The Sports Xchange
Oct 10, 2015
Junior quarterback Nate Peterman passed for 222 yards and two touchdowns as Pittsburgh recorded a 26-19 victory over Virginia in ACC play at Pittsburgh.
Junior receiver Tyler Boyd and junior tight end Scott Orndoff had touchdown receptions for the Panthers (4-1, 2-0). Redshirt freshman Qadree Ollison rushed for a touchdown and sophomore running back Chris James gained 94 yards on 11 rushes.
Junior quarterback Matt Johns was 17-of-33 passing for 209 yards, one touchdown and one interception for the Cavaliers (1-4, 0-1). Virginia allowed four sacks, including one for a key safety.
Johns connected on a 32-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Canaan Severin to pull Virginia within seven with 5:50 left and the defense stopped the Panthers to get the ball back. Johns converted on fourth-and-23 by hitting senior receiver J.T. Thorpe for 32 yards with 1:40 remaining but failed on another fourth-down throw with 28 seconds left.
Pittsburgh led by seven at halftime and doubled the advantage when Peterman hit Boyd on an 8-yard scoring throw with 11:25 left in the third quarter. Virginia senior Ian Frye kicked a 26-yard field goal to pull the Cavaliers within 24-13 but Johns was sacked in the end zone for a safety by Panthers junior linebacker Mike Caprara to make it a 13-point margin with 13:23 left in the game.
The Panthers got on the board just 2:04 into the game when Peterman threw a 37-yard touchdown pass to Orndoff. Frye connected on a 33-yard field goal to cut Virginia's deficit to four but Pittsburgh finished the opening quarter strong with Ollison scoring on a 4-yard run and junior kicker Chris Blewitt making a 33-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 17-3 lead.
The Cavaliers used a big defensive play for a second-quarter touchdown that allowed them to trail by seven at halftime. Senior defensive end Mike Moore broke free and sacked Peterman and forced a fumble that landed in the arms of senior defensive end Kwontie Moore, who ran 15 yards for a score.