STEELERS BLACK -N- GOLD POST A Pittsburgh Steelers Blog from the heart of Steelers Nation.

by Ramona Dye

Our 2009 third-round pick, Mike Wallace out of Ole Miss was on the receiving end of a 22-yard pass play that set up Jeff Reed's 33-yard field goal to clinch the 13-10 overtime victory over the Titans Thursday night at Heinz Field.

Although Wallace downplayed his performance, saying he benefited from soft coverage "because I haven't really done too much in the league," Roethlisberger says he was "really proud" of the way Wallace came through with a clutch catch.

"I was real nervous," Wallace said. "It was my first game, so I was just focused on the ball anytime it came, trying to make sure if it touched my hands, I came down with it.

"Ben always tells me to keep running, that it's either my ball or nobody's ball. That was my focus going in. If I can't catch it, to knock it down. Ben put the ball right there in my hands. All I had to do was come down with the catch."

Wallace, a 6-foot, 199-pounder from New Orleans, was happy he was able to keep his composure.

"I've got to act like I've been here before," he said, excitedly.

Wallace had a step or two on Tennessee Titans safety, Chris Hope deep along the right sideline. All Roethlisberger had to do was hit Wallace in stride for a sure six points.

With the pass falling a little short, Coach Tomlin joked with Roethlisberger that there was no way Titans were allowing the rookie receiver to catch a touchdown pass only three plays into his first NFL game.

"We told him we didn't want it to be too easy for him," Roethlisberger said.

Wallace's performance in his first NFL opening game just might have guaranteed him the No. 3 receiver slot for our Steelers, ahead of 2008 second-round pick Limas Sweed and free-agent addition Shaun McDonald.

Steelers receiver Hines Ward insinuated as much.

"Wallace is there to fill the void of Nate Washington," Ward said, referring to the former Steelers No. 3 receiver who signed a free-agent deal with the Titans. "Him and Sweed are competing for that void."

"It was great that he went out and made some plays," Ward said of Wallace. "It wasn't perfect, but it was a great building block for him to learn from and understand what goes into being a productive wideout."

If our season opener were any indication, Wallace may have already won the role over Sweed. Wallace finished with three catches for thirty-two yards while Sweed went without a catch. Roethlisberger attempted forty-three passes and connected with six different receivers on thirty-three completions.

Wallace's first NFL catch came on a three-yarder on our Steelers' second series. A pass deep in the middle in the second quarter was incomplete, and Wallace was involved in Roethlisberger's Hail Mary that was intercepted by Titans cornerback, Cortland Finnegan at the end of the second quarter.

Titans took a 10-7 lead early in the fourth. Big Ben went to Wallace with a seven yard pass to start a twelve play, fifty-six yard drive to tie it on Reed's thirty-two yard field goal.

Wallace remembering Ward's fumble at the four yard line in the final minutes of regulation while trying to score, caught a tweenty-two yarder in the middle of the field to set up Jeff Reed's thirty-three yard field goal in overtime, that won the Steelers first regular season game.

All I have to say is, Mike Wallace looked good in his NFL debut and definetly turned up the heat on the other receivers vying for the No. 3 spot. This rookie means to earn a spot on the starting line-up.

As always, Here We Go!!!