The Turning Point: A QB Sneak?

You started to get that feeling yesterday, didn't you? You knew Pitt shouldn't have been in the position that they were in, but there they were. It was in typical Pitt fashion as well and from someone new this time too that you never expected it from.

Let's set the stage for you yesterday: Pitt was in full control before a Chad Voytik interception to close out the first half. Instead of a massive lead at halftime, Syracuse had the door opened just a tiny bit. They took advantage and took the first drive of the second half into the end zone to make it a ten-point game. The Panthers needed to respond and seemed to be doing just that. On second and six from the Syracuse 46-yard line, Voytik hit Tyler Boyd in the flat. Boyd completely ran over a Syracuse defender in bounds and walked out bounds a yard short of the first down.

No one else was around, but Boyd simply walked out of bounds while staring down at the fallen Orange player. Not a very classy move and not a very Boyd like move either. It set up an important third and one that saw Isaac Bennett rush for no gain, setting up fourth down.

After a timeout, though, quarterback Chad Voytik plunged ahead for the first down to give Pitt another chance to answer Syracuse's score. They churned out some more clock and yardage and finished with a Chris Blewitt field goal. That was followed by another defensive stop for Pitt and a Boyd touchdown to put the game out of reach.

Ultimately, Pitt won the the game pretty easily, but Voytik's first down was a big one for the team.

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