for the great day ahead.
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It was
a noon kickoff, but we were sure to be in the stadium early. The Bearcats got the ball first and were
stopped immediately. Pitt took over on a
short field and dominated the clock for a TD drive that while only going 56
yards, took 12 plays and 6:29 seconds.
However, UC responded with a touchdown of their own and the quarter
ended in a 7-7 tie. The second quarter
would see Pitt extend the lead to 14-7 almost immediately (on an incredible
catch by Doug Baldwin) and UC respond with a field goal to make it 14-10. Then the wheels came off.
The Bearcat
defense gets maligned a lot in 2009, but for the first half of the season they
really did play well. However, as the
season went on, some injuries occurred and the lack of depth on that side of
the ball began to show. Up 14-10 Bill
Stull hit a 23 yard pass than threw a 40 yard TD to Jonathan Baldwin to go up
21 to 10 (it was a flea flicker, two Bearcats were right there but didn’t get
their head around and Baldwin made the play).
After a Tony Pike interception, Pitt would add a field goal to go up 24
to 10. The Bearcats would again do
nothing on their next drive and Pitt would block the punt giving them the ball
inside the UC 5. They would get a touchdown
and the Bearcats were suddenly down 21 points late in the first half.
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The air
had come out of the sail of the Bearcat fans at Heinz field that day and I have
no doubt everywhere else Bearcat fans were watching the game. My sister was texting me about the game. I remember her texts being fairly resigned to
UC losing. My response to her down 31-10
was something to the effect of “they’ll find a way to win this game.” Did I really believe it? I don’t know.
I had faith in this team. They
could explode in a hurry. Maybe I was
trying to convince myself. However, a
few seconds later I would believe. I
would fully buy in. Mardy Gilyard would
make sure I did.
Mardy
was a force of nature in his time at UC and always had huge plays on the biggest
of stages. He ran back a kickoff against
Oklahoma. He ran the opening kickoff
back when UC won at WVU in 2008 setting up their championship run. He ran back a kickoff the week before against
Illinois. However, this was the one
everyone will always remember. He takes
the kick, sprints forward, makes a couple quick moves then darts to the left
corner of the endzone, outrunning every Pitt defender trying to cut him off. I was at the game, but in the many times I
have seen it since McDonough’s call remains one of the great calls I have
heard. “Here comes Mardy Gilyard. Free at last!” I picked up my phone and sent another text to
my sister barely a minute after my last one.
I remember exactly what it said “We’re fucking winning this game!” This time, I know I believed.
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The
defense came out and played really well for much of the second half, but the
Bearcats couldn’t seem to close the gap on Pitt. Finally it was Mardy Gilyard who caught a
pass between three defenders down the field and then darted off for a touchdown
cutting the lead to 7. However, UC
couldn’t get it closer and after punting from deep in their territory Pitt got
the ball back at the UC 32 and scored 4 plays later to get the lead back out to
14 (at 38-24). To that point in the game
Pike had really struggled and offense had failed to move the ball. The Bearcats were now down 14 points with
only 12:26 left in the game. The offense
would have to figure it out quickly if UC was to win this one.
Mardy
Gilyard returned the kickoff 49 yards to the Pitt 23 giving UC a short
field. The offense finished the drive
barely a minute later, but Jake Rogers missed the extra point, putting UC down
8. After a quick three and out, Pike
lead the offense down the field and UC finished off the drive on a 1 yard TD
run by Isaiah Pead. Down two, UC kept
the offense on the field and Pike hit Gilyard on a slant to tie the game.
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The
defense had played a great second half, only giving up one TD on a short field,
but with the game on the line Pitt marched down the field behind a heavy dose
of Dion Lewis. Lewis capped off the
drive with a 5 yard TD run putting Pitt up 6 with just 1:36 to go in the
game. I remember at the time being
somewhat relieved there was that much time on the clock. Had Lewis just picked up the first down (on 2nd
a 2) instead of running 5 yards for the TD, UC may have run out of time. Pitt messed up the snap on the extra point,
tried to run it and UC held. Suddenly, a
touchdown would be enough to win the game in regulation. This was a huge play and we could feel it at
the time.
