Big Red adjusts, pulls away from Pittsburgh USO, 43-20
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STEUBENVILLE -- Sometimes the game of football comes down to who makes the best in-game adjustments.
After a wild start that saw a combined 34 points scored in the opening 7:23 of the game, Big Red was able to adjust and pull away for a 43-20 homecoming victory over visiting Pittsburgh USO Friday night at Harding Stadium, it's third-straight win to improve to 3-1.
After trailing 8-7 early and being deadlocked 14-14 after that, Big Red outscored the Panthers 29-6 from there, including scoring the final 15 points and pitching a second half shutout.
"That was a really good offensive football team," Big Red head coach Reno Saccoccia said. "They had really good skill players and protected the quarterback. Sometimes they just made a better play than we did. But I thought we adjusted very well, both offensively and defensively. As the game went on, I felt like we got stronger and stronger.
"It was just a good, all-around football game for us. I think us giving up the points that we did early kind of woke us up."
The early onslaught of points started with the opening kick, as Big Red's Sebron Felton returned it 88 yards for a 7-0 lead. USO (2-1) answered three plays later with a 55-yard catch and run by Daniel Cain, a two-point play giving USO what was its only lead.
Big Red fired back with a 3-yard Kail Simmons TD plunge that was set up by a 35-yard Aydan Manning to Isaac Hill strike, but again USO answered, this time on the next offensive snap, with a 55-yard Jaden Duckett TD catch and run to knot the game.
Ca'Juan Bryant, however, capped a five-play Big Red drive with a 19-yard burst to make it 20-14 for the home team after one.
Steubenville extended the lead when Hill hauled in a Manning pass from 9 yards out to make it 28-14, capping a nine-play drive midway through the second quarter.
That drive appeared to have stalled, but a costly offsides penalty on USO turned a fourth-and-7 to a fourth-and-2, and Big Red opted to go for it and converted and went on to score.
USO was not done before the half, though, as Xair Stevenson hauled in a 22-yard pass from Max Qureshi, who finished with 280 passing yards, to cut the deficit to 28-20 at the break.
The Panthers then had a golden opportunity and appeared to have potentially tied the game when they appeared to score a 69-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the second half, but a holding penalty negated the play.
From there, USO did not threaten as the Big Red defense held them to negative net yardage in the second half, large in part to USO being flagged 17 times for 146 yards in penalties, nine for 85 in the second half alone. That did not count a pair of personal fouls that were offset by flags on Big Red.
"The untimely penalty on the touchdown … that hurt," USO head coach Lou Berry said. "Psychologically, if we make that play and don't have it called back, it might be a totally different game. In this game, you've got to be tough from the neck up, you've got to be mentally tough, and we didn't respond to that well. It's tough to swallow.
"We knew they were a good offensive team on the perimeter, I was proud of our interior line on both sides of the ball against a Steubenville team that is very special down in the trenches. We saw some good things to take from it.
"It was an unreal environment in here for homecoming, it took us an hour to get the last couple miles to the stadium. It was a fun atmosphere to be a part of. It's always a blessing to come down here and get a chance to test ourselves, that's why we make the long trip."
Manning, who went 7 of 14 for 124, a pair of TDs and a pair of two-point conversions, fired a 17-yard TD to Lee Anthony Sewell late in the third quarter, and Simmons added his second scoring run in the fourth quarter with a 2-yard dive to cap the scoring.
Jalen Minniefield racked up 82 yards on 12 carries to lead Big Red's rushing attack, while Bryant racked up 55 on eight totes and hauled in a 37-yard pass.
"After (the early back-and forth), we made more plays," Saccoccia said. "I want to congratulate our kids and coaches, and I want to congratulate their kids and coaches. I thought they played a good game and had a good game plan and both teams did a great job."
NOTE
Nyah Ingram was crowned Big Red's 2023 homecoming queen during a halftime ceremony. She is the daughter of Erin Dunburg and Robert Ingram.
UP NEXT
Pitt. USO: Travels to Westinghouse for Thursday night game next week.
Big Red: Travels to Dover next Friday for its second road game of the season.
Big Red 43, Pitt. USO 20
Pitt. USO 14-6-0-0 – 20
Big Red 20-8-8-7 – 43
SCORING
1Q
BR: Felton 88 kick return (Bowers kick) 11:44
PU: Cain 55 pass from Qureshi (Cain run) 9:32
BR: Simmons 3 run (Bowers kick) 7:16
PU: Duckett 55 pass from Qureshi (run failed) 6:57
BR: Bryant 19 run (kick failed) 4:33
2Q
BR: Hill 9 pass from Manning (Manning pass to Hill) 7:25
PU: Stevenson 22 pass from Qureshi (pass failed) 1:43
3Q
BR: Sewell 17 pass from Manning (Manning pass to Felton) 1:36
4Q
BR: Simmons 2 run (Bowers kick) 7:55
RUSHING: Pitt. USO 20-28 (Gee 6-(-9); Helvy 2-12; Jones 1-4; Duckett 8-31; Qureshi 3-(-10); Big Red 29-146-3TD (Minnifield 12-82; Simmons 3-10-2TD; Bryant 8-55-TD; Manning 3-0; Douglas 3-(-1).
PASSING: Pitt. USO 19-32-280-3TD (all by Qureshi); Big Red 7-14-124-2TD (all by Manning).
RECEIVING: Pitt. USO 19-280-3TD (Helvy 1-30; Cain 7-102-TD; Duckett 5-79-TD; Duncan 2-9; Elliston 1-13; Stevenson 1-22-TD); Big Red 7-124-2TD (Hill 4-33-TD; Sewell 2-27-TD; Bryant 1-37).
FIRST DOWNS: Pitt. USO 10; Big Red 13.
PENALTIES-YARDS: Pitt. USO 17-146; Big Red 3-25.
FUMBLES-LOST: Pitt. USO 0-0; Big Red 1-1.
PUNTS: Pitt USO 5-35; Big Red 1-40.