Pitt gains bowl eligibility behind Donald’s big game

The Syracuse Orange started off the game with a 36-yard touchdown run by Jerome Smith. But the game’s margin was decided on the next snap when Aaron Donald pushed through Syracuse’s line and got his fingertips on Ryan Norton’s extra-point attempt. 

“I got a good get-off, got under his pads, pushed him back and got my hands in the air,” Donald said. “I got a piece of it.”

Ultimately, Pitt beat the Orange, 17-16. The Panthers (6-5, 3-4 ACC) reached bowl eligibility for the fifth consecutive season, and the second time in head coach Paul Chryst’s second season at Pitt.

Donald’s play and overall effort was decisive for the Panthers to clinch a trip to a bowl game.

“A lot of times you think that kick’s going to be lower,” Chryst said. “But I’m going to look at it from our end. It was a tremendous effort. We got some push.”

Aside from his block early on, Donald racked up nine total tackles with 3 1/2 tackles for loss and a pair of quarterback hurries. 

“I’m just trying to do my job,” Donald said. “I play and try to do what I can do. When plays present themselves, I try to make them.”

On Sunday, Donald was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week as a result of his performance against Syracuse. 

After Smith’s touchdown, the Panthers’ first two drives of the game ended in punts, and Syracuse led 6-0 at the end of the first quarter. 

Chris Blewitt connected on a 43-yard field goal shortly after the second quarter began, and Pitt took its first lead of the game two drives later. Tom Savage capped a 10-play, 70-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Manasseh Garner. 

Syracuse responded with a field goal before the half to bring the score to 10-9. 

The two teams each scored in the third quarter, and Syracuse quarterback Terrel Hunt found Alvin Cornelius for a 42-yard touchdown. Pitt answered with a nine-play, 88-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown run by Isaac Bennett as the third ended. 

Pitt and Syracuse engaged in a battle of attrition in the fourth. Neither team scored, and Pitt sought revenge for the 14-13 loss at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y., last season. 

Bennett’s touchdown was one of few positives in Pitt’s running game: The Panthers rushed 27 times for only 67 yards. Sacks that Savage sustained left Pitt with just 21 net yards on the ground. 

Opposite Pitt, the Orange exacted their will on Pitt’s run defense. Syracuse ran the ball 39 times for 148 yards, led by Smith’s 88 yards on 17 attempts. 

Savage completed 28 of 41 passes for 218 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The Panthers’ passing game needed to be quick Saturday, which accounted for a yards-per-attempt statistic for Savage that was below average. 

“We were just trying to get the ball out,” Chryst said.“Tommy made some good decisions.”

Although Savage was sacked three times, it was an improvement from his performance last week, when the North Carolina Tar Heels took him down eight times. The Panthers knew the Orange would attack the line of scrimmage and adjusted accordingly to keep Savage on his feet. 

“They’re a physical team, and they blitz a lot,” Savage said. “We just wanted to get the ball in our playmakers’ hands and see if they could make moves.”

Now, the Panthers have one less day to prepare for a Miami team that has spent most of the season ranked in the top 25, but is currently unranked. But Pitt’s matchup with the Hurricanes the day after Thanksgiving won’t be the last the Panthers play in their 2013 season. 

“I told the guys I’m thankful this happened because it gives us an opportunity for one more game with that group,” Chryst said. “You acknowledge it, and then you get a chance in a little bit of a shorter week to get ready for a heck of a team in Miami.”