Career Night for Rodney Hammond Jr. Fuels Pitt Win Over Boston College

PITTSBURGH — Pitt wasn’t especially good against Boston College, but it’s amazing what competent quarterback play — at the very least — can do for a football team.

And it might be even more amazing what happens when a coaching staff utilizes its best players.

With 5:19 left in the fourth quarter, holding a 1-point lead, Nate Yarnell led the Pitt offense out to where the football sat at the Pitt 25. But it wasn’t Yarnell who made the play. It was Rodney Hammond Jr. — making a play when Pitt needed one most offensively.

Yarnell hit Konata Mumpfield on a quick crosser for nine yards, setting up a 2nd-and-1 from the Pitt 34, and Hammond took the carry, bounced out to the right and made a number of Boston College defenders miss on the way to the end zone. 66 yards. Pitt extended its lead and didn’t give it up on the way to a 24-16 win against BC.

But it wasn’t over even with another defensive stand, and Pitt subsequently punting the ball back to Boston College at the BC 41. But, like Hammond, the defense forced one more turnover — an M.J. Devonshire pick on a prayer — to clinch the win.

Hammond carried the ball 15 times for 145 yards and a touchdown, and Yarnell completed 11-of-19 pass attempts for 207 yards and a touchdown — adding another on the ground. And the Pitt defense stifled Boston College all night — racking up six sacks and eight tackles for loss.

Pitt and Boston College, or rather Ben Sauls and Liam Conner, traded 42-yard field goals on the first two possessions. Yarnell flashed a little bit of good and a little bit of bad on his first offensive possession, and he started to look even more composed as the game wore on.

Yarnell flashed good decision-making, the ability to stretch the field vertically (over the middle of the field, no less) and sneaky good athleticism — converting a couple of third downs with his legs and diving into the end zone from four yards out.

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Nate Yarnell (19) November 16, 2023 David Hague/PSN

But even with a third different quarterback under center this season, questionable play-calling still held the offense back throughout the first half. Hammond didn’t receive a carry until the second quarter, and when he finally did, it came at the expense of a blossoming passing game.

And as Pitt faced a 4th-and-1 from the Boston College 17, a poorly designed Daniel Carter dive was stuffed short. And BC capitalized with another long scoring drive — a 45-yard field goal sailing through the uprights with just under 30 seconds left in the half.

Pitt received the second half kickoff, but a quick three-and-out gave the ball back to Boston College, and BC didn’t fail to capitalize on its chance.

It did appear that Donovan McMillon managed to knock away a go-ahead Boston College touchdown, with BC wideout Lewis Bond (seemingly) failing to complete a play from quarterback Thomas Castellanos, but it was called a touchdown on the field — and a booth review withheld the call.

Pitt answered with perhaps its best drive of the season. Backed up at the 10-yard line, Yarnell looked cool and composed in standing in the pocket and progressions through his reads. 12 yards to Mumpfield, and then 18 more to Mumpfield right after. And then 61 yards to Bub Means — a beautiful pump-fake freeing up Means deep downfield — to retake the lead with a touchdown.

A team-leading third interception from P.J. O’Brien Jr., which killed a promising Boston College drive at the Pitt 2, gave the ball back to Yarnell. But a stalled-out drive resulted in a missed 52-yard field goal. Another strong defensive series gave the ball back to Pitt, at the Pitt 3, to be fair, and the offense only managed to punt the ball back to BC.

Yet another defensive stand, just when it looked like the defense was starting to wear down, held Boston College to a 33-yard field goal. And it gave Yarnell the chance to ice it with 5:19 left in the game.

And it wasn’t Yarnell who closed it out but Hammond — and, of course, the Pitt defense.

Pitt (3-7, 2-5 ACC) will be in action one more time this season, traveling to Durham, N.C. to close the season against Duke. The kickoff time will be announced Saturday night after the conclusion of this week’s slate of games.