Pitt held a lead in the fourth quarter but couldn’t hold off Miami as the Panthers fell to the Hurricanes 16-12 at Heinz Field on Saturday. Here’s the rundown of what stood out.

STORYLINES

Too many close ones
The storyline of close games was a great one when Pitt was winning, but inevitably, the Panthers were going to end up on the wrong side of that equation and it happened on Saturday. After clinging to one-score wins over UCF, Delaware, Duke and Syracuse, Pitt lost by four points to Miami in a game that was decided in the fourth quarter. The Panthers even led in the final frame but gave up a nine-play, 62-yard touchdown drive that set the score. Close games are exciting, but it’s difficult to win in those situations week after week.

Not enough offense
Close games have been one continuing trend this season; insufficient offense has been another, and like the theme of close games, the offensive struggles continued on Saturday. In a repeat of last year’s performance against the Hurricanes, Pitt didn’t score a single touchdown against Miami on Saturday, settling for four field goals despite driving into the red zone three times. Three turnovers and more than that many drops didn’t help the cause; nor did just three third-down conversions in the second half. Pitt did run the ball rather well, rushing for 176 yards on 42 attempts, but the failure to reach the end zone was a major issue in a low-scoring game.

Good defense - except for that one drive
Pitt’s defense has been near-great this season, but even “near-great” isn’t “perfect,” and on Saturday, the imperfection came at the worst possible moment when the Panthers gave up a game-winning drive to Miami’s offense and backup -who-used-to-be-the-starting-quarterback. Still, the Hurricanes gained just 208 yards, converted 2-of-13 third downs and punted seven times; that Miami posted those stats and still managed a victory speaks to how ineffective Pitt’s offense was.

Questionably conservative
There were two instances in the fourth quarter when Pitt’s coaches took a conservative approach, and both affected the outcome of the game. First, Pat Narduzzi opted to kick a field goal from the Miami 6 (which ended up being the 11 after a false start penalty). The Panthers were trailing 10-9 at that point, and the field goal gave them a 12-10 lead with 7:19 left in the game. Then, after Pitt’s defense forced Miami to punt, the Panthers went completely conservative: on a drive that started with 5:44 on the clock, they ran the ball on three consecutive snaps from a clear and obvious run formation and personnel grouping. The three runs gained eight yards, and Pitt punted the ball back to Miami for the game-winning drive.

STAT NOTABLES
Todd Sibley - 4 carries, 54 yards (13.5 ypc)
Kenny Pickett - 18/32, 146 yards, 2 interceptions
V’Lique Carter - 11 carries, 47 yards; 2 receptions, 46 yards
Damar Hamlin - 10 total tackles, 7 solo
Patrick Jones - 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble

GOING FORWARD
The loss to Miami dropped Pitt’s overall record to 5-3 and the Panthers’ ACC record to 2-2. They’ll be on the road next week when they face Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are off this week; they have a 2-5 overall record and a 1-3 mark in conference play.