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Pitt’s record in 2017 was 5-7, the Panthers’ worst record in 10 years.

If the team’s quarterback has anything to say about it, it will be a few more years before Pitt gets stalled at five wins again.

“Last year, honestly, was embarrassing. I was embarrassed,” Pickett said after Pitt’s first training camp practice on Friday. “Some people won’t say that but I love to win and we win in Pittsburgh, so 5-7 won’t happen again. I can guarantee that.”

If Pitt does get past five wins in 2018, a lot of the success will likely draw from the performance of Pickett himself. The sophomore quarterback made a splash in his first career start, leading the four-win Panthers to an upset of then-undefeated and then-No. 2 Miami in the 2017 regular-season finale.

And while that game was notable for the stifling performance of Pitt’s defense, it was Pickett who stole the show, accounting for all three of the Panthers’ touchdowns - two rushing and one passing.

Pickett’s play against Miami turned what was shaping up to be a gloomy offseason into one of promise, as the team seemingly had a quarterback who could lead it to greater success. But not everyone sees such promise; Pitt was picked to finish fifth in the ACC Coastal Division by conference media members, and the team is generally considered to be one that will, under the best of circumstances, top out at six wins this season.

Pickett doesn’t expect that to happen. In fact, he thinks the Panthers can sneak up on some opponents.

“There’s not a doubt in my mind that that’s going to happen,” he said.

The work begins this week, as Pitt opened training camp in the South Side on Friday. In the eight months since the win over Miami, Pickett has set out to establish himself as one of the leaders on the team, not just the offense. It’s been a work in progress for him, but he said he thinks his position has been established.

“Absolutely I’ve taken more of a vocal leadership role and the guys are responding,” Pickett said. “I think that just comes with time and the older I get, the more reins I have. I feel like I have a really good hold on the offense right now and the team in terms of, when I talk, guys listen and they look to me for advice and stuff like that.”

Chief among Pickett’s messages to his teammates is that they have to work in every practice, particularly if they want to avoid the results of last season.

“If you don’t show up to work today, that’s why you go 5-7,” he said. “I’ll say that to the guys. If one guy is having a bad day - you know, winning teams don’t have bad days. They don’t have off days like that. We all know the expectation. We want double-digit wins. We want to be in a January bowl game. We want all of it.

"So we’re coming for it.”