PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Virginia Tech fell behind early and couldn't get back in the game, falling 52-22 to Pittsburgh in an ACC game played Saturday night at Heinz Field.
With the loss, the Hokies dropped to 4-5 overall, 3-3 in the ACC. Pittsburgh became bowl eligible, moving to 6-4 overall, 5-1 in league action, and the Panthers are in the driver's seat for the ACC's Coastal Division crown.
Pittsburgh jumped out to a 17-0 lead and never looked back. The Panthers got an early field goal from Alex Kessman and then used a 53-yard run from Darrin Hall to set up an 8-yard touchdown run by Quadree Ellison toward the end of the first quarter. A 78-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett to Maurice Ffrench early in the second quarter gave the Panthers the 17-point bulge.
The Hokies got on the board when quarterback Ryan Willis threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to receiver Eric Kumah. The play capped an 80-yard drive and cut the Panthers' lead to 17-7.
But Pittsburgh scored touchdowns on its final two possessions to end the first half and ultimately pulled away.
Willis threw two more touchdown passes in the second half. He completed 22 of 34 for 231 yards, with three touchdown passes, and he also rushed for 65 yards. The Hokies amassed 432 yards of offense.
Pittsburgh finished with 654 yards of offense.
(11/10/2018) 2018 FOOTBALL at PITT
GAME NOTES
• The Hokies took the field without tailback Deshawn McClease, linebacker Dylan Rivers and defensive end Emmanuel Belmar. All three missed the game with undisclosed injuries.
• Willis' three touchdown passes give him 16 on the season against just four interceptions. He has thrown at least two touchdown passes in all six of his starts since entering the starting lineup for injured starter Josh Jackson.
• Kumah's touchdown receptions were his fourth and fifth of the season. He now has seven in his career.
• Kumah's six receptions tied a career high. His 80 yards receiving were the third-most in his career.
• Damon Hazelton hauled in a 24-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and now has at least one touchdown reception in eight of nine games this season.
• The Hokies' second scoring drive of the game – the one that ended with the 5-yard touchdown pass from Willis to Kumah – took 7:38 off the clock. That is the Hokies' longest scoring drive this season (previous 6:05 vs. Notre Dame).
QUOTES TO NOTE
Head coach Justin Fuente (postgame)
(With all the injuries, are the young guys discouraged at all? What do you say to them?)
"I think they understand that there is an expectation level in all three phases of the game just to play football here at Virginia Tech. We are in a situation where some guys are forced into action before they're properly seasoned, I guess, and continuing to coach and push them to continue to get better will be our focus. I'm sure they don't like not playing well. Nobody does, but they've got to understand that you can't use that as a crutch or an excuse. We've got to continue to help those guys and put them in as good of a situation as we can put them in to get them to continue and go and compete. To me, there is a competitive spirit in there that, young or old, has got to shine through. Sure, we know there are circumstances beyond our control, but they're just that – beyond our control. What we can control is our attitude and our effort and our competitiveness. I think continuing as coaches to pus those guys to compete to the best of their abilities right now is what we've got to do."
(Do you stand on the sideline wondering which defense is going to show up on which play?)
"I know what you're getting at, and it's a function of our team, and it's where we're at. The level of inconsistency on both sides of the ball is what we're trying to work through. You see a play, and you think, 'Man, that looks great. We defended that really well.' Then you see a play, and it's a big chunk play. I feel the same way on special teams and on offense, quite honestly. You see us block a return really well and have a chance to pop one out of there and you get a penalty. On offense, you see some execution there and some guys making plays, and then you see a lack of execution. I think it's a function of us as a whole right now, the level of consistency. It sounds so easy just to be consistent. The other team, they've got guys on scholarship and coaches and that sort of stuff, and reaching that level, it takes a lot of discipline, a lot of strain and a lot of practice. That's what we're striving for as a group."
(Is that why you can't let yourself get frustrated or mad that these things are happening?)
"I think you can get upset with a lack of preparation. You guys think that I'm laid back because I'm trying to think during the game and make clear decisions, but when we're working, it's a different endeavor. But yeah, we're trying to teach our guys through this. It doesn't mean that we're not being demanding of them. We absolutely are, but come game time, it's time to solve problems and fix things and continue to bring those guys through. If you're a senior on the team, you're trying to bring those young guys along, and that's the role right now for us as coaches."
UP NEXT
The Hokies return to Lane Stadium for their final two games of the season, starting with Saturday's game against Miami. Tech fell 28-10 to the then-No. 9 Hurricanes in Miami Gardens last season, but won 37-16 in Blacksburg in 2016.