Its been over 50 years since Pitt won at Miami but the Panthers finally exorcised some demons last night in beating the Hurricanes, 36-23. And while it wasn’t pretty, particularly defensively, Pitt got the job done tonight and earned a bowl-eligible 6th win for the 7th straight year.
Pitt once again rode the superpower sophomore trio of RB James Conner, WR Tyler Boyd and QB Chad Voytik behind an unheralded offensive line and a terrific blocking fullback, Jaymar Parrish, to victory.
Conner was a man on a mission, as he set the ACC and the Pitt rushing TD record, by scoring twice to finish the 2014 regular season with 277 carries, 1675 yards and 24 rushing TDs. And yet, he wasn’t selected as a finalist for the Doak Walker Award for the nation’s top running back.
It didn’t take long for Conner to make an impact. Despite nursing a sore hip, Conner made his presence known on the Panthers first series. After Boyd returned the opening kickoff 38 yards to the Hurricanes 40 and then grabbing a 4 yard catch on 1st down, Conner bruised for 3 yards. A play later, on a beautiful wheel route, Conner caught the rock in stride and ran it 40 yards to the Miami 13 yard line. He then salted the drive with a 13 yard TD scamper, aided by a huge hole opened by Pitt’s impressive offensive line. Pitt led 7-0.
After the Canes answered with a 11 play, 52 yard drive that resulted in a field goal, the Panthers went back to work on the ground. First, Conner burst for a 19 yard run and then received some help from Voytik (11 yards), senior RB Isaac Bennett (6 yards), and then Conner again (6 yards).
Eventually, Voytik would get sacked but the series was extended due to a personal foul facemask penalty by Miami sophomore safety Jamal Carter for 15 yards and a first down.
True freshman RB Chris James then took his first handoff 3 yards and Voytik followed it up with a 12 yard QB keeper. Conner would tack on additional 4 yards before Voytik took to the air and found Boyd on a crossing pattern that resulted in a 12 yard TD pass. Pitt led 14-3 at the end of the 1st quarter.
On its first series of the 2nd Quarter, the Hurricanes would make things interesting. True freshman QB Brad Kaaya tossed a 31 yard pass to a wide open senior TE Clive Walford. After a fumble that was nearly lost by the Canes, Kaaya then found sophomore WR Stacy Coley for 8 yards. Miami capped the drive when Kaaya connected with a streaking senior WR Phillip Dorsett for a 51 yard TD. Pitt still led 14-10.
Pitt would strike back again on the ground. After Boyd returned the kickoff 23 of his 190 return yards on the night, Chris James tote the rock 4 times for gains of 6, 4, 6 and 2 yards. Bennett, playing in his last regular season game of his Pitt career, added a 14 yard gain. Bennett was stopped for a 1 yard loss on the next play but sophomore RB Rachid Ibrahim would burst for 13 yards, Conner for 14 yards and James again for 3 yards.
On 3rd down, Voytik’s pass to Boyd would fall incomplete but Miami’s Carter was once again flagged, this time for pass interference. The penalty would set up Conner to set his ACC and Pitt all-time rushing TD record of 24 with a bullrush 2 yard TD. Pitt led 21-10.
Miami would add a 48 yard FG by freshman PK Michael Badgley to close the Pitt lead to 21-13, the score at half-time.
On the opening drive of the 2nd half, the Hurricanes pulled even closer. First, junior RB Duke Johnson ran off tackle for 5 yards. Johnson would finish the night as the Hurricanes all-time rushing leader with 3,387 career rushing yards, surpassing former Hurricane great Otis Anderson. He finished the night with 18 carries for 89 yards.
After Pitt’s KK Mosley-Smith was called for a 15 yard personal foul penalty, Johnson burst for 9 yards and then freshman RB Joseph Yearby scampered for 23 yards to the Pitt 29. Kaaya missed Coley on the next snap but Pitt was once again called for a 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and eventually Johnson would catch a 17 yard swing pass out of the backfield for a TD. Pitt led 21-20.
Each time Miami scored, it seemed Pitt had an answer. Boyd would return the kickoff 53 yards and Pitt went back to the ground. Conner bruised for runs of 3, 5, and 3 yards before Voytik connected with Boyd for 17 yards. That set up James, who would run off-tackle for a 15 yard TD score. Pitt led 28-20.
After Badgley booted a 36 yard FG at the 4:17 mark of the 3rd Qtr, Pitt led 28-23.
With a 1:43 left in the 3rd Quarter, Voytik tossed a 28 yard pass to Boyd and James would run for 3 yards to the Miami 20 yard line. After Voytik missed Boyd again, Hurricanes sophomore CB Artie Burns was flagged for a 15 yard pass interference. Conner tried to score on the next play but only got a yard closer.
Conner inched closer with a 4 yard run and then was stopped at the goal line on 3rd down. That set up the final and decisive score when Voytik leaped into the endzone on a QB keeper on 4th down to put Pitt up for good, 35-23.
Voytik finished the night 8 for 12 passing and 1 TD. Boyd finished with 5 catches for 72 yards on the night and 69 catches, 1149 yards and 8 TDs on the season.
James finished the night with 11 carries for 58 yards while Bennett tallied 12 carries for 60 yards.
With the win, Pitt ended an overall 8 game losing streak to Miami. Pitt last beat the Hurricanes 21-17 on September 18, 1997 at Pitt Stadium. Pitt also beat Miami for the first time in Miami since November 30, 1963, a span of 9 games (0-8-1).
The Panthers finished 6-6 (4-4 in the ACC), good for 4th place in the Coastal Division.
Next up: Bowl Game – Game/Time/Bowl – TBD