Pitt Collapses Late in Loss at Duke

The Pitt Panthers controlled the game for most of the first half before faltering down the stretch in their loss to Duke.

PITTSBURGH -- With their disappointing season coming to a close, the Pitt Panthers would have benefitted from a victory as a silver lining with this rendition of the team set to ride into the sunset. That reality didn't materialize, however, as the Panthers dropped their finale to the Duke Blue Devils by a score of 30-19 in Durham on Saturday afternoon. Pitt took control of the game in the first half by way of outgaining the Blue Devils while also holding the time of possession advantage, but the Panthers struggled to keep pace in the second half and showcased the same undisciplined play that plagued them over the course of the entire year. 

After opening the game with a deep shot to Bub Means that fell incomplete, the Panthers failed to pick up a first down on two-consecutive runs and punted following a three-and-out. Duke, starting with possession at their own 41-yard line following a targeting call against Daniel Carter, nailed a 47-yard field goal after an eight-play drive that provided the Blue Devils with an early 3-0 lead.

Konata Mumpfield, C'Bo Flemister and Rodney Hammond Jr. combined for 52 yards from scrimmage as part of a 13-play, 60-yard drive that was capped off by a 35-yard field goal from Ben Sauls that tied things up at 3-3 with 2:41 left in the first quarter. Duke's offense found no luck on its ensuing drive as it went three-and-out, forcing a punt that granted the Panthers possession at their own 10-yard line as a result of a holding call on the return. 

Pitt's intermediate passing game was clicking on all cylinders on the next drive as Nate Yarnell went 7-for-7 on his pass attempts for 65 yards, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown to Karter Johnson that finished off a 93-yard series and gave the Panthers a 10-3 lead. The Blue Devils' woes on offense persisted from there as the run game had little room to operate in against the Panthers' defensive front, leading to another punt that pinned Pitt at its own four-yard line with 6:44 left in the first half. 

The Panthers couldn't build on their prior momentum in the shadow of their own end zone and were forced to punt, but poor execution from Caleb Junko gifted Duke the ball on the precipice of the red zone at Pitt's 25-yard line. The Blue Devils didn't let their prime opportunity go to waste as Grayson Loftis connected with Jordan Moore for a 10-yard touchdown that tied the score at 10-10 with 1:07 to go in the second quarter. 

Neither side scored during their final possessions of the first half despite Duke nearly coming away with a safety on a sack of Yarnell at the one-yard line, keeping the game tied going into halftime. 

The Loftis and Moore duo struck again for a 31-yard completion that advanced the Blue Devils into Pitt territory during their first series of the second half. Penalties by A.J. Woods and Samuel Okunlola on third down bailed Duke out several times throughout the drive, but a red zone stand by the Panthers' defense held the Blue Devils to a field goal that gave them a 13-10 lead. Long receptions by Malcolm Epps, Means and Hammond aided the Panthers on their ensuing possession as Sauls hit a 47-yard field goal to tie it at 13-13 with 7:02 left in the third quarter. 

Loftis hit Jordan Waters on a shovel pass for a 46-yard gain during Duke's following drive, setting up a 15-yard touchdown catch by Jalen Calhoun on the next play that allowed the Blue Devils to retake a 20-13 lead. Pitt's offense failed to generate a response as a 12-yard sack of Yarnell at its own two-yard line eventually forced the Panthers to punt, giving Duke possession at their own 41-yard line. 

Poor tackling on Pitt's end allowed Calhoun to break off a 32-yard gain on a screen that pushed the Blue Devils into Panther territory at the 27-yard line as the third quarter expired. A holding call wiped out what would have been a touchdown for Moore, but it was later made up for as Jaquez Moore punched it in on a three-yard run that made it 27-13. A 29-yard catch by Means moved Pitt into Duke territory early during the ensuing drive before several penalties and an interception by Jeremiah Lewis in the end zone thwarted the Panthers' scoring threat. 

Pitt's defense stood up and kept the team in the game by forcing a three-and-out on the next drive with 6:47 left in the contest. Yarnell and the Panthers' offense picked up 34 yards through the air and drew a face mask penalty over the course of the first three plays of the series before Means hauled in a 14-yard touchdown with 5:26 left in the game. Pitt went for a two-point conversion and failed to convert on the try, making it 27-19. 

Duke found itself in a 3rd-and-11 situation during its first set of downs on the next series, but a 22-yard catch by Moore and roughing the passer penalty took the wind out of the Panthers' sails as the Blue Devils worked their way into Pitt territory. Duke later made a 48-yard field goal that grew its lead to 30-19 with 1:59 left in the game, essentially clinching a victory. 

The Panthers turned it over on downs in their last possession, closing the game out and leaving Pitt with a 3-9 record in a season it soon hopes to forget. 

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