October 8, 2016

Jackets Drop Heartbreaker in Pittsburgh

Oct. 8, 2016

Final Stats | Photo Gallery | Photo Gallery (Jeffrey Gamza)

PITTSBURGH (AP) Another fourth-quarter lead gone and another ”what if” loss looming, Pittsburgh responded with a little bit of savvy, luck and a dash of redemption for its beleaguered defense thrown in for good measure to surge past struggling Georgia Tech.

First, Scott Orndoff kept his head while hauling in a tipped pass from Nate Peterman the tight end turned into a game-tying 74-yard touchdown with 3:50 to play. Then nose tackle Tyrique Jarrett stuffed Yellow Jackets running back Dedrick Mills on fourth down to give Pitt the ball back with 1:47 left to set up Chris Blewitt’s bank shot 31-yard field goal as time expired.

Just another heart-stopping Saturday for the Panthers.

”I think it’s just about believing and never getting down on yourself or on your team,” Orndoff said. ”Just hanging in there.”

Something Pitt (4-2, 1-1 ACC) is getting used to under coach Pat Narduzzi. The outcome has hung in the balance in the final 2 minutes each of the last five weeks, including a last-second loss to North Carolina two weeks ago in which the Tar Heels converted four fourth-downs on the deciding drive.

That’s what made Jarrett and linebacker Matt Galambos’ stop so satisfying. The clock dwindling, Georgia Tech went for it on fourth-and-1 at its own 34 rather than kick it. Galombos — who Narduzzi describes as the defense’s ”computer” — sensed a dive play was coming and changed the call right before the snap, leading Jarrett to stand up Mills short of the first down.

”I happened to guess right,” Jarrett said. ”It was perfect.”

Pitt drove to the Georgia Tech 12 to set up Blewitt’s winner, which smacked off the right upright and through as time expired. It’s the second straight season Pitt topped the Yellow Jackets on a late kick by Blewitt, whose 52 career field goals are a school record.

”Called corner pocket,” Blewitt joked.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson defended the decision to go for it rather than kick it and give Pitt’s offense – which punted just once all day – another shot. Instead the Yellow Jackets (3-3) dropped their third straight overall and their sixth straight true road game dating back to 2014.

”If I to do over again at the end of the game, I probably still would have gone for it but I would have called a different play,” Johnson said. ”I felt the way the game was going, I felt like we could make a half-yard and we didn’t so that’s on me. That’s my responsibility and I’ll take the blame for it.”

BIG MAN, BIG PLAY

Peterman finished 14 of 20 for 192 yards and the long score to Orndoff. The Panthers spread the ball around while running for 215 yards, including a 24-yard run by 300-pound Pitt lineman Brian O’Neill on a designed throwback lateral.

Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Canada installed the play this week specifically for O’Neill, a former tight end. He caught the ball and was surrounded by teammates while being escorted to the end zone.

”(Canada) told me don’t do anything stupid when you score a touchdown because you’re going to score a touchdown,” O’Neill said.

THROWBACK FRENZY

The Panthers wore vintage blue-and-gold jerseys in a nod to the program’s glory days of the 1970s and had Johnny Majors, the coach when Pitt won the 1976 national title, serve as honorary captain. As sharp as Pitt looked, however, Narduzzi made sure style didn’t trump substance.

”(Narduzzi) told us those yellow helmets aren’t going to make a tackle for you,” defensive end Shakir Soto said.

TAKEAWAY

Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets were much improved following losses at home to Clemson and Miami but the defense struggled all day and yielded at the end. Johnson, however, remains upbeat even though his team’s margin for error in the Coastal Division is gone.

”I think you can see every team in our division is probably really close,” Johnson said. ”Just like North Carolina beat them on the last play, they beat us on the last play.”

Pitt: The Panthers are finding plenty of depth around star running back James Conner, who was held to 60 yards and failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 14 games. Eight different Panthers were credited with at least one carry.

UP NEXT

Georgia Tech: take a break from ACC play when they host Georgia Southern. Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson led Georgia Southern to a pair of FCS titles in 1999-2000.

Pitt: Travels to Virginia to take on the Cavaliers. Each team has won on its home field in the series since the Panthers joined the ACC in 2013.

Team Notes

Georgia Tech fell to 3-3 overall and 1-3 in ACC play with its third-straight loss.
Georgia Tech lost its sixth-straight true road game overall (last win: 30-24 in OT at Georgia on Nov. 30, 2014) and fifth-straight true road contest in ACC play (last win: 58-23 at NC State on Nov. 8, 2014).
Three of Georgia Tech’s six-straight defeats in true road games have come by eight points or less.
For the second-straight season, Georgia Tech lost to Pitt on a late field goal. On Oct. 15 of last season, Pitt’s Chris Blewitt kicked a 56-yard field goal with 1:11 to go in the game to lift the Panthers to a 31-28 win. On Saturday, Blewitt’s 31-yard game-winner hit the right upright before falling through as time expired.
For the first time this season, Georgia Tech did not commit any turnovers.

Individual Notes

Georgia Tech senior quarterback Justin Thomas rushed for 55 yards, giving him 2,014 rushing yards for his career. He is the third quarterback in Georgia Tech history to rush for 2,000 yards in a career, joining Josh Nesbitt (2,806 yds. – 2007-10) and Tevin Washington (2,225 yds. – 2009-12).
Georgia Tech’s J.J. Green returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. It was Georgia Tech’s first kickoff return for a touchdown since Jamal Golden returned a kick 100 yards for a score at North Carolina on Nov. 10, 2012 and was the eighth-longest kickoff return in program history.
Ricky Jeune’s 31-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter was the first touchdown catch by a Georgia Tech wide receiver and matched the longest reception by a GT wideout this season (Jeune also had a 31-yard catch vs. Mercer on Sept. 10).
Georgia Tech sophomore linebacker Brant Mitchell’s fourth-quarter fumble recovery was the first of his career.
Georgia Tech junior defensive end Antonio Simmons set a career high with six tackles (prev. 5 vs. Boston College – Sept. 3, 2016).