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Your favorite post-Marino Pitt teams

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MarshallGoldberg

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Oct 23, 2017
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Not "best". Just your favorite Because it's your favorite there are no right or wrong answers.

1.) 2003. The Larry Fitzgerald sophomore year. Almost got a Heisman. Beat #5 Virginia Tech while we had college game day, ranked as high as #9 before the bizarre loss to Toledo. Team should have won more than 8 games with that schedule (only two ranked opponents), but they were a lot of fun to watch, and sort of the ultimate Wlat team. Hard to imagine that he had recruited Rutherford, Palko, and Flacco to the same roster considering how many mediocre quarterbacks we had since. Throw it deep!

2.) 2016. The Matt Canada year. Beat Penn State, beat Clemson, return of James Connor, beat Syracuse 76-61. The big thing that keeps them from #1 was going 5-3 in conference was pretty disappointing, mostly from the defense really struggling for the majority of our games,and they lost their bowl game again.

3.) 1987. The ultimate Gottfried team. Very talented, loaded with NFL players. Beginning of the end for the great WPIAL talent era perhaps. Nice win over #4 Notre Dame, beat Penn State/Billy Owens interception. Ironhead and a weird hybrid traditional + run and shoot offense.

I have hopes the 2019 and especially the 2020 team makes the list soon.
 
1) 2002. Finished 9-4, Should have been a National Title contender.
Lost to then #20 Texas A&M on the stupid swinging gate. Lost at #8 ND 14-6, but could have and should have won. Lost to #1 Miami in the Orange Bowl 28-21 and could have won. Rod fumbled the ball 3 friggin times inside the 30 and we lost to the Hoopes 24-17. That team was good enough to be 12-1 at the worst....... THIS TEAM (not 2009) was our best post Marino team, and not even close. It was physical, we beat #3 VT on the road, we handled Miami and ND. We played three top 10 teams on the road and physically outplayed them.

While It is the 'best" it is also my most favorite because it kind of came out of nowhere. Rod's first year starting, some chap named Larry Fitzgerald came upon the scene, Brandon Miree was a gift and solid back, the D emerged with bookends Greg Romeus and Jabal Sheard......

2) 1989. Just a fun team. Should have been better than 8-3-1.
We played 4 top 10 teams that year. That was when Eastern football was in its last gasp of being independent and good. Team was so talented. Outside of the ND and Miami game, we should have beaten everyone. Favorite was coming back to tie the Hoopies after being down 31-9 at half. IN MORGANTOWN.

Of the three...this was the most talented. My god. Loaded and we still found away to lose 3 games.

3) 2009. What could have been. The year we probably had the biggest talent gap against our competitors, but still managed to go 10-3. And dammit...don't kick to Marty Gilyard.
A good season that was disappointing, but man.....that night beating a mediocre ND team, but it was nationally televised to go 9-1 and top 10 is a high water mark for this program over the last few decades.
 
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Agree with OP , loved that '03 team .
Gradkowski did us in at Toledo .
Another favorite year had to be when Palko won at Notre Dame.
 
2009 was the peak of my emotional investment into Pitt football. That died that night, so it cant be my favorite team.
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
1) 2002. Finished 9-4, Should have been a National Title contender.
Lost to then #20 Texas A&M on the stupid swinging gate. Lost at #8 ND 14-6, but could have and should have won. Lost to #1 Miami in the Orange Bowl 28-21 and could have won. Rod fumbled the ball 3 friggin times inside the 30 and we lost to the Hoopes 24-17. That team was good enough to be 12-1 at the worst....... THIS TEAM (not 2009) was our best post Marino team, and not even close. It was physical, we beat #3 VT on the road, we handled Miami and ND. We played three top 10 teams on the road and physically outplayed them.

While It is the 'best" it is also my most favorite because it kind of came out of nowhere. Rod's first year starting, some chap named Larry Fitzgerald came upon the scene, Brandon Miree was a gift and solid back, the D emerged with bookends Greg Romeus and Jabal Sheard......

2) 1989. Just a fun team. Should have been better than 8-3-1.
We played 4 top 10 teams that year. That was when Eastern football was in its last gasp of being independent and good. Team was so talented. Outside of the ND and Miami game, we should have beaten everyone. Favorite was coming back to tie the Hoopies after being down 31-9 at half. IN MORGANTOWN.

Of the three...this was the most talented. My god. Loaded and we still found away to lose 3 games.

