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James Conner was Fox Sports' player of the game in Pitt's 42-25 win over Florida International, but another Pitt athlete had a big day on the ground, too - quarterback Chad Voytik.
For the third straight game, Voytik was underwhelming in the passing game. On the day, the quarterback was only 9-17 for 89 yards, but Voytik did a ton of damage with his legs. Voytik had 114 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries and really had a field day against Florida International. In addition to the total yardage he racked up, he rattled off three huge runs.
With the game scoreless early on, Voytik ran 40 yards to get down to six-yard line to set up a first and goal. While James Conner fumbled after that, Voytik put Pitt in a good position to get on the board first.
In the second quarter with Pitt trailing 16-0 and desperately needing a score, Voytik again took off, running for a 32-yard touchdown to get the team on the board and take a lot of pressure off of the offense.
Late in the game after an FIU score to pull to within ten, Voytik added a 29-yard scamper to get Pitt down to the 11-yard line before Conner scored his final touchdown.
Voytik's passing ability will continue to come into question as long as he doesn't even reach the 100-yard mark, but the way he used his legs in the Florida International game can't be overlooked. His ability to scramble and even take designed running plays is an added dimension Pitt hasn't had in a while. Conner had another strong game outside of the two fumbles, but Voytik had a big hand in the Panthers' win.
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