Pitt and No. 15 UCF are battling at Heinz Field today. Here's the latest from the game.

FIRST QUARTER
For the fourth game in a row this season, Pitt did not win the coin toss, but UCF opted to take the ball to open the first quarter. The Knights attempted their up-tempo offense, but Pitt was ready for it, blowing up a screen pass on second down for a six-yard loss and sacking Dillon Gabriel - his second sack of the season - on third down to force a punt.

What followed was arguably Pitt's best drive of the season. With perfect passing from Kenny Pickett - he was 4-of-4 on the drive - and solid running from A.J. Davis - 4 carries for 16 yards - the Panthers marched 75 yards on 9 plays, highlighted by a 24-yard pass from Pickett to Mathews that saw the senior receiver follow a strong block from Maurice Ffrench and leap a defender to get to the 2.

One play later, Davis ran in for the game's first score.

PITT 7, UCF 0 - 9:36, 1st quarter

After a touchdown that broke a long non-scoring streak, Pitt's defense broke a streak of its own on UCF's next drive. The Knights found their first real positive yardage with a 36-yard run from Adrian Killins, but on the next snap, Deslin Alexandre pressured Gabriel and it resulted in a wobbly pass that fell right into the waiting arms of Phil Campbell.

That was Pitt's first turnover of the season and first interception since the Wake Forest game last season.

The Panthers took over at their own 33 after the interception, and Pickett and Taysir Mack quickly moved the ball across midfield with a 22-yard pass. A 10-yard pass to Maurice Ffrench and a 17-yard scramble from Pickett got the offense inside the UCF 20. But Pickett's pass to Dontavius Butler-Jenkins in the end zone on third down was just off the mark, and the Panthers had to settle for a 35-yard field goal attempt by Alex Kessman.

Kessman's inconsistencies continued, though, as his kick went wide left and the score stayed 7-0.

Pitt's defense didn't give up anything on the next UCF possession, though, as the Panthers forced the Knights into a three-and-out and another punt. Pitt's offense started its next drive at the 28 and started marching. First, Pickett and Nakia Griffin-Stewart hooked up for 14 yards to convert third-and-7; then Pickett and Mack connected for a fourth-down conversion from UCF's 35.

Then, on the next snap after the fourth-down conversion, redshirt freshman Nick Patti made an appearance at quarterback and ran for eight yards to get to the UCF 16. From there, Ffrench ran for 14 yards on a jet sweep before catching a sideways pass from Pickett and breaking a tackle for the end zone.

PITT 14, UCF 0 - 14:31, 2nd quarter

UCF's offense took the ball for the first time in the second quarter after Pitt's touchdown and was looking for a score of its own. The Knights seemed to be heading for it, too, converting two third downs to cross midfield and then converting a fourth down to move inside the 20. But on second-and-10 from the 17, Gabriel threw for the end zone and Jason Pinnock made a leaping interception for Pitt's second turnover of the game.

The Panthers' offense couldn't do anything with the turnover, going three-and-out and punting back to the Knights. But the home team's defense matched that with a three-and-out of its own to set up the first big play of the season for Pitt's special teams as Aaron Mathews blocked UCF's punt and Wendell Davis scooped and scored to give the Panthers a three-touchdown lead.

PITT 21, UCF 0 - 8:58, 2nd quarter

Pitt kicked off after the punt and kept the pressure on defensively, turning UCF away with a Habakkuk Baldonado sack on third-and-8 from the 41. But the Panthers' offense made its first mistake of the day when A.J. Davis fumbled on a run from the Pitt 13. UCF recovered and scored three plays later, breaking the Panthers' shutout.

PITT 21, UCF 7 - 4:49, 2nd quarter

Pitt got into UCF territory on its next drive but couldn't move past the 38 and had to punt. Kirk Christodoulou's kick was a good one that was caught at the 7, but the Knights weren't deterred by being backed up. On first down, Gabriel fired a deep pass to receiver Jacob Harris for a 41-yard catch against Erick Hallett.

The Knights kept moving after that, aided by a late hit penalty on Deslin Alexandre that pushed the ball to the Pitt 25. But Gabriel threw three incomplete passes and UCF had to settle for a 43-yard field goal to end the half.

PITT 21, UCF 10 - 0:04, 2nd quarter

The teams went to the locker rooms with Pitt holding an advantage in every category. The Panthers out-gained the Knights 245-159, converted 4-of-8 third downs and out-possessed UCF by nearly seven minutes. Pickett completed 14-of-23 passes for 132 yards and a touchdown in the first two quarters.

THIRD QUARTER
Pitt got the ball to open the second half and found some success using A.J. Davis in the Wildcat formation. Those plays worked on two consecutive snaps, but UCF stopped it on the third try and Pickett overthrew Davis on third down to lead to a punt.

