Can’t Stop: Red Hot Chili Panthers make history and move to 6-0 in nail-biting win against Cal

Saturday night, No. 22 Pitt (5-0, 1-0 ACC)  returned to Acrisure Stadium for its conference home opener against ACC newcomer Cal (3-2, 0-2 ACC), taking down the Golden Bears 17-15 and remaining undefeated. 

The Panthers and their star quarterback came into this matchup with a top-25 ranking and looked to continue their history-making season — which they successfully did — remaining unbeaten through six games for the first time since 1982. 

An hour before kickoff, it was announced Cal’s starting running back, junior Jaydn Ott, would not play after reporting that he re-aggravated a lower-body injury after the Bears’ loss against No.8 Miami last week. This setback proved to be a huge advantage to the Panthers. 

Redshirt first-year quarterback Eli Holstein started the first quarter sluggish, with the first pass of the game blocked by Cal’s senior defensive tackle Rickey Correia. The first possession concluded with a punt.

Cal redshirt sophomore quarterback Fernando Mendoza turned a rocky start into a positive gain, finishing the scoring drive with 10 plays, 75 yards, and 6 points on the board with 8:56 left in the first quarter. The Bears attempted a conversion but the pass was incomplete. 

Once the ball was back in Panther hands, Pitt junior running back Desmond Reid completed his first carry of the game for 4 yards. After a facemask on Cal senior defensive lineman Rickey Correia, the Panthers found themselves with the ball in scoring position. Reid continued the momentum for another first down pass and then a rush to the endzone for a Pitt touchdown and extra point to go up one. 

Reid opened the scoring in the 2nd quarter with a touchdown off of a 4th down converting 72-yard rush. After another good extra point by kicker senior Ben Sauls, Pitt went up by eight.

In their next offensive drive, Sauls went through the uprights on a 58-yard field goal, tying the Pitt record and landing just one yard short of the Acrisure stadium record. 

The Golden Bears responded with a field goal of their own, cutting the Pitt lead back to eight.

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Fernando Mendoza slowly but surely drove Cal down the field, but a sack and an unsportsmanlike conduct call dragged them back to their own 46 to finish out the first half. 

In the third, redshirt sophomore Braylan Lovelace was extremely effective for the Panthers with his second sack of the game coming at a crucial third down that was followed by a sack from redshirt sophomore Kyle Louis on a fourth down to put the ball back in Pitt’s paws. 

The next time down the field, however, Holstein threw the ball to the wrong side, giving Cal a pick and another shot to score.

Pitt returned the favor with a pair of sacks of its own from redshirt sophomore defensive end Jimmy Scott, forcing a Cal punt.

On the next Cal drive, Mendoza connected with redshirt tight end Jack Endries for a gain of 20. Endries later made his third catch of the possession and ran the ball in for a Cal touchdown. The Bear’s attempt at a two-point conversion was unsuccessful, and Pitt had a 17-15 lead with 10:30 remaining in the game. 

After a Pitt punt and time running out, Mendoza rushed under pressure at midfield but was brought down by Louis for a loss of 1. The next play, a sack from Scott, his third of the half, pushed Cal back another three yards. Cal’s drive finished with the chance at the game-winning field goal.

The kick was missed and Pitt was blessed with the ball back up two, and minimal time remaining.

Leading 17-15 with 1:50 remaining in the game, Reid rushed for a couple, and senior tight end Gavin Bartholomew added in a catch of his own. However, the Panthers could not cook anything up and were forced to punt.

Cal received the ball back at its 25 with 0:47 left in the game. Mendoza connected for a first down but was held to 4th and 15 at the 15-yard line after flags went flying. Mendoza completed a pass, but it wasn’t enough to gain the first down, and fans rejoiced at the sight of a Pitt win. 

The now bowl-eligible Panthers enter a bye week and return to the Acrisure to play Syracuse on Thursday, October 24 for a 7:30 kickoff.