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Pitt loses to Stanford 14-13

EL PASO, Tex. - Pitt is in El Paso to face Stanford in the 85th Sun Bowl. Here's the latest in the game as it happens.

FIRST QUARTER
Stanford won the coin toss and chose to receive, but the Cardinal got nothing out of their first drive, as Pitt stuffed Cameron Scarlett on first down and then forced two incomplete passes to lead to a punt.

The Panthers seemed to have some momentum on offense with a couple runs and a pass moving the ball into Stanford territory. But a holding penalty cost Pitt 10 yards and the offense never recovered.

Pitt's defense posted another three-and-out after the punt, though, led by pass breakups from Damar Hamlin and Dane Jackson. Once again, Pitt's offense posted a drive that seemed to be encouraging but led to nothing. Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall ran Pitt inside the Stanford 30, but a sack on third-and-9 pushed the Panthers back and led to another punt.

Stanford's offense couldn't get anything going on its third drive, with the possession ending after Seun Idowu sacked KJ Costello on third down. Things finally broke for Pitt's offense on the next drive when Hall took a read-option handoff on second-and-2 from the Pitt 43 and broke tackles for a 47-yard gain to the Stanford 10.

As the first quarter ended, Pitt was knocking on the door.

SECOND QUARTER
Despite having three shots from the 10, the Panthers couldn't capitalize. AJ Davis ran twice - including one snap from the Wildcat - but only reached the 4 and Pickett was sacked on third down to force a 29-yard field goal from Alex Kessman.

PITT 3, STANFORD 0 (14:14, 2nd quarter)

Pitt's defense didn't lose a step after the field goal, pitching another three-and-out with two more incomplete passes, but the Panthers' offense had no such success, as a Hall run for five yards led to a one-yard loss on a second-down run and then a miscommunication between Kenny Pickett and Maurice Ffrench on third down.

Following the Pitt punt, Stanford's offense finally moved the ball. The Cardinal gained a first down for the first time in the game when Dorian Maddox broke tackles for a 15-yard run. Then Costello found J.J. Arcega-Whiteside behind a Pitt linebacker to get 29 yards to the Pitt 5. From there, two runs by Cameron Scarlett got Stanford into the end zone.

STANFORD 7, PITT 3 (7:39, 2nd quarter)

Pitt had an answer for Stanford's touchdown. Using a mix of RPO's, which hadn't been a prominent feature of the Panthers' offense this season, Pickett ran for 30 yards and threw for 24 to get inside the 10 and Hall cashed in from the 6 with a touchdown run to go back in front.

PITT 10, STANFORD 7 (2:32, 2nd quarter)

The Panthers' defense managed one more stop in the first half, giving up a rushing first down to Stanford but then shutting the Cardinal down to force another punt. Pitt's offense took the ball with 1:21 on the clock and three timeouts. but couldn't quite commit to a two-minute drive and ended the half just across midfield with a three-point lead.

PITT 10, STANFORD 7 (Halftime)

THIRD QUARTER
Pitt got the ball to start the second half, bu the Panthers couldn't do anything with it after Pickett's pass to Taysir Mack on third-and-5 was behind and nearly intercepted. But the Panthers' defense kept up its strong play in the third quarter, sacking Costello on first down and forcing another punt.

The Stanford punt went out of bounds at the Pitt 44, giving the Panthers a big opportunity. It looked like Pitt would capitalize when Pickett and Mack connected on a huge 41-yard completion down the left sideline that moved the ball to the 9. But a four-yard loss on a toss play to Hall and an incomplete pass on a scramble drill killed the drive.

Kessman connected from 28 yards and Pitt added to its lead.

PITT 13, STANFORD 7 (8:13, 3rd quarter)

There wasn't much offense in the third quarter after Pitt's field goal. The two teams traded three-and-out possessions and punted four more times in the quarter, with both punters booming kicks of 50-plus yards (Pitt's Kirk Christodoulou hit a 55-yarder with an apparent injury to his right leg).

As the third quarter ended, Pitt's defense had held Stanford's offense to just 101 total yards - 44 passing and 57 rushing.

FOURTH QUARTER
Those numbers changed quickly at the start of the fourth quarter. Four plays into the quarter with the ball nearing midfield, Costello and Arcega-Whiteside connected for a 12-yard pass and then a deep shot for 49 yards to get inside the Pitt 3. Then, on first-and-goal from the 2 after a pass interference, Dewayne Hendrix had Costello wrapped up for a sack, but Costello fumbled and Scarlett recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

STANFORD 14, PITT 13 (11:28, 4th quarter)

Pitt's offense needed an answer for the Stanford touchdown, but the Panthers couldn't do it. They moved across midfield with some strong running by Hall, but incomplete passes and a muffed handoff killed the drive and Kessman couldn't connect on a 55-yard field goal attempt.

The Cardinal then proceeded to take more than four minutes off the clock by running the ball six times. Pitt forced Stanford to punt and got the ball back with less than four minutes on the clock.

Stanford punter Jake Bailey pinned Pitt inside the 5, and it looked like the Panthers wouldn't get past that yard line when they were facing fourth-and-11 from the 3, but Pickett and Ffrench connected for a 15-yard gain out to the 18. Pitt faced another fourth down at the 25, but the luck ran out when Pickett's pass to Mack was incomplete.

From there, Stanford ran the clock out on the game and the season. Pitt finished 2018 with a 7-7 record.

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