No Quit at Pitt: Tigers find a way on cold, dreary day in Pittsburgh

Clemson trailed late but didn't give up en route to finishing off a 7-1 ACC record.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Sat Nov 16 21:57:37 GMT-04:00 2024

PITTSBURGH – Walking around on the field pregame told us a little bit about what we would see Saturday, but it didn’t tell the entire story.

Pitt graciously allows the media to head to the field for pregame warm-ups, a rare opportunity we gladly take advantage of (we only get to do that at certain road stops). We saw starting linebacker Wade Woodaz in a warmup suit and his jersey, and it was obvious from his limp he wasn’t going to play.

Offensive line coach Matt Luke, like defensive line coaches Nick Eason and Chris Rumph, nervously walked laps around the field, his brow furrowed. Why? Starting left guard Marcus Tate and starting left tackle Tristan Leigh were back in Clemson. The Tigers already knew that starting defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart wasn’t going to play and injuries to defensive back Shelton Lewis and offensive lineman Collin Sadler had ended their seasons.

In other words, this was a Clemson team in a world of hurt. And right off the bat, one play into the game, another lineman went down. True freshman Elyjah Thurmon played well in relief of Leigh at Virginia Tech last week, and he crumpled to the cold ground in obvious pain. All of a sudden, Clemson’s offensive line was forced to shuffle.

Starting right tackle Blake Miller moved to left tackle. Starting right guard Walker Parks moved to right tackle. Harris Sewell moved from left guard to right guard, and backup Trent Howard entered the fray at left guard.

Freshman linebacker Sammy Brown was ejected for targeting in the second quarter, and the Tigers were down to third-string linebacker Dee Crayton. And starting safety Ray Mickens, who has saved his best football for last and is one of the best at his position in the ACC, went out with an injury. Enter Tyler Venables, who told us two weeks ago (after a DNP) that he prepares every week like he’s going to start.

Somehow, some way, on a cold, cloudy day in the Steel City, the Tigers found enough fight for a win. And even though you can never discount an opponent, next week’s game against The Citadel needs to be all about getting everyone healthy enough for the rivalry game against South Carolina.

Are there frustrations? Absolutely. The offense appeared to go too conservative with a 17-7 lead and the Tigers quickly found themselves down 20-17. Injuries have played a major role on both lines of scrimmage. Some play calls, like running Phil Mafah to the weakside on fourth down, on a day when he didn’t have his fastball – was a head scratcher.

There are issues, injuries not withstanding, that are glaring and have to be addressed in the offseason.

But for now, the team found a way to win and keep hopes alive for the ACC Championship. The rivalry game in two weeks is critical for to the national narrative, and this is a team that has to get healthy.

But there was no quit at Pitt.