In a back-and-forth affair that included six overtime possessions, multiple field stormings and was the longest bowl game in the history of college football, crucial Pitt mistakes and decisions shined bright as the Panthers dropped their sixth straight game in a 48-46 overtime loss to Toledo that put an exclamation point on their late-season collapse.

This loss, which took place in the GameAbove Sports Bowl here at Ford Field, couldn't be summed up by one general mistake, but by several at the end of the game. Some of them could've delivered the Panthers that elusive eighth victory of their 2024 campaign, while others could've put them in position to do so.

There was a dropped pass by Jake Overman on second-and-11 with 35 seconds remaining that would've put the Panthers in range for a Ben Sauls game-winning field goal attempt. Then, there were the two pick-6s -- one each from David Lynch and Julian Dugger -- that played a huge role as they made up 14 of the Rockets' 48 points. 

One of the biggest was a pass from tight end Gavin Bartholomew to defensive tackle Isaiah Neal in the second overtime that was dropped in the end zone. It would've been the game winner after the defense had held Toledo to a field goal. But, as Pat Narduzzi would say: "It's a game of inches."

Some may have questioned the play call by Kade Bell, especially when Dugger had success on the ground throughout the game and had already scored from two yards out earlier in the game. Along with a wildcat run by Bartholomew being stopped on the proceeding play. But Narduzzi said he didn't regret the play call.

"We're an inch away from scoring that touchdown and the games over, right," Narduzzi questioned in his post-game press conference. "So I have no regrets on the call that was made, we just have to make a play, some how, some way."

The only thing he said he questioned from that specific play was Bartholomew not choosing to run the ball into the end zone.

"I think he could've taken it in and the game's over," Narduzzi said. "So we had our opportunities, but I don't question the call at all, I thought it was a great call. They had the box packed, again I'll have to go back and look at it, but I thought it was the game winner right there." 

But, it was more than just that one play. There were several other instances where the Panthers were within inches and the Rockets took advantage, consistently, both in overtime and throughout regulation.

Toledo found the end zone in five of the six overtime possessions and several of those scores came on wide-open receptions as Pitt defenders were nowhere near Jerjuan Newton or Junior Vandeross III for their extra-session scores.

"We threw two pick-6s, that's 14 of their points ... we gotta protect the ball but I thought our kids played a heck of a game with what we were dealing with," Narduzzi said. "We had the chance to win the game several times in overtime, we needed a stop on defense, made some plays on offense but there was all kind of different stuff."

Before overtime even rolled around, the Rockets started to chip away at the Pitt defense. Toledo had started the game with a touchdown that was aided by two 31-yard gains and found the end zone again on a wide receiver screen that went 67 yards after Javon McIntyre ran into Ryland Gandy, who was being blocked at the line of scrimmage. But the defense buckled down, until Toledo's final offensive drive in regulation.

The Panthers allowed the Rockets to drive down the field and execute plays of 14 and 27 yards that put them in position for a 51-yard field goal attempt. Dylan Cunanan had missed three field goals of 26, 29 and 45 yards against Akron in Toledo's regular-season finale. His first field goal on this night, set a new career long and pushed the game into overtime.

If that doesn't put Pitt's six-game losing streak to end the season into perspective, I'm not sure what does. It's a "game of inches" and these Panthers always found a way to fall short at the end of this season.