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Just Like Old Times
Joe Conlin and the Panthers hauled down the Wolfpack.
The Tangerine Bowl returned this season from a 19-year hiatus, which is about as long as it must have seemed between bowl wins for Pitt fans. Antonio Bryant had two TD catches as the Panthers beat N.C. State 34-19 on Thursday for their first bowl-game triumph since 1989. The victory was also the sixth straight for the Panthers.
• Kiper: Both finished hot | N.C. State QB Rivers chat wrap
| INDIVIDUAL STATISTICAL LEADERS |
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N.C. STATE |
YDS |
PITTSBURGH |
YDS |
| Passing |
Philip Rivers |
2586 |
David Priestley |
2128 |
| Rushing |
Ray Robinson |
733 |
Raymond Kirkley |
645 |
| Receiving |
Bryan Peterson |
657 |
R.J. English |
760 |
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| TEAM STATISTICAL COMPARISON |
| |
| Total Offense |
 | 
328.3 | | | 
315.9 |
Passing Yards |
| | 226 | | |
202.8 |
Passing completion % |
| |
64.4 | | |
54 |
Completions |
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248 | | |
188 |
Attempts |
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385 | | |
348 |
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| Scoring Offense |
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26.6 | | |
24.7 |
Scoring Defense |
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21.4 | | |
20.4 |
Rushing Yards |
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102.3 | | |
113.1 |
Rushing attempts |
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355 | | |
391 |
Key: |
| N.C. State | | Pittsburgh |
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"Pitt's season has been a show of peaks and valleys. Beat East Tennessee State -- lose 5 straight -- win 5 straight. I haven't a clue which Pitt team will show up in Orlando. Hopefully it will be the team that spanked Virginia Tech and defeated West Virginia. But N.C. State is tougher than people give them credit for."
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WITH ROD GILMORE
Antonio Bryant had a very impressive and important night. Bryant has been hampered all season with a bad ankle, but he proved Thursday that he can play like a star even when he's less than 100 percent. You can be certain NFL scouts took notice.
However, as important as this game was for Bryant, it was more important for Walt Harris. Harris had not won a bowl game at Pitt prior to Thursday's win over N.C. State. Also, there was grumbling this year after Pitt got off to a 1-5 start with a brand-spanking new stadium. This win restores a lot of luster to Harris' resume and should once again make him a much sought after coach as he was last year. He engineered a tremendous turnaround this year. Pitt might not be able to keep him much longer.
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| IT WAS OVER WHEN |
| Pitt's Lewis Moore sacked Philip Rivers and forced a fumble that was returned 16 yards by Tyre Young. The score gave the Panthers a 34-19 edge with 6:15 to play. |
| GAME BALL GOES TO |
| Antonio Bryant, who shook off the effects of a sore ankle to catch seven passes and score two TDs for the Panthers. The junior wideout, who might opt to enter the NFL next season, didn't catch a pass in the second half. |
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PITTSBURGH CLUBHOUSE
WR Antonio Bryant was healthy enough to give Pittsburgh its first bowl win since 1989.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE CLUBHOUSE
All-American LB Levar Fisher broke his left forearm early in the second quarter of the Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl. The Wolfpack defense wasn't the same after that.
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