Pitt v. UNC Running Diary

3:57: FINAL UNC 34, PITT 27. 

3:50: Pitt is stopped at the UNC 27, and that should do it for this one with 1:10 left to play at Heinz Field. James Conner was stuffed on a fourth and one. UNC leads 34-27, should just run out the clock here. 

3:41: TOUCHDOWN UNC. Ryan Switzer returns his second punt of the day for a touchdown, weaving through Pitt’s punt coverage for a 61-yard score. Panthers trail once again at 34-27, 4:46 left in the game. 

3:35: Pitt comes up with the stop on a third down as the Tar Heels’ screen pass comes up short of the first down marker. UNC punts back to Pitt, and the ball rolls to the Pitt 7.

3:27: TOUCHDOWN PITT. James Conner plunges into the end zone from the one and this game is tied. Play was set up by a pass interference call that moved the Panthers to the 1. Pitt and UNC are tied at 27, after 24 unanswered points scored by the Panthers. 

3:25: Malcolm Crockett forces a fumble and Jason Hendricks recovers it on the ensuing kickoff. Pitt has the ball on the UNC 13 facing a 27-20 deficit. 

3:20: PITT FIELD GOAL. Chris Blewitt hits from 42 yards out, and the Panthers trail by one touchdown. Pitt has scored 17 unanswered points. Devin Street caught a 15 yard pass to set up the score.

3:13: Ray Vinopal makes a tackle and rips the ball from the hands of Romar Morris to give Pitt a first down at the UNC 29. 

3:05: TOUCHDOWN PITT. Savage completed to Bennett out of the backfield, who scored from 8 yards out to draw Pitt within 10 points. Caps a 15-play, 96-yard drive that lasted 5:48.  

2:57: END OF THIRD. Pitt is putting a drive together with the fourth quarter about to begin. Panthers will face a third and three after the break, at the UNC 28.

2:56: Devin Street is being taken back to the locker room with the support of medical staffers. Got up from the trainer’s table with his shoe off and ice wrapped on his right ankle. 

2:49: PITT TOUCHDOWN. Tom Savage caps a 76-yard drive with two completions to Devin Street, for 21 and 33 yards. His pass to Street fell perfectly into his receiver’s hands between three defenders. Pitt cuts deficit to 27-10, 8:13 left in the third quarter.

2:32: UNC FIELD GOAL. Tom Savage was sacked and fumbled the ball back to the Tar Heels at the Pitt 12. K’Waun Williams nearly intercepted a Williams pass, but dropped it. Moore’s field goal is good from 27 yards, Pitt now trails UNC 27-3. 11:27 to play in the third quarter. 

2:28: North Carolina gets a first down on its first drive of the half, but nothing else. Punt downed by Weatherspoon at the Pitt 25, and Tom Savage is back on the fied behind center. 

1:59: END OF HALF. Tom Savage left the field with what looks like a left knee injury. Limped off the field with staff. Pitt trails 24-3 at the midway point of today’s game, has looked listless since the game’s first drive. 

1:53: UNC TOUCHDOWN. Pitt recorded a pair of first downs, but an intentional grounding flag plus another sack of Savage backed the Panthers up to a 4th and 32. On Yoklic’s punt, Ryan Switzer returned it 65 yards for a score. Panthers trail 24-3, just over a minute left in the half. 

1:43: UNC TOUCHDOWN. Williams carries for his second score of the day, after he dropped back to pass and scrambled. Panthers now trail 17-3, took only 2:49 for the Tar Heels to canvass 90 yards. 

1:35: Panthers stall around midfield after getting a first down, and Yoklic’s punt is downed at the UNC 10. Panthers still down 10-3, 8:03 left in the second quarter. 

1:27: UNC FIELD GOAL. Pitt manages to keep North Carolina out of the end zone, and Thomas Moore’s attempt from 26 yards splits the uprights. Pitt trail the Tar Heels, 10-3, with 11:02 to play in the first half. 

1:11: END OF FIRST QUARTER. Pitt loses 12 yards on its next drive, will punt it away after the break. North Carolina leads 7-3 after one quarter of play at Heinz Field. 

1:06: TOUCHDOWN UNC. Marquise Williams caps a 13-play, 76-yard drive with a 16-yard touchdown scramble. Beat Anthony Gonzalez badly in the open field, scored easily. Tar Heels opened up the offense with no-huddle to capitalize on their speed advantage. UNC leads Pitt, 7-3, with under a minute left in the first quarter. 

12:57: Pitt drove deep into UNC territory, reaching the 12, but turned the ball over as Tom Savage fumbled on a rollout. UNC ball at the Tar Heel 24.

12:52: Pitt crosses into Tar Heel territory on a couple of passes from Savage to Manasseh Garner. Pitt at the UNC 31 with a fresh set of downs. 

12:43: Pitt forces a three-and-out on UNC’s first drive. Todd Thomas nearly picked off Marquise Williams’ first pass and Aaron Donald penetrated and deflected the attempt. 51-yard punt by Tommy Hibbard is downed at the Pitt 15 by Kevin Weatherspoon.

12:37: PITT FIELD GOAL. After a 14-yard completion to J.P. Holtz, Pitt’s drive stalls and results in a 28-yard field goal by Chris Blewitt. Pitt leads 3-0 with 10:09 to play.

12:35: Pitt moves into North Carolina territory on a 37-yard completion from Tom Savage to Tyler Boyd, on which Boyd made a diving catch. Boyd has 49 yards on this drive. 

12:30: Pitt won the toss and elected to receive. Nick Weiler’s opening kickoff is returned from the goal line to the Pitt 25 by Lafayette Pitts, and the Panthers begin their first drive of the game. 

12:15: Pitt and North Carolina are about 15 minutes away from kickoff. Follow @NateBarnes_TPN on Twitter for in-game news and notes.