PITTSBURGH — Connecticut tried a bit of strategical subterfuge before facing Pittsburgh, parading injured quarterback Matt Bonislawski in sweat gear before the game only to rush him into a uniform and start him.

Not that it mattered in the Huskies' first shutout loss since 2000. They would have been better off masquerading their special teams and trotting out units capable of scoring points, not giving them away.

Josh Lay scored on a 71-yard return of a field goal attempt blocked by his former high school teammate, and Pittsburgh turned a mishmash of Connecticut mistakes on offense and special teams into a 24-0 victory Saturday in the Panthers' final home game.

Tyler Palko threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Steve Buches on Pitt's first and only sustained drive, and scored on a 1-yard run to help the Panthers (5-5, 4-2 Big East) win their fifth in a row at home — their only victories in a disappointing season.

"We'd like to start the season over, but we can't," Palko said. "But we still have stuff to play for."

UConn (4-5, 1-4) unexpectedly welcomed back Bonislawski after a three-game layoff because of a separated right shoulder, but still lost its fourth in a row and was shut out for the first time since moving into the Big East last season.

Bonislawski was 18-of-35 for 156 yards and three interceptions as the Huskies outgained Pitt 299-192 but couldn't score. He warmed up in private hours before the game, but didn't take part in the normal pregame drills.

"I found out on Monday — the doctors told me I could play," said Bonislawski, who once was expected to miss the rest of the season. "Once I got onto the field, I felt fine."

But here's what kind of day it was for the Huskies: They were shut out on a day Matt Nuzie kicked a 20-yard field goal late in the first half. Pitt's Darrell Strong was called for leaping onto a teammate's back to aid his attempt to block the kick, and UConn chose to go for it from the 1 on the final play of the half.

Cornell Brockington was stacked up near the goal line by Pitt's Rashad Duncan and H.B. Blades and, while replays appeared to show him scoring, the half ended with UConn having the ball inches from the goal line.

"I felt we could move a yard for a touchdown," coach Randy Edsall said. "If I had that decision to make 100 times, I'd still do the same thing."

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said, "Never second-guess another coach's decision."

At least Nuzie got off that wiped-out field goal — his previous attempt, a 26-yarder, was blocked by Darrelle Revis and returned by Lay, who played at the same Pittsburgh prep powerhouse, Aliquippa High, Revis did.

"That pretty much turned it around," Edsall said of a block he blamed on faulty coverage.

Pitt's first blocked field goal touchdown since 1994 made it 14-0 midway through the second quarter and was important considering the offense's struggles. The Panthers managed only 43 yards passing in the first half and 116 overall as Palko was 12-of-21. Also, no Pitt running back gained more than 26 yards as the Panthers were held to 76 yards on 34 carries.

The Panthers' only other touchdown, except for the Palko-to-Buches throw that ended a 64-drive on their first possession, also came off a UConn breakdown. Adam Gunn broke through UConn's punt coverage unit to deflect walk-on Chris Pavasaris' 16-yard punt to the Huskies' 28. Palko scored three plays later after finding Erik Gill for 22 yards to the 2 on second-and-6.

Pavasaris punted after starter Shane Hussar was benched following last week's 45-13 loss to West Virginia.

Josh Cummings also kicked a 42-yard field goal late in the game as Pitt finished up its home schedule with five consecutive Heinz Field victories following a 42-21 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 3, when the Irish were unranked and the Panthers were No. 23.

Otherwise, it's been a big letdown of a season for Wannstedt, whose team must upset No. 16 West Virginia in Morgantown on Thanksgiving to avoid its first losing season since 1999. The Panthers also must win to play in a sixth consecutive bowl game.

"Hopefully, this game was the start of a very long winning streak at the University of Pittsburgh," linebacker H.B. Blades said. "We needed this game to make the West Virginia game mean that much more."

UConn, which won the Motor City Bowl last season, must beat South Florida and No. 23 Louisville for any chance to go to another bowl.

The Huskies' previous shutout loss was 56 games ago, 29-0 to Ball State in 2000.