Pitt football lost to Toledo 48-46 in six overtimes at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday afternoon in a back-and-forth thriller. The Panthers (7-6) ended their season on a six-game losing streak after their 7-0 start that had them ranked as high as No. 18 in the AP poll and the College Football Playoff rankings.
The Panthers squandered a 30-20 fourth-quarter lead to the Rockets (8-5), but it was how the Panthers bungled multiple opportunities late in the game that left a bad mark on Pat Narduzzi’s decision making.
As the Panthers had the ball with less than a minute to play in regulation, the game was tied at 30-30. Pitt had the ball on 3rd-and-11 with 35 seconds left, and true freshman quarterback Julian Dugger rushed for 2 yards to make it 4th-and-9 with about 30 seconds left in the game with the ball at Pitt’s own 47.
Instead of going for it with 10 seconds left to try for 10 or 11 yards to set up a field goal with 10 seconds left, Pitt let the clock run down to one second for a Hail Mary pass attempt that never even took to the air, as Dugger was sacked.
But even worse was the Panthers’ missed opportunity in the second overtime. Pitt held Toledo to a field goal and just needed a touchdown to secure victory. The Panthers had worked the ball to 3rd-and-goal at the 1-yard line in a game they averaged an adjusted 5.6 yards per carry.
Instead of a quarterback sneak for Dugger or a handoff to any of Pitt’s running backs that all averaged more than 4 yards per carry in the game, Narduzzi and Kade Bell went with a play completely out of the ordinary. Senior tight end Gavin Bartholomew took the snap, rolled right and was tasked with targeting redshirt freshman Isaiah Neal in the end zone.
The pass sailed high, and Neal barely got his hands on it as the ball fell incomplete. The Panthers would settle for a field goal and send it to a third overtime, where the format requires both teams to score on a single play from 4 yards out in each overtime period.
Pitt could’ve ended the game with a conventional call that relied on the strengths it had beaten Toledo with all game but instead tried to get cute — and cost itself a chance at victory. Then, after the failed pass, the decision to not follow that up with an attempt to overpower Toledo at the 1-yard line turned out to be a blessing for the Rockets and a submission that Pitt was concerned it couldn’t earn 1 yard against a team from the MAC.
The Panthers lost the game in embarrassing fashion, looking out of sorts and outsmarted in the end. The shame of it is how the efforts of several young freshmen were spoiled in the defeat.
Here’s a look at the top young players who stepped up:
Julian Dugger
Obviously, the true freshman quarterback who sparked the offense in the second half deserves his flowers. He finished the game completing 7 of 13 passes for 72 yards, two touchdown passes and a rushing touchdown to go along with 88 yards on 21 rushes. He did throw an interception returned for a touchdown, but his efforts were what sparked the Panthers offense to their highest point total since they scored 73 points against Youngstown State.
Dugger also made several crucial decisions to keep Pitt alive in five consecutive overtime periods. Toledo matched him play for play until his pass in the sixth overtime fell incomplete and the game was over.
Francis Brewu
True freshman defensive tackle Francis Brewu made his first career start for the Panthers and came up with a big play in overtime when he sacked Toledo quarterback Tucker Gleason and forced another pressure that led to a throwaway.
Brewu finished the game with two tackles, as well, as he helped Pitt contain Toledo’s rushing offense to just 3.7 adjusted yards per carry. The 6-foot-1, 280-pound four-star recruit from Westerville, Ohio, served as a rotational player on Pitt’s defensive front for the season but looks to be one of the key parts of a young defensive front next year.
Sincere Edwards
Another true freshman stepped up for the Panthers in the defensive end from Orlando, Fla. Edwards is still a rotational player on the edge for the Panthers with zero tackles but did contribute to a turnover for the Panthers. Late in the third quarter, Toledo had driven into Pitt territory and was at 3rd-and-10 with Pitt holding onto a slim 23-20 lead.
Edwards used his 6-foot-1, 245-pound frame to push his way into the backfield and hit the arm of Gleason to force a bad throw that was intercepted by redshirt freshman safety Cruce Brookins. As the Panthers look for answers on their defensive line next year, Edwards will be joined by fellow true freshman defensive tackles Brewu and Jahsear Whittington.
Cruce Brookins
The safety out of the WPIAL’s Steel Valley made a game-changing interception for the Panthers and was a significant presence on the field throughout the game. He finished with six tackles, five of them being solo tackles, to go along with his turnover and also registered a quarterback hit when he blitzed Gleason.
Juelz Goff
When senior Desmond Reid tired out during a game in which he rushed 32 times for 165 yards and a touchdown to go along with his five receptions for 15 yards, true freshman running back Juelz Goff was ready.
The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder from York, Pa., had only appeared in three games for Pitt this season, with 18 carries for 46 yards and six receptions for 53 yards.
Goff ran seven times for 31 yards and caught three passes for 32 yards Thursday. He proved to be a reliable asset to the Panthers and could be a future backup option to Reid.
First Published: December 27, 2024, 1:07 a.m.
Updated: December 27, 2024, 3:11 a.m.
