Davis Beville was one missed read away from being a hero.

Late in the fourth quarter of Thursday night’s Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl, the redshirt sophomore quarterback, filling in as the top signal-caller in after serving as the No. 3 all season, was in the process of leading Pitt’s offense on a huge drive. Michigan State had just taken a 24-21 lead and the Panthers got the ball at their own 25 with less than three minutes on the clock.

A second-down sack had put Pitt in a tough third-and-15, but Beville connected for passes of seven and eight yards to move the chains and then made one of his best throws of the game to get Jordan Addison for a 24-yard gain.

Two more medium passes moved Pitt to the Michigan State 26, facing first down with less than a minute to play. For the first time since the final minute of the first half, the Panthers’ offense had momentum; they were in range of a game-tying field goal with a shot at a game-winning touchdown.

But on first down, Beville dropped back and looked for Addison. Michigan State linebacker Cal Haladay took a step to rush the pocket, but it was a fake-out, as he immediately dropped back. Beville saw Haladay’s step toward the line of scrimmage and fired for Addison with a pass that would have pushed Pitt into the red zone.

Instead, Haladay’s subterfuge left him directly in the passing lane, and he took the interception 78 yards for a game-sealing touchdown.

“I thought he was coming,” Beville said after the game. “I tried to put it right behind him, and he stepped back and made a great play. Give all the credit to him.”

Beville deserves credit for his play in less than ideal circumstances. After Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett decided to skip the Peach Bowl and begin preparation for the NFL Draft, redshirt junior Nick Patti became Pitt’s top quarterback, and he spent the last two weeks preparing as the starter.

But on the Panthers’ second drive of the game, Patti broke his collarbone while diving for a touchdown, and Beville went from being on the scout team at the end of the regular season to leading the offense at Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the No. 10 Spartans.

That’s quite a jump, even if Beville took “80%” of the second-team reps in bowl prep, according to Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi.

“It’s been my mindset all year to be ready when my number is called,” Beville said. “Obviously with Kenny not playing, I was a little bit more prepared. When [Patti] went down, I was 100% ready to go.”

Beville’s initial drive didn’t accomplish much. The first play even glitched before it started when Gavin Bartholomew jumped and was called for a false start. Beville did throw to Melquise Stovall for seven yards and Vincent Davis for eight before sneaking ahead for a one-yard gain on fourth-and-1. But it stalled after that when Beville was sacked on third-and-9 - the first of five times Michigan State’s defense got to the redshirt sophomore.

Pitt went three-and-out on Beville’s next two drives, but on Pitt’s final possession of the first half, the former four-star prospect made a big play. Facing first down from the Pitt 24, Beville dropped back and scrambled before throwing to Addison, who made multiple defenders miss on his way to a 52-yard pickup.

Three plays later, Beville rocketed a five-yard shot to Jared Wayne for his first career touchdown pass. The score gave Pitt a 14-10 lead, and after the Panthers’ defense added another touchdown with a scoop-and-score from Cam Bright early in the third quarter, the ACC champs seemed to be in good shape at 21-10. But when Pitt’s offense went three-and-out on its next four possessions, the door opened for MSU to mount a comeback.

So it was that when the Panthers got the ball with 2:51 on the clock, they needed a game-winning drive - and they nearly got it from Beville, who completed five consecutive throws to open the possession before the fateful interception.

“Davis did a great job - as good as you expect a third team quarterback to do,” Narduzzi said. “Wasn't good enough to win the football game. All our guys hung in there and played their tails off for him. We just didn't make enough plays in all phases. It doesn't ever lie with one guy or one quarterback. You need guys around you playing better. We didn't get that done today.”

In the first significant playing time of his career, Beville finished with 149 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 14-of-18 passing. What that means for his future with Pitt is yet to be determined. Patti will be looking to compete for the 2022 starting job after he heals from his collarbone injury, and the Panthers are also bringing in USC transfer Kedon Slovis for the coming season.

“This team means everything to me,” Beville said. “I’m definitely disappointed to let those guys down. I mean, we missed some plays here and there, and I’m obviously guilty of it.

“My team’s great. I couldn’t ask for anyone better. Those guys are just awesome to be around, whether it’s the locker room or it’s out and about. They showed me love the whole time. I’ve got their back and they’ve got mine. That’s it.”