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Five Takeaways: No. 23 Pitt takes down Clemson 27-17

The 23rd-ranked Pitt football team scored a big win on Saturday afternoon at Heinz Field by knocking off the Clemson Tigers by a score of 27-17. After a slow start, the Panthers got it rolling and eventually claimed a win to move to 6-1 on the season and 3-0 in the ACC standings.

Here are five things that stood in the Panthers' victory.

Pickett took advantage of his stage

Kenny Pickett threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns and led his team to 464 yards of total offense in a 27-17 victory over ACC preseason favorite Clemson. The senior quarterback had his 'Heisman moment' on the team's final drive after he converted two third-down attempts with his legs, before kneeling down to end the game and starting the celebration on the field. The buzz going into this game was legitimate for Pickett. He was featured on ESPN's College Gameday this morning and had been receiving outside Heisman praise for the past few weeks from numerous national media outlets. After today, he did nothing to lessen the hype. He played against one of the stingiest defenses in college football and came up with multiple big plays. His two touchdown passes in the second quarter came on a third-down conversion to Jordan Addison, and later to Taysir Mack on a fourth-down attempt just before halftime. The stage was there, and he made the most of the opportunity.

Pitt was the better team

Pitt and Clemson started this season with two varying levels of expectations. The Tigers were projected as a top-5 team, while the Panthers were picked to finish fourth in the ACC Coastal. The tables turned going into this game, with Pitt being the ranked team surging with a Heisman contender and Clemson reeling with a pair of losses and an anemic offense. The Panthers were favored going into this game, and played the part. It took some time to get going, but Pickett and the offense found a groove in the second quarter. After allowing some big plays in the first quarter, the Pitt defense rose to the occasion and settled down and made stops. It wasn't a completely dominant performance, but Pitt had the Tigers at arm's length for most of the second half and pounded the ball in the fourth quarter to end the game. Make no mistake, Pitt was the better team. It had the better quarterback and it showed in the final result. Other than committing too many penalties in the second half, Pitt likely wins by more than just two scores.

Pitt's offensive depth was tested

Pitt's leading receiver Jordan Addison missed the second half due to concussion protocols. Eventually leading rusher Israel Abanikanda joined him after sustaining a big hit in the third quarter. For Pitt, others stepped up and the Panthers made due in the second half. The Panthers scored 13 points in the second half, on a defensive touchdown and a pair of field goals. The offense wasn't humming per se, but it was effective and multiple players stepped up and helped keep the ball out of Clemson's hands. Pitt led the time of possession battle in the fourth quarter 13:26 to 1:34. Rodney Hammond stepped up and rushed for a team-high 66 yards, all in the fourth quarter. Vincent Davis came up with big plays. Melquise Stovall and Shocky Jacques-Louis each had crucial catches. Penalties negated almost any scoring chance Pitt had, but there were other players contributing in the second half with two of Pitt's biggest playmakers out of the game, a sign of a team with some depth.

Big plays sparks Pitt's defense

The Pitt defense generated two turnovers, recorded five tackles for loss, posted one sack, and had six pass break ups. The Panthers limited Clemson to just 4-of-11 on third down conversions and held Clemson to just 126 yards of offense in the second half. It was not an outstanding performance and the Clemson offense was suspect to begin with, but this group made big plays when it mattered and helped give Pitt a crucial home victory in front of 60,594 fans. Sir'Vocea Dennis' pick-six off of a shovel pass in the third quarter gave Pitt a much-needed two-touchdown cushion and it was one of the defining plays of the entire game. That sequence forced the Tigers to scramble a bit and had Dabo Swinney make a move at quarterback going from DJ Uiagalelei to Taisun Phommachanh. Pitt continued to play with aggressiveness and for the second consecutive week held an ACC opponent to under 20 points.

A new feeling on the horizon

The Clemson game felt different than any of the other games left on the schedule. There was almost a sense that if Pitt could get through this one, then it would unlock a different kind opportunity for the rest of the season. It happened just as the players and fans hoped it would. The Panthers took care of business against an uncharacteristically down Clemson team and scored a 27-17 win. Pat Narduzzi's team now sits with a 6-1 record, and 3-0 mark in ACC play. The Panthers look firmly in control of the ACC Coastal division standings at the moment. The showcase win on ESPN should also vault the Panthers up the rankings from its current spot of 23. All that this team needed to have happened, followed through on Saturday.

Now it's a different vibe heading into the final five games. Pitt is the team with the national ranking and the Heisman contending quarterback. The attention is now on Pitt. The Panthers won't be playing their usual role of spoiler, but rather will look to avoid a letdown. it is somewhat unchartered waters for this team under Pat Narduzzi, but it is also one this fan base has been waiting on for some time.

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