Cameron Johnston got the first shot of the night in the battle for punter, hitting a 33-yard punt to the Panthers 13-yard line. After a 10-yard return, the Panthers took over at their own 23-yard line. A defensive offsides call on DeMarvin Leal gave the Panthers a first-and-five, and Trevor Etienne broke free down the left sideline for a 28-yard gain. Quarterback Jack Plummer hit Raheem Blackshear for a seven-yard gain, and Blackshear took it up the middle for a five-yard gain. The Panthers got a big break after Etienne was stopped for a three-yard loss by Jalen Ramsey, but Ramsey was hit with a 15-yard unnecessary roughness on the play.
The defense shut the door after that, forcing the Panthers to settle for a 45-yard Ryan Fitzgerald field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Rudolph searched for more on the Steelers next drive, hitting Max Hurleman for a four-yard gain. Warren took it up the middle for a three-yard gain, but on third down Rudolph had to throw it away while under pressure. Corliss Waitman took his turn in the punting duties, with his 35-yard punt going out of bounds at the Panthers 30-yard line.
The defense came out strong, with big plays by Payton Wilson, Derrick Harmon and Jack Sawyer to force a Panthers three-and-out.
Rudolph found Freiermuth for a one-yard gain in the flat, and Johnson followed with a seven-yard gain behind some strong blocking by Freiermuth and fellow tight end Darnell Washington. With Rudolph in the shotgun, he quickly got the ball in the hands of Johnson, who took it for eight yards and a first down to end the first quarter.
The second quarter didn't start with a flourish, though, when Rudolph's pass intended for Ke'Shawn Williams was intercepted by Ransom.
Linebacker Malik Harrison, who was signed as an unrestricted free agent from the Baltimore Ravens in the offseason, knocked Blackshear for a six-yard loss. The Panthers got it right back when Plummer connected with Blackshear for a six-yard gain. On the next play, Plummer escaped pressure for a 15-yard gain and first down. Plummer found Dominique Dafney for a 13-yard gain to the Steelers 11-yard line, and a five-yard penalty for too many men on the field gave the Panthers the ball at the six-yard line. Leal brought the pressure on Plummer, forcing an errant pass that James Pierre intercepted in the end zone to shut the door on the drive.
Skylar Thompson took over at quarterback with 10:04 to play in the half and came out firing. He completed a 16-yard pass to Williams and connected with Scotty Miller for a 13-yard gain. Thompson went right back to Miller for 16 yards and hit Johnson for a short three-yard gain.
On third-and-seven, Thompson let it sail, finding Lance McCutcheon in the end zone for a 24-yard touchdown and 7-3 lead, on an eight play, 80-yard drive that saw Thompson complete five-of-five pass attempts for 72 yards.
The Panthers came storming back, taking advantage of big plays. David Moore had a 19-yard run, while Blackshear rattled off a 17-yard run. Plummer scrambled for an 18-yard gain to the seven-yard line, and Leal was flagged for a four-yard facemask penalty to the three-yard line. The Panthers were called for a false start, but it didn't hurt them. Plummer hit a wide-open James Mitchell in the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown to take back the lead, 10-7.
It took no time for the Steelers to come right back. Thompson let it fly with a 55-yard completion to Miller to the Panthers 20-yard line. Rookie kicker Ben Sauls hit on a 38-yard field goal, to send the two teams into the locker room tied, 10-10.
A young defense came out swarming on the first drive of the second half. Rookie Jack Sawyer got things started when he knocked Emani Bailey for a two-yard loss. Fellow rookie Yahya Black sacked Bryce Perkins for an eight-yard loss, followed by a 12-yard strip sack, which Perkins recovered. Perkins wasn't ruled down, and Julius Welschof forced another fumble on the same play, which was recovered by Mark Robinson at the Panthers 40-yard line.
Thompson and company went right back to work. McCutcheon grabbed a 14-yard reception, and Trey Sermon had a nine-yard catch. The Steelers took advantage of the turnover, with Sauls nailing a 50-yard field goal to take a 13-10 lead with 5:07 to play in the third quarter.
After a defensive stop, the Steelers made another change at quarterback, bringing in Logan Woodside with 2:03 to play in the third quarter. Woodside completed a short pass to Lew Nichols, who took it for a 23-yard gain. Nichols came right back with a nine-yard gain off left guard, and they stayed with the hot hand, Nichols taking it for five yards and a first down. Penalties hampered the Steelers on the drive, and they were forced to settle for a field goal, with Sauls hitting his third of the night, a 49-yard to extend the lead to 16-10.
Penalties hampered the Steelers on the drive, and they were forced to settle for a field goal, with Sauls hitting his third of the night, a 49-yarder to extend the lead to 16-10.
After a defensive stop, the Steelers added to their lead courtesy of some big plays. Woodside connected with Williams for 15 yards, and Sermon took it for 30 yards. Sauls hit his fourth field goal of the night, a 28-yarder that extended the lead to 19-10.