MORE FROM THE GAME - Postgame video: Pat Narduzzi | Postgame video: Ollison and the OL| Pitt blows out Virginia Tech | Slideshow: Photos from Pitt's win over Virginia Tech

In Pitt’s turnaround over the four games prior to Saturday, the Panthers never made it easy.

Whether it was needing overtime to beat Syracuse, losing to Notre Dame late in the fourth quarter, sneaking in a game-winning touchdown against Duke or going into the final 10 minutes before putting Virginia away, Pitt played almost every game to the end in nail-biting fashion.

On Saturday against Virginia Tech, a team that has played Pitt close every year since the Panthers joined the ACC, the script changed in a big way.

As in, 654 yards of total offense. As in, 492 rushing yards. As in, 52 points.

As in, a blowout.

With Senior Day, bowl eligibility and a further stranglehold on the Coastal Division all factoring into the environment at Heinz Field, Pitt put up its biggest win over a Power Five opponent in two years, beating Virginia Tech 52-22 in front of 44,398.

“I hope you enjoyed that one,” Pat Narduzzi said after the game. “It wasn’t a nail-biter like we’re used to giving you here.”

By beating the Hokies on Saturday, the Panthers improved to 6-4 on the season and 5-1 in the ACC. The win returns Pitt to the postseason after missing a bowl last year and positions the Panthers to clinch the Coastal Division title and a spot in the ACC Championship game in Charlotte on Dec. 7.

A lot was riding on Saturday’s game, and Pitt took it all with its biggest win of the season.

“That’s a great win, man,” running back Qadree Ollison said after the game. “That’s a great way to leave Heinz, a great way to leave our legacy on this place.”

Ollison left his mark on Heinz Field and probably a few Virginia Tech defenders as well. The redshirt senior had the best game of his career Saturday afternoon, rushing 16 times for 235 yards and three touchdowns - both career highs - while also busting a 97-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that stands as the longest play from scrimmage in Pitt history.

Not just the longest run, but the longest play from scrimmage. And all of those yards put Ollison over 1,000 yards on the season (he now has 1,054 yards this year) for his first 1,000-yard rushing performance since he was a redshirt freshman; in the process, he became just the sixth player in Pitt history to post two 1,000-yard seasons.

That’s quite a way to finish the home portion of Ollison’s Pitt career, and he wasn’t the only Panther to finish in style. His running mate, senior Darrin Hall, rushed for 186 yards and a score on just seven carries, a whopping 26.6 yards per carry.

Hall and Ollison combined for eight runs of at least 20 yards and four of at least 50 yards. Plus, quarterback Kenny Pickett connected on a 78-yard catch-and-run with Maurice Ffrench as Pitt averaged an incredible 13.9 yards per play that may be an NCAA record, and those big plays summed up what happened on Saturday:

Simply put, the Panthers dominated and earned their biggest win in the biggest fashion.