Pitt Panthers Cannot Full Rally, Falls to Tennessee, 34-27
PITTSBURGH — For the primary time since 2020, two ranked groups clashed on the turf at Acrisure Stadium. The Pitt Panthers and Tennessee Volunteers performed a marathon thriller that took 4 hours and 5 minutes to finish and was price each second.
Tennessee acquired the ball first and their first two drives had been nearly fruitless. They produced two yards on six performs and went three and out twice.
Pitt, in the meantime, was capable of march effectively down the sphere from the beginning gun. With their very own opening possession, 4 consecutive Kedon Slovis completions acquired them contained in the redzone and so they finally stalled, however did come away with three factors on a Ben Sauls discipline objective
Their second drive did not take lengthy however went a good distance. Israel Abanikanda took the primary play of the possession 76 yards for a landing via the guts of the Tennessee protection to make it 10-0, Pitt.
The Panthers got here up with one other cease on the following possession. They acquired the Volunteers to fourth down and an excellent move break up by A.J. Woods gave Pitt the ball again.
Pitt then spoiled a redzone likelihood as Slovis via his first interception of the season. He was searching for Bub Means on a rollout, and hit him within the palms, however Means could not corral it. Trevon Flowers caught the ball off the carrom, tip-toed behind the endzone to finish the pick-off.
Tennessee then discovered their stride, driving 80 yards on 11 performs to attain their first landing of the sport. Hooker threw for 64 yards and ran for eight on that possession, which was capped by a one-yard scoring rush by Jabari Small.
The Volunteers had been enjoying with further power after punching of their first rating, however Gavin Bartholomew snatched momentum proper again for Pitt. He turned a giant acquire shifting up the sideline right into a 57-yard landing reception after he hurdled a Tennessee defender. The Panthers took a 17-7 lead 4 performs into the second quarter.
However Tennessee wasted no time taking their first lead of the sport. The Volunteers scored twice within the second quarter, as soon as on a 32-yard reception from Bru McCoy, who Pat Narduzzi thought had stepped out of bounds on his personal. He known as for a overview that the Panthers misplaced.
They added one other landing 5 minutes later. Tillman burned Devonshire for a 61-yard acquire down that put the Volunteers on the doorstep and Small punched in his second one-yard rating of the afternoon on the following play. In a flash, Pitt went from up 10 to down 21-17 with slightly below 5 minutes left within the half.
A fast and pointless possession for Pitt gave Tennessee the ball again with lower than two minutes left within the first half, however the Volunteers had been nonetheless a menace to attain. Two large tackles for loss from Calijah Kancey and David Inexperienced compelled a punt, however the Panthers gave the ball proper again.
On the very subsequent play, Tyler Baron got here unblocked to rock Slovis and power a fumble. Omari Thomas jumped on the unfastened ball and the Volunteers transformed on a 37-yard discipline objective to make it 24-17 getting into halftime.
That sack additionally knocked Slovis from the sport. he didn’t return after struggling an undisclosed harm.
Nick Patti took over and his first two drives had been each excruciating and unsuccessful. His throws had been off beam incessantly and, even when Abanikanda’s legs might get them shifting on the second possession of the half, Sauls missed a close-range discipline objective.
The protection continued to offer the offense each likelihood to attain, however they didn’t convert. They stalled within the crimson zone and Sauls missed a second discipline objective from within 40 yards after P.J. O’Brien blocked a punt.
Tylar Wiltz compelled a fumble to halt the Volunteers on their subsequent possession and Abanikanda as soon as once more carried his workforce into the crimson zone with some robust working, the Patti-led offense stalled once more. Sauls transformed a discipline objective for the primary time in three makes an attempt regardless of it being
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Tennessee then ran a methodical, 15-play drive that led to a discipline objective of their very own and made it 27-20 with 8:57 left to play.
One other three-and-out from Pitt drew groans from the house followers however a muffed punt then restoration by the Panthers breathed new life into the drive. Pitt took over on the Tennessee 39 yard line. It took 11 performs and a few gutsy throws from a hobbled Patti to carry them to fourth and objective from the 4 yard line.
With the sport on the road and strain bearing down on him, Patti discovered Jared Wayne behind the tip zone for a game-tying landing. Sauls’ further level was good and Tennessee’s ensuing drive ended with a three-and-out.
Pitt knelt to finish regulation with the sport tied at 27.
The Volunteers acquired the ball first in additional time and scored in simply 4 performs. Tillman beat Devonshire for a straightforward reception within the endzone and the Volunteers took a 34-27 lead.
Pitt ran out of fuel by the point they acquired the ball within the further interval. They acquired as shut because the eight yard line because of some extra gutsy passing from Patti. However he took a 12-yard sack on third and eight and his ultimate heave to Konata Mumpfied fell incomplete.
Tennessee, by the pores and skin of the pores and skin of their enamel, gained 34-27.
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