Jackets’ offense limited in defeat

PITTSBURGH — Qadree Ollison ran for 91 yards and two touchdowns, and Pittsburgh’s defense kept Georgia Tech’s flexbone offense in check during a 24-19 victory Saturday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.

Ollison scored on runs of 31 and 8 yards for the Panthers (2-1), who bounced back from an ugly blowout loss to rival Penn State by jumping on the Yellow Jackets (1-2) early, then holding on late.

Georgia Tech quarterback Ta Quon Marshall scored on a pair of short touchdown runs in the second half and finished with a team-high 103 rushing yards in the triple-option-heavy offense. He struggled through the air, completing just one pass until his team’s final possession and winding up 6-of-15 for 66 yards with an interception.

A week after rolling up 602 yards in a loss at South Florida, the Jackets totaled just 386 against the Panthers — 99 came on a lastgasp drive in the final minutes — and did little in the first half while falling behind 21-0.

Jordan Mason added 94 yards on 10 carries for Tech, and B-back Qua Searcy — starting in place of Kir Vonte Benson, who’s out for the season with a knee injury — had 38 on five carries in his first collegiate start.

Darrin Hall added a touchdown run for Pitt, and quarterback Kenny Pickett was 16-of23 passing for 191 yards and an interception.