ATLANTA — The Pitt offense had been performing at a high-level through the first month of the season. Entering Saturday’s game with Georgia Tech, many believed it would be the Panthers’ toughest challenge yet.
The Georgia Tech defense sacked Sam Howell, the preseason ACC Player of the Year, eight times on the way to a 45-22 victory last week. They could not replicate that same performance against Kenny Pickett, now the new frontrunner for player of the year in the conference. The Pitt quarterback torched the Yellow Jackets for 389 yards and four touchdown passes in a statement 52-21 ACC opening win for the Panthers.
“You know, it's just you grow up and he's made himself a lot of money coming back,” Pat Narduzzi said of his senior quarterback after Saturday’s game. “I can tell you that. He should be a Heisman candidate.”
The Heisman Trophy may seem like a stretch at this point, but it is hard to argue when you look at the numbers right now. Pickett is completing 72% of his passes. He has 1,731 passing yards and 19 touchdowns to just one interception through five games. He has 15 touchdown passes in the last three games alone, passing Dan Marino’s record of 13 in a three-game stretch back in 1981.
“I can’t even describe the level he’s playing at,” Pitt sophomore wide receiver Jordan Addison said of his quarterback. “I can’t say that I’m amazed because this is everything that he worked for and that’s the reason why he came back. He’s doing his job really well.”
The Pitt offense is humming right now, and Addison has been a big part of that too. He has caught a touchdown in every game this season, including seven in the last three contests, tying a record for most touchdowns in a three-game stretch with Larry Fitzgerald.
“Lights out, A Biletnikoff type guy,” Narduzzi said of Addison’s play this season. “He's outstanding.”
The sophomore has 29 catches for 524 yards and nine scores. He was one of two wide receivers to go over 100-yards on Saturday, as senior Taysir Mack posted a team-high 121 yards and had a long touchdown reception in the victory.
“I say we compliment each other because when I’m in the slot, they kind of fear my speed a little bit,” Addison said of playing alongside of Mack. "The one play where he caught it over the middle they called the play and I told him to get open because I’m going to run them all off and I did that and he made a big play.”
Pitt’s offense has been nothing short of brilliant this season. The Panthers are averaging 52.4 points and 554 yards of offense a game, both near the very top in the country. Even the Pitt defensive players are in amazement by their production.
“It’s electric man,” Pitt linebacker Sir’Vocea Dennis said of the Pitt offense. “Just being on the sidelines and seeing our offense do what they do and put up the points and the big plays, it’s just like ‘wow.’
Pitt has a bye week coming up, but the Panthers proved on Saturday that this offense can produce in conference play. It will be another tough challenge in two weeks when the Panthers head to Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech.
“I think just the experience of playing together and having confidence and trusting one another and it’s something that we’ve been preaching all year,” Pickett said of the offense’s early season success. “It’s nice to continue that into ACC play against Georgia Tech.”
