Late North Carolina punt return ends Pitt’s comeback bid

Follow @NateBarnes_TPN

After the Panthers’ 34-27 loss to North Carolina on Saturday, defeat became the pervading sentiment in conversation and social media posts by those who follow Pitt football. This feeling resulted largely from the offensive line’s performance, which came just a week after an offensive play that led to a winning effort against then-No. 24 Notre Dame when the O line allowed just one single sack in the fourth quarter. 

Instead, against the Tar Heels (5-5, 3-2 ACC), who have now won four straight games, Pitt’s line allowed its opponents to sack quarterback Tom Savage seven times.

“They beat us,” head coach Paul Chryst said. “They’ve got good players, and they beat us on it.”

One of those sacks might as well have decided the game, when Pitt (5-5, 2-4 ACC) moved the ball to the UNC 12 on its second drive of the game. But on first-and-10, Savage was sacked by Kareem Martin and fumbled back to the 24-yard line, where the ball was recovered by UNC’s Travis Hughes. 

After the turnover, the Tar Heels scored 27 unanswered points to open up a 24-point lead. Meanwhile, Pitt played a flat first half, which Chryst attributed not to complacency, but to Savage’s fumble.  

“I think it was more due to the big turnover after we had a first down in the red zone,” Chryst said. “I don’t think we didn’t care about it. They made more plays, and we didn’t.”

Running back James Conner didn’t agree with Chryst on the reason behind Pitt’s anemic first-half performance. He said the Panthers “just didn’t fight.” 

Martin led the Tar Heels’ charge on the front lines, powering through Pitt’s offensive tackles nearly every play to not only pressure Savage, but also sack him 3 1/2 times. As a result, North Carolina led 24-3 at the half, and Pitt registered just 148 net yards of offense on 37 plays. 

“I was riding Kareem all game and then I found out he had 3 1/2 sacks,” UNC head coach Larry Fedora said. “He was a difference maker, no doubt about it.”

Next to Martin, linebacker Terry Shankle — not even listed on North Carolina’s game-day depth chart — took Savage down twice. 

On one play, the fears of many nearly came true. For others, it might have seemed inevitable.

Late in the first half, Savage rolled out in the direction of the UNC sideline and ended up on the ground after he threw the ball away with Norkeithus Otis and Malik Simmons bearing down on him. Savage remained on the ground, clutching his left knee and missed the final minute of the half. 

Savage had X-rays done at halftime and returned for the second half after Chryst said he received the necessary information before asking Savage if he was good to go. 

“We wanted to make sure he was good and he wasn’t just saying yes and going through the channels,” Chryst said. “The last guy you want to talk to about an injury is a player.”

Pitt’s offensive line played better in the second half, as Savage was sacked just twice compared to the five times he was taken down in the first half. Savage completed 12-of-20 passes for 168 yards and two scores in the second half to lead Pitt to a 24-0 run that tied the game at 27 all. 

Of course, any good vibes dissipated when Ryan Switzer took another punt to the end zone in the fourth quarter for the game-winning touchdown. It was his second punt return for a touchdown on the day. 

After Pitt came all the way back from a 27-3 deficit, the difference in the 34-27 loss was a pair of punts returned for a touchdown. 

The Panthers remain one win away from bowl eligibility with matchups at Syracuse and at home against No. 23 Miami the day after Thanksgiving. Considering Pitt lost to the Orange last year at the Carrier Dome and the difficulties a talented Miami team will present, the Panthers have to be feeling the pressure. 

Devin Street thinks otherwise when it comes to the perils facing Pitt’s postseason aspirations. 

“Of course the goal is to get bowl eligible, but no pressure,” Street said.