Pitt is hosting Ohio at Heinz Field today. Keep up on the latest from the game here.
FIRST QUARTER
Ohio won the coin toss and deferred, giving Pitt the ball to open the game. The Panthers looked to improve on last week with a jet sweep for the first play, but a false start penalty on offensive lineman Carter Warren. A few plays later, Pitt punted.
Ohio's offense didn't have much more success, though, as the Panthers' defense recovered from a pass interference penalty on Damarri Mathis to force a punt on third-and-6 after three straight running plays.
The Panthers' second drive went better, though. A roughing penalty extended the first series of the possession, and then Kenny Pickett led the offense down the field, completing 5-of-8 passes for 58 yards. Unfortunately, his final pass on the drive was incomplete and Pitt had to settle for a 27-yard field goal from Alex Kessman.
Pitt 3, Ohio 0 - 7:49, 1st quarter
Pitt's defense forced another punt after the field goal as the Panthers continued to keep Ohio's offense in check. But the Bobcats' punt pinned Pitt at its own 5, and that drive predictably produced nothing.
After the ensuing Pitt punt, Ohio took the ball at its own 45 and marched into Pitt territory, but once again, the Panthers' defense stepped up to force another punt.
On its fourth drive of the game, Pitt's offense finally struck. An incomplete pass and a six-yard run set up third-and-4, and on that play, Pickett stepped up to find Maurice Ffrench open in the middle of the field. The completed pass picked up a first down and more, as Ffrench turned upfield and took off for a 74-yard catch-and-run touchdown to give the Panthers a two-possession lead.
Pitt 10, Ohio 0 - 14:47, 2nd quarter
Pitt kept the momentum in its favor on the next Ohio drive, forcing a three-and-out when Deslin Alexandre sacked Nathan Rourke on third-and-8. Ffrench got a big return out of the ensuing punt to set up another scoring drive for the offense.
After hitting the big touchdown pass on the previous drive, Pickett stayed hot, completing all six of his pass attempts to move the ball inside the 5. From there, freshman running back Vincent Davis scampered three yards for his first career touchdown.
Pitt 17, Ohio 0 - 9:28, 2nd quarter
Ohio's offense found its first success on the next drive. After linebacker Cam Bright blew up a screen pass on first down, Rourke got 19 yards on his second down pass and then followed that with a 45-yard bomb to Jerome Buckner.
The Panthers responded, though, by stepping up in the red zone and forcing Ohio to kick a field goal.
Pitt 17, Ohio 3 - 6:55, 2nd quarter
Pitt's offense couldn't quite manage a third consecutive scoring drive on the next possession, although the Panthers did produce another extended march. After starting on the 25, Pickett hit back-to-back 20-yard passes to get Pitt deep into Ohio territory. The offense couldn't quite finish the drive, though, and Kessman's attempt from 45 yards was well off the mark.
The defense didn't let Ohio get anything on the ensuing drive, though, allowing one first down before forcing a fifth punt in the half. After Pitt ran out the clock, the teams went into halftime with the Panthers up by two scores and holding an advantage of 275-140 in total yards.
Most of that production came from Pickett, who threw for 225 yards and a touchdown on 17-of-24 passing.
Pitt 17, Ohio 3 - Halftime
The Panthers' defense continued its strong play in the third quarter. Ohio got the ball to start the second half, but Pitt's defense was swarming. Jaylen Twyman got his first sack of the season on an intentional grounding penalty that set up second-and-24, and Rourke couldn't do anything from that distance.
Pitt's first drive of the half didn't do much better, though. The offense almost got a first down with a nine-yard gain on third-and-10 but seemed to get another shot with an offsides penalty on Ohio that would have given the team third-and-5. Instead, Pitt opted to decline the penalty and attempt a fourth-and-1 from the Ohio 49.
That attempt was denied, as Vincent Davis was stuffed for a three-yard loss.
The Panthers' defense was up to the task again, though, forcing another three-and-out with two sacks of Rourke.
Pickett and the offense got off to a great start on the next drive. After V'Lique Carter ran for two yards on first down, Pickett completed an 11-yard pass to Will Gragg, a 20-yard pass to Tre Tipton and a 22-yard pass to Taysir Mack to drive deep into Ohio territory. But a false start on Nolan Ulizio and a two-yard loss from Carter put the Panthers in a hole they couldn't dig out of.
Kessman finished the drive with a 41-yard field goal.
Pitt 20, Ohio 3 - 6:23, 3rd quarter
After the field goal, Pitt opted for a group of backup defensive players and Ohio's offense made the Panthers pay. After converting a third-and-3 to get into Pitt territory, Rourke fired a pass to running back O'Shaan Allison against freshman SirVocea Dennis that picked up 34 yards. On the next play, De'Montre Tuggle ran in from seven yards out for the Bobcats' first touchdown of the game.
Pitt 20, Ohio 10 - 4:04, 3rd quarter
Pitt's offense continued to fall short on the next drive, finishing with a pooch punt from Pickett. But with the top defensive players back on the field, the Panthers continued to keep Ohio's offense under wraps and forced another punt when Dane Jackson broke up a third-down pass.
FOURTH QUARTER
The fourth quarter started with a three-and-out from Pitt's offense as the Panthers continued to struggle on that side of the ball. But once again, Pitt's defense was up to the task. Ohio started its first drive of the fourth quarter inside its own 10 but faced third-and-13 after a false start, and on that play, Twyman made his third sack of the game to force another punt.
The two teams traded punts on the next two possessions, giving Pitt the ball at its own 7 with 7:05 on the clock. The Panthers looked to run as much of that time as they could, and after an 8-yard pass from Pickett to Gragg converted third-and-3, they did exactly that:
Eight consecutive running plays gained 57 yards and ran the entirety of the clock, sealing the win and sending Pitt to the locker room with a 1-1 record on the season.
Pickett finished the game with a career-high 321 yards and a touchdown on 26-of-37 passing. The Pitt defense sacked Rourke six Times and held the Bobcats to 212 yards of offense.
The Panthers will be back on the field next Saturday when they travel to Penn State for a noon kickoff.
