UNC upends Pitt; USC tops Penn State in White Out game
AP Photo/David Dermer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Billy Edwards Jr. threw a 75-yard touchdown pass in the second half and North Carolina knocked off No. 25 Pitt 21-17 on Saturday.
Pitt had just taken a 17-14 lead when the Tar Heels immediately responded. Edwards hit Shamar Easter for a 75-yard score down the seam for the go-ahead touchdown, giving coach Bill Belichick his first win against a ranked opponent at North Carolina.
It was North Carolina’s (3-2, 1-1) first win against a ranked opponent since defeating No. 25 Miami in 2023 and the Tar Heels’ first ranked road win since taking down No. 9 Miami in 2020.
Edwards completed 18-of-26 passes for 249 yards with touchdowns to Easter and Jelani Thurman, and a pair of interceptions. Demon June also rushed for a touchdown and Jordan Shipp caught six passes for 93 yards.
Holden Geriner, a fifth-year senior, completed 27-of-44 passes for 219 yards with two interceptions for Pitt (5-1, 2-1).
Geriner made his first collegiate start with sophomore quarterback Mason Heintschel out for the rest of the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during a victory against Virginia Tech last week.
Geriner sailed a fourth-down pass that was dropped by a wide-open Cataurus Hicks. Pitt later turned the ball over on downs at the North Carolina 21 as the Tar Heels held on for the win.
La’Vell Wright scored two rushing touchdowns for Pitt.
“It’s one game,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “Whoever plays in that championship game is going to have a loss. All of our goals are right in front of us.”
There was a moment of silence before the national anthem and a video tribute after the first television timeout to honor Mike Ditka, the Pitt All-American who went on to a Hall of Fame career and led the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl title as a coach. Ditka passed away at the age of 86 on Friday.
Pitt also celebrated the 50th anniversary of its 1976 national championship team.
USC 31, PENN STATE 23
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Jayden Maiava completed 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards with three touchdowns and No. 19 USC outlasted Penn State on Saturday night.
Trent Mosley, Tanook Hines and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt caught touchdown passes, King Miller ran for a score and Caden Chittenden kicked a field goal for the Trojans (6-1, 3-1 Big Ten), who overcame a boisterous crowd that was the largest in Beaver Stadium history.
The vast majority of the announced 114,419 were clad in white for the annual White Out game, desperate to see the first Big Ten win of the Matt Campbell era.
They were repeatedly shushed instead as the Nittany Lions (3-3, 0-3) fell to 13-10 in their marquee event after failing to keep pace with a USC offense that averaged nearly eight yards per play through the first three quarters.
They were quieted for good in the fourth when Christian Pierce punched the ball away from Brett Eskildsen with 3:59 to go in regulation.
Penn State never got the ball back and USC’s offense was able to kill the rest of the clock and improve to 7-5 in the series.
Rocco Becht completed 21 of 32 passes for 289 yards with a touchdown for the NIttany Lions, who lost their third straight.
Carson Hansen ran for a touchdown, Andrew Rappleyea caught another and Barker kicked two field goals for the Nittany Lions.