Did Pitt deserve to beat Wake Forest Saturday night? Probably not. Should Pitt have won? Probably.
Pitt held a late 17-14 lead against the Demon Deacons, and while the Panthers certainly didn’t play a good game, it looked like enough was done to secure a win.
Christian Veilleux took off on a 3rd-and-8 with 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter, forced out of the pocket and running toward the sideline. He slid down across the line to gain to pick up the first down and keep the clock moving. Pretty much game over.
Well, not so fast.
The officials convened and decided that Veilleux started his slide short of the line to gain and as such, he was short of the line to gain. It resulted in a 4th-and-1 on the Pitt 16.
Caleb Junko punted the ball away, a poor 32-yard boot, to boot, and Wake Forest needed to drive just 52 yards to walk off with a win. Santino Marucci, in his first career start, hit tight end Cameron Hite six plays later for a 15-yard game-winning touchdown with seven seconds left.
I know it’s a subjective call, determined by where the referee thinks the player begins his slide, but I don’t think it’s a play in which Veilleux began his slide short of the sticks. And I’m not alone.
“I’m sorry,” ACC Network’s EJ Manuel said on a postgame show immediately after the game, “but that’s the worst call I’ve seen.”
Pitt did a whole lot of nothing in the 10 drives between its first 75-yard touchdown and its second, mustering just a 41-yard field goal from Ben Sauls, but that doesn’t change the fact that a subjective call changed the course of the game.
Pitt took a late 17-14 lead off a 22-yard connection between Veilleux and Bub Means, regaining the lead with 1:30 left in the game, and an M.J. Devonshire interception on the ensuing Wake Forest possession gave the ball back to the Panthers.
But, obviously, the final Wake Forest offensive possession resulted in a game-winning drive.
This game wasn’t not taken by the refs or decided on a bad call.
This game was lost because of terrible game management, awful play call on offense, garbage punting, and being so stubborn (or just dumb) that you refuse to make any changes on offense or defense. Add players making dumb penalties and you have a recipe for yet another Narduzzi embarrassment.
Line judge needs fired or to be officiating soccer.
ACC officials are southern criminals, any school north of the Mason Dixon line will never get any calls.
Pitt and Syracuse should have never joined the ACC. It’s controlled by the 4 North Carolina colleges. They drain conference revenue and use their refs to wear down competition, even Florida State and Clemson. That’s why they want out. Pitt should pursue a conference with integrity and a level playing field.
Questionable?
There’s no question.
He was clearly past the marker
I disagree. He starts his slide when he first drops his shoulder, clearly in front of the line. But why did he slide at all? He could have just run out of bounnds and got the first down
Read the rule and come back and see us
He did not start his slid tell he hit line to gain… end of story look at it .. clear no slowing down is not the start… read the rules.. ref should read it too
Veilleux slid because that keeps the clock running forcing WF to use another time-out, so a smart play. No one could have guessed that the ref would make one of the most disgustingly bad calls of all time.
If you thought the Punting was bad in the game it was as worse in pre-game and post-Half warm ups. They did not have a 2nd Punter even attempt warm-ups..
Great interception, two bad DB penalties, a Holding call that Stopped clock, and the faux Slide. I was hoping for three kneels, a self induced Safety, and a Punt. As bad as Junko was hitting them, Sauls would have been better on free kick off tee.
The punter is the grandson of a Pitt coach who was there 20 years. One of his shanks went 10 rows into the stands. I could pick 10 HS punters in the greater Pittsburgh area who are better!
Really sad that a D1 program has a punter of this quality, and an OC this bad!
H2P!
But why did he slide at all? He could have just run out of bounds.
Two wrongs never make a right
So it depends on how you define “starting to slide”. He definitely started to drop down before the first down line. Yes, he was beyond the line when he first touched the ground
It’s obvious why he slid. To keep the clock going and force a time out. Why you are even asking why he slid is even more ludicrous.
By ruling slid starts when any part of body hit the ground.. stripe made his own rule up.. 😡
Veilleux can never live up to anywhere near his potential as long as Cignetti is OC. Horrible inconsistent play calling, endless brainless penalties, a punter who choked sooo often that one has to wonder if he secretly placed a bet on WF, and an abysmal call that sealed Pitt’s fate. A loss almost as horrible as the mega choke in the Bowl game against Houston. Narduzzi actually encourages lack of discipline from his players. This is the result. Disgusting.
Cignetti is a terrible coach. By failing to replace Cignetti, Narduzzi has tanked this team, betrayed the Pitt fans, alumni, students and players.
Is Mumpfield ok? He started stron, but seemed to lose a step or two by the end of the game.
He made that catch at the end of the game. So I think he’s good.
Well he got flippin blasted on a WR screen, took it and got up. Jaw crushing hit and kept on.
season has been over, why not go for it on 4th and 1?
4th and 1 is one thing, go and at least hard count then Call timeout. Was hoping we took three knees and they take three TOs, take the Safety. But the Punting nulled out that approach. Holding call on 2nd down Stopped Clock.
#1 Because that would be a really stupid call on your own 10-yard line.
#2 Pitt failed two times previously to convert on 4th down.
I slowed it down frame by frame, by the rule he was short no doubt about it. Debate the rule not the decesion
Guys/Gals – Ya gotta take off your Pitt colored glasses and watch the video frame-by-frame. He begins his slide about a yard short of the line to gain. The play is dead once he begins to slide.