Pitt Falls to Boston College, But There Are Bright Spots

The Pitt Panthers lost to Boston College 27-21, their second loss of the season and first road loss of the year. This comes a week after losing to North Carolina, making this two straight losses and three straight one-possession games for the Panthers.

Pitt debuted freshman quarterback Corey Dailey for the first start of his college career. While Dailey’s very first throw was a 75-yard touchdown bomb to Catarus ‘Blue’ Hicks, he ended up throwing two interceptions and going 11/25 on pass attempts with 193 passing yards.

Hicks’ touchdown ended up being Pitt’s only of the game. Pitt went up 12-0 after Kanye Thompson blocked a punt for a safety and Antonio Chadha made a field goal. Eventually, Boston College caught up through running and the air to lead 14-12 at halftime.

Renda went 0/4 in the second quarter and 3/8 in the third quarter as Pitt’s offense stalled and had to fall back on field goals whenever they got into the redzone.

Discipline issues gifted Boston College chances. Pitt had 13 penalties, ten by halftime, for 133 penalty yards. While the Eagles found an offensive groove, they wouldn’t have had as many chances without Pitt constantly giving them free first downs and 10-yard gains.

Pitt went just 2/10 on third down attempts and 0/3 in the redzone. This is the first time Pitt has been held scoreless in the second half since their game against UCF, which was played in a rainstorm.

Bright Spots

There were some players who did what was needed. Kicker Antonio Chadha had another great game, hitting 4/4 field goals, including a 42-yarder, and an extra point.

Raion Strader was incredible, having four solo tackles and two interceptions close to the redzone. His interception at the end of the fourth quarter gave Pitt one last chance to score in the end.

Running back Damon Ferguson Jr. stepped up as Ja’Kyrian Turner missed another game, rushing for 119 yards on 17 carries. His only mistake was a lost fumble that really hurt Pitt. The other backup running back, La’Vell Wright, had 52 rushing yards on 15 carries.

Blue Hicks had 135 receiving yards on five receptions. If anything, Hicks keeps showing that he’s still WR1 game after game.

In the end, this is a tough loss that puts Pitt at 2-2 in ACC play, with much tougher opponents to come. As the ACC championship looks a lot less likely, Pitt must shift their focus to at least making a bowl game.

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