Pitt
6-5 , 5-5
Georgia Tech
3-7 , 3-6
Panthers Run By Georgia Tech, 34-20
12/10/2020 11:30:00 PM | Football
ATLANTA (AP) — Vincent Davis rushed for a career-best 247 yards, including a 74-yard scamper on the first play of the game and a late touchdown that clinched Pitt's 34-20 victory over Georgia Tech on Thursday night in Atlanta.
In the makeup of a game that was postponed last month because of COVID-19 issues, the Panthers (6-5, 5-5 ACC) finished off a winning regular season and defied their standing as one of the league's worst rushing teams.
Davis, whose previous high was 69 yards in last year's Quick Lane Bowl, eclipsed that on the first snap against Georgia Tech (3-7, 3-6).
The sophomore burst through a huge hole up the middle and took off with no one around, finally getting dragged down at the Georgia Tech 9 to set up the first of four short field goals by Alex Kessman.
Davis finished off his dynamic performance with a 38-yard touchdown run with 2 minutes remaining. He also had runs of 32 and 21 yards, averaging 9.9 yards on 25 carries.
The Panthers finished with 317 yards on the ground after coming into the night ranked 13th in the ACC at 104.5 per game.
Kenny Pickett hooked up with DJ Turner on a 60-yard scoring pass and tallied Pitt's other TD on a 1-yard sneak. But the Panthers missed numerous opportunities to blow the game open, getting stopped on a fourth-down play from the 1 and settling for all those field goals — none longer than 30 yards.
Freshman Jeff Sims ran for a 1-yard touchdown and tossed a pair of scoring passes — 21 yards to Jalen Camp and an 18-yarder to Dylan Deveney with 6:01 remaining that gave the Yellow Jackets a glimmer of hope by making the score 26-20.
But Davis snuffed out any thoughts of a comeback.
THE TAKEAWAY
Pitt: The Panthers struggled in the red zone, which allowed the Yellow Jackets to get back in the game. Pickett was 17 of 34 for 196 yards.
Georgia Tech: Three first-half turnovers really hurt the Yellow Jackets. Sims tossed a pair of interceptions, one when he failed to spot the safety and another when his receiver slipped making a cut. Quez Jackson had an interception for the Yellow Jackets, but he fumbled the ball foolishly trying to lateral. The Panthers recovered and went on to kick a field goal.
LIGHTS OUT
The game was delayed about 5 minutes in the second quarter after a campus-wide power surge knocked out a bank of lights.
It was the second game in a row the lights have been an issue at Georgia Tech. A computer program for the stadium's new light show froze up during a Nov. 28 victory over Duke, leading to a brief stoppage.
UP NEXT
Pitt: The regular season is over. The Panthers will now await a likely bowl invitation.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets have another make-up game next Saturday at No. 9 Miami. The contest was originally scheduled for Nov. 21, but COVID-19 issues led to a postponement. It will now be played the same day as the ACC championship game between No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 4 Clemson.
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Team Stats
UP 3, GT 0
UP - Kessman, A 27 yd field goal 5 plays, 74 yards, TOP 1:26
UP 3, GT 7
GT - Sims, J. 1 yd run (Stewart, G. kick), 12 plays, 98 yards, TOP 4:23
UP 6, GT 7
UP - Kessman, A 25 yd field goal 8 plays, 18 yards, TOP 3:04
UP 13, GT 7
UP - Turner, D 60 yd pass from Pickett, K (Kessman, A kick) 2 plays, 93 yards, TOP 0:37
UP 16, GT 7
UP - Kessman, A 30 yd field goal 12 plays, 85 yards, TOP 4:45
UP 23, GT 7
UP - Pickett, K 1 yd run (Kessman, A kick), 12 plays, 80 yards, TOP 4:53
UP 23, GT 13
GT - Camp, J. 21 yd pass from Sims, J. (Sims, J. passfailed) 10 plays, 58 yards, TOP 3:40
UP 26, GT 13
UP - Kessman, A 22 yd field goal 17 plays, 78 yards, TOP 8:54
UP 26, GT 20
GT - Deveney, D. 18 yd pass from Sims, J. (Stewart, G. kick) 7 plays, 75 yards, TOP 2:03
UP 34, GT 20
UP - Davis, V 38 yd run (Turner, D pass), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:01
