A Pitt-iful End to the Season. Pitt Drops Second Straight, Most Likely Headed to Low-Level Bowl Again

| December 1, 2019


PITTSBURGH – Two weeks ago Pitt was playing for a possible shot at an ACC Coastal Division title, its first nine-win season in a decade and a potential strong bowl bid.

(Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)

Two weeks later, the Panthers are the same old Panthers.

A week after getting dominated by Virginia Tech, Pitt got run over by a Boston College team motivated to become bowl-eligible and lost 26-19 to end the regular season at 7-5 overall and 4-4 in ACC play.

Watch the postgame highlights. Video courtesy of Pitt Livewire.

“There is no question you are frustrated,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. “I don’t think we are playing our best. We should be better than what we are right now. We have a good football team. But it’s not easy. BC came in and they are hungry trying to get a bowl game themselves. They played better than we did. We didn’t execute.”

Watch Narduzzi’s postgame media conference. Video courtesy of Pitt Livewire.

The Eagles (6-6, 4-4) ran all over the Panthers for 264 yards led by AJ Dillon, who ran for 178 yards and a touchdown and moved into fourth place on the all-time career rushing list in the ACC.

Boston College also got a touchdown pass from Dennis Grosel and four field goals from Aaron Boumerhi.

Pitt again struggled to run the ball managing just 71 yards on the ground on just 24 carries. Vincent Davis led the way with 45 yards and a touchdown on five carries.

That meant a lot of throwing by Kenny Pickett, who was 30 of 41 for 323 yards and an interception, one of four turnovers by the Panthers.

Boston College led 13-3 five minutes into the second quarter before a pair of Alex Kessman field goals got Pitt within four, 13-9, at halftime.

The Panthers then took a 16-13 lead on their lone touchdown of the game when Vincent Davis scored on a 39-yard run less than three minutes into the second half.

But Boston College answered 51 seconds later when Dillon broke from for a 61-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles the lead for good, 20-16.

Two field goals, one late in the third quarter and one early in the fourth, pushed the lead to 26-16, and Pitt could only muster a 43-yard field goal from Kessman with 5:26 to play to get back within a touchdown.

The Panthers never touched the ball again, as Boston College ran out the clock with an 11-play drive, the first eight plays all being Dillon runs and the final three being kneel downs.


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