3) 2009. What could have been. The year we probably had the biggest talent gap against our competitors, but still managed to go 10-3. And dammit...don't kick to Marty Gilyard.
A good season that was disappointing, but man.....that night beating a mediocre ND team, but it was nationally televised to go 9-1 and top 10 is a high water mark for this program over the last few decades.
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This. I totally agree.
 
1. Tie between 2009 & 2002. You can 'what if' both seasons to death, but they were the two most complete teams and both of them could go toe to toe with almost anyone, save for a handful of teams.
 
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One of my problems with 2009 was I don't have a lot of great memories of "big wins" that year, even if they finally managed to get to 10 wins overall. Beating Notre Dame is always nice, but they beat 0 ranked teams and only played one team (Cinci) that was ranked at the time of the game. It was a weird year in that I remember all those talented players but don't really remember having fun at the games like I did with, say, UCF this year.
 
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2000. 12-0, lots of great games where Barlow just dominated. Laid an egg on a Saturday night vs Julius Peppers and NC (was Dan Marino jersey retirement night I believe).

Playing in 3Rivers that year was fun. Should have won that bowl game had the grass not gotten slick when they closed the roof.
 
2000 is one of those years beating PSU and WVU, so automatically should make some lists. When was the last season Pitt beat both of them and Notre Dame in the same year? (I think it's 1987)
 
MarshallGoldberg said:
Not "best". Just your favorite Because it's your favorite there are no right or wrong answers.

1.) 2003. The Larry Fitzgerald sophomore year. Almost got a Heisman. Beat #5 Virginia Tech while we had college game day, ranked as high as #9 before the bizarre loss to Toledo. Team should have won more than 8 games with that schedule (only two ranked opponents), but they were a lot of fun to watch, and sort of the ultimate Wlat team. Hard to imagine that he had recruited Rutherford, Palko, and Flacco to the same roster considering how many mediocre quarterbacks we had since. Throw it deep!

2.) 2016. The Matt Canada year. Beat Penn State, beat Clemson, return of James Connor, beat Syracuse 76-61. The big thing that keeps them from #1 was going 5-3 in conference was pretty disappointing, mostly from the defense really struggling for the majority of our games,and they lost their bowl game again.

3.) 1987. The ultimate Gottfried team. Very talented, loaded with NFL players. Beginning of the end for the great WPIAL talent era perhaps. Nice win over #4 Notre Dame, beat Penn State/Billy Owens interception. Ironhead and a weird hybrid traditional + run and shoot offense.

I have hopes the 2019 and especially the 2020 team makes the list soon.
Click to expand...
I’ve always been partial to the Pete Gonzales led 1997 team. After all the heartaches of the Hackett/Majors II era these guys fought their way to a 6-6 record and a bowl game

Also a couple of great memories like the Miami win at home and the 4th and 17 double overtime win over the Hoopies.
 
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TD_6082 said:
1. Tie between 2009 & 2002. You can 'what if' both seasons to death, but they were the two most complete teams and both of them could go toe to toe with almost anyone, save for a handful of teams.
Click to expand...
This is the correct answer. 2003 was a tremendous dissapointment with no defense. 2009 was a great team, little unlucky.
 
wbrpanther said:
I’ve always been partial to the Pete Gonzales led 1997 team. After all the heartaches of the Hackett/Majors II era these guys fought their way to a 6-6 record and a bowl game

Also a couple of great memories like the Miami win at home and the 4th and 17 double overtime win over the Hoopies.
Click to expand...
When Pete completed those passes to Jake Hofart and Terry Murphy, I nearly jumped through the ceiling at the North Park Lounge bar and landed on a female patron. She fell off her bar stool. I got tossed. I got tossed from the party I went to after. I may have drank too much back then.
 
4Mark_Marty said:
When Pete completed those passes to Jake Hofart and Terry Murphy, I nearly jumped through the ceiling at the North Park Lounge bar and landed on a female patron. She fell off her bar stool. I got tossed. I got tossed from the party I went to after. I may have drank too much back then.
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Good job. I was at a local club surrounded be Pitt faithful. Same story as yours, minus landing on a female and getting tossed.
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
1996.

I mean, lose to tOSU 72-0. ND 60-6. Miami 45-7. WVU 34-0. Syracuse 55-7.

Good times.......good times....
Click to expand...
i don't think tosu threw once in the second half of that game either. i know they were running their 4th and 5th string RBs too. I remember cause i was thinking that i didn't even know teams had 4th and 5th string Rbs..

That game could have easily been 100 - 0 if they wanted too..
 
