Pitt football mauled by Clemson

Pitt football was pummeled by Clemson on Saturday falling by the score of 52-17. The Panthers looked completely outmatched in every aspect of the game, with the Tigers making it clear why they were ranked the third best team in the nation heading into this game.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Panthers struggled to get much going both on the ground and through the air. While Pitt has struggled running the ball this season, it had its worst rushing performance of the season on Saturday.

Pitt ran the ball 24 times and managed to pick up only 16 yards. These atrocious rushing stats left the Panthers relying on quarterback Kenny Pickett and the passing game to get things going.

Unfortunately for Pitt, Pickett was unable to get things going and make up for the lack of a run game. The offensive line was demolished by the Clemson front, which picked up six sacks and eight tackles for a loss. Pickett struggled against the constant pressure from Clemson, completing only 22 of his 39 pass attempts for a measly 209 yards.

On top of the struggles with picking up yards, the Panthers also had a tough time hanging on to the football. They turned the ball over five times, with Pickett throwing a season high four interceptions and running back Daniel Carter losing a fumble. These turnovers left Clemson with a lot of scoring opportunities that it took advantage of, putting up more points against Pitt than any other team has this season.

The Tigers’ high-powered offense eviscerated the Panthers’ defense, picking up just under 600 yards of total offense. Pitt has been excellent against the run this season, but on Saturday it was unable to stop the run, giving up almost 150 yards on the ground. The Panthers’ front still got pressure on the Tigers, picking up three sacks and eight tackles for a loss, but it was unable to contain Clemson’s rushers.

The Pitt defense also struggled to force turnovers, recovering only one fumble throughout the game. This made things tough, as the Panthers rely on the defense to contain the opponent’s offense and to force takeaways.

Clemson is undoubtably one of the best teams in all of college football, meaning that although the Panthers did not perform well, this loss is not a shock and does not mean their season is over. Pitt will need to regroup following this bad loss and will need to get motivated for its final game of the season.

Pitt looked awful against Clemson, but with a game coming up against Georgia Tech, it needs to bounce back and get a win for a shot at a bowl game. The players should be motivated to perform well and end the season on a win, especially following such a lackluster performance. If the Panthers can get the offense going again they should cruise to a win against the Yellow Jackets, ending their season on a positive note and giving themselves a shot to play in a bowl game.