Early Pick Sixes Lead Pitt Past Virginia, 37-7

Saturday, November 12

Charlottesville, VA

Noon

Pitt

6-4 , 3-3

Virginia

3-7 , 1-6

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Pittsburgh

Virginia

Early Pick Sixes Lead Pitt Past Virginia, 37-7

11/12/2022 6:00:00 PM | Football

Box Score Box Score Postgame Notes Pat Narduzzi Calijah Kancey Marquis Williams & M.J. Devonshire Kedon Slovis Bub Means Highlights Photo Gallery

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Pitt got off to an extraordinary start Saturday at Virginia, returning passes by Brennan Armstrong on the first two plays from scrimmage for touchdowns.

"That's how you start fast on defense," Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi said following his team's 37-7 victory at Virginia. He added that he's seen games start with an interception return for a touchdown, but had never two pick-sixes in a row, and credited "great, great plays by both those guys."

M.J. Devonshire did the trick first, jumping in front of a pass near Pitt's sideline and scampering easily 29 yards for the score at the 14:55 mark.

"It was fun getting out there to ball out with my teammates," Devonshire said. "Calijah (Kancey) got on me about going out there and doing my job last week, so I had to make up for that. I told him I got him, so I had to show him that I did have him."

After a second touchback, Armstrong tried throwing deeper, also near the Pitt sideline, and Marquis Williams jumped in front of that one and took it 39 yards for a touchdown.

"It was a dream come true," Williams said of the fast start.

After 16 seconds, the Panthers (6-4, 3-3 ACC) led 14-0 and Virginia fans were booing.

Pitt controlled the contest from start to finish, out-rushing the Cavaliers 189 to negative-8.

Pitt star back Israel Abanikanda returned from a week out due to injury and finished with 121 rushing yards and a score.

Kedon Slovis' 37-yard touchdown pass to Bub Means gave Pitt a 28-0 first-quarter lead that was never in threat as the Panthers' defense dictated play for much of the afternoon.

Anticipating a lot of blitzing from Pitt, the Cavaliers (3-7, 1-6 ACC) had tried to adjust.

"(Brennan) was trying to get some things out of his hands, quick, early in the game, and unfortunately it didn't go our way," offensive coordinator Des Kitchings said.

The Cavaliers' third series started with a handoff from Armstrong to Mike Hollins, and sarcastic cheers erupted even though the play went for no gain.

The double pick-6 marked the first time Pittsburgh has returned two interceptions for a touchdown in a game since 2006 — also against the Cavaliers in a 38-13 victory.

Saturday was the first time Virginia has allowed two interception returns for a touchdown in the same game since 2015, when Boise State did it in a 56-14 rout.