1) 1987. Aside from the opener at BYU I attended all the other games including the Bluebonnet Bowl in Houston. Great defensive team and the last Pitt team to beat ND, WVU and the Pedds in the same year. Pitt won in Morgantown, 6-3. Billy Owens' game-saving INT vs. PSU touched off bedlam at Pitt Stadium.

2) 2000.

3) Tie between 2004 and 2016. Each contained a big win over an arch rival.

I count 2009 as one of the most disappointing seasons despite the 10 wins. Pitt folded down the stretch and failed to seal the deal. The bowl trip was fun (Charlotte).
 
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wbrpanther said:
I’ve always been partial to the Pete Gonzales led 1997 team. After all the heartaches of the Hackett/Majors II era these guys fought their way to a 6-6 record and a bowl game

Also a couple of great memories like the Miami win at home and the 4th and 17 double overtime win over the Hoopies.
Click to expand...

I agree. I loved that team. Pete had so much heart and the win against WVU was incredible. I jumped so high when we won that I hit my head on my living room ceiling (I'm not very tall).
 
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MarshallGoldberg said:
Not "best". Just your favorite Because it's your favorite there are no right or wrong answers.

1.) 2003. The Larry Fitzgerald sophomore year. Almost got a Heisman. Beat #5 Virginia Tech while we had college game day, ranked as high as #9 before the bizarre loss to Toledo. Team should have won more than 8 games with that schedule (only two ranked opponents), but they were a lot of fun to watch, and sort of the ultimate Wlat team. Hard to imagine that he had recruited Rutherford, Palko, and Flacco to the same roster considering how many mediocre quarterbacks we had since. Throw it deep!

2.) 2016. The Matt Canada year. Beat Penn State, beat Clemson, return of James Connor, beat Syracuse 76-61. The big thing that keeps them from #1 was going 5-3 in conference was pretty disappointing, mostly from the defense really struggling for the majority of our games,and they lost their bowl game again.

3.) 1987. The ultimate Gottfried team. Very talented, loaded with NFL players. Beginning of the end for the great WPIAL talent era perhaps. Nice win over #4 Notre Dame, beat Penn State/Billy Owens interception. Ironhead and a weird hybrid traditional + run and shoot offense.

I have hopes the 2019 and especially the 2020 team makes the list soon.
Click to expand...
1989...Team had a certain je ne sais quoi. Van Pelt and swervin Curvin. Nice bowl win in a great game. Paul Hackett's first game and you just knew with him at the helm Pitt was back on the way to being a big time power again in the 90's.
 
Zeldas Open Roof said:
i don't think tosu threw once in the second half of that game either. i know they were running their 4th and 5th string RBs too. I remember cause i was thinking that i didn't even know teams had 4th and 5th string Rbs..

That game could have easily been 100 - 0 if they wanted too..
Click to expand...
I'll tell you what I remember about that game. Not much. I landed a huge account with Mitsubishi in Japan that culminated that week. So they took me out to an authentic Japanese restaurant, and my god, got me plastered on sake and Japanese whiskey. I was so sick, so sick that next day, i wasn't the mature, professional drinker I am now, and sushi and sashimi aren't great alcohol soaking foods....I was such a hurtin fool that next day. My god. One of the worst hangovers of my life, the game was only secondary. And of course those days, Pitt football was like the Pirates are now to me, just wasn't overly invested in that trainwreck.
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
1) 2002. Finished 9-4, Should have been a National Title contender.
Lost to then #20 Texas A&M on the stupid swinging gate. Lost at #8 ND 14-6, but could have and should have won. Lost to #1 Miami in the Orange Bowl 28-21 and could have won. Rod fumbled the ball 3 friggin times inside the 30 and we lost to the Hoopes 24-17. That team was good enough to be 12-1 at the worst....... THIS TEAM (not 2009) was our best post Marino team, and not even close. It was physical, we beat #3 VT on the road, we handled Miami and ND. We played three top 10 teams on the road and physically outplayed them.

While It is the 'best" it is also my most favorite because it kind of came out of nowhere. Rod's first year starting, some chap named Larry Fitzgerald came upon the scene, Brandon Miree was a gift and solid back, the D emerged with bookends Greg Romeus and Jabal Sheard......

2) 1989. Just a fun team. Should have been better than 8-3-1.
We played 4 top 10 teams that year. That was when Eastern football was in its last gasp of being independent and good. Team was so talented. Outside of the ND and Miami game, we should have beaten everyone. Favorite was coming back to tie the Hoopies after being down 31-9 at half. IN MORGANTOWN.

