Panthers Fall to No. 20 Clemson in Heartbreaking 24-20 Loss, Marking Third Straight Defeat

Tagged under: District 7, Pennsylvania Colleges

Ryan Thielet | November 16, 2024

Pitt suffered a third consecutive loss heartbreakingly falling to the No. 20 Clemson Tigers. The Tigers opened the scoring with a touchdown midway through the first quarter, but the Panthers responded on the following drive, tying the game at 7-7. In the second quarter, Clemson pulled ahead with a pair of scores—one touchdown and a long field goal—sending the Tigers into halftime with a 17-7 lead. The Panthers struck early in the fourth with a field goal, narrowing the lead down to a touchdown. Then, they scored the game-tying points plus a field goal to put them up with 1:36 left in the ball game. Clemson, however, delivered a lightning-fast response, capping off their final drive with a decisive touchdown that sealed the Panthers’ fate. The Tigers emerged victorious, 24-20, handing Pitt their third straight loss.

The Panthers won the coin toss and chose to defer, giving the Tigers the ball to start the game. Clemson’s opening drive appeared promising, but Nate Matlack forced a fumble that teammate Rasheem Biles recovered at the Panthers’ 44-yard line, halting the Tigers’ momentum.

Taking over on offense, Pitt was led by quarterback Nate Yarnell, stepping in for Eli Holstein, who was sidelined due to a head injury sustained last week. Yarnell’s first drive was unproductive, resulting in a three-and-out that gained just one yard. The Panthers punted the ball back to the Tigers with 10:59 remaining in the first quarter.

Clemson capitalized on their second possession, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams to take a 7-0 lead with 7:20 left in the first quarter. The Panthers responded swiftly, mounting a drive capped off by Daniel Carter’s powerful 2-yard touchdown run, tying the game at 7 with 5:22 remaining in the quarter. The teams then traded punts, and the Tigers carried possession into the second quarter.

Clemson began the second quarter with possession, but the Panthers’ defense, nicknamed “the Sharks,” quickly shut them down, forcing a punt. Pitt’s offense, however, was unable to capitalize, resulting in another punt with 12:25 remaining in the first half.

The Tigers wasted no time on their next drive, scoring in just three plays. Antonio Williams caught his second touchdown of the game, this one a 28-yard reception, extending Clemson’s lead to 14-7 with 11:18 on the clock. The Panthers had an opportunity to respond, but Ben Sauls missed a challenging 59-yard field goal attempt, keeping the score unchanged.

The next points didn’t come until the final moments of the half, when Clemson kicker Nolan Hauser drilled a 51-yard field goal with 45 seconds remaining, making it 17-7. Pitt opted to kneel out the remaining time, heading into halftime trailing by 10.

The third quarter showcased a defensive clinic from both teams, with neither offense able to break through, leaving the score locked at 17-10 in favor of Clemson. As the final quarter approached, and with fans preparing for the last rendition of Sweet Caroline this season, the Panthers found themselves in a promising drive. They carried the momentum into the fourth quarter, holding possession on the Tigers’ 41-yard line and looking to close the gap.

Buckle up, because the fourth quarter delivered a roller coaster of emotions for Pitt fans. The Panthers continued their promising drive from the third quarter, marching all the way to Clemson’s 1-yard line. Gateway’s own Derrick Davis Jr. appeared to score a touchdown, but in a stunning turn of events, Coach Pat Narduzzi called a timeout before the snap, nullifying the play. As if cursed, Pitt’s offense then suffered three consecutive five-yard penalties, pushing them back and forcing Ben Sauls to settle for a 35-yard field goal. The kick was good, narrowing the deficit to one touchdown at 17-10 with 10:55 remaining.

Determined to stay in the fight, the Panthers tied the game on their next drive. Tight end Gavin Bartholomew hauled in a clutch touchdown pass, evening the score at 17-17 with 7:05 to play. The Panthers’ defense then came up huge, stopping Clemson on a critical fourth-and-one, with a fumble going out of bounds to seal the turnover on downs. With momentum on their side, Pitt’s now red-hot offense took over at 4:17. On the ensuing drive, they grabbed their first and only lead of the game as Ben Sauls drilled a 47-yard field goal, putting the Panthers ahead 20-17 with just 1:36 left.

But the Tigers responded in lightning fashion. On just the third play of their drive, Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik broke loose for a stunning 50-yard touchdown run, reclaiming the lead 24-20 with 1:16 remaining. Pitt managed to orchestrate one final drive in a desperate attempt to retake the lead, but Khalil Barnes dashed their hopes, intercepting a pass as time expired.

In a heartbreaker, Clemson emerged victorious, 24-20, handing Pitt yet another gut-wrenching loss.

This marked the third consecutive loss for the Panthers, with penalties playing a critical role in their downfall. Pitt racked up 16 penalties for a total of 100 yards, including a costly sequence on the Tigers’ one-yard line. Reflecting on the trio of penalties that derailed a potential touchdown drive, quarterback Nate Yarnell admitted, “It’s on me to get the play to our guys fast enough. Took too long for us to get lined up and snap the ball.”

Despite the loss, one bright spot was Yarnell’s strong performance as a backup quarterback. He completed 34 of 54 passes for 350 yards, throwing one touchdown and one interception. His efforts inevitably sparked questions about the starting role for next week. When asked about it, Coach Pat Narduzzi was noncommittal, stating, “You know, it’s way too early. We will see how Eli [Holstein] feels, and it’s a coach’s decision. You know we’ve got a lot of confidence in Eli. Eli has played well all year. But I’ve told you all year that Nate Yarnell is a good football player, and you guys saw it out there today.”

Next up, the Panthers aim to regroup and snap their losing streak as they travel to Louisville to face the Cardinals. As of this writing, the kickoff time has yet to be announced.