Pittsburgh 34, Western Michigan 13
(AP Photo/Al Goldis)
By NICHOLAS BUCKLEY
Associated Press
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Pitt junior running back Israel Abanikanda carried the ball 31 times for 131 yards and a touchdown to lead the No. 23 Panthers to a 34-13 victory over Western Michigan.
Pitt (2-1) was without its top two quarterbacks for the nonconference contest, but third-string signal caller Nate Yarnell was efficient under center, going 9-for-12 passing for 179 yards and a touchdown.
Western Michigan (1-2) had its opportunities, with a 31-yard double pass from receiver Anthony Sambucci to receiver A.J. Abbott for a touchdown that cut Pitt's lead to 20-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
Pitt responded on its next drive when Yarnell found sophomore receiver Konata Mumpfield for a 6-yard touchdown reception to give the Panthers a two-score cushion. Redshirt junior running back Daniel Carter would ice the game with 3:03 to play in the fourth quarter when he plunged in for a 4-yard touchdown run.
INJURY REPORT
Pitt: USC transfer quarterback Kedon Slovis did not play after suffering an injury in the Panthers' 34-27 overtime loss to Tennessee. His primary backup, redshirt senior Nick Patti, also sat out against the Broncos after injuring his ankle in the second half against the Vols.
Western Michigan: Western Michigan was without starting defensive end Marshawn Kneeland (lower leg) and starting cornerback DaShon Bussell (knee).
THE TAKEAWAY
Pittsburgh: The Panthers came into Kalamazoo with revenge on their mind. In the first meeting between the schools last season, Western Michigan pulled off a 44-41win, essentially spoiling Pitt's chances of making the College Football Playoff.
Western Michigan: The Broncos kept the game close against a ranked opponent until the final minutes of the contest, but redshirt junior quarterback Jack Salopek struggled in his third career start, throwing three costly interceptions while finishing 6 of 18 passing for 99 yards.
| Scoring Summary |
| First Quarter |
Pitt | WestMI |
| Pitt |
FG |
7:26 |
Ben Sauls 48 yd FG |
3 |
0 |
| Pitt |
TD |
2:39 |
Marquis Williams 22 yd interception return (Ben Sauls kick) |
10 |
0 |
| WestMI |
FG |
0:31 |
Palmer Domschke 32 yd FG |
10 |
3 |
| Second Quarter |
Pitt | WestMI |
| Pitt |
FG |
11:31 |
Ben Sauls 23 yd FG |
13 |
3 |
| WestMI |
FG |
7:17 |
Palmer Domschke 40 yd FG |
13 |
6 |
| Third Quarter |
Pitt | WestMI |
| Pitt |
TD |
1:30 |
Israel Abanikanda 4 yd run (Ben Sauls kick) |
20 |
6 |
| WestMI |
TD |
0:23 |
A.J. Abbott 31 yd pass from Anthony Sambucci (Palmer Domschke kick) |
20 |
13 |
| Fourth Quarter |
Pitt | WestMI |
| Pitt |
TD |
8:16 |
Konata Mumpfield 6 yd pass from Nate Yarnell (Ben Sauls kick) |
27 |
13 |
| Pitt |
TD |
3:03 |
Daniel Carter 3 yd run (Ben Sauls kick) |
34 |
13 |
| Team Stats |
| |
Pittsburgh |
Western Michigan |
| First downs |
23 |
10 |
| Rushing |
15 |
4 |
| Passing |
7 |
5 |
| Penalty |
1 |
1 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency |
5-10, 50% |
2-11, 18% |
| 4th down efficiency |
0-0, -% |
1-1, 100% |
| Rushes-Yards |
52-238 |
29-50 |
| Passing Yards |
179 |
130 |
| Return Yards |
92 |
48 |
| Completions-Attempts-Int |
9-12-0 |
7-19-3 |
| Sacks-Yards Lost |
1--9 |
2--16 |
| Punts |
2 |
5 |
| Punts-Average |
38.5 |
42.2 |
| Fumbles Lost |
1-1 |
1-0 |
| Penalties - Yards |
4-30 |
2-11 |
| Time of Possession |
38:36 |
21:24 |
| Pittsburgh Passing |
| Player |
Cmp |
Att |
Yds |
TDs |
Int |
| N. Yarnell |
9 |
12 |
179 |
1 |
0 |
| Western Michigan Interceptions |
| Player |
Int |
Yards |
| Western Michigan Punting |
| Player |
Punts |
Yards |
Avg |
| N. Mihalic |
5 |
211 |
42.2 |
| Western Michigan Punt Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| Z. Abdus-Salaam |
1 |
12 |
12.0 |
| Pittsburgh Kick Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| I. Abanikanda |
4 |
75 |
18.8 |
| Western Michigan Kick Returns |
| Player |
Ret |
Yards |
Average |
| S. Tyler |
2 |
36 |
18.0 |
| Pittsburgh Missed FG |
| Player |
Length |
| B. Sauls |
27 |
| Western Michigan Missed FG |
| Player |
Length |
