PITTSBURGH — On a night filled with overcast skies, the only thing uglier than the weather Saturday evening on the North Shore was the showing from No. 24 Pitt in its 26-21 loss to Georgia Tech at Acrisure Stadium.
Despite a strong effort from its defense, four quarters of dysfunction on the offensive side of the ball prevented Pat Narduzzi’s team from coasting to what many believed would be a smooth win.
From start to finish, the Panthers (3-2, 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) failed to find any sort of rhythm when they had the football. In its first five possessions, Pitt tallied just 55 yards on 26 plays. An eight-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 29-yard touchdown toss to Gavin Bartholomew provided a temporary moment of hope, giving Pitt a 7-6 lead at the half.
However, three turnovers in the final two quarters of play led to 13 easy points for a Georgia Tech team that left Pitt fans stunned in bewilderment. The nightmare loss became reality when Jeff Sims connected with E.J. Jenkins for a 21-yard touchdown strike to put the Yellow Jackets up 19-7 with 10:30 remaining. An exclamation point was added when Sims rushed into the end zone from 18 yards out with 1:25 left.
Just five days prior to kick off, Georgia Tech announced the firing of its head coach Geoff Collins along with the school’s athletic director, Todd Stansbury. Yet, on the evening of Brent Key’s debut as the program’s interim head coach, it was his team who left the Steel City celebrating.
Key stat
While Kedon Slovis’ final stat line of 26-of-45 passing for 305 yards, three touchdowns and an interception looks decent on paper, those who watched the senior quarterback’s performance Saturday evening saw a player who at times looked lost on the football field.
The Panthers signal caller received boos from the home crowd due to his indecisiveness in the pocket and inability to find open receivers until the game was out of reach. Jaden Bradley ended up being Slovis’ top target in the loss, catching a pair of passes — both for touchdowns — for a total of 44 yards.
Up next
Pitt fans and alumni will return to the North Shore next weekend as the Panthers host Virginia Tech at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8 for their annual homecoming game. The matchup — which will be carried on the ACC Network — marks the end of a three-game homestand.
The Hokies (2-3, 1-1 ACC) dropped their second straight game Saturday afternoon, falling to North Carolina by a final of 41-10 on the road.
Last fall, the Panthers handled business against Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, winning 28-7. Israel Abanikanda led the way for Pitt in the victory, rushing for 142 yards — his first time eclipsing the century mark in his collegiate career.
