Pitt got the result it needed at the end of a rough October, and the Panthers can now call themselves bowl-eligible after a 34-11 win over Georgia Tech at Acrisure Stadium in Week 9.
The victory gave Pitt its sixth win of the season and marked another familiar milestone under Pat Narduzzi. It is the ninth time in 12 seasons that Narduzzi has guided the Panthers to a bowl bid, and it also extends a stretch in which Pitt has won at least six games in 10 seasons during his tenure.
That matters because the month leading into this one had turned into a grind. Pitt opened 5-0, then lost sophomore starting quarterback Mason Heintschel to a torn ACL in the 35-33 road win over Virginia Tech in Week 5.
From there, the Panthers dropped three straight: a 21-17 home loss to North Carolina, a 27-21 road defeat at Boston College, and then a 52-21 loss at No. 1 Miami.
The ACC Championship is effectively out of reach, but at least Pitt has something concrete left to play for. The Panthers are bowl-eligible for the third straight season, though they have not won a bowl game since beating UCLA in the 2022 Sun Bowl.
The recent postseason results have been tough to swallow. Pitt lost the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit in 2024, falling 48-46 in a six-overtime thriller, and then dropped the Military Bowl to ECU, 23-17, in Annapolis in 2025.
There is still no guarantee the Panthers finish above .500. If they lose out and then lose their bowl game, they could end up 6-7, which would be their first season below .500 since 2023, when they went 3-9.
Georgia Tech offered a favorable matchup for Pitt, even if the Yellow Jackets were once viewed very differently. They were ranked as high as No. 16 last year, but this season has gone badly, and they fell to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in the ACC after losing to the Panthers.
Pitt leaned on its ground game again, and true freshman Damon Ferguson Jr. delivered the kind of workload that can take over a game. He piled up 185 yards and two touchdowns on 32 carries. Sixth-year back La’Vell Wright added 52 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.
Holden Geriner, Pitt’s fifth-year quarterback, stayed in the lineup over freshman Corey Dailey and turned in a steady performance. He threw for 180 yards and a touchdown.
His top highlight came through Censere Lee, the fifth-year wide receiver who may have produced Pitt’s best play of the season with a one-handed grab.
.@CensereLee 🤝 #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/Dgl4FSNFAR
After a demanding stretch, Pitt finally gets a bye week. The Panthers return Nov. 13 to host Florida State in Week 10, and that game will be their final home date at Acrisure Stadium.
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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 🡒]