Pitt survives to beat UNC in overtime

No. 21 Pitt is hosting North Carolina at Heinz Field tonight. Here’s the latest from the game.

FIRST QUARTER
North Carolina won the toss and opted to defer, giving Pitt the ball to start the game. The Panthers suffered a blow on the second play of the drive when right guard Jake Kradel needed help getting off the field with an apparent leg injury; Kradel was replaced by fellow WPIAL alum Blake Zubovic, and on the third play, a third-and-6 from the Pitt 29, an incomplete pass to Jordan Addison drew a pass interference flag to move the chains.

The Panthers picked up another first down on the next snap when Israel Abanikanda ran for 16 yards to the 50 and then converted a third-and-7with a 21-yard pass to the 35 from Kenny Pickett to Lucas Krull.

Pitt kept driving, but after a false start from the UNC 15, freshman tight end Gavin Bartholomew broke tackles to gain 12 yards on third-and-13. Pat Narduzzi opted to go for it, but on fourth-and-1 from the 6, Pickett’s pass to Addison in the end zone was incomplete and UNC took over on downs.

Pitt’s defense made an impact, though. UNC opted to hand the ball off on its first two plays, and those resulted in a net gain of five yards. On third-and-5, SirVocea Dennis came on a delayed blitz and sacked UNC quarterback Sam Howell for a seven-yard loss to the 1.

After Addison returned the ensuing punt to the UNC 20, it took Pitt four plays to find the end zone on a drive capped by a two-yard Vincent Davis run to give the Panthers the first points of the game.
PITT 7, NORTH CAROLINA 0 - 8:00, 1st quarter

Pitt’s second defensive stand picked up where the first left off with Habakkuk Baldonado sacking Howell for a nine-yard loss on first down. The Tar Heels couldn’t come back from from that hole and had to punt again.

Addison produced another good punt return to get the ball to the UNC 48, and Pitt struck quickly when Pickett threw to receiver Melquise Stovall on a wheel route that went for 44 yards. Three plays later, Pickett and Bartholomew connected for a one-yard touchdown pass.
PITT 14, NORTH CAROLINA 0 - 4:09, 1st quarter

Another UNC drive led to another UNC three-and-out and punt, as Pitt’s defense came up with another sack on the Tar Heels’ next possession This time it was John Morgan who sacked Howell on third-and-3 to force another punt.

This punt didn’t turn into a Pitt touchdown, but the Panthers still got points. The drive started at the Pitt 22 but moved into UNC territory when Pickett connected with Addison for a 42-yard pass that made Pickett the all-time leading passer in Pitt history. The Panthers eventually got to the UNC 16 but had to settle for a 34-yard field goal.
PITT 17, NORTH CAROLINA 0 - 0:10, 1st quarter

SECOND QUARTER

UNC gained a first down for the first time on the final play of the first quarter, but the Tar Heels’ success was short-lived. After moving to its own 36, UNC gained zero yards on a first-down run and Howell threw incomplete on second down before Calijah Kancey got to Howell for a sack on third down.

Pitt’s offense had its first bad drive of the game after the punt. Addison picked up 12 yards on a sweep and the Panthers got five more yards thanks to a substitution penalty, but Pitt committed a holding penalty of its own on second-and-5 and then Pickett was sacked on second-and-15 to lead to the Panthers’ first punt.

Pitt’s defense had no trouble answering the call again, stopping Ty Chandler after a one-yard gain on third-and-2 to force UNC’s fifth punt of the game. The Panthers’ offense couldn’t do anything with the ensuing possession, though, going three-and-out after a Pickett pass to Shocky Jacques-Louis on third-and-3 was short.

UNC took the ball at its own 20 after the punt and moved even further back on a personal foul penalty. But on second-and-19, Howell threw deep for Antoine Green who was all by himself after Damarri Mathis fell down, and Green went 76 yards for the Tar Heels’ first score.
PITT 17, NORTH CAROLINA 7 - 6:24, 2nd quarter

Pitt and Pickett had an answer for the UNC touchdown. After opening the next drive with a 27-yard pass to Wayne, Pickett chased in three plays later with a 32-yard shot to the junior receiver that ended with points. Sam Scarton missed the extra point, but Pitt extended its lead.
PITT 23, NORTH CAROLINA 7 - 4:40, 2nd quarter

Pitt’s defense forced another three-and-out on the next drive and the offense got the ball back with 2:24 on the clock, giving the Panthers plenty of time to add another score before halftime. And it looked like the offense was on the move; after a defensive holding penalty moved the ball over midfield, Pickett got the Panthers to the 21 with a 16-yard pass to Krull.

But a late hit penalty on Marcus Minor pushed Pitt into a bad spot at third-and-22 from the 33, and when Pickett’s pass to Jaden Bradley only gained 20 yards, the Panthers had to settle for a 31-yard attempt by Scarton.

