Pittsburgh’s Desmond Reid ran 72 yards on a fourth-down play in the second quarter, California’s Ryan Coe missed a potential go-ahead field goal with 1:50 remaining and the Panthers held on for a 17-15 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over the visiting Golden Bears on Saturday afternoon.
Reid finished with a game-high 120 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, helping No. 22 Pittsburgh (6-0, 2-0) remain unbeaten despite going scoreless in the second half.
Fernando Mendoza threw for 272 yards and a score for Cal (3-3, 0-3), which outgained the Panthers 335-277.
The Golden Bears forced a punt after Coe missed low and wide right from 40 yards out. Cal got the ball back at its own 20-yard line with 41 seconds left but went four-and-out.
The difference in the game turned out to be two missed two-point conversion attempts by the Golden Bears.
The first came after Cal went up 6-0, the second after it closed within 17-15 on Jack Endries’ 19-yard touchdown reception with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter.
Pittsburgh also gambled early on when, up 7-6, it went for a fourth-and-1 at its own 28 on the first play of the second quarter. Reid cashed in for the Panthers with his 72-yard touchdown run to give the hosts a 14-6 lead.
The Golden Bears struck first on their opening possession. Jaivian Thomas’s 21-yard run capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive that left Cal ahead 6-0 after its first failed two-point attempt.
Pitt went ahead for good at 7-6 on Reid’s 5-yard run with 5:08 left in the first quarter.
After Reid’s fourth-down score, the teams exchanged field goals. Ben Sauls was good from 58 yards for the Panthers before Coe converted from 39 yards, drawing the Golden Bears within 17-9 at halftime.
Pittsburgh quarterback Eli Holstein went 14-for-28 for 133 yards with two interceptions, the only two turnovers of the game.
Endries hauled in eight passes for a game-high 119 yards for Cal. The Golden Bears rushed for just 63 yards on 40 carries in the absence of All-American candidate running back Jaydn Ott, who sat out with an ankle injury.
-Field Level Media
The Carolina Panthers week-to-week decision-making at quarterback continues with Bryce Young given the start for this week’s game against the New York Giants in Munich, Germany. It will be the…
The 2-7 New York Giants made the unusual move of releasing a starting cornerback, cutting Nick McCloud and elevating Art Green from the practice squad this week. McCloud, a fourth-year…
Cornerback Marshon Lattimore spent his first day with the Washington Commanders getting to know the training staff. Lattimore, acquired for three draft picks from the New Orleans Saints on Tuesday,…
Giants’ Brian Daboll sidesteps reason for cutting starting CB
Commanders giddy over new CB Marshon Lattimore, but intro might wait
No limitations for Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle)
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence limited, Week 10 status unclear