Pitt quarterback Nathan Peterman was sacked five times against North Carolina. That makes a total of seven in the past two games, an indicator that pain is not a foreign concept to him. So he won't mind dealing with bruised expectations, if not a bruised ego, while Pitt tries to recover from its first real whipping of the season, 26-19 to the Tar Heels on Thursday night.
“I know I'm going to let this one hurt for a while,” he said, “because I know I can learn a lot and let it motivate me.”
The eighth start of Peterman's college career — two at Tennessee and six for Pitt this season — didn't go well, even though he walked out of Heinz Field with personal highs in completions (27), attempts (42) and yards passing (262). His streak without an interception reached 151 passes and 5¾ games, but he hurried several throws that were at risk.
Peterman did not play well, but he was willing to shoulder much of the blame, something young quarterbacks often are reluctant to do. “The one to (running back) Chris James, I threw over his head,” Peterman said. “I thought I could have hung onto it a little more after that guy tugged me and given him the ball, and he would have been running down the sideline.”
In the first quarter, he tripped over his feet, sacking himself. At the start of the fourth quarter, when the outcome was still in question, he fumbled a snap on a third-and-1 sneak, and Pitt was forced to punt. “There are a few plays in the fourth quarter I wish I could have had back,” he said, “because I would have put our team in a better chance to win.
“To be a championship team, to win the game, a tight game, a big game, you've got to be perfect or close to it. It just keeps coming to mind the mistakes I made that cost us the game.”
No Voytik
Backup quarterback Chad Voytik did not play for the second week in a row, while offensive coordinator Jim Chaney appears to have abandoned the package he created for Voytik earlier this season. Voytik hasn't played since missing a pass to tight end J.P. Holtz two weeks ago at Georgia Tech.
Where was Ollison?
Pitt ignored running back Qadree Ollison on the sneak that was called for Peterman and for most of the game after he gained 39 yards on seven carries in the first quarter. He finished with 54 yards on 10 carries, his lightest workload since the Iowa game Sept. 19. He carried twice for 14 yards after halftime, including a 4-yard touchdown.
Asked why Ollison was not a big part of the second-half game plan, coach Pat Narduzzi said, “I don't know. You have to ask Coach Chaney that. (Backup) Chris James was good. I think (Ollison) had a couple (missed assignments) in protection. That's not good. There are always answers.”
James had a season-high 12 carries for 44 yards.
Chaney was not available for comment after the game.
Coach's fire
Narduzzi had an animated conversation with Chaney with less than a minute left in the first half when Pitt allowed 10 seconds to tick off the clock. Prior to that, he especially was angry when he believed officials missed a holding call.
The ACC race
Pitt (6-2, 4-1) remains alive in the race for the championship of the ACC Coastal Division but needs some help.
North Carolina (7-1, 4-0) will be tied with Duke (6-1, 3-0) for first place if the Blue Devils defeat Miami on Saturday. That would set up a neighborhood showdown for the lead next Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., between Duke and North Carolina.
If Duke beats the Tar Heels, Pitt can claim a share of the lead Nov. 14 when it plays the Blue Devils in Durham, N.C. But North Carolina will be the champion if it wins its final four conference games.
Notable
Kicker Chris Blewitt missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt and an extra-point try that might have been crucial had Pitt successfully executed an onside kick late in the fourth quarter. Blewitt hit field goals of 44 and 29 yards and has 237 career points, third most by a Pitt kicker. … Tyler Boyd moved into second place in career receiving yards (3,013) and needs 49 to catch Pitt's all-time leader, Antonio Bryant. … Quintin Wirginis' blocked punt was Pitt's fourth blocked kick of the season. … Linebacker Matt Galambos converted a fake punt into a first down for the second week in a row with a 6-yard run on fourth-and-2 from the Pitt 25-yard line in fourth quarter. But it only led to a punt.
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
“I know I'm going to let this one hurt for a while,” he said, “because I know I can learn a lot and let it motivate me.”
The eighth start of Peterman's college career — two at Tennessee and six for Pitt this season — didn't go well, even though he walked out of Heinz Field with personal highs in completions (27), attempts (42) and yards passing (262). His streak without an interception reached 151 passes and 5¾ games, but he hurried several throws that were at risk.
Peterman did not play well, but he was willing to shoulder much of the blame, something young quarterbacks often are reluctant to do. “The one to (running back) Chris James, I threw over his head,” Peterman said. “I thought I could have hung onto it a little more after that guy tugged me and given him the ball, and he would have been running down the sideline.”
In the first quarter, he tripped over his feet, sacking himself. At the start of the fourth quarter, when the outcome was still in question, he fumbled a snap on a third-and-1 sneak, and Pitt was forced to punt. “There are a few plays in the fourth quarter I wish I could have had back,” he said, “because I would have put our team in a better chance to win.
“To be a championship team, to win the game, a tight game, a big game, you've got to be perfect or close to it. It just keeps coming to mind the mistakes I made that cost us the game.”
No Voytik
Backup quarterback Chad Voytik did not play for the second week in a row, while offensive coordinator Jim Chaney appears to have abandoned the package he created for Voytik earlier this season. Voytik hasn't played since missing a pass to tight end J.P. Holtz two weeks ago at Georgia Tech.
Where was Ollison?
Pitt ignored running back Qadree Ollison on the sneak that was called for Peterman and for most of the game after he gained 39 yards on seven carries in the first quarter. He finished with 54 yards on 10 carries, his lightest workload since the Iowa game Sept. 19. He carried twice for 14 yards after halftime, including a 4-yard touchdown.
Asked why Ollison was not a big part of the second-half game plan, coach Pat Narduzzi said, “I don't know. You have to ask Coach Chaney that. (Backup) Chris James was good. I think (Ollison) had a couple (missed assignments) in protection. That's not good. There are always answers.”
James had a season-high 12 carries for 44 yards.
Chaney was not available for comment after the game.
Coach's fire
Narduzzi had an animated conversation with Chaney with less than a minute left in the first half when Pitt allowed 10 seconds to tick off the clock. Prior to that, he especially was angry when he believed officials missed a holding call.
The ACC race
Pitt (6-2, 4-1) remains alive in the race for the championship of the ACC Coastal Division but needs some help.
North Carolina (7-1, 4-0) will be tied with Duke (6-1, 3-0) for first place if the Blue Devils defeat Miami on Saturday. That would set up a neighborhood showdown for the lead next Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., between Duke and North Carolina.
If Duke beats the Tar Heels, Pitt can claim a share of the lead Nov. 14 when it plays the Blue Devils in Durham, N.C. But North Carolina will be the champion if it wins its final four conference games.
Notable
Kicker Chris Blewitt missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt and an extra-point try that might have been crucial had Pitt successfully executed an onside kick late in the fourth quarter. Blewitt hit field goals of 44 and 29 yards and has 237 career points, third most by a Pitt kicker. … Tyler Boyd moved into second place in career receiving yards (3,013) and needs 49 to catch Pitt's all-time leader, Antonio Bryant. … Quintin Wirginis' blocked punt was Pitt's fourth blocked kick of the season. … Linebacker Matt Galambos converted a fake punt into a first down for the second week in a row with a 6-yard run on fourth-and-2 from the Pitt 25-yard line in fourth quarter. But it only led to a punt.
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
