Pitt Football Drops Fifth Straight in Regular Season Finale at Boston College

Article written by Greg Levinsky

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Before Halloween, the once-upstart Pitt football team boasted an unblemished 7-0 mark. But a prolonged spooky season persists past Thanksgiving, turning the traditional seasonal holiday cheer into a disappointing jeer.

A 34-23 loss at Boston College Saturday extended the Panthers losing streak to five, finalizing a 7-5, 3-5 (ACC) regular season mark. Bowl fate aside, what does coach Pat Narduzzi make of the 2024 campaign?

“As a whole? Success,” he said. “We won three games a year ago … I’m always going to look at the glass half full. I don’t think in my 36 years of coaching I’ve seen so many injuries, so we’ve got to shore that up and get healthy for a bowl game.”

A sunny and chilly afternoon quickly turned dark – both literally and figuratively – for the visiting Panthers as they fell behind 13-0 just before an early sunset and could not rally against the Eagles (7-5, 4-4) before a crowd of 29,704 at Alumni Stadium.

Without starting quarterback Eli Holstein and top running back Desmond Reid due to injury, the Pitt offense sputtered early as the Panthers fell behind. Save for senior wideout Konata Mumpfield (8 receptions, 144 yards, 1 touchdown), BC held the Panthers in check.

“I thought our kids played their tails off,” Narduzzi said. “There’s no quit in our guys, I’ll tell you that… Obviously we didn’t play well enough to win the football game, but I’m proud of the way they fight.”

Redshirt junior quarterback Nate Yarnell (23-of-42, 296 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception) started in place of Eli Holstein, who did not travel with the team after being carted off the field in the first quarter of last week’s game against Louisville with a leg injury. Redshirt freshman David Lynch, from nearby Greenwich, Rhode Island served as the backup.

The lion’s share of Reid’s average 15-plus carries per game went to junior Derrick Davis Jr., who started, and rushed for 21 yards on 5 carries before leaving with an injury late in the second quarter. Freshman Juelz Goff had his first 10 career carries for 19 yards.

After Yarnell started by completing 3 of his first 4 pass attempts on the opening drive, he went down with an injury. His return on the next possession still resulted in a Pitt punt, setting up the game’s first score, a 36-yard dash by BC running back Jordan McDonald, who broke a tackle at the line of scrimmage and another in the secondary. The Eagles botched the snap on the extra point attempt.

“[Yarnell] thought he broke his wrist, that’s what he told me,” Narduzzi said. “I didn’t think he’d come back.”

“Nate’s a tough ass kid,” tight end Gavin Bartholomew said. “Normally when he goes in there are some guys down and he did the best with what we’ve got.”

The Eagles tacked on another rushing touchdown midway through the second quarter. BC running back Kye Robichaux ran two yards up the gut, set up by a 53-yard pass from quarterback Grayson James to receiver Reed Harris. BC converted the extra point to make it 13-0.

Pitt responded with its first score, marching from its own 25 to the BC 10. After buying time in the pocket on third-and-goal, Yarnell found senior tight end Bartholomew (3 receptions, 26 yards) in the end zone for an 11-yard score. Redshirt senior Ben Sauls added the extra point.

“We realized that we could drive the ball, move down the field and score,” Bartholomew said. “Once we got that momentum going we felt pretty good.”

Driving from deep in their own territory in the final minute of the first half, Pitt advanced to the BC 40. Yarnell dropped back after a play-action pass and tossed the ball directly into the hands of BC defensive lineman Ty Clemons, who ran 55 yards for another BC score. Sauls, once a BC commit, nailed a buzzer-beating 57-yard field goal to make it 20-10 at the half.

Pitt defensive back Donovan McMillon (team-high 11 tackles) broke up a pass to force a turnover on downs on the opening possession of the second half.

“We thought we had them to a point, but we’re going to have to go through and watch the film, McMillon said. “When it comes down to it, the ball just didn’t bounce our way [during the losing streak] and that’s with things beyond football.”

With Jackson Brown replacing Isaiah Montgomery at left tackle, the Panthers ripped off an 8-play, 65-yard drive, capped by a shovel pass to Bartholomew for a 5-yard score. Sauls connected on the extra point to cut the deficit to 20-17.

But BC followed with an 8-play 83-yard, late third quarter scoring drive punctuated by a perfectly threaded 28-yard connection from James to Harris, who reeled in the ball amidst tight coverage from Pitt’s Rashad Battle. The Panthers never got back within a possession.

“We just didn’t make enough plays,” Narduzzi said. “Unfortunate.”