Pitt opens 2023 with a 45-7 drubbing of Wofford
Pitt is hosting Wofford in the 2023 season opener at Acrisure Stadium today. Here’s the latest from the game.
FIRST QUARTER
Pitt won the opening toss and deferred, giving Wofford possession to start the game, and the Terriers went backward right off the bat. A false start penalty was followed by a sack from Dayon Hayes and a tackle for loss from Deandre Jules, setting up third-and-27 that led to a punt from the Wofford 15.
The kick gave Pitt possession in Wofford territory at the 48 and the Panthers got inside the 40 after converting a fourth-and-1, but Phil Jurkovec, in his first start at Pitt, took a 12-yard sack to set up second-and-22, and the offense couldn’t recover, leading to the Panthers’ first punt of the season.
Pitt’s defense kept up its strong play on the next drive, forcing another three-and-out after two solid tackles and a pass breakup from Bangally Kamara.
Pitt’s offense finally got moving on the next drive, picking up a first down when C’Bo Flemister ran for six yards on third-and-4 from the Pitt 49 and getting another one with a four-yard run from Daniel Carter on fourth-and-4 from the Wofford 38. On the next play, Pitt hit its first big offensive play of the game when Jurkovec threw a short pass to Bub Means and the Panthers receiver took off for a 24-yard gain to the 10. One snap later, Rodney Hammond ran into the end zone from 10 yards out.
PITT 7, WOFFORD 0 - 2:39, 1st quarter
Wofford's next possession after the touchdown didn't result in a three-and-out, but the Terriers still only had minimal success. A roughing penalty on Bangally Kamara gave Wofford 15 yards right off the bat, and they picked up 14 more on an option run by running back J.T. Smith. But on second-and-10 from the Pitt 46, Wofford quarterback Bryce Corriston dropped the ball - literally - on a handoff and defensive end Bam Brima recovered the fumble.
As the first quarter ended, Pitt was marching into Wofford territory.
SECOND QUARTER
Pitt opened the second quarter with the ball at the Wofford 37 and picked up a quick 13 yards with a pass from Jurkovec to Flemister. Two plays later, Jurkovec finished the drive himself with a bootleg to the right that went all the way to the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown run.
PITT 14, WOFFORD 0 - 13:29, 2nd quarter
Another quick Wofford series featured two sacks from Pitt’s defense - one by Samuel Okunlola and another by Kamara - and the Panthers capitalized again. A pair of 12-yard passes to Konata Mumpfield and Jake Renda preceded a 28-yard toss to Gavin Bartholomew before Carter carried the ball three times to get into the end zone and extend Pitt’s lead.
PITT 21, WOFFORD 0 - 7:57, 2nd quarter
Wofford picked up a first down on its next possession, but only one, as the Panthers’ defense shut down the Terriers before they crossed midfield. After a punt put Pitt at its own 34, Jurkovec completed a 23-yard pass to Karter Johnson, a 16-yard throw to Daejon Reynolds and an 18-yard pass to Mumpfield before Hammond closed the drive with a three-yard touchdown run.
PITT 28, WOFFORD 0 - 1:19, 2nd quarter
Pitt gave up another first down on Wofford's next drive, but the Panthers kept the Terriers from moving much further and took a four-touchdown lead into halftime.
HALFTIME - PITT 28, WOFFORD 0
THIRD QUARTER
Pitt got the ball to open the third quarter, and while Jurkovec finished the first half completing eight consecutive passes, he misfired on a few passes to start the second frame. The sixth-year senior quarterback found a rhythm, though, scrambling to hit Bartholomew for 10 yards and then connecting with Means for 15 yards. Jurkovec picked up another first down when he threw a short pass to Flemister, who ran 22 yards with the reception to get to the Wofford 2. Then, on second-and-goal from the 1, Jurkovec scrambled and threw for Karter Johnson, who caught his first career touchdown in the end zone.
PITT 35, WOFFORD 0 - 9:22, 3rd quarter
Wofford gained just five yards on its next drive, and set off on an extended drive from its own 5 (and then its own 3 after a false start penalty). Led largely by the running game, Pitt marched, with 39 yards from Carter, 24 yards on a sweep by Che Nwabuko and18 yards from Jurkovec. The drive stalled when Jurkovec couldn’t connect with Mumpfield in the end zone, but Ben Sauls converted a 26-yard field goal to add to Pitt’s lead.
PITT 38, WOFFORD 0 - 0:54, 3rd quarter
FOURTH QUARTER
As the game moved to the fourth quarter, the Pitt coaches decided to empty the benches. That meant Christian Veilleux’s first action with the Panthers, and while his first possession finished with a three-and-out, his second drive went better when, on third-and-14 in Wofford territory, the Penn State transfer found newly-minted scholarship receiver Jake McConnachie behind the defense for a 39-yard touchdown.
PITT 45, WOFFORD 0 - 1:27, 4th quarter
The game wasn’t over yet, though. On the first play of Wofford’s next drive, Corriston threw deep down the left side to Tyler Parker, who caught the ball on the sideline and ran for a 75-yard touchdown.
PITT 45, WOFFORD 7 - 1:13, 4th quarter
Wofford’s final hurrah set the final score, as Pitt ran out the clock to win its first game of the season.
PITT 45, WOFFORD 7 - Final