Kenny Pickett, jersey dirty as ever, let out a guttural scream and pumped his fist in a moment of ecstasy. Diving headfirst on a third-down play designed only for him, the 23-year-old — Pitt’s fourth-year starting quarterback, two-time captain and now Heisman Trophy contender — all but secured the signature win he so desperately desired.
When crunch time came, Pickett risked his body like he has so many times before. But Saturday night, with 60,594 watching at Heinz Field, the occasion was greater. The opponent was Clemson, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s six-time defending champion. And Pickett’s reward? Well, let’s just say Pitt is positioned best to steal Clemson’s crown.
Pitt, propelled by the play of Pickett and an opportunistic defense, took down Clemson, 27-17, on the North Shore. The win moves Pat Narduzzi’s No. 23-ranked Panthers to 6-1 on the season and cements them as the ACC favorites moving forward.
“You have to go and get it, right? You can’t just say it’s been a long time coming and hope for it to happen. You’ve got to go do it,” Pickett said, when asked if he and his teammates were waiting for a night like Saturday. “I’m proud of every guy who went out there and mastered the game plan and executed at a high level.”
“That’s a good football team they beat today. Probably should have beat them by another 14, to be honest with you,” Narduzzi added. “... Just proud of our football team. Love those guys in there. They fight. Just fired up. Signature win for Pitt.”
A Pitt win was expected in the sense that it was the betting favorite on Saturday, something few would have believed before the season. Clemson entered the year ranked No. 3 in the preseason Associated Press poll after making six consecutive College Football Playoff appearances. Dabo Swinney’s Tigers have since tumbled to what is now a 4-3 start, making their ACC championship hopes bleak.
Pitt, though, looked like a team poised to carry the conference torch nationally — guided by a quarterback poised for a spot in New York City.
Pickett, whose Heisman and NFL stock has continued to rise by the week, exorcised the demons of past games against Clemson and proved on a national stage why he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He completed 25 of 39 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns while orchestrating five scoring series.
Pickett was in complete control, spreading the ball to 10 different receivers. Jordan Addison, especially, performed at a high level. The star sophomore had five catches for 84 yards, including a 23-yard score late in the second quarter that sent Pitt’s student section into a frenzy. Addison and later tailback Israel Abanikanda (12 touches, 76 yards) left the game to be evaluated for concussions, according to ESPN’s broadcast.
Fortunately for Pickett, they weren’t the only Panthers producing.
Taysir Mack hauled in a momentous 39-yard touchdown — a sharp call by Narduzzi to go for it on fourth-and-5, giving Pitt a 14-7 lead with less than a minute until halftime. SirVocea Dennis secured a 50-yard pick-six on a shovel pass, prompting Clemson to bench preseason Heisman candidate D.J. Uiagalelei. As the Tigers experienced growing pains with backup Taisun Phommachanh, Pitt’s Sam Scarton tacked on two field goals, extending the Panthers’ lead to 27-10 with nine minutes left in regulation.
Uiagalelei re-entered and engineered a 72-yard touchdown drive with 7:56 to go on the clock, aided by two of Pitt’s nine penalties. But holding a 10-point lead, Pickett ensured the Tigers — who thwarted his ACC title hopes in 2018 and punished him last season in a 52-17 drubbing — wouldn’t win three in a row. They wouldn’t even get the ball back.
Facing a third-and-7 at Pitt’s 28, Pickett scrambled for an 8-yard gain, diving to the first-down marker on a play that embodied the spirit with which he plays. Moments later, Pickett stared down a third-and-6. He converted, running up the gut of Brent Venables’ defense and leaping for a 7-yard gain.
“We lean on Kenny,” Narduzzi said. “We’re going to put the ball in his hands. We ride with Kenny.”
As the seconds ticked off the clock, reality set in. Hard running by freshman Rodney Hammond (11 carries, 66 yards) and an unsportsmanlike foul out of frustration by Clemson picked up Pitt’s 26th and final first down, allowing the Panthers to line up in the victory formation. On Pickett’s third kneel down, his teammates stormed the field and ran over to the student section and band in a craze.
Meanwhile, Pickett was interviewed by ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath. When asked about the game’s magnitude, he smiled.
“It won’t mean anything if we don’t handle business these next couple of weeks,” Pickett said. “But we’re really going to enjoy this one. I’m gonna go have a cold one, and we’re gonna get ready for Miami.”
Record-setter
On Pickett’s 23-yard touchdown to Addison, the veteran not only knotted the score at 7-7, but he also made a little history. It was Pickett’s 14th completion of the day and the 868 of his career — passing Alex Van Pelt for most all-time by a Pitt player.
It was understood that Pickett would be in-line to set Pitt records as a super senior. But the next and biggest one — Van Pelt’s passing yards mark — is closer to being broken than anyone probably thought it would be in October.
Pickett left Heinz Field on Saturday only 1,048 yards away from taking over the top spot.
Up next
Next week’s opponent shouldn’t be as daunting as the Tigers.
Miami entered this week on shaky ground. The Hurricanes have already lost to Virginia and North Carolina in Coastal play. They’re also forced to start third-string freshman Tyler Van Dyke after star senior D’Eriq King sustained a season-ending shoulder injury.
Miami and Pitt kick off at noon next Saturday at Heinz Field. The game, televised on the ACC Network, will be yet another opportunity for Narduzzi’s Panthers to distance themselves in the divisional standings and take one more step toward the ACC title game on Dec. 4 in Charlotte.
Johnny McGonigal: jmcgonigal@post-gazette.com and Twitter @jmcgonigal9
First Published: October 23, 2021, 10:56 p.m.
Updated: October 24, 2021, 1:36 a.m.
