PITTSBURGH -- Another fourth-quarter lead gone and another what if loss looming, Pittsburgh responded with a little bit of savvy, luck and a dash of redemption for its beleaguered defense thrown in for good measure to surge past struggling Georgia Tech.First, Scott Orndoff kept his head while hauling in a tipped pass from Nate Peterman the tight end turned into a game-tying 74-yard touchdown with 3:50 to play. Then nose tackle Tyrique Jarrett stuffed Yellow Jackets running back Dedrick Mills on fourth down to give Pitt the ball back with 1:47 left to set up Chris Blewitts bank shot 31-yard field goal as time expired.Just another heart-stopping Saturday for the Panthers.I think its just about believing and never getting down on yourself or on your team, Orndoff said. Just hanging in there.Something Pitt (4-2, 1-1 ACC) is getting used to under coach Pat Narduzzi. The outcome has hung in the balance in the final 2 minutes each of the last five weeks, including a last-second loss to North Carolina two weeks ago in which the Tar Heels converted four fourth-downs on the deciding drive.Thats what made Jarrett and linebacker Matt Galambos stop so satisfying. The clock dwindling, Georgia Tech went for it on fourth-and-1 at its own 34 rather than kick it. Galombos -- who Narduzzi describes as the defenses computer -- sensed a dive play was coming and changed the call right before the snap, leading Jarrett to stand up Mills short of the first down.I happened to guess right, Jarrett said. It was perfect.Pitt drove to the Georgia Tech 12 to set up Blewitts winner, which smacked off the right upright and through as time expired. Its the second straight season Pitt topped the Yellow Jackets on a late kick by Blewitt, whose 52 career field goals are a school record.Called corner pocket, Blewitt joked.Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson defended the decision to go for it rather than kick it and give Pitts offense -- which punted just once all day -- another shot. Instead the Yellow Jackets (3-3) dropped their third straight overall and their sixth straight true road game dating back to 2014.If I to do over again at the end of the game, I probably still would have gone for it but I would have called a different play, Johnson said. I felt the way the game was going, I felt like we could make a half-yard and we didnt so thats on me. Thats my responsibility and Ill take the blame for it.BIG MAN, BIG PLAYPeterman finished 14 of 20 for 192 yards and the long score to Orndoff. The Panthers spread the ball around while running for 215 yards, including a 24-yard run by 300-pound Pitt lineman Brian ONeill on a designed throwback lateral.Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Canada installed the play this week specifically for ONeill, a former tight end. He caught the ball and was surrounded by teammates while being escorted to the end zone.(Canada) told me dont do anything stupid when you score a touchdown because youre going to score a touchdown, ONeill said.THROWBACK FRENZYThe Panthers wore vintage blue-and-gold jerseys in a nod to the programs glory days of the 1970s and had Johnny Majors, the coach when Pitt won the 1976 national title, serve as honorary captain. As sharp as Pitt looked, however, Narduzzi made sure style didnt trump substance.(Narduzzi) told us those yellow helmets arent going to make a tackle for you, defensive end Shakir Soto said.TAKEAWAYGeorgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets were much improved following losses at home to Clemson and Miami but the defense struggled all day and yielded at the end. Johnson, however, remains upbeat even though his teams margin for error in the Coastal Division is gone.I think you can see every team in our division is probably really close, Johnson said. Just like North Carolina beat them on the last play, they beat us on the last play.Pitt: The Panthers are finding plenty of depth around star running back James Conner, who was held to 60 yards and failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 14 games. Eight different Panthers were credited with at least one carry.UP NEXTGeorgia Tech: take a break from ACC play when they host Georgia Southern. 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MIAMI -- Clayton Kershaw spent the bulk of the evening in the dugout, wearing a blue Dodgers jacket, chatting with teammates and chomping down on a wad of pink bubble gum.He didnt win his comeback game.Still, the NL West leaders were happy just to have their ace back.Sidelined since June 26 with a mild disk herniation, Kershaw started and pitched three innings in the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-1 loss to the Miami Marlins on Friday night.You try to look at the positives, I guess, said Kershaw, who reported no physical problems afterward. I got to pitch again. Thats always fun.Kershaw was more than outdueled by Marlins ace Jose Fernandez (14-8), who tossed seven shutout innings and tied a career high by striking out 14.Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was thrilled afterward.For Clayton to be back on the mound, I think thats a win for us, Roberts said. Fernandez was good, but the No. 1 thing was Clayton got out of this feeling pretty well. We didnt expect him to be in midseason form anyway.Kershaw (11-3) threw 66 pitches, 46 for strikes. He gave up two runs and five hits, struck out five and walked none, his ERA rising just a bit from 1.79 to 1.89. He allowed a home run to J.T. Realmuto in the first, and an RBI single to Chris Johnson -- off the glove of leaping second baseman Chase Utley -- in the second.We did a pretty good job of making him pitch, said Marlins manager Don Mattingly, the former Dodgers skipper.Kershaw wasnt overjoyed with the outing, the three-time Cy Young Award winner and 2014 NL MVP shrugging off notions that it was essentially a rehab or spring start to get his arm ready for the stretch run.Its not spring training for anybody else so its not for me, either, he said. Weve got to beat the Giants. Weve got to win this division. Im thankful for what the guys did while I was gone. They played unbelievable. Theyre still playing unbelievable. I want to be a part of that.Miami improved to 5-0 against the Dodgers this season.Yasmani Grandal hit his 25th homer in the ninth for the Dodgers, who tried to rally against Fernando Rodney before A.J. Ramos came in and closed it out for his 33rd save.ddddddddddddFernandez was simply dominant, improving to 4-0 all-time against the Dodgers and 28-2 at Marlins Park. There have been 12 games in the majors this season when a pitcher has struck out 14 or more, and no one else has more than one of them.His 102nd and last pitch -- one that fanned Yasiel Puig for No. 14 -- hit 98 mph.It seems like thats all I do lately. I cant pass 14, Fernandez said.Kershaw gave up some hard-hit balls, but the most important element of the outing for the Dodgers lefty was this: When tested physically, he passed.Fernandez lined a low offering right back up the middle in the second inning, sending Kershaw spinning 180 degrees and leaving him looking at second base with his left leg outstretched like a hockey goalie making a pad save. And in the third, Kershaw pounced off the mound to field Yelichs nubber, then spun to make the throw to first and fell back somewhat awkwardly.Neither instance seemed to bother him.We all held our breath a little bit, Roberts said.THE DONMattingly is the third skipper in the last half-century to start 5-0 against the Dodgers -- the team he managed from 2011-15. He joined Jack McKeon (with the Padres in 1988) and Sparky Anderson (with the Reds in 1970).CELEBRATING PERFECTIONIt was the 51st anniversary of the only Dodgers perfect game, Sandy Koufaxs 1-0 gem against the Chicago Cubs. Dennis Martinez -- who pitched a perfect game for Montreal at Dodger Stadium in 1991 -- threw out one of Fridays ceremonial first pitches.TRAINERS ROOMDodgers: OF Andre Ethier (broken right leg) could make his season debut this weekend. ... Kershaw will start at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, back in his regular spot in the rotation.Marlins: OF Giancarlo Stanton, limited to pinch-hitting duty, struck out with the bases loaded to end the fifth.UP NEXTThe series continues Saturday with LHP Rich Hill (11-3, 1.94 ERA; 8-0 in his last 10 starts) going for the Dodgers against RHP Tom Koehler (9-10, 3.87). ' ' '