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Again
Mardy Gilyard set up the offense. Gilyard broke off a 26 yard return to the 39. When you watch the replay he was so close to
breaking it again. UC took over with
1:30 left in the game. Heinz field was
rocking as UC took the field. On the
first play Pike faced pressure, stepped up and delivered it to Gilyard on the sideline. It was short of the first down so the clock
kept running. UC got to the line quickly
and Pike found DJ Woods over the middle.
UC got to the line quickly again and again Pike showed presence in the
pocket, this time stepping up and rolling right to avoid pressure and throwing
back across his body to Gilyard who broke back to the football. UC called timeout with 39 seconds left at the
Pitt 29.
Watching
the replay of the next play it’s really impressive that Millan calls exactly
what is about to happen. UC has nobody
in the back field with Binns alone on the short side of the field. Pitt leaves Chappell in one on one
coverage. Millan points it out saying “Man
to man down here with Binns again with Chappell. It’s been something he’s liked all day. A
whole lot of field to work with.” Binns
creates just enough separation and Pike delivers a perfect strike to the
endzone. I don’t think I’ve ever gone quite
so nuts on a play. Hugging and high
fiving my friends and the other Bearcat fans all around me. Anticipating the ensuing PAT that would put
the Bearcats in the lead. The huge
contingent of UC fans that made the trip were heard throughout Heinz
field.
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Rogers
drilled the PAT this time and UC had a lead with 33 seconds left in the
game. Pike hit 11 straight passes in the
4th quarter when they absolutely needed him. Pitt ran out the kickoff taking over from
their own 18 with 28 seconds left. A
field goal would be enough for Pitt, but the defense came up big one last time.
Stull threw three straight incomplete
passes (his second and third down passes were almost intercepted, maybe should
have been) setting up forth down with only 10 seconds left. Wandstadt tried to fool UC with play action
(seriously) and Curtis Young finished the game getting to Stull starting a sack
that the rest of the line finished off.
After Pike took a knee we could all celebrate an unbeaten season and a
second straight Big East Championship.
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And celebrate
we did. I remember not wanting to leave
Heinz Field, celebrating and cheering until the Bearcats finally left the field
themselves. The pregame tailgate turned
into a postgame tailgate. UC fans stayed
in the lot while Pitt fans got the hell out of dodge. One tailgate was against the street with a
microphone singing as Pitt fans drove off.
Down the Drive rang throughout the lot and then at the bars that
evening.
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And then
we missed a national championship game by 1 second. I joined a boatload of UC fans at a
Pittsburgh bar watching the Big 12 Championship. Suh tried to singlehandedly win the game for
Nebraska. With a few seconds left on the
clock and Texas in field goal range down 2, Colt McCoy took the snap rolled out
and threw it away. The clock hit triple
zero and the bar I was at erupted. We
couldn’t believe it. Texas was about to
lose and UC would likely play for a national championship. Sadly, it wasn’t to be as the refs gave Texas
one second back. Texas drilled the 46
yard field goal and UC ended up in the Sugar Bowl. Not even that could take away from UC’s day
and the incredible season, but it remains staggering just how close the
Bearcats were to playing Bama for the national championship.
Ten
years ago today. A college football game I will never forget, a
team that will stay with me forever and a season of unbelievable joy. Bearcat football emerging on the college football
scene was unbelievable and special for someone like me who grew up going to Nippert
with my father, cheering hard for UC program that was mediocre even in
Conference USA. I loved UC
football. I was resigned to enjoy
rooting for that type of program forever, but always hoped it would be
something more. I never imagined
2009. It was impossible. It was incredible. It was a season I will never forget.
