Pitt blows out Virginia Tech 47-14
Pitt is hosting Virginia Tech for the 2020 home finale today. Here's the latest from the game.
FIRST QUARTER
Virginia Tech won the coin toss and opted to defer, giving Pitt the ball to start the game, and the Panthers got things going with a long, methodical drive built on quick passes and rhythm. The game plan was effective, as Pitt marched deep into Virginia Tech territory with only one play longer than 11 yards - a strategy that kept the Panthers out of third down situations.
The drive stalled, though, when Pitt got close to the goal line. First-and-goal at the Virginia Tech 10 turned into first-and-goal from the 15 after a false start penalty, but the Panthers got that back on an 11-yard draw run from Vincent Davis. The next two snaps couldn't get into the end zone, though, as Kenny Pickett threw incomplete twice and Alex Kessman had to finish the drive with a field goal.
PITT 3, VIRGINIA TECH 0 - 11:44, 1st quarter
Pitt's defense had success on its first drive of the game, giving up seven yards on two rushing plays but then stopping VT running back Khalil Herbert short of the lead stick on a third-down pass.
The Panthers responded with a three-and-out of their own, but then things got interesting. After Virginia Tech got an 11-yard pass on first down, the Hokies tried a reverse, but the ball was fumbled and Pitt recovered to take possession .
One play later, the Panthers gave it right back when Pickett misread and threw straight at a defender for his fourth interception of the game.
Pitt's defense stepped up after the turnover, though, and stuffed Virginia Tech on a fourth-and-3 run to get the ball back to the offense. This time, Pickett was much sharper, completing passes of 16 and 14 yards to get into VT territory and then keeping the drive alive with short passes and broken tackles by D.J. Turner.
The Panthers' red zone issues popped up again, though, as Pickett missed Taysir Mack on third-and-3 from the 12 and Kessman had to kick his second field goal.
PITT 6, VIRGINIA TECH 0 - 3:38, 1ST quarter
Pitt's defense posted another three-and-out - its third of the day - on the next drive, and the Panthers took over at their own 25. Once again, they started chipping away with shorter passes before Pickett and Mack connected for a 17-yard gain to move into VT territory.
SECOND QUARTER
The drive got stuck at the 34, though, when Picket and Tre Tipton couldn't hook up down the right sideline, and Kessman completed the drive with his third field goal of the game - a 52-yard kick that just snuck over the cross bar.
PITT 9, VIRGINIA TECH 0 - 13:39, 2nd quarter
Virginia Tech hit the game's longest play on the next drive when quarterback Hendon Hooker threw to tight end James Mitchell for a 38-yard pickup, and the Hokies kept it going with a four-yard pickup on third-and-1.
But as Virginia Tech got to the 23, things fell apart for the Hokies. A personal foul penalty on center Brock Hoffman put VT in second-and-25, and the Hokies gave up, running the ball twice and punting.
The punt pinned Pitt at its own 6 and the Panthers went three-and-out to punt it back to the Hokies; on the ensuing drive, Virginia Tech struck for its first points of the game when Hooker faked like he was running the ball and then pulled up to throw deep for receiver Tre Turner.
Turner caught the pass and ran into the end zone for a 55-yard touchdown.
PITT 9, VIRGINIA TECH 7 - 8:13, 2nd quarter
Pitt answered the touchdown with its best drive of the game. The possession started with a 12-yard pass to Jaylon Barden for the freshman's first catch since the season opener. Then Pickett and Shocky Jacques-Louis hooked up for a 25-yard gain before a series of shorter passes got inside the 20.
From there, Pickett threw to Turner, who broke several tackles to get to the 1. Vincent Davis finished the drive with an easy run into the end zone and the Panthers extended their lead.
PITT 16, VIRGINIA TECH 7 - 5:33, 2nd quarter
The scoring continued after that touchdown as Virginia Tech found another big play when Hooker threw to Tayvion Robinson for a 39-yard gain on the first drive of the next possession. Then, on third-and-5 from the Pitt 29, Hooker and Robinson connected for a 19-yard pass.
The drive was finished with a pass from Hooker to Turner on second-and-goal from the 7 and the Hokies cut Pitt's lead back to two.
PITT 16, VIRGINIA TECH 14 - 3:36, 2nd quarter
Pitt's offense had an answer for Virginia Tech's touchdown once again on the next drive, and it was Barden who led the way as the freshman receiver caught three passes for 46 yards, including a 27-yard catch to get into VT territory, an eight-yard pass to convert third-and-5 from the VT 29 and then an 11-yard grab in the end zone with Pickett scrambling.
PITT 23, VIRGINIA TECH 14 - 1:29, 2nd quarter
The Panthers posted one more three-and-out in the first half on the next drive, but the home team's offense couldn't get anything despite getting the ball with 53 seconds on the clock, and Pitt took a nine-point lead into halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
Pitt's defense opened the second half with a big play when Jason Pinnock picked off a Hooker pass to give the offense the ball in Virginia Tech territory. The Panthers tried a trick play on the first snap after the turnover but it was blown up, and things never got better after that.
Fortunately for Pitt, Kessman was good from 53 yards and the Panthers extended their lead.
PITT 26, VIRGINIA TECH 14 - 12:25, 3rd quarter
Virginia Tech came into the game with the No. 8 rushing attack in the nation, and on the next possession, it showed. After Hooker ran for seven yards on the first play of the drive, Khalil Herbert took a handoff and ran for 30 yards. That got the Hokies into Pitt territory, and Hooker and Herbert pushed even further with two more runs for 34 yards.
But once Virginia Tech got inside the Pitt 5, the Panthers' defense woke up, stopping three consecutive plays from the 1 to force a turnover on downs.
The situation didn't look great for Pitt's offense with the ball at the 1, but Turner caught a 10-yard pass to create some space and then A.J. Davis ran for 25 yards to get further downfield. Next came Pitt's biggest play of the game, as Pickett dropped back and found Turner, who beat two defenders and ran 64 yards for a touchdown.
PITT 33, VIRGINIA TECH 14 - 8:43, 3rd quarter
Virginia Tech had another answer for Pitt's big play when Hooker and Herbert connected on a 39-yard screen pass to move from the Hokies' 42 to inside the Pitt 20. But the Panthers' defense stepped up again, forcing two incomplete passes and a two-yard tackle for loss to bring out Virginia Tech kicker Brian Johnson, who missed a 38-yard attempt to preserve Pitt's 19-point lead.
The Panthers took over at their own 21 with 7:07 left in the third quarter and proceeded to run nearly all of that time out on a lengthy drive that was one of the best of the day. Once again, the plan was simple: chip away with quick, short passes and mix in occasional runs.
And once again, the plan worked, as the Panthers went 79 yards on 13 plays in 6:47 to score a touchdown - this time on a one-yard sneak by Pickett.
PITT 40, VIRGINIA TECH 14 - 0:20, 3rd quarter
FOURTH QUARTER
Virginia Tech opened the final frame driving into Pitt territory, but once again, the Panthers' defense turned the Hokies away, stuffing Virginia Tech's run on four consecutive snaps inside the 30 to force a turnover on downs. What followed was a grinding drive: Pitt took the ball with 10:59 on the clock and ran 13 plays to gain 80 yards and score one more touchdown with a one-yard handoff to A.J. Davis.
PITT 47, VIRGINIA TECH 14 - 2:39, 4th quarter
After that touchdown, both teams emptied their benches and the clock ran down. Pitt improved to 5-4 overall with the win, and the Panthers will play at No. 4 Clemson next Saturday.