By Ray Porter Jr. for Urban Media Today
BLACKSBURG, VA– In a game that featured lead changes and a combined 794 yards, the Friday Night game between the Pitt Panthers and Virginia Tech Hokies came down to one kick. Virginia Tech’s John Love lined up for a potential game-winning 36-yard kick that sailed wide-left as time expired, giving the Panthers a 35-33 win and improving their record to 5-0 (2-0 ACC)
“Whew, what a heck of a team win,” said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. “Again, finding different ways. The adversity in that first quarter, down 14-0. I can’t say enough good things about that football team. Those guys, the men in the uniform that make those plays. Guys did a heck of a job.”
Narduzzi was correct in speaking about his team’s ‘adversity’ of opening the game with a 14-0 deficit, which they were able to overcome as QB Mason Heintschel led them to 21 first half points and then the Sophomore QB added to the adversity as he suffered a knee injury in the 3rd quarter, causing him to miss the rest of the game as Pitt was down 24-14. But once again, the Panthers were able to persevere with backup QB Holden Geriner as he led them to a 28-24 lead, their first of the game.
“Well, he threw his second touchdown pass ever in college football. He made some plays out there.” Narduzzi said of his backup QB. “And again, he made his mistakes just like everybody else on this football team. But I think he did a nice job. He played well enough to win the football game. And that’s all, did he turn the ball over? No, they had four turnovers. I think they had zero. We’re, plus four. And ball security and holding on to the ball, and he could force some things and make some bad decisions, but you talk about great decision making, he’s got that.”
And of Heintschel who returned to the sideline in crutches? “Yeah, we’re still, there’s nothing, obviously, we’re on the road. But we’ll probably give you an update on Monday morning, Monday noon. I couldn’t tell you,” said Narduzzi.
What benefitted the Panthers was their ability to create ‘splash’ plays on both sides of the ball. “I think about the big plays. (Bryce) Yates with a big pass and a Boosie (Turner) TD run. TD run by La’Vell Wright. Cam Lindsey with a big pick. Blue with a big touchdown pass to put it at 21 points. Ferguson with a big run. I mean, a strip sack by JaeMo (Jaeden Moore). Nick James got, I think, the recovery. Big return by Blue,” said Narduzzi.
“Big fumble recovery. I don’t even know who got it. Stuff was going so fast. Shawn Lee with a pick. I mean, and then that last play we call a timeout, coached it up, and I think we blew up the field goal team and put pressure on them. Again, just finding a different way to win.”
At one point, the Panthers led 34-24 in the 4th quarter and got the ball at their own goal line. It was easy to think the game was over, but when Fergueson was sacked in the end zone for Safety, the Panthers learned that wasn’t the case. Especially when the Hokies (4-1) added a TD after receiving the free kick as QB Ethan Grunkemeyer (30/41, 434 yards, 3TD, 2 INT) found WR Davion Brown for a 28-yard TD pass, closing Pitt’s lead to 35-33.
“Just trying to skip, you’re (up) by two. We’re not gonna play conservative,” Said Narduzzi. “We’re not just worried about milking the clock. I could have milked the clock, but we needed to go out and score. You’re not counting it again at the end. I mean, two points is enough to win a game a lot of times, but our guys found a way. But I wasn’t gonna be conservative and just run the ball three times up the middle and punt.”
Pitt forced a season-high four turnovers, recording two interceptions and recovering two fumbles. The Panthers have seven takeaways against two turnovers this season, a plus-five margin.
“Our blitz wasn’t very good, but I’ll tell you what, our four-man pressure. Our four-man pressure was good. I mean, Ghost, like I said, Jae-Mo, those guys are Nick James. I mean, they were rushing hard and made a lot of plays. Cam Lindsey did a heck of a job. I mean, Shawn Lee with the pick, just making plays. It’s a long, it’s 60 minutes. It’s not over in the first 10 minutes of the game. It’s not over when it’s 14-0, and our guys believed.”
The drama really took place when the Hokies drove down the field with seconds left and got in position for Love’s game-winning FG before watching it sail left, giving the Panthers the victory.
“I didn’t know. I had no idea. I couldn’t tell, it was bad angles, obviously the far upright, but it was no good, I can tell you that,” said Narduzzi.
The win marked the Panthers’ second 5-0 start in the last three seasons. Pitt has won five consecutive road games, scoring at least 30 points in each. It is the Panthers’ first stretch of five consecutive road games scoring at least 30 points since a six-game stretch spanning the 1976 and 1977 seasons. They will now return home to host the North Carolina Tar Heels and head coach Bill Belichick in front of a sold-out Acrisure Stadium crowd.
“You know what? We got belief in that locker room. We got guys that have been practicing every day, and they’ve been working on it since January. It’s the next man up, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a d-tackle, at safety, at corner, or a quarterback, we’ll find a way,” said Narduzzi.
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