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It wasn't the shootout that most people expected, but Pitt walked out of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday with an impressive win to add to their resume, defeating Navy 42-21. 

Early on, It looked like the shootout was on.  Pitt took their opening possession 74 yards for six, with LaRod Stephens-Howling scoring on a six yard run to give the Panthers an Early lead.  Navy answered right back though as slotback Shun White took the option pitch 40 yards to cap off a six play 63 yard drive and tie the score.

The score was an unfriendly reminder of last year's 48-45 overtime loss in which Pitt failed to stop Navy at all.  But a repeat of last year was not in the cards for this year's defense.

The Pitt defense was stifling, holding the Midshipmen to only 194 yards on the ground, 120 yards under their season average, and 250 overall.  The 21 points were the Middies fewest in two years.

Pitt immediately answered back with two more quick scores.  The first came after a quick Pitt drive, with LeSean McCoy punching it in from two yards out to finish off a five play 58 yard drive.  The second, set up by a Panther fumble recovery on the first play of the previous Navy drive, was a 17 yard drive capped off by Stephens-Howling's second touchdown, this one a nine yard scamper for six more.  21-7.

The Struggling Navy offense got some help from Pitt quarterback Bill Stull.  With Pitt driving deep inside Navy territory, Stull threw to his right, towards the goal line.  Cornerback Rashawn King stepped in front of the throw and picked it off, returning it 91 yards to the Pitt eight yard line.  On the next play, Navy quarterback Jarod Bryant, playing for an injured Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, took it into the endzone himself to pull Navy back into the game, 21-14.

Navy looked to gain momentum on defense with Pitt's next possession.  They forced two incompletions to start the drive, pinning the Panthers in third and ten.  But on third down, Stull found T.J. Porter cutting across the middle of the field and fired a strike to his receiver for a pickup of 24 and a first down. 

The play may have indeed been the key play of the game, springing Pitt to a touchdown, and 11 yard run by McCoy to give Pitt a 28-14 lead.  If the pass to Porter falls incomplete, Navy would get the ball back with a chance to tie the game.  From there, who knows, the game could have gone completely differently.

What actually ensued, was complete domination by the Panthers on both sides of the ball.

After another Navy three and out, LeSean McCoy needed only one play to find the endzone, scoring from 58 yards out, putting Pitt on top 35-14 just before halftime.

The domination continued in the second half for the Panthers.  Their defense stifled Navy in the third quarter, in which both teams were held scoreless.

Jonathan Baldwin, however, would open up the scoring again less than a minute into the fourth quarter, catching a 60 yard toss from Stull and taking it to the house to put Pitt up 42-14.

The Pitt starters, especially on offense got a break in the fourth quarter as several subs saw playing time.  One of the more notable subs to see time is sophomore quarterback Pat Bostick, who burned a year of eligibility by handing off to Shariff Harris a few times and taking a knee.  The move was a headscratcher and potentially a sign that Dave Wannstedt doesn't see the highly recruited Bostick as his quarterback of the future.

Navy managed to put one more score on the board with 20 seconds left, as backup quarterback Ricky Dobbs ran for 4 yards and a Navy touchdown to bring the game to its final 42-21 tally.

Here are the key questions that determined Saturday's outcome:

Will Pitt be forced to punt more than twice?

Dave Brytus punted only twice and Pitt's offense was thoroughly dominant despite McCoy being ill with a respiratory infection that limited him to just 18 carries.  However, McCoy racked up 156 yards and three touchdowns on those carries.

Which team will turn the ball over?

Pitt turned it over three times, Navy twice.  The one Pitt turnover proved costly, but tunovers were surprisingly not a factor.  It was a sloppier game turnover wise than was expected.
 

Can Pitt force Navy to punt at least two to three times?

They forced five punts with the defense dominating.

Will Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada play and will he be effective?

He did not see the field, and the offense was hurt because of this.

Can Pitt's defense limit Navy's big play potential?

After the first drive, Navy was held to short gains on most plays.

 This game was a statement game for Wannstedt and the Panthers, who have struggled with lofty expectations in the past.  They proved on Saturday that they could take care of a good, but much less talented opponent and do it in blowout fashion.  It was a great all around performance, with the addition of Defensive Coordinator Phil Bennett paying dividends in the form of an excellent defensive scheme. 

Navy meanwhile has to bounce back, and probably will.  The loss will probably heap a little criticism onto head coach Ken Niumatalolo, who was under fire after a 1-2 start but has rebounded since.  They are well on their way to another bowl game.

Up next for Pitt is Rutgers, who just defeated UConn on saturday.  It will be another barometer game for the Panthers as they try to separate themselves from the pack in the Big East.