Loss in close Bowl sums up Panthers’ season

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The result of the Continental Tire Bowl was a good summary for the 2003… CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The result of the Continental Tire Bowl was a good summary for the 2003 Pitt football team – close, but not enough.

The Panthers (8-5 overall, 5-2 conference) came up short once again, losing another close game to Virginia, 23-16, in the final game of their disappointing season.

Things looked promising in the opening minutes for the underdog Panthers, but an impressive stop by the Cavalier defense on their own 3-yard line kept Pitt’s explosive offense out of the end zone.

“The difference between winning and losing is three or four plays here and there,” Pitt head coach Walt Harris said. “We thought we scored on one run down there and we thought we could get it in there, but we didn’t get the right execution at that time.”

After quickly driving the ball down the field in its opening possession of the game, Pitt was stuffed on four consecutive plays after setting up a first and goal from the 3. Virginia got the ball back on a turnover on downs and made a drive of its own, finishing with a 52-yard touchdown pass to Heath Miller to take a 7-0 lead.

The Panthers struck back immediately, marching 73 yards on the ensuing drive to tie the game. Wide receiver Princell Brockenbrough scored on a 13-yard pass from quarterback Rod Rutherford.

Virginia quickly regained its lead on a 1-yard touchdown run by Wali Lundy to go ahead 14-7, but the Panthers refused to go away.

Brandon Miree got Pitt within a point after grabbing a screen pass and racing in for a 17-yard touchdown. The pass finished off an impressive 85-yard scoring drive, but after David Abdul missed the extra point, the Panthers still trailed, 14-13. The miss later proved to be crucial.

“You can’t miss an extra point,” Harris said. “You just can’t.”

As time ran out in the first half, the Cavaliers got three more points after a successful 44-yard field goal attempt by Connor Hughes, taking a 17-13 halftime lead into the locker room.

The second half scoring opened up quickly after another successful field goal by Hughes, this time from 30-yards out. Pitt responded with a field goal of its own, however, after a 28-yard kick from a different kicker, walk-on J.B. Gibboney.

Virginia kicked its third and final field goal of the game late in the fourth quarter to go ahead 23-16, still leaving the Panthers within a touchdown.

After an inspiring 44-yard kickoff return by William Furgeson, Pitt looked to be in business to tie and take the game into overtime.

But the Cavalier defense, which was brilliant all day, sacked Rutherford again, forcing a fumble and recovering it to close out the game.

Virginia’s defense proved to be well prepared for the much-touted Pitt offense. Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald was held to only five catches for 77 yards, with no touchdowns, ending his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown reception at 18.

“Virginia played hard,” Rutherford said of his final game as a Panther. “I don’t think we had a bad day. I just think they came out ready and they got the job done.”