On Saturday, Pitt raced out to a 21-0 lead against Rice. They looked poised to add to that total but on the 12th play of a 76-yard drive, Chawntez Moss fumbled the ball at the goal line.
That momentarily brought shades of the Youngstown State game where Pitt blew a 21-point lead and nearly lost the game before needing overtime to win. But this time, the Panthers kept on scoring. The team forced a Rice punt and scored a touchdown on their next drive to go up 28-0 into halftime.
Head coach Pat Narduzzi placed an emphasis on finishing the game instead of allowing Rice to hang around.