Revis’ return top Pitt play of 21st century
Dion Lewis might not make this list. Brian O’Neill’s “Piesman Trophy” play on a throwback pass, Ryan Lewis’ gamesaving pick against Penn State, and Jonathan Baldwin on fourth-and-6 at Notre Dame might not, either. I’m still wavering on Lousaka Polite and Brandon Miree and what they did to Virginia Tech all those years ago.
And what about James Conner’s stiff-arm touchdown against Villanova in his first game back from cancer treatments?
We’re talking five plays in 18 years here. The criterion isn’t especially rigid, but I’ll go with some combination of sheer skill and overall importance. Or not. The envelopes, please … 5. Nov. 12, 2016: Chris Blewitt’s 48-yard field goal beats No. 2 Clemson with six seconds left
I have to start with what Blewitt’s father, Ted, told me a couple days after the game, when I inquired about the family name (a most unfortunate one for a place-kicker). I’d feel bad if I left this out.
“OK, there are a couple of stories,” Mr. Blewitt said. “One is that the [family] clan lived in the mountains of Great Britain, and maybe we were just poorly dressed, but our skin color was blue. It coulda’ been a thousand years ago.
“The other story is that people used to get their names from their occupations — you see Goldsmiths, Coppersmiths — and apparently we were glass-blowers. How it got to ‘Blewitt’ I don’t know.” Aren’t you glad I asked? Earlier in the game, Blewitt missed an extra point and smacked a 53-yard attempt into a bunch of linemen. But he got a boost from coach Pat Narduzzi, who put his arm around him after one miss and kissed him on the cheek. Twice.
“I definitely wasn’t expecting that,” Blewitt said.
4. Sept. 27, 2003: Larry Fitzgerald makes like Willie Mays and Lynn Swann on the same play at Texas A&M
Maybe it was more like John Stallworth in the Super Bowl against the Rams, as Fitzgerald turned his body to make a full-speed, over-the-shoulder touchdown catch between two defenders.
I’m sure you’ve seen it. If not, head to YouTube immediately. This was Brent Musberger’s reaction on the television call: “Oh mercy, he’s done it again! The man is remarkable!”
3. Dec. 1, 2007: Two plays from “13-9” (at West Virginia) merit discussion in this spot
One was Dave Wannstedt, on crutches, faking a fit to set up a fake punt, but I’m going with Scott McKillop thwarting Steve Slaton on fourth-and-3 at the Pitt 26 with four minutes left in the game and the Panthers leading 13-7.
Pat White handed the ball to Slaton, who had a clear path to a first down. McKillop dropped center Mike Dent with a crushing blow, exploded to his left and chopped down Slaton at the knees.
Pretty much chopped down WVU’s national title hopes, too.
2. Sept. 16, 2000: Rod Rutherford’s 62-yard catch and run in a 12-0 victory against Penn State
Yes, this was technically a play that occurred in the 20th century, but it’s still in the 2000s. I think. What matters is that a Pittsburgh kid who turned down Penn State for Pitt — when the Panthers weren’t exactly thriving — scored the only touchdown in what was then the last scheduled game of a legendary series. It was the first catch of Rutherford’s career, too.
As described in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Rutherford (who would later be Fitzgerald’s quarterback) lined up as a receiver in the slot, “caught the pass around Pitt’s 48, headed toward the sideline, then cut back to his right to the middle of the field. He eluded linebacker Ron Graham, then cut past cornerbacks Bhawoh Jue and Bruce Branch.”
“It seemed,” Rutherford said, “like the end zone kept moving back.”
1. Nov. 16, 2006: Revis takes a punt 73 yards to the end zone against West Virginia
OK, even though this happened in a 45-27 loss, it might have been the single greatest college football play I have ever witnessed in person. It was basically Pitt’s equivalent of James Harrison’s 100yard interception return in the Super Bowl in that a feature-length film could be made out of the odyssey of the run.
It started with Revis fielding the punt with his back to three tacklers near his 20-yard line, then eluding them with two stuttersteps as he took off across the field.
Derek Kinder sprung him with a devastating block on which he decimated two would-be tacklers. Revis then broke five tackles down the right sideline and finished with a pirouette as he stumbled into the end zone.
ESPN named it the College Football Play of the Year.
I’ll name it Pitt’s best play of the 21st century.