Pitt Falls To Western Michigan At Home

PITTSBURGH — There’s a montage Western Michigan football coach Tim Lester makes his team watch relentlessly. It includes a flash of the letter “R,” which stands for “respond.” That’s not to be confused with “react.” A reaction is emotional. A “response,” according to Lester, is calculated. It’s measured. It’s well-thought-out. One that reverberated all over Heinz Field on Saturday as the Broncos stunned Pittsburgh 44-41 for the program’s victory over a Power Five program during Lester’s five-year tenure. Time and again the Broncos (2-1) would sprint in front only to have the Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett throw a touchdown pass to shift momentum. And time and again Western Michigan quarterback Kaleb Eleby would snap the ball, make the right decision in Lester’s run/pass-option offense and lead a touchdown drive to go back in front. It’s the kind of response the Panthers (2-1) delivered a week ago in a stirring win on the road against Tennessee. While they stressed they would take all the steps to avoid a letdown, it happened anyway. Pitt fell behind by 13 early and while they drew even three times, the defense couldn’t get the stop necessary to give Pickett a chance to take control of the game for good.