Kenny Pickett's had a phenomenal fifth season with Pitt to set program records and lead the Panthers to be 8-2 with two regular season games left in the ACC to potentially win the ACC Coastal for a second time in four years, and complete Pat Narduzzi's first season with nine or more wins.
He's also done that by being one of the best quarterbacks in the country and putting himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation. His 3,517 passing yards is fifth-most in the country, while his 32 touchdowns is fourth-most, while Pitt's scored 435 points per game, the second-highest average only behind Ohio State.
But Pickett faces a test Saturday to outduel another top quarterback in the country, Virginia's Brennan Armstrong. The Cavaliers are the only team that threaten Pitt's chance to win the division, and Armstrong plays a big role in how their season has developed.
Armstrong's 3,557 passing yards is third-most in the country, a total that's come with only nine games played as he sat out Virginia's loss to Notre Dame last week due to an injury. Narduzzi still plans to face Armstrong, even if Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall still hasn't indicated that could happen.
But that doesn't change anything for Pickett, who's remained focused on each opponent all season and welcomed the competition when he spoke to members of the media Wednesday.
"Have to be on point Saturday," Pickett said. "There's a guy across from you that wants to beat you as bad as you want to beat them. It's great competition and we continue to do that on Saturday. The stakes are a bit different but that just makes us excited."
This will be Pitt's second consecutive game on a national stage with huge ACC implications. Last Thursday, Pitt defeated North Carolina 30-23 on ESPN in a win that positioned the Panthers with a chance to clinch the ACC Coastal with a win over Virginia.
Like North Carolina, Virginia's defense ranks towards the bottom of the ACC, allowing 30.5 points per game. Pitt looked like it was poised to light up North Carolina with 23 points in the first half, but stalled and was shut out in the second half. Pickett was still elite with 346 passing yards, only one interception and three passing touchdowns, the last of which proved to be the game-winner in overtime.
Last month I wrote about Pickett being the best decision-making quarterback in college football, and that has only been furthered by his performance this month. Out of quarterbacks who've attempted the 25th-most attempts in college football (minimum of 315), Pickett is one of three quarterbacks who've thrown less than five interceptions.
His four interceptions are higher than only Alabama's Bryce Young and Auburn's Bo Nix. It's been his ability to consistently read defenses and connect with his receivers at different parts of the field. Here's a 32-yard strike to Jared Wayne for a touchdown, where Pickett looked off the deep safety and threw the pass to the perfect spot with his release coming just as Wayne broke to the inside on his post route:
It was one of his best throws of the year, and that's saying something, because he's made plenty just like it.
North Carolina's defense eventually got after Pickett in the second half, sacking him for a season-high four times while Pitt's offensive line operated with two backups as Matt Goncalves replaced Gabe Houy at right tackle and Blake Zubovic replaced Jake Kradel at right guard.
North Carolina switched to a defense where it seemed content allowing Pitt's passing offense to work underneath routes instead of giving up the big plays as it continued to send its pass rush with the majority of its secondary backed off.
Watch this sack Pickett took and notice how all but one cornerback for the Tar Heels lined up approximately ten yards off Pitt's receivers. Pickett had his head upfield looking for a big play, and the pass rush eventually closed in on him when he tried to leave the pocket:
North Carolina brought looks it hadn't shown as much this season and it slowed Pitt down. But it didn't stop Pitt from scoring when it counted the most in overtime.
Pickett acknowledged that there were some adjustments that were missed, it's a challenge the Panthers have embraced each week this season.
"We've seen a lot of different defenses this year," Pickett said. "We prepare for one thing but then we see another. We've prepared for what they've shown, but we're going to be prepared to do what we've done all season and change on the fly. They've got a great team. It's going to be war Saturday at Heinz."
If it's indeed going to be war, there's few quarterbacks you would want leading you into battle over Pickett. He's shown consistently this season when the Panthers need a big play, he can remain poised and attack with timely passes that hit right at the weakness of any scheme.
Watch this third down conversion to Jordan Addison, when Pickett recognized North Carolina's zone defense and waited for the middle of the field to open up as the linebackers spread out to cover Pitt's underneath crossers. As soon as the middle was open, Pickett threw a strike to Addison for the first down, and you could see the frustration from the Tar Heels' defense:
When Pitt plays Virginia Saturday, the Cavaliers will have their hands full with containing Pickett's passing ability, and his mobility.
Pickett not only makes plays with his legs, but he's also developed a rapport with his targets on scramble drills to find ways to get open. Even true freshman Gavin Bartholomew looked like he was Heath Miller working with Ben Roethlisberger in their primes on this scramble drill to extend a red zone drive:
Plays like this are created by players working after the designed scheme plays out, but there's no doubt Pitt's offensive coordinator Mark Whipple has played a huge role in developing the rhythm of the Panthers' offense.
"In the offseason he's watching other offenses," Pickett said of Whipple. "He watches NFL offenses and compares talents like Travis Kelce to Lucas Krull and Tyreek Hill to Jordan. He's never stayed the same. He's always looking at other offenses to find things to add and take things to implement into our offense. A lot of coaches will get stuck in their ways but he doesn't and that's what makes him such a great coach. I respect him a ton for that."
Combine that with a receiving corps that's taken significant steps forward under receivers coach Brennan Marion, who has helped Addison work his way to being a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist, and you've got an offense that any defense in the country should be worried about.
Despite the bright lights of Heinz Field, the national audience's attention and the stakes on the line, Pickett has remained the same cool, confident student-athlete that he's been since his freshman days on campus. When he wins, he's excited for his teammates but is ready for the next opponent. When he loses, he makes a note of his mistake and looks at how he can best his next opportunity.
Don't count on him to blink with one of Pitt's major goals of making the ACC Championship Game staring him right in the face Saturday.
