North Carolina Tar Heels vs Pittsburgh Panthers Box Score on Oct 29, 2015

The Sports Xchange
Oct 29, 2015

PITTSBURGH -- Marquise Williams threw for 271 yards and two second-quarter touchdowns as North Carolina ran its winning streak to seven games by holding off No. 23 Pittsburgh 26-19 Thursday night in a pivotal Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal game.

North Carolina (7-1, 4-0 ACC) is now one of two unbeaten teams in the Coastal with No 22 Duke (6-1, 3-0), which visits Miami (Fla.) on Saturday night. The Tar Heels host the Blue Devils in their next game, Nov. 7.

Pitt (6-2, 4-1) dropped into third place in the division and had its four-game winning streak snapped.

Williams completed 14 of 23 passes. One of his touchdown tosses went to wide receiver Ryan Switzer, who finished with five receptions for 126 yards.

North Carolina running back Elijah Hood gained 98 yards rushing on 20 carries. Kicker Nick Weiler made all four field-goal attempts.

Pitt got within seven points with 46 seconds left when quarterback Nate Peterman threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to tight end Scott Orndoff. However, North Carolina recovered an onside kick attempt and ran out the clock.

Peterman threw for 262 yards and a touchdown. Panthers wide receiver Tyler Boyd, who leads the ACC with 63 receptions, had 10 catches for 89 yards.

A pair of touchdown passes by Williams sparked a 17-point second quarter that gave the Tar Heels a 20-3 halftime lead.

Switzer got open behind the secondary for a 71-yard score that snapped a 3-3 tie.

Two plays after Weiler's 31-yard field goal increased North Carolina's lead to 13-3, Tar Heels defensive end Junior Gronkonde recovered a fumble by wide receiver Dontez Ford at the Pitt 38. That set up a 32-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Mack Hollins with 3:19 left.

Both teams scored field goals on their first possessions. Pitt's Chris Blewitt connected from 44 yards and Weiler countered with a 25-yarder.

Both teams also began the second half with field goals -- Blewitt hitting from 29 and Weiler from 39 -- before Pitt cut the deficit to 23-13 on running back Qadree Ollison's 4-yard touchdown run with 4:10 left in the third quarter. It was Ollison's fifth straight game with a rushing TD.

Weiler's 32-yard field goal with 2:56 provided some cushion for North Carolina, which won for just the fourth time in its last 32 games on the road against a ranked team.

NOTES: North Carolina senior WR Quinshad Davis became the school's all-time leading in receptions with his 182nd catch, breaking the record held by Hakeem Nicks. ... North Carolina fifth-year QB Marquise Williams surpassed 2,000 yards rushing in his career. ... Pitt was playing at home for just the second time in its last seven games. ... Twelve NFL teams had scouts in attendance, likely watching Davis, North Carolina G Landon Turner and Pitt WR Tyler Boyd, TE J.P. Holtz and CB Lafayette Pitts. ... Both teams play at home Nov. 7, with North Carolina facing No. 22 Duke and Pitt taking on No. 9 Notre Dame.