UConn football versus Pitt

[Palatine]

All the games between the two were this century. Pitt is considered to be one of the best eastern programs, UConn is a piriah. But put us on the field together, UConn has come out on top.

Winsipedia - Pittsburgh vs Connecticut football series history

Winsipedia - Database and infographics of Pittsburgh vs Connecticut football series history and all-time records, national championships, conference championships, bowl games, wins, bowl record, All-Americans, Heisman winners, and NFL Draft picks

www.winsipedia.com

 

[storrsroars]

A whole lot of folks on Pitt sports boards want to renew that rivalry in both football and hoops. And there has been some discussion about putting UConn on the football schedule sometime in back half of this decade.

 

[huskidork]

always saw pitt and us as a potentially strong rivalry that didn't get the chance to fully see itself evolve into one, big east football in general was super fun

 

[Scrutineer]

Always extra nice to beat the team with the ugliest fans on the planet. Still remember KEA jumping on the scorer's table and shocking the little twerps that had been taunting him all game.
"A heartbreaking win for the Panthers"..............

 

[BugsyCT]

Fortunately for us we met Pitt during the most successful time in our football history. Had some memorable games against them - 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010.

 

[Nostical]

"A heartbreaking win for the Panthers".......

"A heartbreaking loss for the Panthers”

 

[MKH2317]

I’d love to see Pitt on the schedule in the future. They were always great measuring stick matchup for UConn as they had some pretty solid teams when we played them.

Do any of you guys have any insight or speculation as to why we’ve never played Penn State? I feel like that would be an incredible opportunity for UConn going head to head with the powerhouse of the northeast. That must be scared of us or something

 

[UCTitleTown]

I’d love to see Pitt on the schedule in the future. They were always great measuring stick matchup for UConn as they had some pretty solid teams when we played them.

Do any of you guys have any insight or speculation as to why we’ve never played Penn State? I feel like that would be an incredible opportunity for UConn going head to head with the powerhouse of the northeast. That must be scared of us or something

When Penn State went through the Paterno/Sandusky scandal, I thought Penn State would be down for a while and it would help us with recruiting. However, Penn State wasn't down long and we never siezed on their crisis to boost recruiting from PA, OH, MD and NJ where they get most of their players from.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

When Penn State went through the Paterno/Sandusky scandal, I thought Penn State would be down for a while and it would help us with recruiting. However, Penn State wasn't down long and we never siezed on their crisis to boost recruiting from PA, OH, MD and NJ where they get most of their players from.

Sadly that was a small window where (if JH did a better job in replacing RE) we could have gained a tremendous amount of traction in the northeast as a football program. Another of too many opportunities lost due to inept leadership.

 

[Woof 101]

Do any of you guys have any insight or speculation as to why we’ve never played Penn State?

With all due respect to the posters here many have forgot what might have been.... We had a great conference with both basketball and football with this addition it may have survived. Sans Paterno situation.
There is this, A Pity for Penn State: The Big East Blunder

 

[CONN78SEJ]

All the games between the two were this century. Pitt is considered to be one of the best eastern programs, UConn is a piriah. But put us on the field together, UConn has come out on top.

Winsipedia - Pittsburgh vs Connecticut football series history

Winsipedia - Database and infographics of Pittsburgh vs Connecticut football series history and all-time records, national championships, conference championships, bowl games, wins, bowl record, All-Americans, Heisman winners, and NFL Draft picks

www.winsipedia.com

Pitt has a good history on the gridiron, but they haven’t been really good on a National level since Toney Dorsett, and the Dan Marino & Jackie Sherill years. Lately they have been an ACC doormat.

 

[TheDrifter75]

Pitt has a good history on the gridiron, but they haven’t been really good on a National level since Toney Dorsett, and the Dan Marino & Jackie Sherill years. Lately they have been an ACC doormat.

If you are a doormat with 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 wins seasons and 4, 5, 6 and 7 wins within the conference all in the last 5 years, sign me up.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

The ten year stretch from Dorsett's freshman year through Marino's senior year (Johnny Majors for four years, Jackie Sherrill for six), Pitt was as good as any school in the country (one national title, three one loss seasons where they had a legitimate gripe on not being considered) and produced a ton of NFL talent.

What happened to that program after Sherrill left for A&M was a crime. The administration behaved as if they didn't want to be a football program. The worst part was removing Pitt from their branding and changing their colors (from mustard and a medium blue to gold and a dark blue). They seemed to cut all ties to a very rich football history and started consistently putting out a mediocre product.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

If you are a doormat with 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 wins seasons and 4, 5, 6 and 7 wins within the conference all in the last 5 years, sign me up.

