Just a couple articles to pass along.
This one from last year about coaching compensation after being fired. Why bring it up? Oh, no reason.
You think Pitt fans were the only ones in shock about “the slide?” Not even close. From Manchester, Connecticut comes one of the better pieces that pretty much nails what the play meant.
If you’ve watched football for 50 or so years, maybe you’ve seen a worse play call. Then again, maybe not.
If it had been a bang-bang, sliding play at second base, Pittsburgh’s quarterback Tyler Palko would have been ruled safe. Because it wasn’t, he was ruled down on Connecticut’s 13-yard line, which brought up – are you ready for some real football? – fourth down and goal. That’s right. On third and goal from UConn’s 12, after a timeout during which the critical call no doubt was discussed on the sidelines, Pittsburgh and head coach Walt Harris ordered their QB to slide right for a better angle on an ensuing field goal attempt.
Can’t you just hear the Panthers on the bench screaming, “Slide, Tyler, slide”?
They didn’t exactly raise a white flag, not on the spot anyway. But from that moment on, or before anyone could say, “No guts, no glory,” UConn took firm control of its first Big East game en route to a 29-17 victory over one of the country’s more well-established programs…
Let’s go back to the play that changed the game. Coaches will argue, of course. You know the drill. Football is a 60-minute game and players must execute on every down or pay the price. The game is founded on structure, discipline, and most any other word you’ve ever seen written on a locker room wall. But sometimes, one call can change a game and this one unquestionably did.
…
Through all the years, a lot of premier Panthers have called a lot of plays, but until Thursday night, “Slide right” probably wasn’t among them.By tipping his hand, Harris handed the game to UConn, which was smart enough and good enough to take it.
One call changed everything.
One call that will be Harris’ epitaph on his Pitt coaching tenure.
