| 10 September 2011
Now that the first game of the Hich Octane Todd Graham era is past everyone can settle down as those first game butterflies in your stomach have passed. They have passed, haven't they Tino? A glance at my Twitter feed after the Buffalo game would make one believe that Pitt won the game 6-3 on an OT field goal. Complaints about not enough High Octane were plenty, but are they justified? Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. I do know one thing, the last time Buffalo came to town we only won 27-16 so this was an improvement. The problem with that game in 2008: scoring 27 points was considered a pretty high achievement. This past game we played to win instead of playing not to lose!
| The Rundown |
 |
| University of Pittsburgh |
| (1 - 0) |
| VS. |
 |
| University of Maine |
| (1 - 0) |
| Location: Heinz Field - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Kickoff: 1:00PM EST |
| Weather at Kickoff: 71°, Wind 4mph WNW, 30% chance of rain |
| Heinz Field Turf: Greenish |
| TV Coverage: ESPN3 |
| Announcers: John Sanders, Christian Fauria |
| Radio Coverage: 93.7 FM - The Fan Pittsburgh |
| All-Time Series: 0 - 0 |
| Last Meeting: Never |
| Vegas Line: N/A, but probably a lot of points |
Back to back weeks with games kicking off after 12:00pm? It's official, we've entered the Twilight Zone - which is fine as long as it's not the Fedko Zone. This week Pitt plays host to FCS's University of Maine, fresh off their 28-13 win over Bryant. Let's call it what it really is: this game is a tune-up for the big showdown out in Iowa next weekend. That does not mean you can take Maine lightly, there's still a game to be played on Saturday and this is a good opportunity for the offense to pick up where it left off in the second half last week. It's also a chance for the defense to attempt to rectify what happened in the second half last week. So about Maine:
University Website: http://www.umaine.edu
Athletics Website: http://www.goblackbears.com
Behind Enemy Blogs: Bear Essentials
The University of Maine, located in Orono, Maine, was established in 1862, however, the current name did not come about until 1897. When it first opened, it was known as the Maine College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. If only they would have kept that name, they would be known as MCA&M.
The Black Bears, compete in Division I in all sports (I-AA/FCS in football), are perhaps best known for their ice hockey. The men's ice hockey team, a member of the Hockey East conference, has won national championships in both 1993 and 1999. Their football team is a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, and all other sports compete in the American East Conference. Their colors are Blue and White, the exact shades of blue being PMS 289 and 292. Perhaps the best part though is their mascot, Bananas the Bear. You can become his friend on Facebook here.
The University of Maine has plenty of notable alumni, ranging from author Stephen King, to NHL All-Star Paul Kariya (and his brothers), to former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Justin Strzelczyk, along with dozens of others. However, our favorite clearly has to be former WWF European and Intercontental champion, D'Lo Brown. Your better recognize...
Finally, here are some game previews:
Pitt links:
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Graham's search for right combinations continues
Pittsburgh Tribune Review: Pitt stresses humility heading to Maine game
UMaine Links:
The Maine Campus: UMaine football travels to Pittsburgh to take on Big East foe
Bangor Daily News: UMaine football battles Pittsburgh at Heinz Field today
Hail to Pitt!
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