Fourth-quarter score helps Pitt hold off Temple

PHILADELPHIA – Senior running back Brandon Miree and the rushing game returned to the Pitt… PHILADELPHIA – Senior running back Brandon Miree and the rushing game returned to the Pitt football team as the Panthers withstood a late comeback attempt to beat the Temple Owls 30-16.

With Temple (1-10 Overall, 0-6 Big East) closing in on No. 21 Pitt at 21-16 and less than five minutes left in the game, Pitt head coach Walt Harris decided to go for the first down on fourth-and-inches at the Panthers’ 44-yard line. Instead of sticking with the quarterback sneak, quarterback Rod Rutherford said he changed the play to a sweep at the line of scrimmage, and Miree was able to pick up the first down with a two-yard run.

“We made some gutsy calls, [especially] going for it on fourth down,” Harris said. “But that last drive is how I feel that we can play.”

Four plays later, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald made a leaping 33-yard catch between two defenders at Temple’s 7-yard line. Fitzgerald’s reception led to his 3-yard touchdown catch, his second of the game, that gave Pitt a 28-16 lead with 58 seconds left in the game.

“I feel as though I was doing my part,” Fitzgerald said about his ability to leap between defenders and come down with the ball. “I just find the best leaping point where I can high-point the ball to the best of my ability and time it as well as I can.”

“When the ball is in the air, [Fitzgerald] is unbelievable,” Harris said. “That was pretty gutsy for us to make those throws on that last drive.”

Miree, who had not played since Sept. 20 at Toledo, rushed for a career high 188 yards on 27 carries, scoring two touchdowns. His first touchdown came after Owls’ cornerback Ray Lamb appeared to be in position to intercept a Rutherford pass intended for tight end Kris Wilson.

Lamb deflected the ball into the air and it hung up for Wilson. He reached over Lamb and grabbed the ball out of the air for a 26-yard reception that placed the Panthers (8-3, 5-1) at Temple’s 7-yard line. Miree followed the play with a 7-yard touchdown run that gave Pitt a 7-0 lead.

Fitzgerald set up the Panthers’ second touchdown with another acrobatic catch between two defenders. His 43-yard catch put Pitt on Temple’s 11-yard line, and Miree ran for nine yards on first-and-goal before putting the ball into the end zone on second-and-goal from two yards out, which gave Pitt a 14-0 lead.

“I liked the second touchdown run,” Miree said. “I’ve been dreaming about [getting back on the field] for a long time. [Sitting out] has been a struggle.”

Miree’s return and the reemergence of the running game appear to have been on time, as Rutherford passed for a season-low 147 yards. Rutherford finished the game 10-for-22 with two touchdowns and an interception.

“[Miree’s return] helped me out a lot. I was not on my “A” game today. It was just tough for me to throw the ball today,” Rutherford said. “I couldn’t follow through [on my pass attempts]. Then I got frustrated because I couldn’t follow through, so I figured that I’d try to throw [with just my arm].”

In addition to Miree’s 188 yards rushing, Rutherford and fullback Lousaka Polite ran for 26 and 36 yards, respectively, along with running back Jawan Walker’s five yards on two carries, which gave Pitt 253 yards on the ground.

The Owls got on the board for the first time in the second quarter with a field goal from kicker Jared Davis, which cut the Panthers’ lead to 14-3. Pitt increased its lead to 21-3 when Fitzgerald caught his first touchdown of the day, a 7-yard pass, after Miree broke away from the defense for a 76-yard run in which he lost his shoe.

Pitt led at halftime 21-3, and the game would stay that way until the fourth quarter when Temple quarterback Walter Washington lofted a 24-yard touchdown pass over the outstretched arms of Pitt cornerback Josh Lay, which brought the Owls within 11 points.

On Temple’s next drive, Washington was able to escape a pile of Panther defenders that appeared to have him stopped, and scoot through an opening for a 13-yard touchdown run. Pitt’s lead remained 21-16 after the Owls’ two-point conversion attempt failed.

Temple was able to keep the Panthers off the board in the second half until there was less than a minute left in the game. After Fitzgerald’s touchdown increased Pitt’s lead to 28-16, the Panthers were able to seal the game when linebacker Malcolm Postell sacked Washington from his blind side, causing the ball to pop out of Washington’s hand and out of the back of the end zone for a safety, which gave the Panthers a 30-16 lead with 45 seconds left in the game.

Pitt is next in action on Nov. 29 when it takes on the Miami Hurricanes at Heinz Field in a game that will determine the Big East Champion. The game will be on ABC and will begin at 8 p.m.

“We’ve been on a long road climbing back; to play next week for [Pitt’s] first Big East Championship is huge,” Harris said.