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Pitt Closes Regular Season with Road Beatdown of Miami

The Pitt Panthers dominated Miami in every phase of the game to secure their eighth victory of the season.

MIAMI -- This game was over as soon as it started. The Pitt Panthers turned Miami over on two of their first three possessions and the night somehow got even worse for the home team from there. The Panthers poured on 10 tackled for loss, five sacks, nearly 500 total yards of offense and 42 points in a 26-point decimation of the Hurricanes on senior day at Hard Rock Stadium. 

They secured an eighth win and an undefeated record in November behind a huge day from Jared Wayne and Israel Abanikanda and will enter bowl season on a high note. 

The Hurricanes took the ball first and got off to a fast start. Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke hit on two screen passes for first downs, moving his unit to midfield. Then he uncorked a deep ball to the tight end, Will Mallory, setting Miami up inside the redzone. But one play later he threw an interception right into the hands of SirVocea Dennis after Tylar Wiltz leveled a big hit in his face. Dennis returned the ball 67 yards to the other 30 yard line. Van Dyke came off the field injured and went to the medical tent. 

From there, Pitt moved easily to the endzone. A 19-yard reception by Jared Wayne and eight-yard catch from Gavin Bartholomew put the Panthers on the doorstep. Israel Abanikanda ran in his 19th rushing touchdown on the season from just two yards out and the Panthers had a 7-0 lead at the 10:13 mark of the first quarter. 

With Van Dyke banged up, Maimi turned to backup Jaccuri Brown, who promptly threw an interception to Javon McIntyre and Javon McIntyre only. He was the only player even close to where that ball was intended and he came down with Pitt's second turnover of the game. 

The Panthers, starting on their own 39 yard line, got back with a 17-yard connection from Kedon Slovis to Wayne, an unnecessary roughness penalty on Miami's Te'Cory Couch and a 13-yard run from Abanikanda. It looked liked Abanikanda punched in his second touchdown on the night on the next play, but he was ruled short then stuffed on fourth and one from the goal line. 

The Hurricanes, with their third-string quarterback Jake Garcia now under center, found some breathing room after taking over in the shadow of their own goalpost when Henry Parrish ripped off three runs for 35 yards. But the Panthers came up with three plays for none or negative gain and forced a punt. 

Vincent Davis fumbled the punt reception but recovered it and it was fortunate for Pitt that he did, because on the very next play Slovis hit Wayne for his third catch of the game and he ran 66 yards through the helpless arms of multiple Miami defenders for a touchdown. 

Holding a 14-0 lead, the Panthers opened up the second quarter with a bang by holding the Hurricanes to a three-and-out, capped by a vicious sack on Garcia from Dennis. 

Pitt had to punt after their next possession too and pulled off a rare successful punt from Vander Haar, who pinned Miami inside their own 10 yard line. But another possession ended prematurely for the Hurricanes when Mallory coughed up his second fumble of the game. Dennis forced it, Erick Hallett recovered it and two runs later Abanikanda was standing in the endzone after scoring for the second time and putting the Panthers up 21-0 with 11:46 left in the second quarter. 

Miami's next possession was just as fruitless - they went three-and-out for the sixth straight time and punted again. Pitt did too after Owen Drexel skipped a snap to Slovis on third down. 

The Panthers came up with yet another stop but Miami was finally able to come up with a positive play. After Pitt made a shift along the offensive line - subbing out Drexel, moving Kradel to center and Blake Zubovic to guard - the Hurricanes got home on Slovis, knocking the ball out of his hands and Leonard Taylor caught the loose rock for an interception. 

Miami, starting at the Pitt 35 yard line, gained 17 yards to move into the redzone before their best drive of the evening stalled. They set up for a 35-yard field goal but faked it, pitching to kicker Andres Borregales, who came up just a hair short of the first down marker. 

Pitt took full advantage of Miami's miscue, driving 89 yards in seven plays and 3:27 to put one more touchdown on the board before halftime. A 37-yard run from Abanikanda put them in position to score, then a 26-yard connection from Slovis to Wayne put the Panthers up 28-0 at intermission. 

Pitt got the ball to start the second half, but couldn't do much with it. They went three-and-out before punting for just the second time all night. Miami then found their second big play of the game - a 50-yard run from Jaylen Knighton down inside the Pitt five-yard line. Three straight negative plays forced them to kick a 25-yard field goal on fourth and goal from Pitt's seven yard line. 

The Panthers continued to get whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted it on offense. It didn't matter who was in at tailback - both Hammond and Abanikanda ran for five and seven-yard gains with ease while Slovis used play action to hit his receivers downfield for big plays. He capped the drive with his third touchdown toss of the night to Wayne to put Pitt up 35-3 with 36 seconds left in the third. 

Miami added a touchdown after a seven-play march. Mallory hauled in the four-yard pass from Garcia but a failed two-point held the Hurricanes short of double-digits. 

Up 35-9, Pitt continued to push Maimi around. C'Borius Flemister got in on the action, running three times for 52 yards and a touchdown to stretch the lead to 42-9 with 9:22 left in regulation. The Hurricanes added a garbage time touchdown of their own - a four-yard pass from Garcia to Xavier Restrepo - that was set up by a 58-yard connection between Garcia and Romello Brinson. 

The Panthers continued to throw the ball while trying to eat clock and were able to get Jared Wayne over the 1,000 receiving yard mark on his 11th catch of the day, but he also fumbled to give Miami the ball back. They drove down into the redzone, but turned the ball over on downs before finding the endzone, all but ending the game as Pitt knelt the remaining clock out. 

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