Pittsburgh weathered the loss of quarterback Mason Heintschel and a furious Virginia Tech rally to escape Friday’s Atlantic Coast Conference game in Blacksburg, Virginia, with a 35-33 win.
Pitt (5-0, 2-0 ACC) forced four total turnovers from Virginia Tech (4-1, 1-1) and nearly came up with a game-deciding fifth on the final Hokies drive. Panthers defensive lineman Isaiah Neal dislodged the ball from Virginia Tech quarterback Ethan Grunkmeyer, but Hokies offensive lineman Logan Howland made the recovery.
Grunkmeyer later extended the drive with a fourth-down conversion, firing a bullet in traffic to tight end Luke Reynolds. Virginia Tech advanced to the Pitt 18-yard line, setting up for a 36-yard John Love field-goal attempt as time expired.
Love’s kick was ruled just wide left as it sailed over the goalpost, and the Panthers survived despite a late Hokies push.
The Panthers gave up a pair of touchdowns less than five minutes into the matchup of undefeated teams but settled in to pull within a three-point deficit by halftime.
Heintschel connected with receiver Cataurus Hicks just 31 seconds before intermission for a 22-yard touchdown that sent the teams into the locker room with Virginia Tech ahead 24-21.
Heintschel exited the game not much later, however, sustaining an apparent right leg injury early in the third quarter. Holden Geriner came on and finished the drive on which Heintschel exited, with the possession ending on Damon Ferguson Jr.s’ 15-yard touchdown rush which gave the Panthers their first lead at 28-24 with 10:13 left in the third quarter.
Pitt scored again when Geriner hooked up with Hicks for a 29-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Each of Hicks’ touchdown receptions came on drives set up on takeaways by the Panthers’ defense.
Trailing 35-26 in the fourth quarter, Virginia Tech cut into the two-score deficit when Grunkmeyer found Davion Brown for a 28-yard touchdown less than a minute after the Hokies’ defense stuffed Ferguson behind the goal line for a safety.
The Panthers’ running attack produced 104 yards, led by Ja’Kyrian Turner’s 65. Turner scored Pitt’s first touchdown of the night on a 20-yard carry in the first quarter, and his six receptions led the Panthers.
Ferguson carried for 31 yards, and La’Vell Wright rushed for a touchdown in the second quarter.
Before his injury, Heintschel was 10-of-18 passing for 113 yards and a touchdown. Geriner went 8-of-12 for 78 yards and a TD.
Grunkmeyer finished 30-of-41 passing for a career-high 434 yards and threw three touchdowns, including a 38-yard touchdown to Que’Sean Brown on the Hokies’ opening drive. Grunkmeyer was also intercepted twice.
