Pittsburgh's offense controlled the game from start to finish, methodically moving the ball and converting third downs at a high rate (8-17) while dominating time of possession 36:30 to 23:30. The Panthers struck first with Alex Kessman's 46-yard field goal in the first quarter, then Kenny Pickett orchestrated a balanced attack that included a 6-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Qadree Ollison early in the third quarter to build a commanding lead. Miami's offense struggled to generate consistent momentum, managing only 232 total yards, and despite a late touchdown pass from Malik Rosier to Braxton Berrios with 2:16 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Hurricanes could not overcome Pittsburgh's early deficit creation and superior execution to steal the belt.
Written by Claude from the box score and play-by-play on this page — a plain-English recap of the numbers below, not a substitute for them.