Pitt fooled everyone with what looked like a dramatic comeback behind a backup quarterback, losing 24-20 Saturday on Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik’s 50-yard touchdown run with 1 minute, 16 seconds left.

The Panthers are 7-3 overall (3-3 in the ACC) after an encouraging 7-0 start to the season. Clemson (8-2, 7-1) stayed alive in the race for a spot in the ACC championship game.

On Senior Day at Acrisure Stadium, Eli Holstein’s previous head injuries – two in the previous three games – forced coach Pat Narduzzi to turn to backup Nate Yarnell to stabilize an offense that had sputtered in the previous four games.

Yarnell completed 34 0f 54 passes for 350 yards, and running back Desmond Reid hobbled for 176 total yards on a sore ankle. Ben Sauls kicked a 47-yard field goal with 1:36 left to give Pitt a 20-17 lead.

Clemson got the ball back without a timeout, but the Pitt defense lost sight of Klubnik on a quarterback draw and he saw little more than green grass in front of him.

Yarnell responded by moving Pitt to the Clemson 26, but he was intercepted by defensive back Khalil Barnes at the 2 on the final play. That marked the second week in a row that Yarnell ended a loss by throwing an interception.

Eight of 15 Pitt possessions ended in Clemson territory, but the offense suffered terrible dysfunction early in the fourth quarter after a first down at the Tigers’ 2.

Third-string running back Derrick Davis, who was in the game as a replacement for Reid and Daniel Carter (leg injury in the first half), lost 1 yard on first down and a scoop pass to the tight end. Gavin Bartholomew moved the ball to the 1.

At that point, Pitt committed several five-yard penalties – illegal formation, delay of play and false start on guard B.J. Williams – sending the offense back to the box. At one point, Narduzzi called a timeout to settle the chaos on the goal line. as Davis dove into the end zone.

After Yarnell threw an incomplete on third down, Narduzzi settled for Sauls’ 35-yard field goal to trail 17-10 with 10:55 left in the fourth quarter.

With even more charges, the defense forced the eighth Clemson punt of the game, and Pitt was quickly back in the red zone – this time reaching the end zone on an 8-yard game-tying touchdown pass to Bartholomew with 7:05 remaining to go.

One more time the defense stopped Clemson on fourth down when defensive end Jimmy Scott chased down Phil Mahfa for a four-yard loss on fourth-and-1 at the Pitt 46 at 4:17.

Spurred by a 15-yard penalty on Clemson linebacker Dee Crayton — and set back by a false start by guard Jason Collier — Pitt’s offense came back to life and set up Sauls for what looked like the game-winner.

After winning the toss at the start of the match, Narduzzi decided to delay possession until the second half for the third time in seven chances this season.

For a moment, the strategy seemed to pay off when linebacker Rasheem Biles recovered a Klubnik fumble — forced by defensive back Nate Matlack — at the Pitt 46.

But Pitt went three-and-out and punted to the Clemson 7. Even Caleb Junko’s 46-yard kick didn’t help. Clemson advanced 93 yards in eight plays to take a 7-0 lead with 7:20 left in the first quarter. Klubnik lasered the 14-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Williams.

Pitt responded with two explosive plays: a 24-yard catch by Poppi Williams and Reid’s 43-yard run to the 8. Pitt tied the score on a 2-yard scoring drive by Daniel Carter, the Panthers’ first touchdown by the offense in the match. first quarter since the California game on October 12.

The tie disappeared early in the second quarter when Clemson found holes in the Pitt secondary on consecutive plays. Klubnik hit Williams for a 28-yard touchdown pass and a 14-7 lead with 11:18 left before halftime. The scoring play was preceded by a 45-yard completion for Bryant Wesco.

Pitt’s second-best scoring chance of the first half came after the Panthers lost Carter to a leg injury after running for 13 yards. Pitt moved to the Clemson 27 but was set back by a holding penalty against right tackle Jackson Brown, who was making his first career start.

Sauls attempted a 59-yard field goal that would have set a school record, but the kick went wide.

Four minutes later, Clemson kicker Nolan Hauser was on target with his 53-yard field goal attempt with three seconds left in the half, giving the Tigers a 17-7 halftime lead.