Fake punt helps Pitt win, remain atop ACC Coastal standings
Facing a fourth-and-seven at your own 48 in a tie game with less than five minutes to go, most coaches would punt the ball away.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi had other ideas.
Narduzzi dialed up a fake punt and punter Ryan Winslow hit linebacker Matt Galambos in stride for a 12-yard gain and a first down.
That gutsy move allowed the Panthers to drive down the field and beat Syracuse 23-20 on a Chris Blewitt 24-yard field goal as time expired.
The win improved the No. 25 Panthers’ record to 6-1 and 4-0 in ACC play, keeping them on top of the ACC Coastal Division.
After the successful fake punt, Pitt’s offense used a power rushing attack that had been successful all afternoon. Chris James got it going with rushes of five and four yards, but freshman Qadree Ollison (103 yards, 2 TDs) finished it off with seven straight runs – including a one-yard plunge on a critical third-and-one – to get the Panthers down to the Orange six-yard line.
That set up another clutch kick from Blewitt, whose chip shot capped off a bruising 19-play, 89-yard drive that took the final 9:20 off the clock.
This game was a tight one from the start, with Syracuse holding narrow leads for much of the first three quarters. Pitt scored on a Blewitt field goal early in the first, but did not retake the lead until Ollison’s second score of the game put the Panthers up 20-17 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.
Syracuse responded and tied the game at 20 on its next drive with a 37-yard Cole Murphy field goal, but would never touch the ball again.
The win gives the Panthers a momentary bit of separation at the top of the Coastal with North Carolina and Duke, both 5-1 (3-0 ACC), playing Saturday afternoon.
Pitt won’t get much of a chance to celebrate its dramatic win with the Tar Heels coming into Heinz Field for a primetime matchup on Thursday night.
For more Pittsburgh news, visit Panther-lair.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
