Pitt gets throttled by Clemson
Pitt is on the road facing No. 3 Clemson today. Here’s the latest from the game.
FIRST QUARTER
Pitt got the ball to open the game after Clemson won the coin toss and opted to defer, but the Panthers’ first possession didn’t go anywhere, with a short run, an incomplete pass and an 11-yard sack leading to a three-and-out and a punt. But Pitt’s defense returned the favor on Clemson’s first drive when Chase Pine broke up a third-down pass and forced the Tigers to punt.
Pitt’s second drive was even worse than its first possession, as Kenny Pickett’s third-down pass from inside the Panthers’ 20 was tipped at the line of scrimmage and intercepted. From there it took just a few plays for Clemson to cash in on a five-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence to E.J. Williams for the touchdown.
CLEMSON 7, PITT 0 - 11:36, 1st quarter
Things didn’t get any better after Clemson’s touchdown, as Pitt went three-and-out again and gave the ball to the Tigers. But the Panthers’ defense managed to get a stop, turning Clemson away on third down to force a field goal.
CLEMSON 10, PITT 0 - 9:26, 1ST quarter
Things went from bad to worse on the next drive for Pitt when Pickett handed the ball off and then took a pitch to heave a flea-flicker to Jordan Addison. But the Tigers read the play and picked it off for the second turnover of the game.
Clemson made it sting, too, when Lawrence dropped back for his own flea-flicker attempt. That pass was good, as Lawrence hooked up with Cornell Powell for a 43-yard score on the trick play.
CLEMSON 17, PITT 0 - 7:35, 1st quarter
Pitt finally gained a first down on the next possession, but that slight bit of momentum disappeared almost immediately when Pickett’s pass to Jared Wayne went off the receiver’s hands and into the hands of a Clemson defender.
It didn't take long for the Tigers to turn their third turnover of the game into more points, as Clemson went 35 yards in five plays for another touchdown - a drive that included a targeting ejection on safety Brandon Hill.
CLEMSON 24, PITT 0 - 4:55, 1st quarter
Nothing changed when Pitt took the ball after Clemson's touchdown, as the Panthers went three-and-out for the third time, and once again, the Tigers cashed in. This time Lawrence got the drive going with a series of big passes before the running game took over and pushed the Tigers into the end zone again.
CLEMSON 31, PITT 0 - 0:05, 1st quarter
SECOND QUARTER
Pitt punted again to open the second quarter, but the Panthers' defense made its first good stop since the beginning of the game, forcing a three-and-out with a sack of Lawrence on third down.
After the punt, Pitt took over in Clemson territory and showed signs of life on offense for the first time. First, Pickett gained a first down on third-and-8 with an 18-yard scramble; then, a holding penalty moved the ball inside the 15 to the 12. But Pickett was sacked on second-and-4 from the 6, and when his pass to Wayne picked up 11 on third-and-14, Pat Narduzzi opted to have Alex Kessman kick a field goal.
CLEMSON 31, PITT 3 - 9:11, 2nd quarter
Clemson wasted no time answering Pitt's first score of the game, as Lawrence dropped back and lofted a 70-yard pass to Powell on the first play of the Tigers' next drive and they punched it in four plays later for another touchdown.
CLEMSON 38, PITT 3 - 7:59, 2nd quarter
The two teams traded punts on the next possessions, but as the clock ticked under five minutes, Pitt had its first highlight of the game. The Panthers' drive started at the 25 and moved out close to midfield when PIckett and Taysir Mack connected on an 11-yard pass to convert third-and-3.
It looked like the momentum was sapped when Pickett was sacked on first down to set up second-and-20, but Pickett found last week's hero, D.J. Turner, for a 29-yard gain into Clemson territory before connecting with Jordan Addison to convert third-and-5.
Pickett and Addison hooked up again for Pitt's best offensive play of the game next when the senior quarterback threw to the freshman receiver in the end zone. Addison bobbled the pass but corralled it and kept his feet inbounds for a touchdown.
CLEMSON 38, PITT 10 - 1:13, 2nd quarter
Pitt managed to force another three-and-out on the next drive, ending the half with positive plays on both sides of the ball.
HALFTIME
THIRD QUARTER
Pitt closed the first half with some momentum, and it carried over to the third quarter. Clemson got the ball to open the second half, but on the first play, Rashad Weaver sacked Lawrence and forced a fumble that was recovered by Phil Campbell.
The offense struck quickly after that, with Wayne catching a pass inside the 5 before Pickett tossed a swing pass to Vincent Davis for a four-yard touchdown.
CLEMSON 38, PITT 17 - 14:24, 3rd quarter
Clemson's next possession was an alternating mix of positive gains and penalties. Lawrence led the Tigers down the field with his arm and his legs, and he appeared to have his third touchdown pass of the game on a 30-yard throw to Amari Rodgers. But Clemson was flagged for an ineligible receiver downfield and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Rodgers, pushing the Tigers back to a first-and-30 from the 50.
Clemson was up to the task, though, as Lawrence ran for nine yards and then threw to Powell for 19 yards. But Lawrence slipped when he tried to run for a first down on third-and-2 and the Tigers had to settle for a field goal attempt that went wide of the uprights.
Pitt couldn't capitalize on the missed field goal, though, going three-and-out on the ensuing drive. The Panthers kept their defensive success going when they forced Clemson to punt on the next possession, but once again, the offense failed to build on it and had to punt again.
This time, the Tigers made it hurt. With Lawrence running and throwing, Clemson drove 89 yards on 10 plays, capped with a three-yard run by Travis Etienne for the Tigers' first touchdown of the second half.
CLEMSON 45, PITT 17 - 0:52, 3rd quarter
FOURTH QUARTER
Whatever momentum Pitt had was gone by the time the fourth quarter started. On the first play of the final frame, Pickett threw for Mack on third-and-2, but the quarterback and receiver missed each other and Clemson picked it off for Pickett's fourth interception of the day.
At that point, the Tigers went with backups, but that didn't work in Pitt's favor as D.J. Uiagalelei came in and led Clemson's offense 41 yards for another touchdown - including a nine-yard pass on fourth-and-4 from the Pitt 9.
CLEMSON 52, PITT 17 - 10:48, 4th quarter
With the Tigers' backups on the field, Clemson never really threatened to score again until the last drive of the game, but Pitt couldn't generate success against Clemson's second or third-team units either. The Panthers fell to 5-5 on the season with the finale set to be played at Georgia Tech on Thursday, Dec. 10.
CLEMSON 52, PITT 17 - Final