Rodney Hammond Propels Pitt to Win Over Boston College
PITTSBURGH -- Perhaps the third time is the charm. On Senior Day at Acrisure Stadium, the Pitt Panthers' decision to entrust Nate Yarnell with the offense paid off as they defeated the Boston College Eagles 24-16. In a back-and-forth contest, Yarnell threw for 207 yards and a touchdown on just 19 attempts as the offense picked up 405 yards in one of their best showings of the season. On the defensive side, the Panthers held the Eagles to 337 yards of total offense while coming away with five sacks.
Boston College opened the game with the ball and fed Kyle Robichaux three-straight carries before Thomas Castellanos converted a risky 4th-and-1 from the Eagles' own 24-yard line. A 25-yard reception by Lewis Bond moved them into Pitt territory, where they ultimately settled for a 42-yard field goal that provided Boston College with an early 3-0 lead. During the ensuing drive, Nate Yarnell found Malcolm Epps for a 24-yard gain on his first throw as the starter and later hit Karter Johnson for a 21-yard reception that moved Pitt inside the Eagles' 25-yard line. The Panthers wound up matching Boston College with a 42-yard field goal of their own, tying things up at 3-3 with 5:07 left in the first quarter.
The Eagles found themselves in Pitt territory on their next drive, but a third-down sack by Deandre Jules eliminated the scoring threat and forced Boston College to punt. With starting field position at their 15-yard line, the Panthers quickly maneuvered to midfield as Yarnell exhibited prowess both in the passing and running game. Pitt eventually worked its way into the red zone, where Yarnell punched it in for a four-yard rushing touchdown to give the Panthers a 10-3 lead.
An intentional grounding penalty pushed Boston College past the point of no return during its following series, leading to a punt that granted Pitt possession at its own 45-yard line. A targeting penalty and 14-yard rush by Kenny Johnson helped set the Panthers up inside the red zone, but a turnover on downs at the 17-yard line rendered the drive fruitless.
A 38-yard catch by Joe Griffin thrust Boston College deep into Pitt territory on its next series, allowing them to kick a 45-yard goal that trimmed the Panthers' lead to 10-6 going into halftime.
Pitt went three-and-out in the first series of the second half, forcing them to punt for the first time all game. The Eagles led a methodical drive after getting the ball back that lasted nine plays on 83 yards, finishing with a 24-yard touchdown reception by Bond that gave Boston College the lead at 13-10.
On the ensuing drive, a pair of catches by Konata Mumpfield set up a 61-yard touchdown throw by Yarnell to Means that helped the Panthers recapture a 17-13 lead with 7:22 left in the third quarter. Robichaux and Castellanos picked up 38 rushing yards on their first five plays of the next series before a 14-yard reception by Dino Tomlin positioned the Eagles inside the red zone. The tide turned quickly, however, as Castellanos was picked off by Phillip O'Brien Jr. at the Panthers' two-yard line.
With Pitt in the shadow of its own end zone, Rodney Hammond Jr. broke free for a 40-yard run that propelled the Panthers towards midfield. They later worked their way into field-goal range, but Ben Sauls' 50-yard attempt was wide-left, presenting Boston College with the ball at its own 33-yard line. The Eagles didn't find any luck on offense, but a 38-yard punt pinned Pitt at their own three-yard line.
The Panthers, with no room to operate, were forced to punt it after a three-and-out, giving Boston College possession in Pitt territory with 9:29 left in the game. On the following possession, a pair of strong runs by Robichaux coupled with a 14-yard scramble by Castellanos landed the Eagles inside the 10-yard line. The Panthers' defense, aided by a holding call, would end up holding strong as they forced Boston College to kick a field goal that made it 17-16 with just over five minutes left.
A 66-yard touchdown by Hammond Jr. on the second play of the following series grew Pitt's lead to 24-16 and supplied the Panthers with much-needed insurance. Boston College didn't formulate a response during its next drive, leading to a three-and-out and subsequent punt with 2:27 left.
Pitt failed to pick up multiple first downs on their next possession, giving the Eagles one last shot to tie it with 1:12 to go. Boston College couldn't pull a rabbit of its hat and finished the series by throwing an interception, gifting the Panthers their third win of the season and second against ACC competition.
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