Pitt Drops Heartbreaker to Wake Forest

The Pitt Panthers were left stunned after Santino Marucci's late-game heroics led Wake Forest to a victory.

PITTSBURGH -- While offense was hard to come by early in Saturday's game between the Pitt Panthers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons, a wild series of events late in the game flipped that narrative. The Demon Deacons took the lead for the first time all game late in the fourth quarter, but a touchdown-scoring drive led by Christian Veilleux followed by an interception from M.J. Devonshire appeared to clinch a win for the Pitt. Instead, Santino Marucci and Wake Forest's offense pulled off a stunner as they scored with seven seconds left to secure a 20-17 victory that left the Panthers speechless. 

Veilleux and the Panthers' offense began the contest with the ball and thrived off the success of their passing game as they racked up 66 yards through the air, which included a seven-yard touchdown catch by Kenny Johnson to give Pitt the early 7-0 lead. Wake Forest went with a run-heavy approach early as Marucci, its third-string quarterback, was thrust into the starting role after a slew of injuries at the position. The Demon Deacons were forced to punt after a three-and-out, granting Pitt possession at its own 43-yard line. 

The Panthers couldn't capitalize off of their good field position, and a poor punt off the foot of Caleb Junko gifted Wake Forest the ball in Pitt territory. After Wesley Grimes dropped what likely would've been a touchdown on the first play of the drive, the Demon Deacons failed to gain any ground and went three-and-out once again. 

Pitt picked up 46 yards on the first three plays of the ensuing series to move into Wake Forest territory but couldn't come away with any points and punted for a second-straight possession. The Demon Deacons' offense stuck with a simplified game plan on the following drive and found no luck, culminating in their third-straight punt to open the game. 

The Panthers took over at midfield after a strong punt return by Devonshire and got into a groove by throwing underneath, but a gutsy 4th-and-7 call from Wake Forest's 36-yard line didn't yield results and led to a turnover on downs. The Demon Deacons converted their first third-down conversion of the game on their next drive and found themselves deep inside Pitt territory, though the Panthers' run defense stood tall and ultimately forced another punt with 3:13 left in the first half. 

With Pitt backed up at their own 3-yard line, Wake Forest's defense came up with a stop and gave its offense a chance to score going into halftime. Demond Claiborne ensured that would become reality, as he recorded a 22-yard reception with a facemask penalty added on top on the first play of the possession before finishing the job with an 18-yard touchdown run that tied things up at 7-7. The Panthers got the ball back with 1:32 left and took a methodical approach, keeping the game tied at halftime. 

The Demon Deacons went three-and-out after three-straight runs on the first drive of the second half, awarding Pitt the ball at their own 25-yard line following the punt. The Panthers' struggles on offense continued, however, as several deep balls from Veilleux fell incomplete and led to another punt. 

A sack by A.J. Woods, which was the first of the game for either side, spearheaded another defensive stand by Pitt that forced Wake Forest to punt. C'Bo Flemister carried the Panthers into Demon Deacon territory after recording 59 yards on the first three plays of the next series, but Pitt couldn't convert on 4th-and-1 and turned it over on downs for the second time in the game. 

Wake Forest responded by going three-and-out on the ensuing drive after a pass interference call was rescinded, leading to Ivan Mora's seventh punt of the game with 4:42 left in the third quarter. The Panthers didn't fare any better as Veilleux was nearly picked off several times during a three-and-out possession. 

The Demon Deacons' offense couldn't break the scoring drought during their next possession either as Marucci was intercepted by Phillip O'Brien Jr. at Pitt's 34-yard line. A 31-yard reception by Bub Means as the third quarter expired placed the Panthers at Wake Forest's 30-yard line, which would later set Ben Sauls up for a 41-yard field goal that broke the tie and provided Pitt with the 10-7 advantage. 

Marucci found Jahmal Banks for a 33-yard gain that moved the Demon Deacons into Panther territory early during their next series, but Pitt's run defense continued its impressive outing and shut down a 4th-and-2 attempt to force a turnover on downs at its own 32-yard line. The Panthers couldn't build on their lead from there, though, and punted from midfield with 6:05 left in the game. 

Wake Forest's run game came alive during the ensuing drive as they picked up 74 yards on just five carries as Demond Claiborne took a 42-yard carry to the house to give the Demon Deacons a 14-10 lead with 3:02 left in the game. Pitt didn't blink, however, as Veilleux orchestrated a seven-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 22-yard touchdown catch by Means that gave the Panthers a 17-14 lead with 1:30 left in the contest. 

Wake Forest put together a strong drive and were threatening to either tie or take the lead as they worked inside Pitt territory, but a clutch interception by Devonshire appeared as though it closed the door on the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest got the ball back with 40 seconds left, however, after what looked like a first down run from Veilleux was called short of the marker because his slide started early. 

With seven seconds left in the game, Marucci hit Cameron Hite for a 15-yard touchdown that secured the victory and sent the Panthers home after a pair of hail mary attempts fell short. 

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