Thirty-six degrees. A wrath of Hurricanes met a steel-gray winter front in the heart of Pittsburgh. Then came the Hurricanes, of whom, by night’s end, made the Steel City their stage. The Hurricanes’ College Football Playoff hopes live on, as they defeated the Pitt Panthers 38-7.
Flat start — ‘Canes step on the gas
Both teams entered this contest ranked as the top two rushing defenses in the ACC and two of the top 11 in the nation.
In the first half of play, that certainly showed. Coming off the single-game highest rushing total by any true first-year nationally this season at Georgia Tech, running back Ja’Kyrian “Boosie” Turner managed just 21 yards on the ground, while redshirt first-year running back Juelz Goff garnered 14. But with first-year quarterback Mason Heintschel sacked four times and five TFLs, the rushing total sat at 11.
For the U, it was not much better — just 37 rushing yards on the ground between junior running back Mark Fletcher Jr. and first-year running back Girard Pringle Jr.
However, in the second half, the heat from the South Beach backfield emerged. With the help of an offensive line which head coach Pat Narduzzi described as “an expensive group of guys up front,” 103 rushing yards and a touchdown from Fletcher Jr. put the ‘Canes far ahead. Pitt was met with the four front of the U and had just 19 yards, raising their total to 30 on the game, to Miami’s 140. When asked about the defense as a whole, Narduzzi noted, “They are close to being the best defense in the country.”
Malachi Toney — Mr. 305, now Mr. 412
Senior running back Desmond Reid may have been the All-Purpose All-American player between the two teams, but not in this contest. Miami first-year wide receiver Malachi Toney did it all today. The four-star led the way in receiving in this game with 13 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. Toney’s primary matchup of the secondary, senior defensive back Javon McIntyre, noted that Toney will have his way when he’s “playing too soft, giving too much respect.” He also rushed for 30 yards and threw for a touchdown on a trick play to sophomore tight end Elija Lofton.
The quarterback duel
Since taking over as the starter in Week 6, Heintschel has ranked second in the ACC in passing yards and third in both completions and passing touchdowns. After delivering perhaps the most memorable performance of his first season, all eyes were on him following his breakout showing against No. 16 Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
But the momentum stalled. Late in the first half, Heintschel was sacked and left the field limping, heading to the locker room early. He returned for the second half, but it was clear he was limited. He managed just 68 passing yards after the break, finishing with one touchdown, one interception, and 199 yards, his second-lowest total against ACC competition this season.
When asked about what he could reflect on following the two losses as a starter, Heintschel stated he has to “process and understand what defenses are throwing at [the offense] … just being quick to get rid of the football.
“That’s a glaring issue with myself right now,” Heintschel said. “We’ll be alright.”
For Georgia transfer sixth-year quarterback Carson Beck, it was arguably his best ACC performance. After throwing nine interceptions across his previous six road games, Beck was nearly flawless against Pitt, completing 23 of 29 passes for 267 yards and three touchdowns, with only one interception, posting a 183.9 passer rating. In his first career game north of the Mason-Dixon line, Beck proved the cold never bothered him anyway.
What’s next for the Hurricanes?
For the first time this season … no one knows. The Hurricanes may try to sneak into the College Football Playoff with the help of other top-25 teams losing. Or, they may end up receiving help from ACC foes and make the ACC Championship game.
What’s next for the Panthers?
With the loss to Miami, the Panthers are now eliminated from ACC title contention, and their chances of reaching the CFP are now at 0%. The next stop for Pitt is a bowl game that will be decided in the coming weeks.
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