ATLANTA — As Pitt cheerleaders did backflips in the Bobby Dodd Stadium south end zone, Georgia Tech students hit the exits 100 yards away. Yellow Jackets coach Geoff Collins stayed composed in the third quarter, refusing to lose his relentless shell of optimism. But Kenny Pickett had just put it on Georgia Tech for a fourth time.
After yet another Pickett touchdown pass, Pitt’s traveling fans could breathe easy. The Panthers’ ACC opener was a blowout. Nothing would change the record-setting beatdown Pitt put on its ACC Coastal division counterparts.
Pickett’s Panthers went up and down the field in a 52-21 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday. The resounding result marked the fifth consecutive 40-point game for Pitt, the first time that has been done in program history. The win brought the Panthers to 4-1 on the season, confirming their status as a contender in an erratic ACC.
“You go on the road and get an ACC win and do it in that fashion, I’m just proud of our kids,” head coach Pat Narduzzi said. “A couple weeks ago we had a wake-up call (in a loss to Western Michigan), and our captains continue to do a great job leading this football team. ... And the offense is just hard to stop right now.”
“It’s about experience and playing together and having confidence and trusting one another,” Pickett added, with the Panthers coming off a 77-point showing against New Hampshire. “It’s nice to continue that into ACC play.”
Pickett’s performance was eye-opening. The veteran had already ripped through four inferior defenses in the non-conference slate. But Saturday was supposed to be his toughest test against a unit that harassed North Carolina’s Sam Howell to the tune of eight sacks and three turnovers. What happened, instead, was Pickett picking Georgia Tech apart.
Pickett completed 23 of 36 passes for 389 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions. He set a Pitt record for most touchdowns in a three-game consecutive span with 15. In doing so, he surpassed Dan Marino, who had 13 in a three-game span in 1981 — the last time the program had fewer than three losses in a season.
If Pitt’s offense continues to click the way it is, the Panthers have a chance in a wide-open Coastal to end that long-suffering drought.
Jordan Addison was electric yet again, tallying six catches for 117 yards and a touchdown. He now has 524 yards and nine touchdowns in five games. Taysir Mack recorded 121 receiving yards and a score. Tight end Lucas Krull and fullback Daniel Carter also hauled in touchdowns. Pitt’s offensive line allowed only one sack. The ground game even worked in moderation with Israel Abanikanda scoring twice.
But the offense again flowed through No. 8, whose five-game total of 1,731 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, one interception and 72% completion rate positions him for an ACC player of the year push — and if you ask Narduzzi, maybe more.
“He’s made himself a lot of money coming back,” Narduzzi said of Pickett’s decision not to enter the 2021 NFL draft. “He should be a Heisman candidate. I don’t know if they’re talking about it out there or not. But that’s just what he is right now. ... He’s put the work in, and he deserves what he’s getting right now.”
Defensive ups and downs
The 2021 Pitt defense experience was encapsulated in the opening two quarters.
The Panthers had two interceptions, two tackles for loss and a sack in the first quarter. They also had a coverage bust on a 44-yard score that juiced Georgia Tech’s bench. In the second, Pitt allowed a way-too-easy 66-yard touchdown drive ... and also had two fourth-down stands to hold the Yellow Jackets to only 14 first-half points.
For better or worse, this is what the Pitt defense will be this season. The Panthers are schematically vulnerable to run-pass-option offenses (see: Western Michigan). But they’re also capable of generating game-altering plays, as everyone in Atlanta saw.
Up next
The Panthers enter their lone off week on a high. But beyond the bye is a challenging stretch that will determine what kind of team Narduzzi has.
The Panthers host Clemson and Miami in back-to-back weeks on Oct. 23 and Oct. 30, respectively. But before they do, the Panthers travel to face Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium, where they lost 28-0 in 2019.
“It’s never easy down there. We know that. We’ve had our struggles down there,” Narduzzi said. “So it’s time to take it on the road again.”
“I think this is something we can continue to build off of,” Pickett added. “We have a lot of tape to watch now. We have a chance to get on Virginia Tech early and see what we can do versus them. ... It’s going to be a big two weeks of preparation.”
Johnny McGonigal: jmcgonigal@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jmcgonigal9
First Published: October 2, 2021, 7:33 p.m.
Updated: October 2, 2021, 9:19 p.m.