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ATLANTA – Of all that Pittsburgh accomplished in their 52-21 win at Georgia Tech in the ACC opener, turning the ugly early game around would have been perhaps the most impactful move.
Pitt (4-1, 1-0) fell 10-0 in the first quarter of his trip to Tennessee and 20-7 early in the second quarter against Western Michigan, only succeeding in reversing one of those deficits. for a victory. Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium, the Panthers turned the tide.
“It’s just about learning,” said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. “It’s just a different road game; they will all be different. We’re going to have to face this adversity like we did in Tennessee again, so we learned our lessons and our kids got started quickly.
The defense intercepted Georgia Tech quarterback (2-3, 1-2) Jeff Sims on his first two passing attempts, turning the two turnovers into 14 quick points. Deslin Alexander had the first interception, and Johnny Petrishen had a 33-yard pick that made the Panthers 14-0 just 41 seconds later.
“I felt like I had seen this in my mind a thousand times,” Petrishen said on pick six. “It was really like a movie was taking place.”
THE BIG PICKETT DAY
The defense created the momentum from the start, but it was Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett who grabbed it and dominated for the rest of the afternoon. Pickett finished 23-for-36 for 389 yards and four touchdowns, moving up to third place in school history in total touchdowns with fourth.
“I think it’s just the experience, playing together and having faith in each other,” Pickett said. “It’s something we’ve preached all year round. It’s good to continue like this in the ACC game against Georgia Tech.
Pickett shared the wealth all day, throwing the ball to 11 different receivers and finding nine of them on passes of at least 10 yards. Taysir Mack and Jordan Addison totaled 238 yards on 11 receptions and both caught Pickett touchdown passes in the first half.
“I say we compliment each other because when I’m in the slot they kind of fear my speed,” Addison said of the partnership with Mack. “There was actually a game he grabbed in the middle, we called the game up and I said ‘open up, I’m going to throw them all.’ and I did and he did a big game, so I feel like we compliment each other really well.
In addition to climbing the career touchdown rankings, Pickett also broke Dan Marino’s school record for most touchdown passes in three games. Marino scored 13 goals in three games against Illinois, Cincinnati and South Carolina in 1981, but now sits behind Pickett’s 15 touchdowns in the last three games against Western Michigan, New Hampshire and Georgia Tech.
“I can’t even describe the level he’s playing at,” Addison said of Pickett. “I wouldn’t say I’m amazed because that’s all he worked for and that’s why he came back, but he’s doing his job really well.”
Pickett has already established himself as one of the best quarterbacks in Pitt and ACC history, but his head coach believes the respect should extend even beyond that.
“He should be a Heisman candidate,” Narduzzi said.
RED ZONE IMPROVEMENT
In last season’s 34-20 win in Atlanta, Pittsburgh scored 19 points in six trips to the red zone. The Panthers only scored one touchdown and had to settle for four baskets and returned the ball once on tryouts. Saturday was the exact opposite result inside the red zone; Pittsburgh moved the ball inside the 20s six times and came away with five touchdowns.
“It’s been a priority since the Spring Prom,” Narduzzi said. “We focused on the red zone and what we’re doing there. It’s been like this all year. Last year we moved it there and got stuck a lot. We don’t get stuck anymore, and it’s a tribute to the coach [Mark] Whipple and the offensive staff.
Another element of the quick start that was lacking in the past was the success of the red zone. Pittsburgh scored three points on two trips to the red zone in the first quarter of Georgia Tech’s 2020 game, but kicked the ball into the end zone on both occasions in Game 1 on Saturday. Pickett threw three of his four touchdowns from inside the red zone, and running back Israel Abanikanda’s two trips to the end zone were on points inside the 10.
‘[It was] Be more aggressive in execution, ”said Pickett of the differences in the red zone. “The guys were performing at a high level, and when you do that you score points and put a lot of pressure on the defense.”
TIMELY DEFENSE
Across the room from the red zone, the Panthers were solid in key moments. Georgia Tech moved the ball inside the five in their last possession in the first half and their first possession in the second half, and the Panthers have not given up any points on either occasion.
“Our guys got attached and played the next game,” Narduzzi said. “Our guys just kept playing. We were pretty average over there on the goal line when people got down there, so it was nice to see us make two saves there. Once again, our guys continue to learn from their lessons.
Pittsburgh also stopped Georgia Tech in three fourth-and-one situations. Georgia Tech running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been a short distance ace all season but finished the game with less than 10 rushing yards. One of his negative reaches was a fourth and 1 stoppage in the second quarter that immediately led to a Pickett touchdown two games later.
““ During those, I feel like there’s more pressure on me than anyone, ”Pitt linebacker SirVocea Davis said.“ Just being there with the guys and making sure that everyone’s set, nobody jumps offside and we’re just running a big play, whether it’s a turnaround on downs or a big save on the third down, it’s just special. ”
Georgia Tech gained 432 total yards of attack and averaged 6.8 yards per play, but the first two turnovers and a series of short critical plays throughout the afternoon made those big chunks sure. yards don’t turn into big chunks on the dash.
“We count them as turnovers in our bedroom,” said Petrishen. “We try to get three per game. So we had these two turnovers, three fourth saves and the basket blocked. We count them and we try to get as many as possible. These are huge swings of momentum.
THE COAST IS WIDE OPEN
It was only one in eight games on a grueling conference schedule, but it would have been difficult for the Panthers to make a bigger opening statement than the one they produced in Atlanta. Pitt will now head to their tiebreak as one of only two ACC Coastal teams still unbeaten in conference, and three other teams in the division have lost twice already.
“A few weeks ago we had a wake-up call,” Narduzzi said. “Our captains continue to do a great job leading this football team. It’s player-driven; I don’t do anything other than watch them go.
Pitt will have 14 days to prepare for a huge divisional game at Virginia Tech, the CCA’s only other Coastal team without a loss this season.
“Virginia Tech is sitting there ready for us,” Narduzzi said. “It’s never easy there; we know that. We had our struggles there, so it’s time to take it all over and start over. It’s not always that you play your first two ACC games on the road, so it’s no easy task at all.
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