Pitt dominated on the ground, gaining 210 yards and holding Virginia Tech to a season-low 26, and the Panthers held off a late Hokies rally to post a 21-16 win in ACC football action in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Thursday night.
Pitt (4-3, 2-1 ACC) led all the way, getting on the scoreboard in the first quarter on a 53-yard touchdown pass from Chad Voytik to Tyler Boyd. A James Conner 15-yard TD run in the second quarter was sandwiched by two Joey Slye field goals that sent the Panthers into the locker room up 14-6.
A Slye 21-yard field goal cut the lead to 14-9 at the 11:32 mark of the third, and it would stay there until a Conner 13-yard scoring run capped a two-play, 62-yard drive following a failed Tech fourth-down conversion effort, making it 21-9 Pitt with 13:07 to play.
The Panthers took their next drive into the Hokies red zone, but a Chris Blewitt field-goal attempt was blocked at the line, and Virginia Tech (4-3, 1-2 ACC) took advantage of the slight opening, driving 80 yards in nine plays, capped by a Michael Brewer 14-yard touchdown pass to Cam Phillips that cut the deficit to 21-16 with 4:52 left.
Pitt was able to get one first down on its next series, but the Tech D got the ball back for its offense to get one last crack. A Brewer fourth-down pass fell incomplete in Panther territory, and the game was over.
Voytik was 10-for-17 passing for 92 yards, but ran for 118 yards on 19 carries, with Conner adding 85 yards on 16 runs.
Brewer was 26-for-45 passing for 265 yards, and the Tech running game was never able to get going, averaging 1.2 yards a carry, gaining 26 yards on 22 attempts.
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Chris Graham
