Pitt hands No. 2 Miami 1st loss of season in stunner
Pittsburgh 24, No. 2 Miami 14: Miami’s perfect season is over. The Hurricanes can only hope their shot at a spot in the College Football Playoff isn’t gone, too. Freshman Kenny Pickett ran for two touchdowns and threw for another and host Pittsburgh stunned Miami (10-1, 7-1 Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 2 AP), ending the Hurricanes’ nation-best winning streak at 15 games. Pickett bulled over from 6 yards in the first half, flipped a 5-yard shovel pass to Qadree Ollison in the third quarter to put the Panthers up 10 and gave Pitt (5-7, 3-5) all the cushion it would need with a 22yard fourth-down sprint to the end zone with 2:54 remaining. Pickett completed 18 of 29 passes for 193 yards and the one score while adding 60 yards rushing in his first career start as Pitt finished a disappointing season. Malik Rosier completed 15 of 34 for 187 yards and two scores but was ineffective for most of the day, even briefly getting replaced by backup Evan Schirreffs in the fourth quarter. The Hurricanes were held to a season-low 229 yards. The Coastal Division champion will face No. 4 Clemson in the conference championship game next Saturday. No. 12 Central Florida 49, No. 19 South Florida 42: Mike Hughes’ 95yard kickoff return with 1:28 remaining was the difference as No. 12 Central Florida completed the first unbeaten regular season in program history with a wild victory over No. 19 South Florida in Orlando to clinch the American Athletic Conference’s East Division title. The Knights (11-0, 8-0 AAC, CFP No. 15, AP No. 13) will host Memphis in the conference title game on Dec. 2. Hughes’ touchdown capped a crazy 53-second span where the Knights took an eightpoint lead, South Florida (9-2, 6-2, AP No. 22) tied it and then the Knights took the lead for good. The Bulls tied it at 42 when Quinton Flowers connected with Darnel Salomon for an 83-yard touchdown, and then found D’Ernest Johnson for a 2-point play. Flowers finished with 605 yards of total offense. On the ensuing kickoff, Hughes found an opening on the right side and scored. South Florida drove to midfield late, but Mitchell Wilcox fumbled and it was recovered by Chequan Burkett. No. 13 TCU 45, Baylor 22: Kenny Hill threw touchdown passes to three receivers and ran 3 yards for another score to help TCU wrap up a spot in the Big 12 championship game. The Horned Frogs (10-2, 7-2 Big 12, CFP No. 12, No. 10 AP) will play No. 3 Oklahoma for the Big 12 title on Dec. 2. That will come three weeks after TCU’s 38-20 loss to the Sooners. Baylor (1-11, 1-8) jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first 2 minutes, including a safety when Hill was sacked and fumbled in the end zone. But TCU was ahead for good after Hill’s 7-yard TD pass to Jarrison Stewart made it 14-9 with 26 seconds left in the first quarter. Defensive end Mat Boesen set a TCU record with 51⁄2 of the Horned Frogs’ eight sacks. Hill completed 26 of 36 passes for 325 yards, including TD passes to Desmon White and Jalen Reagor in the third quarter. No. 25 Virginia Tech 10, Virginia 0: Josh Jackson threw a touchdown pass and Virginia Tech beat Virginia for the 14th consecutive time.
The Hokies (9-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) limited the Cavaliers to 5 rushing yards and 191 overall in posting their third shutout of the season.
Virginia (6-6, 3-5) had two golden opportunities for touchdowns, but Juan Thornhill slipped after intercepting a pass with nothing but green grass in front of him, and speedy wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus caught a slant pattern that looked like it might go 89 yards, but he was caught from behind by Deon Newsome after just 28.
As expected, the game was a defensive struggle, but the Hokies made enough plays to remain unbeaten against Virginia since joining the ACC in 2004.
Brian Johnson, subbing for Virginia Tech’s career field goal record-holder Joey Slye, kicked a 30-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Jackson later converted a lost fumble by Virginia’s Chris Sharp on the second play of the second half into points, driving 40 yards in four plays and hitting Chris Cunningham from 8 yards out.
It was the redshirt freshman’s 19th touchdown pass of the season.
The Cavaliers’ best two penetrations into Hokies territory ended in a missed 41-yard field goal try just before halftime, and a comedy of errors in the fourth quarter.