Last-Second Field Goal Lifts Pitt Over Orange, 23-20

Saturday, October 24

Syracuse, NY

12 pm

Syracuse University

3-4 , 1-2

Pittsburgh

6-1 , 4-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Pitt

Syracuse

Photo by: Charles Wainwright

Last-Second Field Goal Lifts Pitt Over Orange, 23-20

10/24/2015 3:34:00 PM | Football

Box Score

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Pitt kicker Chris Blewitt connected on a 25-yard field goal as time expired to give the Panthers (6-1, 4-0 ACC) a 23-20 victory against Syracuse (3-4, 1-2 ACC) on Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Carrier Dome. Blewitt's winning kick ended another tight contest between the rivals, as three of the last four meetings have been decided by three points or less.

It marked the second week in a row Syracuse lost on the final play. Last week at Virginia, the Orange fell in triple overtime when the Cavaliers' Jordan Ellis scored from three yards out to decide the game.

Sophomore wide receiver Steve Ishmael had a career day to help pace the Orange offense against the Panthers. He caught a personal-best seven passes and posted the first 100-yard receiving game of his career, finishing with 114 yards. The Miami, Fla. native averaged 16.3 yards per reception and made a 4-yard touchdown catch late in the first half to extend his streak to three straight games with a TD.

Freshman quarterback Eric Dungey finished the day 21-of-30 passing for 210 yards and two touchdowns and two interceptions. The performance marked the second straight week Dungey completed at least 70 percent of his passes. The rookie signal caller also rushed for 38 yards. Classmate Jordan Fredericks led the Orange with 91 yards on the ground, including a 55-yard dash that marked the longest run for an Orange player so far this season.

Sophomore captain Zaire Franklin registered a career-high 11 tackles on defense. He totaled three tackles for loss, including two sacks. Franklin also forced a first-half fumble.

For the Panthers, tailback Qadree Ollison was their workhorse. Ollison rushed for 103 yards on 23 carries and scored two touchdowns. Pitt quarterback Nate Peterman was 19-of-25 passing for 189 yards. Tyler Boyd was Peterman's favorite target, hauling in 12 passes for 93 yards. Boyd totaled 202 all-purpose yards in the contest. In addition to his receiving yardage, Boyd gained 34 yards rushing and returned three kickoffs for 75 yards.

Pitt started the scoring on the game's first drive. A 38-yard reverse pass from Boyd to Dontez Ford was the key play on the Panthers' first series, which ended in a Blewitt 33-yard field goal with 9:58 to go in the opening quarter.

The Orange responded quickly as Fredericks broke off a 55-yard run on Syracuse's first play from scrimmage to position the Orange at the Pitt 20-yard line. On the next play, Dungey linked up with sophomore Ervin Philips, who broke a tackle near the line of scrimmage and then ran it in from 20 yards out for the touchdown. Sophomore kicker Cole Murphy's PAT gave the Orange a 7-3 advantage.

In the second quarter, Murphy capped a 17-play, 62-yard Syracuse drive with a 23-yard field goal at the 7:44 mark to make it 10-3.

Then things got exciting, as the two sides combined for 17 points in the last two minutes of the second quarter.

Ollison finished a 70-yard Pitt scoring march with a 2-yard touchdown plunge at the 1:37 mark to tie the score. Coach Pat Narduzzi's decision to go for it on fourth-and-one at the Syracuse 40-yard line paid off, as Ollison gained three yards to keep the drive alive before punching the ball into the end zone seven plays later.

On the ensuing Orange possession, Dungey executed a perfect two-minute drill. It took the Orange 1:11 to go 75 yards, capped by a 4-yard scoring pass from Dungey to Ishmael that put Syracuse back in front. Ishamael was the star of the drive. He caught two passes, including an acrobatic 40-yard grab, in addition to his fourth touchdown reception of the year.

Ishmael's score left 26 seconds on the clock, which Pitt used to its advantage. After a short kickoff and personal foul penalty against the Orange, Peterman ran for 13 yards on first down. Peterman then found an open Boyd for 17 more yards to set up Blewitt, who converted a 30-yard field goal with no time left to narrow the margin to 17-13 at the break.

Neither team scored in the third quarter, but the Panthers capitalized on Dungey's second interception of the period. Lafayette Pitts anticipated a Dungey throw and returned the pick 17 yards to the Syracuse 44-yard line late in the quarter. Pitt handed the ball off to Ollison six times on the ensuing possession, including a 1-yard touchdown run with 14 minutes left to put the Panthers ahead for the first time, 20-17.

Murphy tied the game on his second field goal of the day, this one from 37 yards, however the Orange never got the ball back after that. Pitt executed a 19-play drive that chewed up the remaining 9:20 of the game. The Panthers converted four third downs, and a fourth-and-seven when punter Ryan Winslow passed to Matt Galambos for 12 yards, to set the stage for Blewitt's winning kick.

Syracuse heads back out on the road for its next two games. First up is a trip to Tallahassee, Fla. on Saturday, Oct. 31 for a noon showdown with Florida State at Doak Campbell Stadium. The Orange makes it way south again the following week when it visits Louisville.

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