Pitt's Undefeated Streak Shattered In Embarrassing Loss To No. 20 SMU
A Disastrous Night for the Panthers
Pitt's hopes of an undefeated season came crashing down on Saturday night in Dallas, as they suffered a humiliating 43-24 loss to No. 20 SMU. The Panthers, who had started the season ranked No. 15, now stand at 3-1 overall and 0-1 in ACC play.
SMU, led by quarterback Shane Buechele, torched the Pitt defense for a staggering 582 yards of total offense. Buechele completed 24-of-33 passes for 305 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 56 yards and a score.
Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett had a rough night, completing just 19-of-41 passes for 214 yards and two interceptions. He was also sacked six times.
The Panthers' defense, which had been one of the most formidable in the country, was shredded by SMU's offense. The Mustangs scored on their first five possessions of the game and never looked back.
Disappointment and Frustration
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi was visibly frustrated after the game.
"We got our butts kicked," Narduzzi said. "We didn't play well enough in any phase of the game. We didn't deserve to win."
Pitt players were also disappointed and frustrated.
"We didn't play up to our standard," said linebacker Patrick Jones II. "We didn't execute our game plan. We didn't make tackles. We didn't do anything we needed to do to win."
Looking Ahead
Pitt will try to rebound next Saturday when they host Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are also 3-1 overall and 0-1 in ACC play.
After that, Pitt will face a tough stretch of games, with road contests against No. 1 Clemson and No. 23 Louisville.
The Panthers will need to regroup quickly if they want to salvage their season.