Pitt stymies explosive UVA offense, wins 45-31

Pitt shut down UVA after an explosive first quarter in posting a 45-31 win over the Cavs in Charlottesville on Saturday.

The Panthers (5-2, 2-1 ACC) trailed 21-14 at the end of one quarter, as the Cavs (2-4, 1-1 ACC) racked up 214 yards of total offense, getting scores on a pair of big plays, a 44-yard touchdown run by Taquan Mizzell and a 74-yard Kurt Benkert pass to Olamide Zaccheaus.

Pitt led 35-28 at the half, aided by a pair of non-offensive touchdowns, on a 93-yard kickoff return by Quadree Henderson, and a 59-yard interception return by Jordan Whitehead with four seconds to go in the half.

Pitt asserted control in the second half, finally getting some distance with a 5-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Peterman to George Aston that made it 42-28 Panthers with 9:47 to go in the game.

A Chris Blewitt 25-yard field goal made it a three-score game with 3:21 to go.

Sam Hayward, in his first career college game, connected on a 35-yard field-goal attempt for the ‘Hoos with 2:04 left to set the final margin.

Virginia had just 108 yards of offense after halftime. Benkert had 146 passing yards in the first quarter, on 9-of-15 passing, but he would complete just 11 of his last 30 attempts – yeah, that’s a lot of chucking and ducking – for 132 yards.

To put all those stats in one place, Benkert finished with 278 yards on 20-of-45 passing, with one touchdown pass and one pass intercepted.

UVA outgained Pitt in total offense, 378-348, but the Panthers gained 210 yards on kickoff returns, getting the one kick-return TD and another long return, a 69-yarder by Rafael Araujo-Lopez, that set up a second-quarter Panthers touchdown.

Mizzell gained 95 yards on 12 carries with one touchdown on the ground. Albert Reid scored two touchdowns on the ground, gaining 28 yards on nine carries.

Keeon Johnson had five catches for 41 yards. Zaccheaus had 83 yards on three catches with the long touchdown in the first quarter.

Safety Quin Blanding had 16 tackles, 10 of them solos.

Peterman threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns, completing 11 of his 21 pass attempts for Pitt.

Conner ran for 90 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.