Five quick thoughts on Pitt's 41-17 win over Florida State
This team just needed it
Pitt just endured perhaps the most trying stretch in the Pat Narduzzi era. The Panthers lost four straight games, including a disastrous 45-3 loss to Notre Dame in their last game prior to today. In the days leading up to today’s contest against Florida State, star safety Paris Ford “opted out” of the remainder of the season. Pitt also suspended senior cornerback Jason Pinnock for today’s game as well. There was not an optimistic outlook going into this game, but Pitt responded with a 41-17 win.
The season may not be able to be salvaged totally, but this team absolutely needed a win today, at least to get some pressure off their backs. Pitt came out and overcame an early 14-3 deficit and controlled most of the game from that point forward. The offense played better than it has since the opener against Austin Peay, and it was a vintage performance from the defense, basically the type of showing you expected from them all season. Pitt generated three turnovers, racked up seven sacks, and held Florida State to just 45 yards in the second half. Pitt did not have the season it wanted, but today’s outcome saves face a little bit for sure.
Presence of Pickett
Pitt senior quarterback Kenny Pickett is simply the team’s best offensive player and his absence helped prove that in recent weeks. He missed the past two games with an ankle injury, and Pitt lost both contests and were outscored by a total of 76-22. Without Pickett on the field, the team failed to score a touchdown against Notre Dame, and Pitt quarterbacks combined for just 118 yards of passing in that game against the Irish.
The offense did not light it up through the air against Florida State, but Pickett played an efficient game by going 21-of-27 for 210 yards and no turnovers. Pickett added a rushing touchdown and it was clear he is still not 100% on Saturday. The Panthers opted to use Nick Patti in place of Pickett in short yardage running situations, but the Panthers senior still battled through it and finished the game and led his team to a win.
Pickett’s career has not always been filled with impressive stat lines, but he’s come up with some big plays, and he did just that on Saturday. He commanded the offense and his presence was noticeable.
Sack City
Pitt surrendered an 88-yard rushing touchdown to Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis in the early going, but in the end, the Seminoles totaled just 290 yards of total offense. The Panthers finished with seven sacks, 14 tackles for loss, and generated three turnovers, with one going for a defensive touchdown on a Brandon Hill pick six. The Pitt defense has taken some heat for giving up big plays this season, but on Saturday it was clearly the best unit on the field and helped produce a commanding win. The stars shined bright on that side of the ball: SirVocea Dennis posted three tackles for loss and two sacks, and the defensive end duo of Rashad Weaver and Patrick Jones combined for 3.5 tackles for loss, while senior safety Damar Hamlin added an interception and five stops.
There were some new names to make an impact as well. Brandon Hill started shaky on Saturday, but he ended the game with an emphatic pick-six and led Pitt in tackles with seven. A.J. Woods got an extended look at cornerback, and his first career interception in the first half helped spark the team on Saturday. Pitt has lost a lot on this side of the ball since the beginning of fall camp, but the unit remains an overall strength of this team.
A running game?
The rushing attack struggled in the early going of this contest, but throughout the course of the game the Panthers found the ability to run the ball. Pitt finished 148 yards as a team and averaged four yards per carry. All four of the team’s offensive touchdowns came on the ground as well. Sophomore Vincent Davis has been bottled up the past four weeks, but he posted 50 yards on 13 carries, and broke loose for a 28-yard run, the longest the team has generated all season. A.J. Davis posted 34 yards on six carries as well. In order to close out the game in fourth quarter, freshmen Daniel Carter and Israel Abanikanda stepped up and helped drain the clock. The Florida State defense has struggled a good portion of the season, but so has the Pitt running game, and any sort of success was a welcomed sight for this team, no matter the opponent.
Looking ahead
Pitt ended a four-game losing streak on Saturday, and now will look to get back over .500 next week. The Panthers head to Atlanta to take on Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets hold a 2-5 record and Pitt has won four of the last five meetings in the series. The season obviously has not gone how Pitt initially wanted, but the team has a chance to string another win together before heading into a two-game stretch to close the year against Virginia Tech and top-ranked Clemson. There will ultimately still be questions about the future of this program under Pat Narduzzi, even after a convincing win today, but winning helps keep those questions limited for the time being.