Connor Powers Pitt Over Bowling Green 30-27
In record-breaking fashion, freshman RB James Connor rushed 26 times for 229 yards and a TD and helped power Pitt over Bowling Green 30-27 in the 2013 Little Caesar’s Bowl played at Ford Field in Detroit, MI.
Pitt led early on a 15 yard run by Connor to take a 7-3 in the 1st Quarter.
After Chris Blewitt tacked on a 25 yard Field Goal, Tyler Boyd returned a punt for 54 yards to the house to put the Panthers up big 17-3 late in 2nd Quarter.
Boyd finished an outstanding freshman season for Pitt with 8 catches for 173 yards. In the process, he broke Larry Fitzgerald’s Pitt freshman receiving records with 85 catches for 1174 yards and 8 TDs on the year.
Bowling Green, though, wasn’t done. Because Pitt’s star senior DT Aaron Donald was flagged 15 yards for a personal foul after being stopped on 4 downs on the very next series, the Falcons had new life.
QB Matt Johnson led Bowling Green down the field and capped the drive with a 29 yard TD pass to Alex Bayer. Johnson finished the day 20-32 for 272 yards and 2 TDs. Bowling Green trailed Pitt only 17-10 at half.
In the second half, BooBoo Gates returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a score and tied the game at 17. Pitt’s special teams once again reared its ugly head.
In the 3rd Quarter, Pitt’s starting QB Tom Savage went down with a game-ending (and ultimately season-ending and career at Pitt ending) injury. He was replaced by heir-apparent redshirt sophomore QB Chad Voytik.
In the process, the teams traded Field Goals and the game was tied 20-20.
By the 4th Quarter, Voytik looked sharp in Savage’s absence and threw a 63 yard bomb to Tyler Boyd to put Pitt in the red-zone. He then rolled out and scampered 5 yards to Pitt back up 27-20 at the 9:31 mark.
Bowling Green struck right back after Matt Johnson hit Ryan Burbrink on a 15 yard strike to tie the game again, this time at 27.
But it was ultimately James Connor’s day for Pitt. Connor rolled and bruised over the Falcon defense and set up Chris Blewitt for the game-winning 39 yard field goal to Pitt up for good, 30-27. Connor broke Tony Dorsett’s all-time bowl rushing record at Pitt. Dorsett had previously held the mark with 202 rushing yards against Georgia in the 1977 Sugar Bowl when Pitt won its last national championship.
Connor also showed his defensive skills by playing defensive end and forcing a hurried pass by Johnson on Bowling Green’s final drive.
Pitt received contributions from 5 freshman on the day: Connor, Boyd, Dorian Johnson (who played guard for Matt Rotherham), Voytik and WR Chris Wuestner (who caught one ball for 13 yards). The Panthers finished its 2013 campaign 7-6 and heads into the off-season with much optimism for next year.
