In a movie, Pitt’s game against No. 17 North Carolina on Saturday night would have gone a certain way.

The embattled quarterback, facing the hostilities of the home crowd - the hometown crowd - rallies his team from the lowest of depths to a win over a hated foe, reigniting a fanbase that was nearing a complete loss of hope.

It would be an against-all-odds victory of the most improbable nature, and the ensuing celebration would be shared by loyal sons near and far.

That’s how it would happen in a movie. And for a little while, the Hollywood heroics were almost believable. Aided by an effective running game and high-percentage passes, Phil Jurkovec drove the Panthers down the field for a pair of touchdowns on the team’s first two possessions.

Meanwhile, Pitt’s defense settled in and forced a punt on North Carolina’s second possession, giving the Panthers the ball at their own 29 with a chance to take a two-touchdown lead.

But before the popcorn was done popping, a false start led to a three-and-out, the Tar Heels scored three touchdowns in quick succession - including a punt return score - and Pitt managed only three additional points before heading to the locker room for halftime trailing 28-17.

UNC would stretch the lead to 38-17 before Pitt got a touchdown from freshman receiver Kenny Johnson’s 100-yard kick return in the third quarter, but by then, it didn’t matter.

There was no movie magic on the North Shore Saturday night - just a third consecutive loss for a team that simply isn’t good enough to compete against quality teams.

The offense showed slight improvement over its previous two losses, topping 300 yards for the first time in three games against FBS competition this season, but the Panthers still only got into the end zone twice on offense, reinforcing the pervasive sentiment that they aren’t going to be able to outscore any good opposing offense.

Because when Pitt faces a good opposing offense, the Panthers can’t get enough stops to keep the game in reach for their struggling offense.

UNC quarterback Drake Maye certainly fits the bill of a good opposing offensive player. The sophomore completed 22-of-30 for 296 yards and one touchdown as he seemingly toyed with Pitt’s defense. J.J. Jones was his primary target - six catches for 117 yards - but Maye completed passes to eight different players in the win, spreading the ball around at will despite absorbing five sacks from the Panthers.

UNC didn’t score a touchdown in the second half, but UNC also didn’t need to score a touchdown in the second half, and it’s fairly reasonable to assume that if the Tar Heels needed a touchdown after halftime, Maye would have provided it.

UNC head coach Mack Brown even said the Tar Heels coaches “handcuffed” their offense in the second half, knowing that Pitt wasn’t likely to mount a comeback.

The real question now is where Pitt goes from here. Next week’s trip to Blacksburg looks winnable since Virginia Tech is racing Boston College to the bottom of the ACC, but the reality is that Pitt finds itself in that race as well. The Panthers are 1-3 for the first time since 2017, which was, incidentally, the last time Pitt missed a bowl game.

There’s still plenty of time for this year’s team to avoid that year’s fate, of course. But after getting bludgeoned by Cincinnati and West Virginia and outplayed by North Carolina, these Panthers seem to have as many holes as the 2017 group did. They have major questions on offense, in general, and at quarterback, in particular. They don’t look good enough defensively to keep the game in range for the subpar offense. And they have a schedule that looks less and less forgiving with each passing week - the aforementioned Hokies and Eagles being among the few exceptions on a daunting slate.

The 2017 Pitt team got its Hollywood ending with an upset of undefeated Miami at home in the regular-season finale.

This year’s team is probably hoping to keep playing beyond the regular-season finale this year. But to get there, the Panthers will need more than movie magic.

They’re going to need to get better, and they’re going to need to do it in a hurry. They’re going to need their young and inexperienced defense to grow up. They’re going to need their quarterbacks to play at even an average level. And they’re going to need to cut down on the confounding decision-making - on the field and on the sideline - that has compounded the built-in issues on both sides of the ball.

Pitt’s got a real challenge ahead, and while the loss to North Carolina was somewhat predictable, the Panthers will have to find a way to break the losing streak - lest the 2023 season becomes a real horror show.