Except for the 2021 Covid season they have barely played 500 ball for years. Even including the 2021 season when they had 11 wins, had disastrous loss at home to Western Michigan. Tell me the last time they spent most of the season or even cracked the top ten in the AP top 25? They are a doormat.

 

[storrsroars]

If you are a doormat with 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11 wins seasons and 4, 5, 6 and 7 wins within the conference all in the last 5 years, sign me up.

Doormats don't win divisions and play in conference championship games.

BC is a doormat. Pitt isn't.

 

[HardFacts]

The ten year stretch from Dorsett's freshman year through Marino's senior year (Johnny Majors for four years, Jackie Sherrill for six), Pitt was as good as any school in the country (one national title, three one loss seasons where they had a legitimate gripe on not being considered) and produced a ton of NFL talent.

What happened to that program after Sherrill left for A&M was a crime. The administration behaved as if they didn't want to be a football program. The worst part was removing Pitt from their branding and changing their colors (from mustard and a medium blue to gold and a dark blue). They seemed to cut all ties to a very rich football history and started consistently putting out a mediocre product.

Actually colors changed from gold and dark blue to mustard and medium upon arrival of Johnny Majors
then changed back to original colors. I have my 1972 letter sweater to prove it! LOL

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Actually colors changed from gold and dark blue to mustard and medium upon arrival of Johnny Majors
then changed back to original colors. I have my 1972 letter sweater to prove it! LOL

That may well be true. It doesn't however change that the seemed to sever the connection to a very successful time almost immediately after it ended. Also, changing from having "Pitt" on the helmet (which they kind of changed back in the early 80's) to a panther and referring to the school as Pittsburgh instead of Pitt didn't help.

 

[TheDrifter75]

Except for the 2021 Covid season they have barely played 500 ball for years. Even including the 2021 season when they had 11 wins, had disastrous loss at home to Western Michigan. Tell me the last time they spent most of the season or even cracked the top ten in the AP top 25? They are a doormat.

You said lately, I posted their win totals for the last 5 years. A doormat goes 1-11, 2-10 etc with wins against the likes of FCS teams (and losses) and other doormats like UMass.

 

[Patman]

Sadly that was a small window where (if JH did a better job in replacing RE) we could have gained a tremendous amount of traction in the northeast as a football program. Another of too many opportunities lost due to inept leadership.

that useless doormat hired a retread instead of taking a gamble on a younger coach. We needed somebody who was going to hustle to solidify Edsall's gains and instead hired a past his time old ball coach.

 

[Samoo]

Except for the 2021 Covid season they have barely played 500 ball for years. Even including the 2021 season when they had 11 wins, had disastrous loss at home to Western Michigan. Tell me the last time they spent most of the season or even cracked the top ten in the AP top 25? They are a doormat.

The day when they say about UConn, "even when they had 11 wins" we will all be glad to be a doormat.

 

[storrsroars]

Except for the 2021 Covid season they have barely played 500 ball for years. Even including the 2021 season when they had 11 wins, had disastrous loss at home to Western Michigan. Tell me the last time they spent most of the season or even cracked the top ten in the AP top 25? They are a doormat.

You seem to have a problem with Pitt, as well as a problem with math.

Pitt has been ranked at some point in the season nine times in the past 15 years, even ending the season ranked in three of those, including the last two (13 and 22). They've gone bowling every year but one (not counting bowl-less 2020) in that time. During the eight years that Narduzzi has been HC, they've got the 4th best record in the ACC, winning the Coastal Division twice.

How in hell is that a "doormat"? What's your floor, Ohio State?

 

[HardFacts]

The ten year stretch from Dorsett's freshman year through Marino's senior year (Johnny Majors for four years, Jackie Sherrill for six), Pitt was as good as any school in the country (one national title, three one loss seasons where they had a legitimate gripe on not being considered) and produced a ton of NFL talent.

What happened to that program after Sherrill left for A&M was a crime. The administration behaved as if they didn't want to be a football program. The worst part was removing Pitt from their branding and changing their colors (from mustard and a medium blue to gold and a dark blue). They seemed to cut all ties to a very rich football history and started consistently putting out a mediocre product.

The reason they were so good was Majors came in 1973 prior to NCAA scholarship limits and they brought in 21 Junior College kids and 104 freshman. They took 205 players to camp that year. They literally bought their national championship with that recruiting class. Johnny was given a blank check.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Doormats don't win divisions and play in conference championship games.

BC is a doormat. Pitt isn't.

Maybe “doormat” is a bit of an overstatement ok? That being said Pitt is not a good program nowadays, in my opinion. Do they have a great history? Yes, no question, but that was years ago. The Coastal Division of the ACC is a joke compared to the Atlantic Division. Last season Pitt and Duke had identical records in the Coastal, that being said, please don’t start touting Duke as a football power.