PITTSBURGH, Sept. 9— Pittsburgh barely managed to justify its early selection as the No.1 team in the nation tonight when Dan Marino threw a 4-yard touchdown pass and Snuffy Everett kicked the winning extra point for a 7-6 victory over North Carolina in a defensive and mistake-filled season opener.
But Serafino (Foge) Fazio was delighted to get the victory no matter how it came as the Panthers won his first game as their new head coach before a crowd of 54,449 at Three Rivers Stadium and a national television audience. Neither Johnny Majors nor Jackie Sherrill, the two Pitt head coaches before Fazio and the ones who rebuilt the Panthers into a national power, won his opening game as head coach.
''Sure I'm glad this one is over and we can go ahead now,'' Fazio said. ''But I really enjoyed the game. We just played great defense and had some problems being a unit on offense at times.''
Marino, a strong candidate for the Heisman Trophy this season, had one of his less impressive games. He was held to 125 yards passing on 15 completions and was intercepted four times. But the strong Pitt defense, led by Bill Maas at tackle, held Kelvin Bryant, North Carolina's fine tailback, to 58 yards on 16 carries.
Bryant, also a Heisman candidate, never came close to scoring a touchdown. He scored 15 touchdowns in his first three games last year before being injured.
Maas, who was named the game's outstanding player, put an end to North Carolina's final threat when he led a two-man sack of Rod Elkins, the quarterback, when the Tar Heels had reached the Pitt 21 late in the fourth quarter. Michael Woods, Pitt's defensive left end, made nine unassisted tackles, mostly on Bryant.
The first quarter ended with the first break of the game, a 15-yard penalty against Pittsburgh for roughing the kicker on the third from the last play of the period. That gave North Carolina the ball at the Panthers' 43 and marked the first time either team made it across the 50-yard line.
Elkins completed a pass on the last play of the first quarter that gave North Carolina a first down to open the second period at the Pitt 31. Three plays later North Carolina got the only score of the half when Brooks Barwick kicked a 39-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Rob Rogers got North Carolina's other points on a 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
After Barwick's field goal and the ensuing kickoff, Marino started from the Pitt 23 and got the Panthers across midfield for the first time on a pass to one of his three talented receivers -Julius Dawkins. The split end carried to the North Carolina 48 where he was hit hard and late out of bounds. That drew a penalty of 15 yards.
Then Marino tried a long pass, but it was intercepted at the Tar Heels' 8 by Steve Hendrickson, the free safety, who beat Dwight Collins.
Pitt regained the ball, but Marino was intercepted again, this time by Mike Wilcher at the North Carolina 41. Bryant made a big gain for the Tar Heels soon after that turnover to get the ball to the Pitt 35. Then Elkins completed a line-drive pass to Mark Smith at the Panthers' 17.
But Pitt got a break with a turnover when Elkins completed a pass to Bryant. Troy Hill, a cornerback, stole the ball from Bryant as he fell to the artificial turf. That gave Marino another start from his 14, but the series got nowhere, and the half ended with the Tar Heels in front, 3-0.
Marino completed 8 of 15 passes for 60 yards but had two interceptions in the first half. It was not a strong effort. But once the second half started he looked more like the Marino who led Pitt to victory in the Sugar Bowl last January.
On Pitt's second possession in the third period, Marino took his team 69 yards in seven plays to the only touchdown of the game and a 7-3 lead. The Pitt quarterback completed all four passes on that drive, including one for 4 yards to Bryan Thomas on a roll right for the touchdown.
Marino opened this drive at his 31 by looking for a receiver down the right side. Nothing developed out there so Marino, scrambled and finally found Thomas, his tailback, standing alone out to the left. Marino hit him and Thomas ran 15 yards.
