Unbeaten Panthers rally to top Hokies

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech’s John Love missed a 36-yard field goal as time expired, and Pittsburgh survived for a 35-33 victory over the Hokies on Friday night.

Pittsburgh quarterback Holden Geriner came off the bench to throw a touchdown pass, and Ja’Kyrian Turner added a rushing touchdown for the Panthers (5-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who remain one of three unbeaten teams in the ACC.

Pittsburgh trailed 14-0, but scored 21 unanswered points to come from behind despite losing starting quarterback Mason Heintschel to an injury on the fourth play of the second half.

Virginia Tech (4-1, 1-1) controlled much of the first half, but the Hokies started unraveling when Cameron Lindsey’s interception of Ethan Grunkemeyer led to a 22-yard touchdown pass from Heintschel to Cataurus Hicks with 31 seconds left in the half.

That was the first of four turnovers for the Hokies, and the Panthers turned those into 14 points.

Pittsburgh took a 28-24 lead on a 15-yard touchdown run by Damon Ferguson Jr. on the Panthers’ first drive of the second half and then took a 35-24 lead on Geriner’s 29-yard touchdown pass to Hicks early in the fourth quarter before holding on.

Virginia Tech cut the lead to 35-33 on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Grunkemeyer to Davion Brown with 10:07 remaining and then Grunkemeyer drove the Hokies 62 yards to set up Love’s game-winning attempt, which he hooked wide left.

Grunkemeyer threw for a career-high 434 yards for the Hokies, who outgained Pittsburgh 499-295.

The Panthers are 5-0 for the second time in three years, but now await news on the severity of Heintschel’s injury. Geriner played well in relief, completing 8 of 12 for 78 yards and the touchdown.…Read more by The Associated Press