Pitt Football: 3 takeaways from Quick Lane Bowl win vs. Eastern Michigan

Pitt football probably didn’t expect this tough of a fight against Eastern Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl, but the Panthers got all they could handle.

As Panther fans would say, Pitt is it. The Panthers found a way to win the Quick Lane Bowl despite looking like the lesser of two teams on Thursday night for a good chunk of the game.

Eastern Michigan couldn’t hold on to a late lead as Pitt scored the game-winning touchdown with under a minute left, securing an eight-win season, 34-30.

The Panthers finished with eight wins but Eastern dropped under the .500 mark, but that shouldn’t discredit the job Chris Creighton has done in Ypsilanti.

What’d we learn from the Quick Lane Bowl?

3. Chris Creighton is building a winner

Before Chris Creighton arrived at Eastern Michigan, the Eagles were one of the worst Group of Five teams in all of college football. They had made just two bowl games in the program’s existence, winning one. He was hired away from Drake and many questioned the move since he hadn’t led an FBS team but he proved to be a winner.

In his first two seasons he was just 3-21, but since he has a 25-26 record and has made three bowl games in four seasons. For Eastern Michigan, that type of success is unheard of.

Creighton may not have been able to beat Pitt, but the game was close and he proved his team can compete with the Power Five. He beat Illinois this year and proved that his program is further along than many thought it would be at this point.

Eastern Michigan is no longer a pushover and Pitt learned that on Thursday night.