Then Thomas carried for 9 yards and McIntyre for 8 on a draw play. Marino completed a 20-yard pass to Collins to get the Panthers inside the North Carolina 20. Two plays later the Panthers were at the 4. From there Marino threw to Thomas, who caught the ball at the 1 running at top speed and went into the end zone. Everett then kicked the extra point that won for Pitt.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/10/sports/pitt-edges-north-carolina-7-6.html
But Serafino (Foge) Fazio was delighted to get the victory no matter how it came as the Panthers won his first game as their new head coach before a crowd of 54,449 at Three Rivers Stadium and a national television audience. Neither Johnny Majors nor Jackie Sherrill, the two Pitt head coaches before Fazio and the ones who rebuilt the Panthers into a national power, won his opening game as head coach.
''Sure I'm glad this one is over and we can go ahead now,'' Fazio said. ''But I really enjoyed the game. We just played great defense and had some problems being a unit on offense at times.''
Marino, a strong candidate for the Heisman Trophy this season, had one of his less impressive games. He was held to 125 yards passing on 15 completions and was intercepted four times. But the strong Pitt defense, led by Bill Maas at tackle, held Kelvin Bryant, North Carolina's fine tailback, to 58 yards on 16 carries.
Bryant, also a Heisman candidate, never came close to scoring a touchdown. He scored 15 touchdowns in his first three games last year before being injured.
Maas, who was named the game's outstanding player, put an end to North Carolina's final threat when he led a two-man sack of Rod Elkins, the quarterback, when the Tar Heels had reached the Pitt 21 late in the fourth quarter. Michael Woods, Pitt's defensive left end, made nine unassisted tackles, mostly on Bryant.
The first quarter ended with the first break of the game, a 15-yard penalty against Pittsburgh for roughing the kicker on the third from the last play of the period. That gave North Carolina the ball at the Panthers' 43 and marked the first time either team made it across the 50-yard line.
Elkins completed a pass on the last play of the first quarter that gave North Carolina a first down to open the second period at the Pitt 31. Three plays later North Carolina got the only score of the half when Brooks Barwick kicked a 39-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. Rob Rogers got North Carolina's other points on a 48-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
After Barwick's field goal and the ensuing kickoff, Marino started from the Pitt 23 and got the Panthers across midfield for the first time on a pass to one of his three talented receivers -Julius Dawkins. The split end carried to the North Carolina 48 where he was hit hard and late out of bounds. That drew a penalty of 15 yards.
Then Marino tried a long pass, but it was intercepted at the Tar Heels' 8 by Steve Hendrickson, the free safety, who beat Dwight Collins.
Pitt regained the ball, but Marino was intercepted again, this time by Mike Wilcher at the North Carolina 41. Bryant made a big gain for the Tar Heels soon after that turnover to get the ball to the Pitt 35. Then Elkins completed a line-drive pass to Mark Smith at the Panthers' 17.
But Pitt got a break with a turnover when Elkins completed a pass to Bryant. Troy Hill, a cornerback, stole the ball from Bryant as he fell to the artificial turf. That gave Marino another start from his 14, but the series got nowhere, and the half ended with the Tar Heels in front, 3-0.
Marino completed 8 of 15 passes for 60 yards but had two interceptions in the first half. It was not a strong effort. But once the second half started he looked more like the Marino who led Pitt to victory in the Sugar Bowl last January.
On Pitt's second possession in the third period, Marino took his team 69 yards in seven plays to the only touchdown of the game and a 7-3 lead. The Pitt quarterback completed all four passes on that drive, including one for 4 yards to Bryan Thomas on a roll right for the touchdown.
Marino opened this drive at his 31 by looking for a receiver down the right side. Nothing developed out there so Marino, scrambled and finally found Thomas, his tailback, standing alone out to the left. Marino hit him and Thomas ran 15 yards.
Then Thomas carried for 9 yards and McIntyre for 8 on a draw play. Marino completed a 20-yard pass to Collins to get the Panthers inside the North Carolina 20. Two plays later the Panthers were at the 4. From there Marino threw to Thomas, who caught the ball at the 1 running at top speed and went into the end zone. Everett then kicked the extra point that won for Pitt.
Source: http://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/10/sports/pitt-edges-north-carolina-7-6.html
