Pitt loses a disappointing one to UNC

- Things didn't start well for Pitt, as UNC receiver Anthony Ratliff-Williams took Alex Kessman's game-opening kickoff, broke several tackles and ran 98 yards for a touchdown. That was the second return for a touchdown Pitt has given up this season.

NORTH CAROLINA 7, PITT 0 - 14:44, 1st quarter

- Pitt didn't get a long return on its first kick return - UNC put it in the end zone for a touchback - but the Panthers had some success on the ground. Quadree Henderson took a sweep 18 yards and Darrin Hall busted a 13-yard run. Once Pitt got inside the UNC 30, though, things stalled. A Ben DiNucci pass on first down was basically a throw-away and Hall fell on second down to lose three yards, setting up a third-and-13 that saw DiNucci scramble for eight.

Kessman cleaned things up, though, booting a 42-yard field goal to put Pitt on the board.

NORTH CAROLINA 7, PITT 3 - 12:19, 1st quarter

- After a pair of punts, UNC got on the board again with a touchdown drive that was buoyed by a 40-yard pass from Nathan Elliott to Ratliff-Williams - a throw that was actually deflected by Jordan Whitehead, but Whitehead's deflection put the ball into Ratliff-Williams' hands. Two plays later, Elliott hit receiver Brandon Fritts for an 11-yard touchdown.

NORTH CAROLINA 14, PITT 3 - 6:32, 1st quarter

- Pitt's offense couldn't answer UNC's touchdown, but the Panthers' defense avenged its earlier failure on the Tar Heels' next possession, forcing a three-and-out that was capped with a Seun Idowu sack.

The Panthers finally got something going on offense with the next drive. First, DiNucci hit Qadree Ollison for nine yards; then, after a Hall ran picked up the first down, DiNucci and Hall connected for a 30-yard gain to move inside the UNC 10. On first-and-goal from the 7, Hall ran into the end zone for Pitt's first toucdhown.

NORTH CAROLINA 14, PITT 10 - 14:14, 2nd quarter

- Another tough defensive stand from the Pitt defense led to another touchdown from the Pitt offense. After a shanked punt gave the Panthers the ball at the UNC 38, Pitt focused on the ground game, highlighted by a 20-yard run on a sweep from Maurice Ffrench that set the offense up at the 1.

From there, Hall pounded in for his second touchdown of the game.

PITT 17, NORTH CAROLINA 14 - 9:58, 2nd quarter

- Pitt's lead didn't last long. On UNC's next possession, the Tar Heels methodically moved downfield, even converting a fourth-and-1 from the Pitt 39 before a trick play that saw an end-around flip to Ratliff-Williams who threw a pass down the middle of the field to receiver Josh Cabrera, who was wide open to go into the end zone.

NORTH CAROLINA 21, PITT 17 - 4:36, 2nd quarter

- Pitt was headed for a touchdown to go back ahead on the next drive, running the ball with authority and getting a defensive pass interference penalty to move to the UNC 5. But another surprise was waiting there, as Quadree Henderson took a sweep on first-and-goal from the 5 and was headed into the end zone. But UNC knocked the ball out at the 1, recovered the fumble and returned it 66 yards to the Pitt 34.

UNC didn't do anything with the sudden-change situation, gaining no yards on three plays before kicker Freeman Jones barely connected on a 51-yard field goal.

NORTH CAROLINA 24, PITT 17 - 0:30, 2nd quarter

- Pitt got the ball back with 30 seconds left, and while the three-play series lasted a lot longer than it should have, it didn't result in points, and the Panthers went to halftime trailing by a touchdown.

NORTH CAROLINA 24, PITT 17 - Halftime

SECOND HALF

- Pitt opened the second half strongly. After Jordan Whitehead's first offensive snap went for a two-yard loss, DiNucci hit tight end Chris Clark for an 11-yard gain and then Ffrench for a 17-yard pass before Hall took over, rattling off runs of 7, 5, 11 and 9. The last ended across the goal line, tying the score shortly into the third quarter.

PITT 24, NORTH CAROLINA 24 - 9:38, 3rd quarter

- After only giving up one third-down conversion in the first half, Pitt's defense slipped a bit on UNC's first drive of the third quarter, as the Tar Heels converted third-and-3, third-and-2 and third-and-9 before the Panthers stepped up with a pair of big plays as UNC got close to the red zone. First, Elijah Zeise made a six-yard loss on a sweep play to set up third-and-16 and then Idowu made his second sack of the game to force fourth-and-20.

UNC's kicker connected from 48 yards out to give the Tar Heels the lead again.

NORTH CAROLINA 27, PITT 24 - 3:27, 3rd quarter

- Pitt answered the field goal in fairly impressive fashion. The Panthers took the ball at their own 25 after another touchback and proceeded to cover 75 yards on almost all runs. In fact, aside from a 10-yard pass from DiNucci to Henderson, everything was on the ground.

That included a great cut-back for 17 yards by Hall and a tough run that saw the junior back spin and fight his way 15 yards to the 1. Two plays later, he was into the end zone for the first four-touchdown play by a Pitt player in three years.

PITT 31, NORTH CAROLINA 27 - 13:16, 4th quarter

- Pitt felt like it was in good shape after the touchdown, and when UNC's kicker bounced a field goal attempt off the upright on the next drive, the Panthers probably felt even better. But Pitt's offense went three-and-out on its possession, giving the ball back to the Tar Heels at their own 42.

From there, UNC marched. Quarterback Nathan Elliott picked his spots, completing passes of 17 and 16 and running for 8 yards himself before tossing a 3-yard pass to Ratliff-Williams for a touchdown to put the Tar Heels back in front.

NORTH CAROLINA 34, PITT 31 - 6:18, 4th quarter

- Pitt took the ball with plenty of time to mount a game-winning drive, but the game plan seemed to be throwing the ball, as DiNucci dropped back on four of the first five plays on the possession. The fourth drop-back came at the 50-yard line with DiNucci working out of an empty set, and UNC defensive end Malik Carney took advantage by sacking DiNucci for a nine-yard loss.

The next two plays were incomplete passes, and Pitt was punting again. Ryan Winslow dropped a long punt to the UNC 13 with 2:54 on the clock, giving the Panthers one last chance. But Elliott hit tailback Jordon Brown for a 24-yard screen on first down, and from there, the Tar Heels succeeded in running the clock out for the win.

Pitt dropped to 4-6 overall and 2-4 in the ACC on the season.

NORTH CAROLINA 34, PITT 31 - Final