The Pitt Panthers had one of the best seasons of any college football team. They finished with eight wins and have looked much better than that. They have a few signature wins that show they are a force to be reckoned with.
Pitt Panthers Season Review
Pitt’s first win came off the field. Running back James Connor was cleared to play after overcoming Hodgkin Lymphoma. That was a sigh of relief for his family and his teammates. He’s proved to be a big part of their success in 2016, as well. Connor rushed for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns.
The team as a whole has also been very successful. They first made headlines when they knocked off in-state rival Penn State in Week 2. No one knew it yet, but that would prove to be a huge win in college football this season.
They were also able to keep it close with Oklahoma State, one of the most extraordinary teams in the nation this year. They were also able to keep it close against Mitch Trubisky and North Carolina, losing by just one point. The Panthers finished the month of September with a 2-2 record. Good things were still to come.
Pitt kicked off October with a three-game winning streak. They now sat at 5-2. If they could keep it up, they would see themselves in the ACC Championship game in December.
Unfortunately, they were not able to keep it up. They went on to lose their next two games, including a 51-28 loss to Miami.
A huge win for this Pitt team was a win over the second-ranked team in the nation in Clemson. Not only did they upset the Tigers, but they were able to pull it off on the road.
That win over Clemson clicked something for the Panthers. They would finish the season with two big wins. They even scored 76 points in a win over Syracuse, the most points scored by an FBS team this season.
Pitt finished the season with an 8-4 record. They were on their way to take on Northwestern in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
Pitt Falls to Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl
The game went back and forth between both teams. Pitt had committed three turnovers, but it was still a one score game with under two minutes. The fourth turnover of the game sealed Pitt’s fate. They lost to Northwestern by a final score of 31-24.
Turnovers weren’t the only problem for Pitt in this game, however. The defense was unable to stop Northwestern running back Justin Jackson. He rushed for 226 yards and three touchdowns.
Another issue that could have affected this game was Connor’s absence. He left the game with injury and did not return.
It wasn’t the type of ending the Panthers wanted for their season, but they should still be proud of themselves. They had a very successful season.
Connor overcame his adversities and rushed for over 1,000 yards. Senior quarterback Nathan Peterman also had a career year. The Tennessee transfer threw for 2,855 yards and 27 touchdowns to nine interceptions.
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