University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Pitt
Connecticut
Pitt Defeats Connecticut 24-21 On Hutchins Field Goal
10/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 10, 2009
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| Pitt vs. UConn Highlights | Watch Dion Lewis' Postgame Interview | Watch Greg Romeus' Postgame Interview
PITTSBURGH -- Bill Stull threw two touchdown passes and Dan Hutchins kicked an 18-yard field goal as time expired to cap off a furious Pitt comeback and give the Panthers a 24-21 win against Connecticut at Heinz Field on Saturday.
The Panthers, who trailed by as much as 15 in the third quarter, jumped to 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the Big East. In the biggest Pitt comeback in the Dave Wannstedt coaching era, Stull was a productive 21 of 31 for 268 yards passing, while the Panthers' running game produced 221 yards against a UConn rushing defense ranked first in the Big East and eighth nationally.
Wannstedt said earlier in the week Pitt would need to be able to run the ball and stop the run if it was to defeat Connecticut. The Panthers did both. In addition to its own potent rushing attack, Pitt limited the Huskies to 106 yards on the ground to earn the victory.
But you could tell by the cheers coming from the Pitt locker room that this was no ordinary win for Wannstedt and his team.
"It was a great come-from-behind win for our team and I told the players that (the comeback) was outstanding," Wannstedt said after the game. "I really liked how we did it."
Pitt trailed, 10-3, at the half, but watched its offense came alive after the break.
Stull's two second-half touchdown passes highlighted the final two quarters, but it was an all-around performance on both sides of the ball that put the Panthers in the lead for good. Offensively, freshmen tailbacks Dion Lewis and Ray Graham were strong throughout, picking up chunks of yardage and moving the chains at key times to keep Pitt's final drives alive.
Lewis, the nation's leading freshman rusher, carried 24 times for 158 yards, finishing with an average of 6.6 yards per carry. Graham, meanwhile, rushed eight times for 53 yards with the same average. UConn had been giving up only 68 yards on the ground.
"I'm pleased with both those kids," Wannstedt said. "The second half, we came out and re-established our identity from the standpoint that we played very physical as an offensive line and we started running the ball. Defensively we stepped up. It really came down to being the best team in the fourth quarter."
Pitt began its comeback late in the third period when, trailing 21-6, Stull hit sophomore receiver Jonathan Baldwin for a 26-yard touchdown that cut the lead to eight. Pitt's defense then locked down on the Huskies, forcing them to punt on each of their fourth-quarter possessions.
Pitt capitalized on those punts with two scoring drives -- the first being a 10-play, 68-yard march down the field that resulted in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Stull to tight end Dorin Dickerson. Stull connected with receiver Cedric McGee on the 2-point conversion to knot the score at 21.
Then, after forcing a Connecticut three-and-out, Stull and Pitt orchestrated a 13-play, 74-yard drive that would eat up the final 6:14 and was climaxed by Hutchins' game-winning field goal.
Stull completed several key passes on that drive, including a 29-yarder to freshman Mike Shanahan that brought the Panthers to the Connecticut 15-yard line.
"He battled back," Wannstedt said of Stull. "When he had to make some plays in the fourth quarter, he did it."
Baldwin finished the game with eight catches for 104 yards and the touchdown -- his third 100-yard performance of the year -- while senior tight end Nate Byham pulled in three catches for 34 yards, including a seven-yard catch to convert a fourth-and-3 in the final quarter and a 21-yard grab on that same drive.
"Nate, he drove us down the field," Dickerson said. "I just scored a touchdown, made a play when I had to."
Pitt now has two-straight 400-yard offensive performances. The Panthers totaled 489 yards against the Huskies, surpassing their previous season high of 404 against Louisville last week.
Connecticut fell to 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the Big East.
Linebacker Adam Gunn had a team-high 10 tackles, while Max Gruder had eight stops, plus his first career sack and forced fumble.
Pitt travels to Piscataway, N.J., on Friday to face Big East-foe Rutgers. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. and will be nationally televised on ESPN.
