MORE HEADLINES - Slideshow: Photos from Yankee Stadium | Pinstripe Bowl notebook: Henderson tops 2,000 | One strength for Pitt turned into a weakness on Wednesday | Video: Narduzzi talks after the game

BRONX, NY - Pitt’s defense suffered through personnel issues throughout the 2016 season, as five opening-day starters weren’t in the starting lineup for the regular-season finale.

In Wednesday’s Pinstripe Bowl, the injury issues went to the other side of the ball, as five offensive players were lost in the course of the Panthers’ 31-24 loss to Northwestern at Yankee Stadium.

The biggest loss was redshirt senior quarterback Nate Peterman, who took a questionable shot late in the third quarter. Facing second-and-10 from the Northwestern 13, Peterman missed a shotgun snap that was both early and off the mark from center Alex Officer. As Peterman tried to scramble after picking up the ball, he was sandwiched by two Northwestern defenders when Joe Gaziano wrapped him up from behind and defensive end Xavier Washington connected on a fairly clear helmet-to-helmet hit.

Peterman stayed in for one more snap - a six-yard pass to Jester Weah on third-and-28 - but he did not play again. In his final game at Pitt, Peterman completed 13-of-18 passes for 253 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

But Peterman wasn’t the only Pitt player to leave Wednesday’s game with an injury. Just before halftime, redshirt junior running back James Conner came off the field on a play where Peterman completed a six-yard pass to tight end Scott Orndoff.

“He got a hit to the head without the ball in his hands,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said after the game. “I guess one of the defenders turned around and went for him, I guess, instead of going for the ball. Kind of interesting.”

Neither the hit on Conner nor the hit on Peterman drew a flag from the Big 12 officiating crew, despite the Peterman play getting reviewed to see if he fumbled.

Before his injury, Conner had rushed for 32 yards on eight carries and caught one pass for three yards, but he and Peterman were the main offensive keys for Pitt this season, and neither played after halftime. They weren’t the only losses, though; two snaps before Peterman’s injury, senior left guard Dorian Johnson left the game. And Conner’s replacements - redshirt sophomore Qadree Ollison and sophomore Darrin Hall - both suffered injuries, as well.

The defense lost a couple players, too. Senior defensive tackle Tyrique Jarrett, who missed the final three games of the regular season, left Wednesday’s game in the first quarter. And senior safety Terrish Webb, who started every game in 2016, was also injured in the first quarter and did not return.

That makes for seven significant contributors who had to leave Wednesday’s game.

“We lost a lot of guys today,” Narduzzi said. “We had a lot of guys not finish that game.”