EL PASO, Texas — A dramatic, final-minute comeback lifted the Panthers to a 37-35 win against No. 18 UCLA in the 89th Sun Bowl on Friday. The victory was Pitt’s fifth straight, resulting in Pat Narduzzi’s team ending what once looked to be a lost season at 9-4.
With the year now complete, let’s take a final look at the highs and lows of this past fall. Here are five takeaways from Pitt’s 2022 football season:
1. Did they start the wrong guy under center?
Nick Patti’s performance in the Sun Bowl wasn’t perfect. The redshirt senior made a few mistakes, one of them being a 48-yard pick-six midway through the third quarter.
His final stat line of 20 completions on 41 attempts for 231 yards, a touchdown and an interception doesn’t jump off the sheet, even when his additional 81 yards rushing on 10 carries is factored in.
However, the poise and maturity he showed on Pitt’s game-winning drive was impossible to ignore. With just 34 seconds remaining and his team down two points, Patti rallied his offense 64 yards down the field in just four plays to set up Ben Sauls’ game-winning field goal from 47 yards out.
Despite having no timeouts and half the field to travel, Patti didn’t look overwhelmed. He made the correct reads, executed the big throws and used his legs to finish the job — three things that Pitt’s starter in 2022, Kedon Slovis, struggled to do throughout the entire fall.
Pat Narduzzi was asked following Pitt’s win if there were any regrets. The Pitt head coach, however, declined to play the “what-if” game.
“We’re not going to look back, we’re going to look forward,” Narduzzi said. “Who knows [what would’ve happened.]”
Patti and Slovis battled for the starting spot in camp. Slovis won the job and perhaps rightfully so. But what Patti showed Friday afternoon against UCLA was exactly what Pitt was missing in its losses against Georgia Tech, Louisville and North Carolina.
The Panthers didn’t need a superstar at quarterback this fall. All they needed was a composed leader who could handle big moments. They received that at times from Slovis, but not always.
Patti was called upon twice in 2022 — the first was against Tennessee, when despite suffering an injury that would keep him out for the following four games, he was able to inspire Pitt enough to reach overtime. The second was Friday’s Sun Bowl win.
The redshirt senior was never the flashy option, but considering what Pitt had to offer in other areas of its roster, he might’ve been the correct choice from the start.
2. Ben Sauls went from liability to reliable weapon
Speaking of that Tennessee loss, one of the biggest factors that prevented the Panthers from a 2-0 start was a shaky effort from their kicker.
Down by just a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Sauls missed a pair of field goal attempts that would end up playing a critical role in the Panthers’ loss. The first miss came from 46 yards and the second from 36, which was set up by a P.J. O’Brien blocked punt.
“(We) probably don't go into overtime if we can make one of them, as you guys know,” Narduzzi said during his opening remarks after that game. “Tough. One was a 46-yarder. It's a long one. He came back and made one critical one in the fourth quarter.”
The following week against Western Michigan, Sauls did little to inspire any confidence from his coach or teammates, missing a kick inside 30 yards.
After that, he was nearly perfect.
From Week 4 until the end of the Panthers 2022 campaign, Sauls established himself as a reliable weapon. The redshirt sophomore missed just one of his final 16 field goal attempts, capping the year off with a 5-for-5 effort that included a game-winner in the Sun Bowl.
“He’s been outstanding all year,” Narduzzi said. “Through camp he was the guy, really all the way through spring ball. You talk about adversity; this is somebody who got beat out a year ago by a walk-on. We’re always going to play the best players. He came back and took the job over. He not only took over, but he was the MVP specialist today. Outstanding job by him.”
Sauls spoke after the victory about his journey of a year and how an emphasis on mental toughness allowed him to figure things out.
“I think a lot of it has to do with maturity,” Sauls said. “Kicking is a mental game; it’s about you and yourself out there. You are what you tell yourself. At the end of the day, I think I’m a decent kicker.”
3. Depth was the true difference maker
There’s no denying this year’s Panthers team had star power. On offense, Pitt was led by All-American running back Israel Abanikanda, who ended the regular season with more rushing touchdowns (20) than any other player in the country. Jared Wayne also had a huge year through the air, accumulating just the 13th 1,000-yard receiving season in program history.
On defense, Pitt was headlined by All-Americans Calijah Kancey and Erick Hallett II. SirVocea Dennis, Deslin Alexandre, Brandon Hill, M.J. Devonshire and Marquis Williams also earned All-ACC recognition.
However, Pitt’s nine-win season was truly fueled by “the other guys.” In each victory, a player who didn’t take home hardware, or even start regularly, made a game-defining effort. From Nate Yarnell’s clutch spot-start against Western Michigan. to Dayon Hayes’ three sacks against Miami, to Rodney Hammond’s big days against West Virginia, Syracuse and UCLA, the role players for Pitt made an impact.
Next year, those role players will need to step up even more. For the past two seasons, the extra year awarded to college athletes due to COVID-19 has helped Pitt maintain a similar starting cast. With the bulk of that group now gone, it’s the next wave’s turn.
“Our youth plays with confidence,” Narduzzi said. “They go out there and get it done.”
4. A successful year?
Pitt started the year ranked as the No. 17 team in the country. It will likely end the season ranked somewhere in the top 25. Wins like the Backyard Brawl in the season opener won’t soon be forgotten. Other victories like on Nov. 5 at home against No. 20 Syracuse or Friday against No. 18 UCLA are certainly games for Narduzzi and his staff to be proud of.
However, with the year over, it’s still fair for Pitt fans to wonder what 2022 could’ve truly been. Pitt led in the second half in each of its three ACC losses. Its non-conference loss against Tennessee went to overtime.
Each year comes with a handful of make-or-break moments, and at times, Pitt seemed to be on the wrong side of most of them until November rolled around. More consistency from Slovis or better late-game defense might’ve had Pitt in a bowl game much bigger than the Sun Bowl. It likely would’ve had the Panthers again playing for an ACC title.
However, a 1-3 October prevented Pitt from reaching its true potential this fall. Narduzzi echoed as much Friday evening.
“A nine-win season, those are hard to come by,” Narduzzi said. “We gave probably three or four games away during the season, but this was a great way to finish.”
5. Things are trending upward
The Panthers’ Sun Bowl win gave the program back-to-back seasons with at least nine wins for the first time since 2008-2009. The 20 combined wins from Pitt’s past two seasons are the most the program has seen in that span since 1981 and 1982. The program isn’t where most would like it to be, but the recent success shows things could be heading in the right direction.
“I think it’s a tribute to the coaches,” Patti said. “It’s the reason why I committed to Pitt. I knew it would be like this. I knew we’d catch our stride and we’d get going.”
2023 won’t be an easy year for the Panthers. The program says goodbye to many talented, reliable contributors from the past three, four or even five seasons. Pitt’s schedule includes more than a few challenging matchups, like road games against West Virginia and Notre Dame, a home battle against Cincinnati, and ACC matchups against Florida State, Wake Forest and North Carolina.
However, big games against ranked foes should be welcomed. If Pitt has shown anything in the past few seasons, it’s that when the lights are shining brightest, Narduzzi’s group will come ready to play.
Noah Hiles: nhiles@post-gazette.com and Twitter @_NoahHiles
First Published: December 31, 2022, 3:00 p.m.
