It was like old times at Heinz Field on Saturday.
A week after Pitt won a big game, it lost.
A week after Pitt climbed to No. 17 in the Associated Press poll, it lost.
A week after Pitt heard talk about being a lock to win the ACC and maybe make it to the College Football Playoffs against overwhelming odds, it lost.
A week after Pitt generated at least a little buzz in town even if it didn’t show in terms of fannies in the yellow seats, it lost.
The story gets old, doesn’t it?
This 38-34 loss to Miami – a 9½-point underdog – in front of plenty of empty seats hurt more than most even though Pitt still is in relatively good shape to win the ACC Coastal Division and play in the conference championship game. The College Football Playoff for Pitt is gone. Kenny Pickett broke three of the school’s prominent, long-standing passing records with a mostly stunning performance, but the loss and a couple of interceptions severely damaged his Heisman Trophy hopes. It will take Pitt winning out and then probably a miracle for him to win it.
Pickett deserved better than to be abandoned by Pitt’s defense. Pat Narduzzi’s defense
Pickett deserved better than to be abandoned by his coaches. Narduzzi and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple.
The officials didn’t beat Pitt as much as some of its fans and Narduzzi will tell you. Narduzzi bit off a terse “next question” and an equally terse “no comment” when asked about the officiating, Pitt’s nine penalties for 107 yards and a non-call that went against Pitt on a potential late Miami safety. But Pitt didn’t deserve to win. It got exactly what it had coming.
The Pitt defense was awful, just as it was earlier in the season in the hideous 44-41 home loss to Western Michigan when it allowed 516 yards. It made Miami redshirt freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke, who was making just his fourth college start, look like Dan Marino or at least Vinny Testaverde. Van Dyke threw for 426 of Miami’s 490 total yards and had three touchdown passes among his 32 completions in 42 attempts. He even outdid Pickett, throwing just one interception to Pickett’s two.
Van Dyke’s numbers would have been even more impressive if wide-open wide receiver Charleston Rambo hadn’t dropped a long pass inside the Pitt 20 early in the fourth quarter. Miami, leading, 38-34, didn’t score on that possession.
At that point, I couldn’t help but wonder if Pitt would have beaten Clemson the week before if Clemson running back Will Shipley hadn’t dropped a pass that should have gone for a 62-yard touchdown. We’ll never know, although that play would have given Clemson a 14-0 lead.
Van Dyke turned out to be Narduzzi’s worst nightmare. Last week, Narduzzi called him “a young Kenny Pickett” and said Miami fell “into something” with Van Dyke taking over for injured starter D’Eriq King.
“He’s going to be a really good football player in this conference for the next three years,” Narduzzi said Saturday.
The Pitt defense was awful early, allowing Miami to run 10 plays on its first three drives, gain 205 yards and score three touchdowns as Miami built a 21-7 lead. You don’t see teams average 20.5 yards a play like that very often.
The defense also was bad late. After Pitt fought back to tie the game, 31-31, midway through the third quarter, it gave up an 8-play, 85-yard touchdown drive. Then, with Miami clinging to its 38-34 lead and seemingly ready to lose to a Pickett comeback, it allowed Van Dyke to complete an 18-yard pass to Rambo on a second-and-11 play from the Miami 1 and a 4-yard pass to tight end Will Mallory on a third-and-4 play from the Miami 25. Miami ran out the clock from there.
Pickett still might have won the game if Narduzzi and Whipple had given him a better chance. Trailing 38-31 early in the fourth quarter, the play call on third-and-goal from the Miami 5 was a trick play with tight end Lucas Krull throwing an incompletion. I hate to complain too much about play-calling when the Pitt offense put up 587 yards, but taking the ball out of its Heisman candidate’s hands? Really? Pitt had to settle for a field goal.
Pitt still will win the Coastal Division if it wins its final four games against Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Syracuse. It will be favored in each game. It still will have the great Pickett.
But with that Pitt defense?
Don’t take anything for granted.
Ron Cook: rcook@post-gazette.com and Twitter@RonCookPG. Ron Cook can be heard on the “Cook and Joe” show weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.
First Published: October 30, 2021, 9:39 p.m.
Updated: October 30, 2021, 11:19 p.m.
