Pitt undergoes complete transformation, controls No. 13 Virginia Tech

PITTSBURGH -- Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer remembers all too well how Pittsburgh made a habit of ruining potentially special seasons for his program when the two schools were in the Big East.

Nearly a decade after the Hokies bolted for the ACC -- where the Panthers are slated to join them next season -- not much has changed.

Pitt forced No. 13 Virginia Tech into four first-half turnovers and bullied the Hokies all over the field in a 35-17 victory Saturday, an emphatic opening salvo to a rivalry that will be renewed full time next fall when Pitt joins Virginia Tech in the ACC's Coastal Division.

Pitt controlled the ball for more than 38 minutes and ran up 537 total yards, led by running backs Ray Graham and Rushel Shell. Graham ran for 94 yards and two scores and added an 18-yard touchdown reception. Shell ran for 157 yards and Tino Sunseri passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns to give coach Paul Chryst his first win as head coach.

The Panthers (1-2) had begun the season getting upset at home by Youngstown State, then blown out on the road at Cincinnati.

"I got to hear the fight song, which was nice," Chryst said with a laugh.

"I thought [Pitt was] hitting on all cylinders, and I thought it was their day," Beamer said. "We've got to play a lot better. Pitt deserves a lot of credit. They played hard, and they played well. And they got the win today."

Virginia Tech (2-1) has lost four straight to Pitt dating to 2001, with each loss coming while the Hokies were ranked in the top 15.

Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas completed just 14 of 31 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown against three interceptions, the Hokies managed just 59 yards rushing. Not even a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown by Kyshoen Jarrett in the third quarter could produce the necessary spark for Virginia Tech to overcome an early 21-0 deficit.

Three times in the second half, the Hokies had the ball while trailing by 11. All three times they came up empty.

"We thought we had a shot the entire time, I guess, until the very end," Thomas said. "We moved the ball all day, but we got inside their 40 and everything stopped."