The Morning Rundown - September 3, 2010

Here’s what happened while you were sleeping:

Opening Day for College Football

The college football season started to moderate fanfare as it was a series of mostly blowouts with the exception of one nail biter: Utah at home against No.15 Pitt. While the game itself was not the model of perfection, there was certainly a lot of excitement in its final moments. With Pitt trailing by 3, 24-21, the ball inside the 25, and 3 seconds left on the clock the Pitt kicker sets up for the tying field goal and buries it. Only it seems that Utah coach Kyle Whittingham called the timeout before the kick went up and the Utah kicker has to try the kick again. Unfortunately the second time around the kick goes wide left and it looks like the Utes are going home with the W. But wait, it seems that coach Whittingham has outsmarted himself and called a second timeout to freeze the kicker so Pitt kicker Dan Hutchins had one final chance which he shaved inside the left upright tying the game at 24. With such a thrilling ending to regulation the game probably deserved a better overtime but one poorly-thrown Pitt pass later and Utah took a chip shot field goal within the 10 to seal the game, upsetting a ranked opponent and keeping their 18 game home streak alive: 27-24.

Steelers down another Quarterback

Pittsburgh is just not having a good night as they lose quarterback Byron Leftwich to a left knee sprain. Leftwich will have an MRI done to check of the severity of the strain but early reports don’t look good. Hopefully Big Ben can have Commissioner Goodell reduces his suspension because the Steelers are down to only two active quarterbacks left: the unproven Dennis Dixon and 35 year old Charlie Batch. Roethlisberger will meet today with Goodell to learn if his suspension for off-field behavior will be reduced to four games, as expected, or remain at six games.

Phillies rally past the Rockies to stay in the wildcard hunt

As we know, no lead in baseball is truly safe. The Phillies beat the Rockies on last night, 12-11, wrapping up a 6-1 road trip that reduces the Braves lead in the NL East to only two games. Philadelphia drove in a nine-run seventh inning that erased a four-run deficit, and then endured a four-run Rockies rally that ended with the tying run being forced out at third base to end the game.  Chase Utley drove in six runs and hit a grand slam in the seventh to lead the Phillies comeback.