Virginia Falls to Pittsburgh 45-31

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Box Score Oct. 15, 2016

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Virginia scored 28 first-half points, including two touchdowns from Albert Reid, but Pittsburgh broke away in the second half and beat the Cavaliers 45-31 on Saturday.

The Panthers (5-2, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) got a 93-yard kickoff return touchdown from Quadree Henderson and a 59-yard interception return touchdown from Jordan Whitehead, the latter to allow the Panthers to take a 35-28 lead into halftime.

Virginia (2-4, 1-1) had its two-game winning streak end. The Cavaliers moved the ball at will in the opening 30 minutes, piling up 270 yards, but were just the opposite thereafter. They gained 15 yards in the third quarter and finished with 108 yards in the half.

Nathan Peterman threw two touchdown passes for Panthers, the last making it 42-28 with 9:47 left.

THE TAKEAWAY

Virginia: The Cavaliers have the capacity to play well for long stretches, but adversity still presents them with challenges. The adversity against Pitt came in two stages — Whitehead’s interception return touchdown, and when the Panthers came out firing on defense and applied pressure Benkert hadn’t seen before halftime.

UP NEXT:

Virginia: The Cavaliers continue their three-game homestand by taking on longtime rival North Carolina.