Pitt needed a reset, and Saturday night delivered one.
After three straight losses, the Panthers walked out of Acrisure Stadium with a 34-11 win over Georgia Tech, and while the result was the only thing that really mattered in the moment, the way Pitt got there offered plenty to chew on. The Panthers didn’t lean on the tired “a win is a win” line after the game, either. Head coach Pat Narduzzi, quarterback Holden Geriner, running back Damon Ferguson, defensive tackle Nick James and cornerback Raion Strader all talked about getting better, stacking progress and carrying something useful into the bye week.
There was good reason for that confidence. Pitt’s defense turned in its sharpest outing of the season, limiting Georgia Tech to 238 yards, the lowest total the Panthers have allowed against an FBS opponent in a non-monsoon game. Pitt also produced five sacks, its highest total in a game this year, and came up with two fumble recoveries, the first time it has done that since the Oct. 2 win at Virginia Tech.
Ferguson was the headline on offense. The freshman back ran 31 times for 185 yards and two touchdowns, all career highs, and posted his third 100-yard game of the season.
He was consistently breaking through the first wave, with 12 of his carries going for at least seven yards and five reaching double digits. Three of those runs went for more than 20 yards.
That kind of production made Ferguson the best player on the field, even with so many strong individual efforts around him. Alex Sanford led Pitt with eight tackles.
Strader added seven tackles, along with his first career sack and his first tackle for loss since 2023, when he was at Miami (OH). Braylan Lovelace finished with six tackles and two official quarterback hurries.
Jaeden Moore added another tackle for loss and a fumble recovery, giving him seven tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery over the last five games. Jeremiah Marcelin, Isaiah Neal, Zach Crothers and Nick James all got in on the five-sack night as well.
Even with all that, Pitt left some points on the field. The Panthers reached goal-to-go territory five times and came away with only two touchdowns. On the other three trips, they fumbled at the goal line once, turned it over on downs at the 1 once and settled for a field goal after getting to the 1 another time.
That kind of red-zone waste can sink a team in a tighter game, and it wasn’t the only sloppiness. Pitt’s receivers and tight ends had at least four drops, and the offense was flagged seven times. Four of those penalties were on center Ryan Carretta, who had a difficult night before leaving with an injury.
Special teams had its moments, too. Antonio Chadha made both of his field-goal attempts, and Gabe Russo pinned Georgia Tech inside the 5 twice. But Pitt also gave up two long punt returns, one for 29 yards and another for 12, plus a 32-yard kickoff return.
Still, the bigger picture is simple: Pitt gets to fix mistakes with a win in hand. The Panthers head into their late off week at 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the ACC. A run to the conference championship game is effectively out of reach, but a home date with Florida State, followed by road trips to Louisville and Cal, gives Pitt a chance to finish 2026 on a better note after its midseason slide.
In Other News...
Pitt Gets A Crucial Chance To Stop Its Slide Against Georgia Tech
Pitt gets a timely home date on Halloween night, and it comes with a little pressure attached. The Panthers will host Georgia Tech at Acrisure Stadium on Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m., looking to snap a three-game losing streak against a Yellow Jackets team that has had its own issues on both sides of the ball.
Georgia Tech comes in at 2-5 and has been dealing with a defense that has not held up well, while injuries have only made the challenge tougher. Pitt will see a chance to steady itself in front of its home crowd, but the matchup still carries enough uncertainty to keep the focus squarely on how the Panthers respond after a rough stretch. [Read more 🡒]