Pittsburgh’s Offensive Struggles Led to Loss Against Ranked 4 Florida State 24-7 (Photo Gallery)

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Ryan Thielet | November 5, 2023

If you enjoy watching fast-paced defenses on the field, this game was tailor-made for you. It wasn’t until the middle of the second quarter that the first points were scored. The Panthers struck first with a 9-yard reception by Bub Means, making it 7-0 in favor of Pitt. However, the Seminoles responded quickly with a touchdown of their own, tying the game at 7-7 with 4:10 left in the second quarter. Pitt regained possession, but once again, their offense struggled to advance the ball, and they had to punt the ball away. The Seminoles seized this opportunity and successfully kicked a field goal, ending the first half with a score of 10-7 in favor of the Seminoles. In the second half, the Seminoles took command of the game by scoring two consecutive touchdowns. Following these back-to-back touchdowns, the score stood at 24-7 late in the third quarter. The Seminoles’ defense managed to stifle Pitt’s offense for the rest of the game and secured a 24-7 victory.

The game began with Florida State having possession of the ball. The Seminoles had a short drive due to a fumble caused by David Green, which gave Pitt the ball at their 46-yard line. However, Pitt’s offense failed to capitalize on this opportunity, going three plays and out. The Seminoles regained possession and managed to drive down to the Pitt 8-yard line, where they were halted on a crucial 4th and 2. Pitt received the ball once more with 5:56 left in the first quarter but, once again, couldn’t gain a first down and was forced to punt the ball back to Florida State. Florida State received the ball with 4:09 remaining on the clock. They had a notable 15-yard rush by Trey Benson, but this proved to be the only substantial gain on the drive, as Pitt’s defense tightened up and forced the Seminoles to punt again. As the first quarter came to a close, Pitt’s next drive fell short of gaining a first down due to a delay of game penalty, pushing them back. Florida State regained possession with 1:13 left in the first quarter, and this drive extended into the second quarter. Notably, no points were scored in the opening quarter.

The second quarter commenced with another punt from the Seminoles. Pitt began their drive from their 18-yard line, and on the second play, quarterback Christian Veilleux connected with Konata Mumpfield on an 82-yard pass that took an unfortunate turn as Mumpfield fumbled the ball into the endzone. This led to a controversial touchback call. Florida State regained possession at their 20-yard line. On the very next play, a debatable pass interference penalty was assessed against Marquis Williams, moving the Seminoles to the 32-yard line. Despite the call, the Seminoles were once again compelled to punt. Over the next two drives, both teams traded punts. Finally, at the 8:38 mark, Pitt managed to score with a 9-yard fade route to Bub Means, bringing the score to 7-0 in favor of Pitt. On the subsequent drive, Florida State also found the endzone with a quarterback sneak by Jordan Travis, leveling the score at 7-7 with 4:10 remaining in the half. Pitt appeared poised to respond with a score on their next drive, but once again, they were forced to punt the ball. The Seminoles swiftly moved down the field and executed a successful 32-yard field goal kick by Ryan Fitzgerald, making the score 10-7 with 30 seconds left in the first half. Pitt regained possession but, with limited time on the clock, was unable to make significant progress, resulting in a halftime score of 10-7 in favor of Florida State.

The third quarter is when Florida State started to run away with the game. Pitt began the quarter with possession but the offense had another anemic performance resulting in a punt to Florida State. Both teams continued to trade punts, maintaining the prevailing theme of the game. The Seminoles broke this pattern by finding the endzone with a 22-yard pass to Markeston Douglas increasing their lead to 17-7 with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter. On the next drive, the Pitt offense managed one notable play before punting the ball to the Seminoles with 1:50 left in the third. Florida State needed just two plays to score once more and effectively seal the game, courtesy of a 55-yard touchdown run by Trey Benson, pushing the score to 24-7. Pitt regained possession with 1:06 left on the clock but only ran two plays before the quarter concluded, leaving the score at 24-7.

In the fourth quarter, the Seminoles maintained complete control. Pitt’s offense seemed on pace to mount a comeback, but quarterback Christian Veilleux’s interception to cornerback Conrad Hussey halted any momentum the Panthers had built. Both the Panthers and Florida State punted again. Pitt regained possession after the Seminoles’ last punt, only to fumble the ball. Florida State gained the ball back and kept its lead to set the final score at 24-7 for a Seminoles win.

Once again, this week highlighted the ongoing struggles of the Panther offense to stay on the field and generate points. With the offense unable to find the endzone excluding the score by Bub Means, the burden fell on the defense. Pitt’s defense had a relatively strong performance in limiting a highly explosive opponent to just 24 points. Nevertheless, Pitt’s record fell to 2-7. This marks the team’s first time earning only two wins since 1998 when they finished the season with a 2-9 record. Officially, this loss eliminates them from bowl consideration. In the upcoming week, they will travel to Yankee Stadium to face the Syracuse Orange at 3:30 pm EST.

Meanwhile, the 4th-ranked Florida State team continues its undefeated season and aims to stay in the College Football Playoff race. They will return home to play the University of Miami at a time yet to be determined.