NCAAF

California Golden Bears at Pittsburgh Panthers

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15 - 17
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Desmond Reid scores twice and No. 22 Pitt remains unbeaten by fending off Cal 17-15

Desmond Reid's 72-yard rushing TD pads Pitt's lead

His players were listening.

No. 22 Pitt regained some of the swagger that's been its trademark for most of Narduzzi's decade-long tenure, racking up six sacks to cover for a suddenly sputtering offense in a 17-15 win over California on Saturday that pushed the Panthers to 6-0 for the first time in 42 years.

“Some games (the offense) carried us,” said Pitt defensive end Jimmy Scott, who had a career-high three sacks. "This game we kind of carried them a little bit.”

Pitt managed just 277 total yards — nearly 250 below its season average coming in — and did next to nothing in the second half, relying on two first-half touchdown runs by Desmond Reid and a 58-yard field goal from Ben Sauls to take an eight-point halftime lead before holding on.

Reid finished with 120 yards rushing, most of them on a 72-yard sprint to the end zone when the Panthers surprisingly went for it on fourth-and-1 at their own 28 on the first play of the second quarter.

“We executed it perfect," quarterback Eli Holstein said. "(Just) get the ball into Des Reid’s hands and let him make a play.”

Holstein’s electric start hit its first significant speedbump. The redshirt freshman transfer from Alabama completed just 14 of 28 passes for 133 yards. He also threw a pair of interceptions in Cal territory in the third quarter when the Panthers were in position to extend their lead.

While Holstein admitted he “played like a freshman today,” he believes the victory is also a chance for growth.

“I think our team needed a win like this,” he said. "Even if we’re not clicking, (the defense) is clicking and going to get us stops and help us go win the game.”

Cal (3-3, 0-3 ACC) let a couple of late opportunities slip away. Ryan Coe's go-ahead 40-yard field goal attempt with 1:54 left was a low wobbler that sailed wide right. The Bears got the ball back with 44 seconds remaining but failed to generate a first down as Pitt reached bowl eligibility a year after a 3-9 season led Narduzzi to overhaul the offensive coaching staff.

The arrival of offensive coordinator Kade Bell and his up-tempo attack has shoved Pitt into the 21st century, but for most of a crisp fall afternoon, the Panthers defense led the way.

Fernando Mendoza passed for 272 yards and a touchdown for Cal. Tight end Jack Endries finished with eight receptions for 119 yards and a 19-yard score from his roommate with 10:30 to play, but the Bears missed the ensuing two-point conversion that would have tied the game as Cal remained winless in the ACC. Cal's three losses in its new conference home have been by a combined seven points.

Pitt, meanwhile, picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference in the preseason, is now 2-0 in the ACC and firmly believes its best days are still ahead.

“The way the defense played today, if they keep playing like that and we do what we’re supposed to do, we’re a dangerous team,” Reid said.

The takeaway Cal: The snakebit Bears, coming off a late collapse last week against Miami, were often their own worst enemy. Cal was called for 12 penalties for 110 yards, including eight for 90 yards in the first half alone.

Pitt: Narduzzi bemoaned his team's lack of sacks coming in, which has been outside the norm for the Panthers during his 10 years on the sideline. The defense turned back the clock in the second half to bail out an offense that stumbled for the first time this season.

Poll implications The Panthers will likely hover in the 20s when the poll is released on Sunday after an ugly, grind-it-out affair.

Up next Cal: Welcomes North Carolina State next Saturday.

Pitt: Hosts Syracuse on Thursday, Oct. 24.

How To Watch

How can I watch California Golden Bears vs. Pittsburgh Panthers?
  • TV Channel: Golden Bears at Panthers 2021 College Football, week 7, is broadcasted on ESPN.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.

Matchup Prediction

Panthers: 68.7%
Golden Bears: 31.3%
*According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index

Scoring Summary

CAL TD 1st Period 8:56 Jaivian Thomas 21 Yd Run (Two-Point Pass Conversion Failed)
PITT TD 1st Period 5:07 Desmond Reid 5 Yd Run (Ben Sauls Kick)
PITT TD 2nd Period 14:58 Desmond Reid 72 Yd Run (Ben Sauls Kick)
PITT FG 2nd Period 10:04 Ben Sauls 58 Yd Field Goal
CAL FG 2nd Period 5:57 Ryan Coe 39 Yd Field Goal
CAL TD 4th Period 10:30 Jack Endries 19 Yd pass from Fernando Mendoza (Two-Point Run Conversion Failed)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/25.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCAL https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/ncaa/500/221.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originPITT
23 1st Downs 14
6-16 3rd down efficiency 1-12
0-1 4th down efficiency 2-2
335 Total Yards 277
272 Passing 133
27/37 Comp/Att 14/28
7.4 Yards per pass 4.8
63 Rushing 144
40 Rushing Attempts 28
1.6 Yards per rush 5.1
12-110 Penalties 5-65
0 Turnovers 2
0 Fumbles lost 0
0 Interceptions thrown 2
38:30 Possession 21:30

Game Information

Acrisure Stadium

Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Attendance: 49,773 · Capacity:
Full Standings

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