Miami football reverses script, takes down ACC Coastal champ Pittsburgh
By Zach Bigalke
After Pittsburgh dealt Miami football an upset to end a perfect season in 2017, the Hurricanes got vengeance in 2018 as they took down the Panthers.
Miami hosted ACC Coastal champ Pittsburgh on Saturday after Thanksgiving. The matchup fell on Nov. 24, exactly one year after the 10-0 Hurricanes were upset at Heinz Field by a sub-.500 Panthers side. And just like last year, the ranked team was toppled by their lesser foe in the ACC rivalry game to end the regular season.
The Panthers had a solid day defensively, but they were betrayed by their offense and special teams on the road trip to Hard Rock Stadium. Other than an inability to contain Travis Homer, the Hurricanes running back who went off for 168 rushing yards and a touchdown on only eight carries and added an 11-yard reception, Pitt largely shut down Miami.
N’Kosi Perry continued his growing pains at quarterback for Miami, as he finished just 6-of-24 for 52 yards. Perry did not throw any touchdowns, but he also avoided interceptions and added 46 rushing yards to pace the Hurricanes to the win. It was a mixed performance by the quarterback, who got the win but struggled to complete passes.
Kenny Pickett completed more passes for Pittsburgh, as the visiting quarterback finished 14-of-22 for 130 yards through the air. But Pitt had no ground game to balance out their passing, and they also shot themselves in the foot with 10 penalties for 100 lost yards.
For the Panthers, they need to put this game in the rearview mirror quickly as they get ready for the ACC championship game against Clemson. The loss to Miami exposed issues with the ground game, but the defense largely did its job and they cannot panic too much from this single loss.
Next. 6 active bowl streaks in danger of ending in 2018. dark
The Hurricanes missed their chance to win the ACC Coastal long before the Pittsburgh game. But the win over Pitt opens the door for a better bowl invitation once the dust settles next weekend, as the win pushed Miami to seven wins. After the promise of building on 2017’s run to the division title, though, it was still a disappointing season in Coral Gables for Mark Richt’s crew.