Pitt v. Old Dominion Running Diary

10:40: FINAL: PITT 35, OLD DOMINION 24.

10:28: Heinicke flushed from the pocket and Vinopal picks off a floated pass. Pitt retakes possession on its first forced turnover since it played Virginia. 

10:26: Yoklic punts, ball downed at the ODU 18 by Nicholas Grigsby. Old Dominion takes over down 11 with just over three minutes to play. 

10:18: On third down, Ejuan Price sacks Heinicke for a loss of six. After a 61-yard punt from the quarterback, Pitt takes possession at its 24 up 35-24 with 7:32 on the clock. 

10:08: Anthony Gonzalez stuffs Vaughan in the flat on third and two for a loss of six, and Ray Vinopal breaks up Heinicke’s pass attempt on fourth and eight. Pitt takes over at its own 45 up 35-24.

9:56: TOUCHDOWN PITT. Savage escapes a sack and rushes five yards to the end zone, ran through Fellonte Misher for the score. Panthers lead 35-24.

9:48: END OF THIRD. PITT 28, OLD DOMINION 24. Pitt ball at the Monarchs’ 42, second and five after the break. 

9:46: Pitt forces a three-and-out, Heinicke’s punt goes just 31 yards to the ODU 47. First and 10 for the Panthers who lead 28-24.

9:40: Bennett takes a handoff for 23 yards to the Old Dominion 46, which gives him 216 rushing yards on 23 carries. Bennett is the first 200-yard rusher for Pitt since Ray Graham ran for 226 yards against USF in 2011. 

9:35: TOUCHDOWN OLD DOMINION: Monarchs score after recovering an onside kick. Travel 65 yards over five plays, score on a 17-yard rush by Antonio Vaughan. Pitt lead down to four points at 28-24, 4:35 left in the third. 

9:25: TOUCHDOWN OLD DOMINION. 47-yard touchdown pass from Heinicke to Blair Roberts gives the Monarchs their first score since the first quarter. Old Dominion went 76 yards on seven plays in 3:27. Pitt still leads, 28-17, with 6:10 to play in the third. 

9:12: TOUCHDOWN PITT. Savage scrambled to his right and found Manasseh Garner in the end zone from 21 yards out. First passing touchdown of the game for the Panthers, Pitt leads 28-10. 

8:42: HALFTIME. Pitt 21, ODU 10. Jarod Brown comes up short on his third 54-yard field goal of the half, Panthers take their lead into the locker room via Bennett’s three touchdowns in the quarter. 

8:33: TOUCHDOWN PITT. Bennett carries from 16 yards out after the timeout for his third touchdown of the game, all of which have come in this second quarter. Caps a six play, 63-yard drive in 2:17. Pitt 21, ODU 10 with 36 seconds to play in the half. 

8:23: Brown attempts another 54-yard field goal after a false start moves the Monarchs to a fourth and 24. Pitt takes over at the spot of the kick with 2:53 remaining in the half. 

8:18: Monarchs on the move to the Pitt 23 after a pair of completions by Heinicke and a pass interference call on Titus Howard. Heinicke has 138 total passing yards.

8:08: TOUCHDOWN PITT. Bennett carries three times from the 12-yard line after Weatherspoon’s 56-yard return to give the Panthers their first lead of the game. Bennett has 83 yards on 12 carries with a pair of scores. Pitt nows leads the Monarchs with 7:40 to play in the first half, 14-10. 

8:07: Aaron Donald and Bryan Murphy shut down a sweep on third and 17, Joe Pulisic’s punt returned 56 yards by Kevin Weatherspoon to the Monarchs’ 12 yard line. 

7:58: TOUCHDOWN PITT. Panthers finally get on the board, as Isaac Bennett goes 25 yards for a score. Bennett’s ninth carry pushed him to 71 rushing yards in tonight’s game. Capped a drive that saw Pitt cover 75 yards on nine plays in 3:29. Old Dominion still leads, 10-7.

7:50: Pitt has 45 total yards after one quarter, against the Monarchs’ 131 total yards. ODU converted 3-of-4 third downs in the first quarter, lead 10-0. 

7:49: END OF FIRST QUARTER. OLD DOMINION 10, PITT 0. Pitt gets a first down before the quarter break, Boyd took an end around for five yards and caught a pass for eight yards from Savage on a comeback route. 

7:44: OLD DOMINION FIELD GOAL. Pitt pressures Heinicke on back-to-back plays, forces fourth and 11 on the 37. Jarod Brown connects from 54 yards out to give the Monarchs a 10-0 lead with under a minute to play in the first quarter. Field goal is the longest college kick made at Heinz Field. 

7:38: Pitt goes three-and-out and Yoklic punts to the 39. Five-yard delay of game penalty on ODU after returner ran with the ball despite calling fair catch. First and 10 on the ODU 34 for the Monarchs. 

7:32: Pitt stops ODU on third and three, Shane Gordon tackled Pinkard for a loss on a screen pass. Pinkard fumbled, but play was ruled dead by forward progress prior to the ball popping out. Taylor Heinicke punts for a touchback (a la Tino Sunseri circa 2011), Pitt ball on the Panther 20. 4:54 to play in the first. 

7:25: Pitt’s drive stalls at its own 46, Savage attempted to find Boyd on third and six but passed incomplete. Yoklic’s punt downed at the ODU 9. 

7:21: OLD DOMINION TIMEOUT, 8:10. Pitt has third and six after the break, following Isaac Bennett’s 12-yard carry on 2nd and 18. 

7:20: Pitt picks up a pair of first downs on three rushes by Bennett and a pass to Holtz. Savage then sacked for a loss of eight to the Pitt 34.

7:18: Pitt takes over for the first time at its own 20 after Tyler Boyd’s return. Isaac Bennett begins the drive in the backfield and carries twice for a first down, five yards each time. 

7:14: TOUCHDOWN OLD DOMINION. Lafayette Pitts is beaten again, this time by Marquel Thomas for a 15-yard touchdown from Heinicke on a flag pattern. Monarchs cover 65 yards over 10 plays in 3:23, converted three third downs against the Panthers’ defense. ODU 7, Pitt 0.

7:10: Old Dominion converts two third downs, and is down to the Pitt 32 after a 21-yard gain from Heinicke to Larry Pinkard. Heinicke bought time with his feet as he scrambled out of the pocket and Pinkard beat Pitts over the middle.

7:06: Chris Blewitt’s opening kick returned by Aaron Evans to the Old Dominion 36, 26-yard return.

7:04: Old Dominion won the toss and will receive. Pitt defending the south goal.