The Knights struck on the next possession. On second-and-8 from their own 15, Gabriel dropped a 65-yard pass to Gabriel Davis, and three plays later they hooked up again for a 10-yard scoring throw.

PITT 21, UCF 17 - 11:19, 3rd quarter

Pitt's offense took the ball next needing to reclaim momentum, and they seemed to get some when Pickett and Butler-Jenkins hooked up on a 12-yard pass to move the chains. But an incomplete pass and an offensive facemask penalty pushed the Panthers back to second-and-25, and they couldn't climb out of that hole.

Christodoulou responded with a booming punt that was taken at the UCF 13, but returner Otis Anderson dodged tacklers and kept his feet for an 87-yard return that gave UCF its first lead of the game.

UCF 24, PITT 21 - 8:40, 3rd quarter

Trailing for the first time in the game, Pitt's offense took the field at its own 25 needing to get points for the first time since the second play of the second quarter. Instead, Pickett completed just 1-of-3 passes for three yards and Christodoulou had to punt again.

The Panthers covered the punt this time, but they didn't cover on defense, as Gabriel and Davis connected on a 32-yard pass and then a 28-yard scoring toss to extend UCF's lead.

UCF 31, PITT 21 - 6:19, 3rd quarter

As the situation looked dire for Pitt, the Panthers found some success - with help from UCF's defense. First, a facemask penalty turned a sack into a fresh set of downs. Then, on the next snap, a roughing penalty added another 15 yards. And when Pickett scrambled on the next play, UCF was called for taunting.

The play moved the ball inside the 10, but Pickett was hurt and had to leave the game. He was replaced by redshirt freshman Nick Patti, who handed off on first down and then rolled out to his left and threw to Butler-Jenkins for the touchdown.

UCF 31, PITT 28 - 4:11, 3rd quarter

After giving up points on four consecutive possessions, Pitt's defense needed to step up and it finally did for the first time in the second half after the Butler-Jenkins touchdown. Amir Watts took a conduct penalty on the first play, but a pair of incomplete passes and a six-yard sack by Alexandre forced UCF to punt and gave the Panthers to ball back as time ran out on the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER
Pitt had the ball to open the fourth quarter, but the Panthers' struggles continued, even after Patti turned a first-and-20 into a fresh set of downs with a pass to Mack. But Pickett returned and threw incomplete to Mathews on third-and-6, and Pitt had to punt once again.

The defense picked up the momentum, though, stuffing UCF on three plays to force another punt, and this time the offense responded by driving. Vincent Davis ran for 14 yards on two plays and a roughing penalty moved the ball inside the UCF 30. But Pitt couldn't get closer than the 23 and once again, Pat Narduzzi went to his kicker.

Once again, Kessman missed left. This kick was from 41 yards on the right hash, and it left the Panthers trailing by three points with 10:50 on the clock.

UCF's offense continued its second-half success when Gabriel hit a 50-yard bomb to Tre Nixon on third-and-6 of the next possession and then chipped away to get inside the 20. But Pitt's defense stepped up once again, forcing an incomplete pass on third-and-2 from the 15 and then stuffing UCF running back Greg McCrae on a fourth-down run.

The Panthers couldn't seize the momentum, though, as Pickett and company posted another three-and-out. Once again, Gabriel hit a deep pass with a 37-yard shot to Nixon, but a holding penalty at the Pitt 14 pushed the Knights back and they had to settle for a 28-yard field goal.

UCF 34, PITT 28 - 4:36 4th quarter

Pitt started its next drive at the 21 with 4:36 on the clock and opened with a pair of runs by Vincent Davis that gained 16 yards and moved into UCF territory with a pair of passes to Ffrench and Will Gragg. The Panthers nearly stalled on fourth-and-5 from the UCF 35, but the Knights helped by jumping offside and Pickett capitalized with a 19-yard pass to Mack to get to the 11.

Two Pickett runs moved the ball to the 3, but the Panthers were stopped and faced fourth down from there. After UCF called a timeout, Pitt needed something that could work with the game on the line, and Mark Whipple dialed up a trick play.

First, the direct snap went to A.J. Davis, who flipped the ball to Aaron Mathews, who then threw to Pickett in the end zone for the touchdown. Kessman converted the PAT and Pitt took the lead back.

PITT 35, UCF 34 - 0:56, 4th quarter

UCF got the ball at its own 25 with 56 seconds on the clock, but Pitt sacked Gabriel twice to force fourth-and-22, and the Knights' laterals didn't get anywhere, giving the Panthers their biggest win over the season.

PITT 35, UCF 34 - Final