Pitt beats No. 2 Miami 24-14, ending Hurricanes’ 15-game win streak

Miami spent the better part of 13 months putting together the nation’s longest winning streak behind a series of comebacks that returned the swagger to “The U.”

Sluggish throughout the first half against Pittsburgh on Friday, the Hurricanes figured they’d come out for the third quarter, hit the gas and survive just the way they’ve done time and again during their rebirth under second-year coach Mark Richt.

Nope.

Miami’s perfect season is over. The second-ranked Hurricanes can only hope their shot at a College Football Playoff berth isn’t gone, too.

Freshman quarterback Kenny Pickett ran for two touchdowns and threw for another as the Panthers pulled out a decisive 24-14 stunner that sent Miami reeling into next week’s ACC title game showdown with defending national champion Clemson.

“I still think there’s an awful lot to play for,” Miami coach Mark Richt said. “We have no idea what’s going to happen in the big picture, how many teams lost a game on a Friday and came back and got in the top four? How many teams lost one game and won a conference championship and got right back in it? Who knows? So we don’t know.”

A chance to put together the program’s first unbeaten regular season since 2002 vanished at chilly but hardly cold Heinz Field. Malik Rosier completed just 15 of 34 passes for 187 and two touchdowns and was briefly pulled in the fourth quarter. The Hurricanes (10-1, 7-1 ACC, CFP No. 2) managed just 232 yards, a season-low, and spotted Pitt a 10-7 halftime lead.

The Panthers put together a pair of long touchdown drives engineered by Pickett and the emphatic response from Miami never materialized.

“The ACC Coastal Division champions are well aware their meeting with No. 4 Clemson next Saturday will serve as the ultimate arbiter on whether the Hurricanes are worthy of consideration for the College Football Playoff. The loss to Pittsburgh might not matter as long as they beat the defending national champions.

(10) TCU 45, Baylor 22: Kenny Hill threw touchdown passes to three receivers and ran 3 yards for another score to help the Horned Frogs (10-2, 7-2 Big 12, CFP No. 12) defeat the Bears (1-11, 1-8) at Fort Worth, Texas, and wrap up a spot in the Big 12 championship game.

The Horned Frogs will play No. 3 Oklahoma for the Big 12 title on Dec. 2. That will come three weeks after TCU’s 38-20 loss to the Sooners.

Hill completed 26 of 36 passes for 325 yards, including TD passes to Desmon White and Jalen Reagor in the third quarter, a week after he didn’t even travel to Texas Tech because of an apparent concussion.

(12) Central Florida 49, (19) South Florida 42: Mike Hughes returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown with 1:28 remaining and Central Florida completed the first unbeaten regular season in program history to wrap up the American Athletic Conference’s East Division title.

The Knights (11-0, 8-0, CFP No. 15) will host Memphis in the conference title game Dec. 2.

Hughes’ touchdown capped a crazy 53-second span where the Knights took an eight-point lead, South Florida tied it and then the Knights took the lead for good.

The Bulls (9-2, 6-2) tied it at 42 when Quinton Flowers connected with Darnel Salomon for an 83-yard touchdown strike, and then found D’Ernest Johnson for a 2-point play. Flowers finished with 605 yards of total offense. On the ensuing kickoff, Hughes found an opening on the right side and scored.

(24) Virginia Tech 10, Virginia 0: Josh Jackson threw a touchdown pass and the Hokies defeated the Cavaliers at Charlottesville, Virginia, winning the in-state rivalry game for the 14th consecutive time.

The Hokies (9-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) limited the Cavaliers to 5 rushing yards and 191 overall in posting their third shutout of the season.

Virginia (6-6, 3-5) had two golden opportunities for touchdowns, but Juan Thornhill slipped after intercepting a pass with nothing but green grass in front of him, and speedy wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus caught a slant pattern that looked like it might go 89 yards, but he was caught from behind by Deon Newsome after just 28.

As expected, the game was a defensive struggle, but the Hokies made enough plays to remain unbeaten against Virginia since joining the ACC in 2004.