There was concern that the departure of Pitt safety Paris Ford would hamper a Panthers secondary that had disappointed for much of the season. But on Saturday, with Brandon Hill playing in Ford’s stead against Florida State and all eyes on senior leader Damar Hamlin, the Pitt secondary proved to be a strength as the team defeated the Seminoles 41-17.
The position group, which had given up 228.3 passing yards per game heading into the matchup in Tallahassee, allowed only 144 yards through the air on Saturday and did not give up a single touchdown pass. Part of that was because Florida State starter Jordan Travis sat out the second half with an injury, but he had been held in check for the first two quarters, throwing one pick and accruing 106 yards with an average of 5.