Pitt beats Virginia Tech 35-33 after Hokies' game-winning field goal appears to go over an upright

Pitt hung on for a 35-33 win over Virginia Tech on Friday night after John Love missed a game-winning 36-yard field goal as time expired. Or did he? Love's kick certainly looked like it snuck inside the left upright from ESPN's live broadcast feed. But the official directly underneath the upright ruled that it didn't go through, much to Love's chagrin. IT'S NO GOOD 😱 Pitt defeats Virginia Tech in Blacksburg 😯 pic.twitter.com/RsRV6QJkQL — ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 3, 2026 The circumstances of the kick have become commonplace in college football. As kickers have become better and better, there are more and more instances of the ball going through — or appearing to go through — the uprights at a height higher than the goal posts. And that's where the judgment of the officials on the ground comes into play. Per the NCAA's rules, the entire football must be in between the inside of the uprights when it passes between the posts. If a ball travels over the upright — as it might have done in this case — it's no good. Consider it like a kick that bounces off an upright and not over the crossbar. Furthermore, it's a play that isn't reviewed. The only extra point and field goal attempts that can be reviewed are kicks that are lower than the height of the uprights. You can review a kick that went inside or outside the posts if it's three feet below the top of the uprights. You can't review a kick that went three inches above the uprights. It was an odd ending to what turned out to be an odd game. Virginia Tech turned the ball over four times in the loss and Pitt lost quarterback Mason Heintschel to what looks to be a serious right knee injury. Heintschel was injured when he got hit while sliding on a scramble and immediately grabbed his knee. He was unable to put any pressure on that leg after the play, and returned to the sideline in street clothes. Pitt scored 21 straight points to take a 35-24 lead in the fourth quarter, but an interception by Virginia Tech QB Ethan Grunkemeyer near the Pitt end zone quickly turned into a safety and then the Hokies cut the lead to three on their next drive. Pitt is now 5-0 and should be ranked in the AP Top 25 when the new poll is released on Sunday even if Heintschel is out for an extended period of time. He was replaced by Holden Geriner, who was 8-of-12 passing for 78 yards and a TD, and three different Pitt players rushed for a touchdown in the win.