Of the three...this was the most talented. My god. Loaded and we still found away to lose 3 games.

3) 2009. What could have been. The year we probably had the biggest talent gap against our competitors, but still managed to go 10-3. And dammit...don't kick to Marty Gilyard.
A good season that was disappointing, but man.....that night beating a mediocre ND team, but it was nationally televised to go 9-1 and top 10 is a high water mark for this program over the last few decades.
Click to expand...

Interesting recollections and obviously a committed Pitt fan. However, to associate Romeus and Sheard with the 2002 team is a... blunder. They were probably Jr. High players at this time. They both would factor in the disastrous Wanny loss to Cinci in the effective Big East title game in 2009... SEVEN YEARS later.
 
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PITTsburghFAN said:
Interesting recollections and obviously a committed Pitt fan. However, to associate Romeus and Sheard with the 2002 team is a... blunder. They were probably Jr. High players at this time. They both would factor in the disastrous Wanny loss to Cinci in the effective Big East title game in 2009... SEVEN YEARS later.
Click to expand...
Oh shoot, you are right. Bryan Knight and Gerald Hayes were the defensive leaders then. Real unsung group of DT's too. My bad.
 
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4Mark_Marty said:
When Pete completed those passes to Jake Hofart and Terry Murphy, I nearly jumped through the ceiling at the North Park Lounge bar and landed on a female patron. She fell off her bar stool. I got tossed. I got tossed from the party I went to after. I may have drank too much back then.
Click to expand...

I was 13 years old in 1997, so the only pitt football i knew was bad pitt football. That team was such a breath of fresh air, and the WVU game is still one of my favorite sporting events of all time.
 
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KennyTheKangaroo said:
I was 13 years old in 1997, so the only pitt football i knew was bad pitt football. That team was such a breath of fresh air, and the WVU game is still one of my favorite sporting events of all time.
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I was a freshman that year and never expected to see Pitt win. I remember everyone trashing our floor in tower b after the Miami win. It was a great season for sure, though getting trounced in the bowl game onon a cold day in Memphis ended it on a sour note.

I still prefer 2000 as we beat PSU and WVU and it was a better team overall. But 97 was a special year for sure.

I'll also add that what Walt Harris did here is still ridiculously undervalued. If Steve had made the wrong hire and we continued to languish, we are probably Temple today.
 
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I still watch my tape of the 1997 Pitt Syracuse game. A valiant comeback that just fell short, frigid fans who stuck it out in the old bowl stadium and Pitt began its mastery of Virginia Tech that season
 
PittMiamiRivalry said:
I still watch my tape of the 1997 Pitt Syracuse game. A valiant comeback that just fell short, frigid fans who stuck it out in the old bowl stadium and Pitt began its mastery of Virginia Tech that season
Click to expand...
Wait, what?

You still watch a VHS tape from 1997 of a game Pitt lost?

That just sounds weird that anyone would still have a VHS machine, and pick that game to watch over and over.
 
Deer Head said:
This is the correct answer. 2003 was a tremendous dissapointment with no defense. 2009 was a great team, little unlucky.
Click to expand...
Unlucky for 2009? I can say without hesitation that team should have been 12-0 and the one close to playing in a title game. that ranks as my most disappointing pitt team. Crap schedule and they flat out choked away the big East.

2002 far and away was my favorite...tough schedule and they almost beat several top teams. I know we have the 02 vs 09 discussion all the time, but I think the 2009 team would get killed by the 02 team...probably 03 too. Hell, I think the 16 team would also beat the 09 team.
 
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1997, 2001, 2002 and 1987. Only thing they all had in common was at least 2 losses as a favorite. Big favorite.
PittMiamiRivalry said:
I still watch my tape of the 1997 Pitt Syracuse game. A valiant comeback that just fell short, frigid fans who stuck it out in the old bowl stadium and Pitt began its mastery of Virginia Tech that season
Click to expand...

Holy crap man... digitize it and put in on youtube! Wasn't there some controversial play at the end of the game gifting a SU TD?
 
Black_Man_Panther said:
1997, 2001, 2002 and 1987. Only thing they all had in common was at least 2 losses as a favorite. Big favorite.


Holy crap man... digitize it and put in on youtube! Wasn't there some controversial play at the end of the game gifting a SU TD?
Click to expand...

Was the cuse game played in the snow? If it was I think it might have been one of my first games.
 
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