Nobody understood more how critical Thursday night’s primetime matchup with Virginia Tech than Pitt Panthers quarterback Chad Voytik. After three straight losses to Iowa, Akron and Virginia, the redshirt sophomore knew the Panthers had to get a win to keep their ACC Coastal division hopes alive.
”We needed it bad,” Voytik said in an interview after the win. ”I got emotional after the game because I knew how big it was. Just how hard our guys have worked. The stage was big and we came out and performed.”
Voytik performed indeed, and led to the Panthers to a critical 21-16 victory over the visiting Hokies. Voytik was able to use his legs to rush for 118 yards on 19 carries, added a touchdown pass and also had a 29-yard reception from the arm of star receiver Tyler Boyd.
The Hokies simply had no answer for the read option rushing attack led by Voytik, and it allowed the Panthers to grind out 210 yards on the ground. This multifaceted performance by the Pitt signal called helped key the Panthers attack, and earned Voytik a well deserved Pittsburgh Sporting News Player of the Week honor.
The Panthers next play Georgia Tech in another key Coastal division matchup at Heinz Field this Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
