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PITTSBURGH -- As a general rule, Pittsburgh kicker Chris Blewitt tries to steer clear of social media. He logs onto Facebook only occasionally, joking he likes something every couple of months so people know hes still alive. Twitter is pretty much out. Consider it an act of self-preservation to avoid the all-too-convenient puns that pop up whenever one of his kicks sails wide of the mark.Funny how all those puns vanished when Blewitt drilled a last-second 48-yard field goal that lifted the Panthers over then second-ranked Clemson 43-42 and sent shockwaves throughout the College Football Playoff picture.Its always fun to be able to shut people up, Blewitt said.Something Blewitt and the Panthers (6-4, 3-3 ACC) did with one frantic fourth-down fourth-quarter stop and one final sweep of Blewitts right leg in what by any stretch is the programs biggest victory in nearly a decade, Septembers thriller over Penn State included.Based on my phone blowing up, it was bigger than the Penn State win, coach Pat Narduzzi said.Now comes the hard part: backing it up. As cathartic as holding off the Nittany Lions felt in the renewal of a rivalry that was dormant for 15 years, the momentum didnt last. Pitt went on the road and dropped its next two games, narrow losses to Oklahoma State and North Carolina.Doing the same while wrapping up the regular season at home against Duke (4-6, 1-5) and Syracuse (4-6, 2-4) and all the joy will fade quickly. And the Panthers know it.At 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, nobody cares what you did last week, coach Pat Narduzzi said.True, though if theres one hallmark Narduzzi has tried to imprint on the Panthers during his two seasons on the job its this: be resilient. Its why he gave Blewitt a kiss (literally) after an early extra point attempt was blocked. Yes, really.Id say it definitely was a first, Blewitt said. I do appreciate the message, but the gesture caught me off guard.Narduzzi understood there would be a point later in the game when Pitt would need Blewitt to come through again and rather than have Blewitt spend 15 minutes on the bench beating himself up, Narduzzi opted to take a more optimistic approach. For all of Narduzzis sideline histrionics, he makes it a point to never publicly chastise his players. Thats what practice is for, not the games.I could tell he was down a little bit, Narduzzi said. He just had that look on his face. I told him, `Wipe that off. Theres not a player on offense, defense, that didnt make a (mistake).Blewitt atoned -- and then some -- by nailing the kick that served as the tipping point of a wild Saturday in which the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 teams in the College Football Playoff ranking lost. Seeing the replay, the one in which Blewitt raised his arms to signal good almost the instant the ball left his foot, was cool. Yet it was one step in the process.I wouldnt say, `I did it, Blewitt said. Id say our team definitely came through.It also allowed the Panthers to head home without the pressure of trying to become bowl eligible. Pitt, however, is quick to avoid the notion that it has finally arrived. Celebrating on the field in Death Valley was a sweet moment to be sure, but also a fleeting one if it doesnt turn into something more.Its great to knock off the No. 2 team in the country, Narduzzi said. If were capable of coming to Heinz Field and getting it done, its just as big. Other people might not think it but (we do). ... We still have got a long way to go.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Ilya Kovalchuk Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Wayne Gretzky Jersey . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. http://www.kingsauthentic.com/authentic-kurtis-macdermid-kings-jersey/ Marty Mcsorley Jersey . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Tyler Toffoli Kings Jersey . MORITZ, Switzerland -- Fog prevented downhill racers from getting their Olympic dress rehearsal. LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Kansas coach David Beaty is about as Texan as it gets, from his subtle drawl to his childhood days in Wylie, a decade spent coaching high schools and assistant stints at Rice and Texas A&M.Yet unlike his players from the Lone Star State, Beaty insists theres nothing special about facing the Longhorns.When youre playing those schools that maybe they went to camp at or maybe got recruited or didnt get recruited by, there is probably some emotion. Plus the affiliation with that state, Beaty said, but from my standpoint, its never really been like that. Im just a fan of football, period.Still, Beaty does have a unique understanding of the pressure for those involved with the Longhorns -- the pressure that has pushed their own coach, Charlie Strong, firmly onto the hot seat.Texas (5-5, 3-4 Big 12) can become bowl-eligible by beating the Jayhawks (1-9, 0-7) on Saturday, but even that might not be enough to save Strongs job. The decision is expected to be made after the season.To his credit, Strong has remained diplomatic about his future.Theres no excuses. The losses are mounting, he said, and there are games that we should win, and we had our opportunities there and we didnt win them. But we still have a football team still competing and still playing hard, and thats what you like to see happen.It has been a season of near-misses for both teams.Last week was no exception.The Jayhawks led Iowa State deep into the third quarter before falling, 31-24. Texas spent the entire fourth quarter chasing the go-ahead touchdown in a 24-20 loss to West Virginia .That leaves both teams even more desperate heading into Saturday. Here are some things to watch:BOWLS MATTERThe Longhorns are accustomed to playing in big games, but even a less-heralded bowl game would be a positive step for a program that went 5-7 and missed out on the postseason last year.I watched a few of them. I was just really too, kind of upset to even watch a lot of them, Texas safety P.J. Locke said of the bowl season. I just watched a few of them, maybe the national championship and mayybe a few others, and that was it, though.ddddddddddddNARROW DEFEATSThe loss to West Virginia was hardly the only close call for the Longhorns, who lost by a touchdown to California, six points to Oklahoma and a field goal to Kansas State. If those games go the other direction, perhaps Strongs job security looks a little different.Its definitely frustrating, Texas wide receiver Collin Johnson said, and at the same time its encouraging because we know we can compete with anybody. Weve just got to just pull it together. Were so close, and weve just got to keep working and building off of what weve been doing.AILING JAYHAWKSBeaty said linebacker Marcquis Roberts will not return this season because of a shoulder injury and defensive end Anthony Olobia is out with a season-ending Achilles injury. Both seniors would have been playing their final game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.AS FOR KINNERKansas running back Keaun Kinner was also hurt against Iowa State, taking a wicked shot that left him with a bruised rib. But the Jayhawks are hopeful he will be able to play.He looked good in practice, Beaty said, so I feel good about him. I think hes going to be OK. We really need him to be OK. He ran really well the other night.SENIOR DAYKinner should be among the seniors playing their final home game, along with safety Fish Smithson, offensive lineman DAndre Banks and others. Many were recruited to Kansas by Charlie Weis, went through interim Clint Bowen and wrapped up their careers with their third head coach.The big thing for these guys, and weve been talking about it from the beginning, is the foundation that were laying here, Beaty said, regardless whether we were a bowl team or a team that was still doing foundational work. Understanding that each individual day was going to be basically a step in the right direction for the future of our program.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. ' ' '