PITTSBURGH _ In a town known for its toughness, UCF showed steely resolve overcoming a double-digit halftime deficit, but it wasn't enough to beat upset-minded Pittsburgh.
Kenny Pickett caught a 3-yard touchdown pass on a trick play dubbed the "Pitt Special" with 56 seconds left in the game to rally the Panthers (2-2) past No. 15 UCF 35-34 Saturday.
It was the Knights' first regular-season loss since November 2016 and first regular-season defeat of coach Josh Heupel's tenure.
UCF (3-1) didn't grab its first lead until 36 minutes into the game as Otis Anderson bobbed and weaved his way to the end zone on an 87-yard punt return that gave the Knights a 24-21 advantage with 8:40 left in the third quarter. It was the second-longest punt return for a touchdown in school history behind Siaha Burley's 91-yard return in 1998.
True freshman quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who started his third straight game of the season, shook off two first-half interceptions to throw two touchdowns.
After falling behind 21-0 midway through the second quarter, UCF's defense forced a fumble that the Knights recovered deep in Pitt territory. Three plays later, Adrian Killins took the handoff before bouncing outside and scampering 11 yards for a touchdown. It was third rushing touchdown of the season for the senior tailback.
UCF didn't score in the first quarter for the first time since Oct. 20, 2018, against East Carolina.
Gabriel came into the game ranked fourth in passing efficiency (206.6) behind Oklahoma's Jalen Hurts, LSU's Joe Burrow and Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, but the true freshman struggled with limited time to find the open receivers.
After giving up one sack during its first three games, UCF surrendered 12 tackles for a loss and six sacks as Pittsburgh spent much of the first half in the Knights' backfield. The Panthers' defense swarmed again on the final UCF possession to seal the win.
UCF, which has scored 30 or more points during 30 consecutive games, returns home to host UConn to kick off American Athletic Conference play.
