PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers did not look good doing it, but they rode a historic game from Israel Abanikanda to their fourth win of the season, beating Virginia Tech, 45-29.
Virginia Tech got the ball first and moved into Panther territory with a 28-yard pass but the Pitt defense held strong on third down. They pinned the Panthers inside their own five and held them to a net gain of negative one yard.
Starting with good field position after a short punt, the Hokies had a chance to draw first blood, a couple of penalties backed them out of field goal range.
Instead it was the Panthers who scored first. Offensive coordinator Frank Cigenetti opened up the passing game to help get Pitt inside Hokie territory and Israel Abanikanda, making a return from injury, ran the game’s first score in from 38 yards out.
Virginia Tech wasted little time responding. They drove 75 yards in 1:03, thanks in large part to two costly penalties committed by Pitt, and Malachi Thomas punched in a five-yard rushing touchdown but Deandre Jules blocked the ensuing extra point to keep the Panthers out in front 7-6 .
By the end of the first quarter, Virginia Tech had put Pitt back on their own 30 yard line and quarterback Grant Wells moved the Hokies up to the on with his arm. The Pitt defense came up with a stop on the goal line thanks to a run stuff from Habakkuk Baldonado and pass breakup from Erick Hallett.
Virginia Tech converted a field goal to take the lead and added on to it soon after. Jaden Bradley couldn’t corral a high pass from Kedon Slovis and tipped it to a diving Hokie defender at the 19 yard line. One play later, Keshawn King was celebrating in the endzone after running for the visitors’ second score in less than a minute.
Right when the Panthers seemed to be dead to rights, they came back with a deliberate touchdown drive. They rode 52 yards from Abanikanda to the end zone to pull within two.
After forcing a three-and-out from the Hokies on their next drive, Pitt tipped the punt and used good field position to kick a field goal. Ben Sauls converted form 47 yards out to put the Panthers back out in front at 17-16.
The two teams exchanged punts and Pitt came close to adding a third consecutive score when PJ O’Brien forced a muffed punt, but the referees ruled Jadan Blue down before the ball came out.
Virginia Tech moved up to the Panthers’ 30 yard line but a hands to the face penalty and sack from SirVocea Dennis pushed them out of field goal range. with two seconds left on the first half clock. A hail mary attempt fell short and Pitt headed to the locker room holding a 17-16 lead.
The Panthers extended their lead with their second possession of the second half after Virginia Tech punter Peter Moore shanked another kick and gave his opponents good field position near midfield.
From there, Abanikanda went back to work. He ran three times, ate up 41 of the drive’s 56 yards and capped it with his third touchdown of the day to put Pitt up 24-16.
The Hokies had to punt for the fourth time in five drives and again the Panthers took advantage of a short field. Using an even balance of runs and passes, Pitt moved with ease down the field and Abanikanda ran in his fourth score of the day from five yards out to extend the Panthers’ lead to 31-17 with 6:48 left in the third quarter.
But Virginia Tech refused to go away and came up with two massive plays to draw within two. First Grant Wells found Da’Wain Lofton for a 43-yard touchdown and PJ Prioleau blocked a punt kicked from Pitt’s own goal line. Vtu Johnson recovered the ball for a touchdown and, after a failed two-point conversion, trailed 29-31.
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Just when the Panthers seemed like they were on the ropes, one massive hit from John Morgan put them back in control. Wells had just completed a pass to get the offense near midfield when Morgan leveled Kaleb Smith and knocked the ball loose. Shayne Simon recovered the ball. Abanikanada did the rest, rushing for gains of 29 and 10 yards to the endzone for his fifth score of the game to push the lead back to multiple scores at 38-29.
Things quickly went from bad to worse for the Hokies, who missed a 37-yard field goal on their next drive and then could only watch as Abanikanda raced past them for an 80-yard touchdown, his sixth of the day, to stretch the lead your 45-29.
Pitt got the ball for another drive late in the fourth and used it to set the school’s single-game rushing record. On his 35th rushing attempt, Abanikanda took the ball six yards, moving his game total to 304, breaking Tony Dorsett’s single-game record of 303 set in 1975.
Virginia Tech took the ball back once more but with no luck. Pitt walked away 45-29 in Week 6.
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