Final score and commentary: UNC left all wet at worst moment in OT loss at No. 25 Pitt
Follow along live as UNC football plays at No. 25 Pitt, the ACC Coastal Division leader:
PITTSBURGH — The rain intensified into a monsoon, and North Carolina was left all wet.
It poured at the worst juncture for the Tar Heels during their 30-23 overtime loss to No. 25 Pittsburgh in Atlantic Coast Conference football Thursday night here at Heinz Field.
After the Panthers opened the overtime period with quarterback Kenny Pickett’s 11-yard touchdown pass to break a 23-23 tie, North Carolina took possession and quarterback Sam Howell simply couldn’t manage to get a proper handle on the drenched ball.
He had second- and third-down passes fizzle and wobble, and not reach intended targets Kamari Morales and Josh Downs. On fourth down, he was intercepted by Pitt defensive back M.J. Devonshire on a desperation heave under pressure.
“It was definitely pouring out there,” Tar Heels senior linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel said. “I’ve played in games like that, but not in my collegiate career. I’ve definitely played in high school games where it’s pouring down rain like that.
“But in my collegiate career, no, I’ve never really played in a rainy game like that. And then we’re in the windy city up here. The wind’s blowing so the rain’s blowing every which way. So I’ve never really played in a game with the rain coming down that hard, especially the wind.”
Carolina finds comeback knack just in time
North Carolina has found its comeback knack just in time again.
After trailing Pittsburgh 17-0 in the first half and 23-7 in the second half, Grayson Atkins’ chip shot field goal from 20 yards ties the game at 23-23 with 57 seconds remaining in regulation, and ultimately sends it to overtime.
The Tar Heels have scored 16 straight points. Sam Howell plowed for a 1-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to cut the Panthers’ lead to 23-20 with 5:34 left. Then, linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel intercepted Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett to put North Carolina in position for Atkins’ tying field goal.
Tar Heels keep hanging around
Sam Howell connects with Antoine Green for another touchdown, and North Carolina is managing to hang around.
Howell’s 23-yard pass to Green on third-and-10 trims Pittsburgh’s lead to 23-13 in the third quarter. Damarri Mathis had tight coverage on Green, who was able to secure the catch in the end zone. The play stands up after an official review.
The Tar Heels, who have been dominated at times, can’t make it a one-score game. The ensuring two-point conversion attempt goes nowhere, with Howell chased out of bounds.
Green has two catches on the night, both of them for touchdowns.
First half to forget for UNC
Call it a first half to forget for North Carolina, even with Jahlil Taylor’s block of Pittsburgh’s field goal attempt during the final 30 seconds.
The 25th-ranked Panthers have built a 23-7 lead by halftime here at Heinz Field, and the Tar Heels are fortunate not to be trailing by more.
Pitt’s Sam Scarton missed an extra point kick after Kenny Picket’s second touchdown pass of the night. Earlier, Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi elected to have Scarton boot a 34-yard field goal on a fourth-and-short situation, when Pitt could’ve chosen to keep a drive inside the red zone moving.
North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell was sacked five times during the first half. The final play of the first half, perhaps fittingly, was a Panthers sack of Howell.
Pitt leads 337-121 in total yards — and 76 of Carolina’s yards came on the Howell’s touchdown bomb to Antoine Green.
Pickett is 13 of 22 passing for 244 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. Pitt led 17-0 before the Tar Heels got on the board.
Sam Howell pounces when Pitt defense slips
Pittsburgh slips and Sam Howell pounces on the opportunity.
Panthers defensive back Damarri Mathis loses his footing near the line of scrimmage and falls to the grassy turf, leaving North Carolina receiver Antoine Green running free.
Howell hits Green for a 76-yard touchdown, a simple pitch and catch and a sorely needed score to get the Tar Heels on the board with 6:24 remaining in the first half. North Carolina trails Pitt 17-7.
The Tar Heels had just 36 total yards prior to that big play, and had punted to end their first five possessions of the night.
Tar Heels drowning with Sam Howell engulfed
North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell has been engulfed and the Tar Heels are drowning on offense.
Pittsburgh dropped Howell for quarterback sacks on each of the Tar Heels’ first four possessions, while quickly building a 17-0 lead.
Georgia Tech swarmed Howell for eight sacks in September. Pitt already is halfway to that number less than 90 seconds into the second quarter.
Howell, who has five 100-yard rushing games on the season, is stuck at minus-25 rushing yards due to the lost yardage from the sacks.
Panthers pounding UNC out of the gate
North Carolina has wasted no time in falling into another sizeable deficit.
Kenny Pickett’s 1-yard touchdown toss to tight end Gavin Bartholomew on third-and-goal puts Pittsburgh ahead of the Tar Heels 14-0 less than 11 minutes into Thursday night’s game.
Vincent Davis scored on a 2-yard TD plunge to get Pitt on the board with a 7-0 lead. Jordan Addison’s punt return to the North Carolina 20 set the table there.
Last week, the Tar Heels tumbled into an 18-point deficit against Wake Forest, before climbing out with a fourth-quarter rally to victory.
NFL eyes on Sam Howell, Kenny Pickett
From scouts to general managers, more than three dozen NFL evaluators are expected to be in attendance Thursday night here at Heinz Field for North Carolina’s road assignment against No. 25 Pittsburgh.
It’s an opportunity for an in-person look at what has the makings of an electric duel between Sam Howell of the Tar Heels and Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, a prolific pair projected among the top quarterback prospects in the next NFL Draft class.
The junior Howell has become the second-fastest player in Atlantic Coast Conference history to compile 10,000 yards of total offense. His 33 career games are tied with former Clemson star Deshaun Watson, and trail only former Louisville dynamo Lamar Jackson (31 career games).
Howell has produced five 300-yard passing games, five 100-yard rushing games and accounted for 28 touchdowns this season.
Coastal chaos coming again? What to watch as seesawing UNC takes on division leader Pitt
The senior Pickett ranks third nationally with 29 touchdown passes, is throwing for an average of 352.3 yards per game, and has piloted the Panthers to 45 points per game, the best scoring output in the country. He needs just 113 yards to supplant Alex Van Pelt (11,267 yards) as Pitt’s all-time leading passer.
“I think the main thing I really like about him is how decisive he is,” Howell said this week, praising Pickett. “He gets the ball out of his hands and he has a great understanding of the offense they’re running. You can just tell he has a great understanding of the game, and that’s just something I’ve kind of learned from watching him.
“So I have a lot of respect for Kenny. He’s having a great year, and it’s going to be fun to go out there and battle with him on Thursday night.”
This article originally appeared on Times-News: UNC football final: Rain pours at worst moment in OT loss at Pitt