UNC blocked the field goal, though, and Pitt took a 16-point lead into the locker room.
PITT 23, NORTH CAROLINA 7 - Halftime

THIRD QUARTER
Pitt kicked off to UNC to open the third quarter, and the Tar Heels proceeded to mount their longest drive of the game. After a tackle for loss on first down, UNC got 12 back on a Howell pass to tight end Garrett Walston, and the Tar Heels quarterback picked up the first down with a run on third-and-2.

UNC kept going when a pass interference penalty on Marquis Williams converted third-and-8 for the Tar Heels, but when the visitors faced another third down, this time a third-and-6 from the Pitt 28, Pitt’s defense made a tackle for a five-yard gain and then stopped Howell on a fourth-and-1 run.

The Panthers couldn’t capitalize on the defensive stand, though. Pickett threw incomplete for Wayne on first down and Abanikanda picked up four yards on second down, but third-and-6 went wrong when Pickett was dropped for a 10-yard sack.

The ensuing punt gave UNC possession at the Tar Heels’ 47, and they picked up the momentum they had on their previous drive. A 13-yard pass to running back D.J. Jones moved the ball across midfield and then Howell converted third-and-5 from the Pitt 34 with an 11-yard pass to Justin Olson. Two incomplete passes later, Howell threw to Green in the end zone, and the senior receiver came down with the catch for a score.

Pitt stopped Howell on a rushing two-point conversion attempt, and the Panthers held onto a 10-point lead.
PITT 23, NORTH CAROLINA 13 - 5:39, 3rd quarter

Pitt took the ball needing an answer, but the Panthers didn’t get it. They moved the ball initially, using passes to Addison to get across midfield and then chipping away with handoffs and short passes to get to the UNC 21. But Pickett was sacked for a four-yard loss on first down and lost 10 more yards on a second-down sack before his third-down pass on third-and-24 was incomplete.

Facing fourth-and-24 from the 35, Narduzzi opted to have Scarton attempt a 53-yard field goal, but the kick was short and Pitt’s lead stood at 10.

FOURTH QUARTER
The final 15 minutes opened with UNC in Pitt territory after a long run by Howell increased the Tar Heels’ momentum. But Howell threw incomplete on third-and-4 from the Pitt 39 and missed his intended target on fourth down, given the ball back to the Panthers.

Once again, the home team needed an answer, but once again, the offense fell short. Pitt converted a third-and-1with a four-yard screen pass to Addison and then moved into UNC territory on a four-yard run from Rodney Hammond.

But Pickett threw a pair of incomplete passes and the Panthers had to punt back to UNC with the clock ticking under 12 minutes.

The Tar Heels took the ball at their own 8 and started driving. Chandler picked up one first down and then Howell ran for two first downs to get into Pitt territory. Then, in what was one of the biggest plays of the game, the UNC quarterback fired a deep pass to Josh Downs, who made a diving catch to pick up 46 yards.

That play gave the Tar Heels the ball at the 1, and while it took four plays, they eventually scored on a run by Howell.
PITT 23, NORTH CAROLINA 20 - 5:34, 4th quarter

Pitt took the ball back with 5:34 on the clock and needed a big drive in a huge way. But on the first play of the drive, Pickett threw a screen pass to Abanikanda that was tipped and intercepted by UNC.

The turnover, which was the first of the game, gave the Tar Heels the ball at the Pitt 35, and while a holding penalty pushed UNC back, Howell converted a third down with his legs to get to the Pitt 22. Three plays later, Chandler ran through Pitt’s Delta defensive package for 16 yards to the 2.

But a bad snap led to a throwaway and UNC took a false start penalty before Howell scrambled and was sacked on second-and-goal. His pass to Chandler on third-and-goal was complete, but the running back came down at the 3.

Pitt called its final timeout to stop the clock at 1:00 and UNC set up for a 21-yard field goal to tie the game.

The kick was good, and UNC tied the game.
PITT 23, NORTH CAROLINA 23 - 0:57, 4th quarter

The Panthers ran seven plays and moved across midfield to the UNC 47, but Pickett’s shot at the end zone was incomplete, and the game headed to overtime.

END OF REGULATION

UNC won the coin toss and opted to give the ball to Pitt for the first overtime period. Abanikanda started the possession with a run for zero yards before Pickett and Addison connected to pick up eight. For the crucial third-and-2, Pickett scrambled and dove forward for six yards.

On the next snap, Pickett went to Krull who caught the pass in traffic at the goal line for a touchdown.
PITT 30, NORTH CAROLINA 23

UNC’s drive started with a run for loss by Chandler before Howell took to the air. In a driving rainstorm, the Tar Heels’ quarterback was nearly intercepted on second down and threw incomplete again on third down.

On fourth down, Howell was pressured by Cam Bright, escaped and heaved a shot to the end zone. But Pitt cornerback M.J. Devonshire got under the pass and intercepted it to secure the victory.

PITT 30, NORTH CAROLINA 23 - Final