Costly mistakes cap Pitt football’s season-altering loss to Virginia

After starting 7-0, No. 18 Pitt suffered its second straight loss on Saturday night, falling 24-19 to Virginia at home. The Panthers had expectations as high as the College Football Playoff and a possible ACC Championship — ideas that appeared after one of the best starts in school history. But after two rough offensive outings in a row, Pitt will leave the season without meeting said expectations.

“Obviously a disappointing outing. Disappointing in a lot of different ways,” head coach Pat Narduzzi said after the loss. “We had our chances to win the football game and we didn’t get it done.”

Pitt’s first offensive series looked much like the last few weeks – lots of penalties, a dropped pass and not many yards. Pitt was flagged for two false start penalties and a holding penalty before a poor punt gave Virginia the ball on Pitt’s 33-yard line.

The defense, however, looked the same as well. After two positive Virginia screen passes, Pitt redshirt senior cornerback Tamon Lynum ripped a bobble pass out of Virginia senior wide receiver Malachi Fields’ hands. The pick was Lynum’s first of his collegiate career and gave redshirt first-year quarterback Eli Holstein and the offense new life. After exiting the game early, the quarterback ended with 121 yards on 43.5% passing

Nothing significant came out of the drive, and the Panthers had to punt again. After marching up the field, Virginia made an illegal chop block, pushing the Cavaliers back 15 yards. Pitt redshirt first-year defensive tackle Isaiah Neal finished the job with a sack on second-and-25. Under immense pressure, Virginia’s punter shanked the punt only 16 yards.

With the excellent field position, Pitt’s offense needed to get going, but penalties and weak offense meant Pitt was forced to punt for its third time in as many drives.

On the first play of the second quarter, the Cavaliers ran a flea-flicker and sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea caught a 27-yard wide-open pass but was tackled at the one-yard line. Junior running back Xavier Brown met little resistance on the ensuing touchdown, and the Cavaliers led 7-0 to open up the second quarter.

Pitt’s offense could not get its feet under them. After holding the ball for only 1:18 and gaining two yards, Pitt punted again giving Virginia good field position.

Virginia’s answering drive looked like Brown would keep tearing up the turf. Then, Pitt’s Sharks attacked. Sophomore linebacker Braylon Lovelace and redshirt sophomore linebacker Kyle Louis sacked Colandrea on consecutive snaps, forcing a punt.

With the ball back in the Panthers’ hands, junior running back Desmond Reid came through. Spinning and with only one hand, Reid hauled in a screen pass from Holstein and took it 32 yards to Virginia’s eight-yard line. The speedster rushed for 80 yards on 16 attempts in the game. Holstein found Mumpfield, who was downed inches short of the goal line, before sixth-year running back Daniel Carter punched Pitt in to tie the game 7-7 with 4:50 remaining in the half.

With points on the board, the Sharks smelled blood. Louis lurked and watched Colandrea’s eyes, allowing him to jump up and pick off Colandrea. Pitt’s offense actually lost two yards on the drive, but the nine yards Louis gained on his interception was enough to get the ball to redshirt senior placekicker Ben Sauls, who nailed a 44-yard field goal to extend Pitt’s lead 10-7 with 2:00 to go in the half.

After stopping UVA, Pitt got the ball into range for Sauls, who knocked in a 48-yard field goal extending Pitt’s lead 13-7 at the end of the half.

After forcing a Cavaliers punt, everything changed for Pitt. Holstein scrambled and slid running right into Virginia junior linebacker Trey McDonald who knocked Holstein’s helmet almost off and was ejected for targeting.

Holstein exited the game and redshirt junior quarterback Nate Yarnell entered to take the reins. Sauls’ 45-yard field goal attempt was then blocked, capping off a disaster drive for the Panthers. In the game, Yarnell passed for 44 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions on 33.3% passing.

With the UVA offense back on the field, Colandrea scrambled for 29 yards and then found Brown 24 yards for Brown’s second touchdown, taking the lead 14-13.

Pitt’s offense made matters immediately worse. Yarnell threw a pick that was returned 45 yards to Pitt’s 20-yard line. Three straight runs from graduate student running back Kobe Pace meant the Cavaliers were back in the end zone with a 21-13 lead and 3:34 left in the third quarter.

In his second full series, Yarnell took a sack on second down and almost threw another interception on third down. Pitt redshirt junior punter Caleb Junko had to make the tackle after he punted, exemplifying that nothing was clicking for the Panthers.

After gaining some momentum up the field, Yarnell found senior tight end Gavin Bartholomew for 20 yards and then reached the end zone from four yards out to cut Pitt’s deficit to 19-21, his first touchdown of the season. Bartholomew caught the ensuing two-point conversion try, but a questionable holding call brought it back, and the Panthers did not convert on the re-try. Pitt trailed 19-21 with 10:20 to go.

“No explanation,” Narduzzi said on the holding call. “He did a technique called ‘trap’, trapped his arm. The guy wasn’t even close to the quarterback. You talk about non-factors… But you know, players play, coaches coach, and officials officiate.” 

The Cavaliers continued marching. Fourth down, one yard to go, Virginia led 21-19 with 6:06 on the clock. The Panthers got a crucial stop – a turnover on downs. But the “referees were not in position,” and the stop was called off. Four minutes later, the Cavaliers kicked a field goal extending their lead 24-19 with 2:08 on the clock.

“It’s our job to get lined up, and it’s [the officials] job to get lined up and get in position as well,” Narduzzi said on the call.

Needing a touchdown now instead of a field goal, the Panthers had to produce. Yarnell was hit hard and drew a 15-yard penalty. But Pitt’s fate was sealed after Yarnell looked deep and threw a game-ending interception.

Virginia defeated No. 18 Pitt 24-19.

“Our guys will stick together. It’s what we do. It’s a game of football,” Narduzzi said. “We have to bounce back against a really good Clemson football team.”

Pitt’s season looks a lot different now. It gets an opportunity to bounce back against Clemson at home next Saturday at noon, but the stakes of that game are different now.