Pitt defense had to 'take it' from Wake Forest
CHARLOTTE — The Wake Forest offense was humming in the first quarter. The Demon Deacons had three long scoring drives and had built a 21-14 advantage after one quarter of play. It looked like the Pitt defense was a step slow to start the game, and they appeared they were well on their way for a long night chasing around star Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman.
Something clicked, however, and the defense not only settled down, but was the driving force in Pitt’s 45-21 win to claim the program’s first ever ACC Championship.
“We just came out and attacked,” Pitt cornerback AJ Woods said after the game.
That might be an understatement. After surrendering three touchdowns and 186 yards in the first quarter, the Pitt defense pitched a shutout in the final three. Hartman accounted for three scores in the opening frame, but was sacked five times and he threw four interceptions to end the game.
Wake Forest totaled just 109 yards in the final three quarters and were just 4-of-16 in third down conversions to close out the game.
The success for Pitt's defense started with pressuring Hartman. The Panthers sacked the Wake Forest quarterback five times on Saturday, but started to put more pressure on him as they game wore on, and it showed. Hartman has been outstanding this season accounting for over 40 touchdowns, but the Pitt defense seemed to rattle him with some big hits that ultimately led to mistakes.
“I think we shook them up a little bit in the back field, got him a little antsy because he did get hit a few times, and I think after, you know, I think everybody has got a plan until they get hit,” Pat Narduzzi said.
Well Hartman got hit, and hit some more and the Panthers smelled blood in the water from there.
“There was a sack in particular that he seemed shaken up on, but we just kept on coming after him,” Woods said of the pressure on Hartman. “Coach Bates put us in a great position all game to make plays on the ball.”
The constant pressure forced bad throws, and he was intercepted four times. Pitt cornerbacks Marquis Williams and Woods each had interceptions, and safety Erick Hallett had two, including a pick six with 11:42 remaining to put Pitt up by 24 points.
Hallett was named MVP of the ACC Championship game for his performance.
“Cory Sanders did a great job coaching (Hallett) up and tutoring him through the year, and playing with a lot of confidence and making plays,” Narduzzi said of his starting free safety. “But I couldn't be more proud of Erick Hallett.”
The Panthers defense did not allow a score on Wake’s final 13 possessions of the game. Aside from the four interceptions, the Demon Deacons had to punt eight times and failed to convert a fourth down as well.
Woods said Pitt’s mentality this week was to ‘take it’ and they did just that, not only with the interceptions, but by winning the game as well.
“The second quarter we really used that ‘take it’ mentality," Wood explained. "That was the words on our board this week: take it, because that’s what champions got to do, we got to take it. We’ve got to want it more than them.”
Pitt’s defense seemed to want it more on Saturday, and they delivered in the form of the program’s first-ever ACC Championship. In a season that has been defined by the high-powered Pitt offense, in a championship setting it was the defense that led them to a victory.