While quarterback Kedon Slovis continued to struggle to find comfort within the Pitt offense, his teammates on defense had his back for most of the game Saturday night.

Just not long enough.

The result was a 24-10 Louisville victory against the Panthers, who never found a smooth rhythm on offense and scored their fewest points in a game since a 45-3 loss to Notre Dame in 2020.

Louisville forced four Pitt turnovers — two interceptions and two lost fumbles — but punted on six of its first nine possessions and didn’t reach the red zone until the fourth quarter. When the Cardinals finally crossed the Pitt 20-yard line, they were trailing, 10-7.

The decisive score followed two snaps later on a 9-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Malik Cunningham to tight end Josh Lifson with 9 minutes, 45 seconds left in the game.

The score was set up on a well-blocked throwback screen pass to Cunningham from wide receiver Braden Smith that went for 33 yards to the Pitt 11. Several Pitt players ran one way while Smith’s pass went in the other direction.

After that, Louisville (4-3, 2-3 ACC) kicked a field goal — 48 yards by James Turner — and returned a Slovis fumble 59 yards for a touchdown.

The Cardinals’ victory, perhaps, ruined Pitt’s hopes of a repeat appearance in the ACC Championship game. The Panthers fell to 4-3 overall, 1-2 in the ACC. Pitt is one of four ACC Coastal teams with two conference losses while North Carolina (6-1, 3-0) leads the division.

The loss was Pitt’s first on an opponent’s field after seven consecutive victories dating to the last game of 2020. The Panthers visit No. 22 North Carolina next Saturday night.

After Cunningham’s second touchdown pass, Pitt was only down, 14-10, and the Panthers crossed midfield on Izzy Abanikanda’s 36-yard run. But the drive stalled at the Louisville 35-yard line when Slovis misfired on a fourth-and-6 pass to Konata Mumpfield.

Slovis ended up completing 16 of 29 passes for 158 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions, both picked off at the Louisville 2. In fact, three of Pitt four turnovers occurred in the red zone, robbing the Panthers of the chance to, at least, kick a field goal.

Louisville claimed a 4/1 edge in turnovers, and coach Scott Satterfield said, “That was obviously the difference in the game.”

“We have to protect the ball better,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “You’re not going to win many ball games being minus-3 again.”

Pitt also had three more turnovers than Georgia Tech in a loss Oct. 1 at Acrisure Stadium.

Slovis was sacked twice and lost a fumble in the fourth quarter that Louisville’s Kei-Trel Clark returned for a touchdown that set the final score at 24-10.

Pitt’s offense was largely restricted to Abanikanda’s 28 rushing attempts for 129 yards and a touchdown. He also was Pitt’s leading pass catcher with three for 50 yards while four wide receivers managed only six receptions for 55 yards.

Narduzzi said he never considered changing quarterbacks.

“It takes 11 guys. When you win, Kedon does a great job and when you lose everyone wants to point fingers at the quarterback. We don’t point fingers in our locker room. You guys (media) can point fingers all you want. He needs some help.”

In a game defined by defense for most of the night, Pitt broke a 7-7 tie with 1 minute, 47 seconds left in the third quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Ben Sauls. The score was set up when cornerback A.J. Woods intercepted a pass at the Pitt 26 and returned it to the Cardinals’ 47.

Somehow, Pitt was able to go to the locker room at halftime in a 7-7 tie after turning the ball over three times — two interceptions by Slovis and a lost fumble by running back Rodney Hammond Jr.

Slovis’ first interception, picked off by Yasir Abdullah at the Louisville 2, ended Pitt’s initial possession.

But the next time Pitt got the ball, Abanikanda took over, gaining 37 yards on a catch-and-run and scoring from the 12 in wildcat formation to give Pitt a 7-0 lead.

Louisville responded immediately with Cunningham’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Marshon Ford. It was an easy score after Ford’s route forced Pitt safety Erick Hallett II to look and step outside while Ford ran into the middle of the field, wide open.

Satterfield said that play and the throwback screen to Cunningham worked because of Pitt’s “over-aggressiveness.”

Pitt tried to shift the momentum by inserting Hammond into the game and letting him run the wildcat. It worked for four consecutive plays and 42 yards — Hammond gained 29 on one carry — but he lost a fumble on the fifth snap, and Louisville’s MoMo Sanogo recovered on the 18.

The series was Hammond’s first action after missing five games with a foot injury. While speaking to reporters Thursday, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Hammond was not “100%” healthy.

Pitt’s defense got the ball back for its offense, but Slovis threw another interception, this one also nabbed at the Louisville 2 by M.J. Griffin with 1:05 left in the first half.

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