DETROIT — Pitt avoided embarrassment and its second consecutive three-game, season-ending losing streak Thursday night, rallying five times to defeat Eastern Michigan, 34-30, before a record crowd of 34,765 in the Quick Lane Bowl at Ford Field.
It was Pitt’s first bowl victory since 2013 when the Panthers defeated Bowling Green in the Little Caeser’s Pizza Bowl, a game also played at Ford Field.
After ending the regular season with losses to Virginia Tech and Boston College, Pitt finished 8-5 for the third time in Pat Narduzzi’s five seasons as head coach. Eastern Michigan, the last-place team in the Mid-American Conference’s West Division, closes it season with a 6-7 record.
Pitt took its only lead of the game with 47 seconds left when Kenny Pickett hit Taysir Mack for a 25-yard touchdown pass at the end of a 91-yard scoring drive that started with 2:43 left in the game.
Earlier, senior Maurice Ffrench broke Larry Fitzgerald’s school record for receptions that had stood since 2003 at 92. Ffrench finished with 96 after catching 12 for 165 yards and a 96-yard touchdown, another school record.
Pickett, named game MVP, completed 27 of 39 attempts for a career-high 361 yards and three touchdowns.
Pitt played from behind for much of the game, forging ties at 10, 17 and 20 and 27. Alex Kessman’s 51-yard field goal with 4:16 left in the third quarter tied the score at 20-20, but Pitt wasted an opportunity by committing six unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the same play.
After senior safety Damar Hamlin returned an interception to the EMU 14, six Pitt players — Hamlin, Saleem Brightwell, Dane Jackson, Paris Ford, Damarri Mathis and Cam Bright — raced into the end zone to celebrate, a common occurrence in the NFL, but a 15-yard penalty in college.
Pushed back to the 29 and then to the 33, Pitt settled for Kessman’s field goal, his career school record eighth longer than 50 yards.
Eastern Michigan took a 27-20 lead with 10 minutes, 45 seconds left in the fourth quarter when Glass hit wide receiver Arthur Jackson III on a 10-yard scoring play. Pitt immediately tied the score on a 19-yard touchdown reception by freshman Jared Wayne with 8:22 left in the fourth quarter.
Again, Eastern Michigan broke the tie, this time on a 48-yard field goal by Chad Ryland — his third of the game — with six minutes left.
The game did not start well for Pitt.
Pitt committed a variety of mistakes in the first quarter while Eastern Michigan seized a 10-0 lead, but the Panthers’ offense came to life before halftime.
The Pitt defense allowed the Eagles to take the opening kickoff and drive 57 yards in 14 plays for Ryland’s 35-yard field goal. Ryland also hit from 45 yards to give Eastern Michigan a 20-17 lead at intermission.
On Pitt’s first possession, Pickett lost a fumble at the Eastern Michigan 46 when he was hit while scrambling, failing to give himself up in time. That led to quarterback Mike Glass’s 3-yard touchdown run.
Kessman missed a 49-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter, but he hit from 44 at the outset of the second.
Pitt managed to tie the score twice within the first nine minutes of the second quarter, 10-10 and 17-17. First, Pickett hit Ffrench for a 96-yard catch-and-run, the longest pass play in Pitt history and 1 yard short of the all-time record set last season on Qadree Ollison’s 97-yard run.
Eastern Michigan immediately took back the lead, 17-10, on Glass’ 50-yard touchdown pass to Quain Williams.
Pitt responded with an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown march that started with Pickett’s 32-yard completion to Shocky Jacques-Louis and ended with Vincent Davis’ 8-yard run.
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