Where was this Pitt team when the great Larry Fitzgerald needed this kind of game?
Go back to 2003. Pitt was blown out at home by Miami, 28-14, in its final regular-season game. It lost a share of the Big East Conference title and a possible trip to the Orange Bowl. That was the same night Fitzgerald lost any chance of winning the Heisman Trophy. He was shut out in the first half and finished with three catches for 26 yards. Pitt ended up losing to Virginia in the nondescript Continental Tire Bowl.
Kenny Pickett and Pitt avoided a similar nightmare Saturday.
Doing what a Pitt team too often has failed to do in the past 40 years, the Pickett-led Panthers stood up to and stared down the pressure of their biggest game in years. They didn't break the heart of Pitt fans this time. They left 'em standing and cheering at Heinz Field as Pickett took three knees in the victory formation to complete a 27-17 licking of a Clemson team that came in unranked, but still was Clemson and still had a terrific defense.
The Pitt win means it is in even greater control of the ACC Coastal Division and a likely spot in the conference championship game. It went a long way toward avenging a 52-17 loss at Clemson last season.
"A signature win for Pitt," Narduzzi called it. "Probably should have beat them by another 14, to be honest."
Pickett's solid performance meant he will continue to climb on the Heisman Trophy watch list and on every NFL draft board. Do you think he loved that it came against Clemson? He threw three interceptions on Pitt's first nine plays last season as Clemson built a 31-0 lead in the first quarter.
"We came in thinking we were the better team," Pickett said. "It's a player-led team. We're playing to win, not playing to not lose."
After a slow start, Pickett led four consecutive scoring drives against a Clemson defense that had been allowing just 12.5 points per game. On those possessions, he completed 17 of 23 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns, one of 23 yards to Jordan Addison, the other for 39 yards to Taysir Mack.
The touchdown pass to Addison gave Pickett 868 career completions, breaking Alex Van Pelt's school record set nearly 30 years ago. He has thrown 23 touchdown passes with just one interception this season. That is silly good.
"He's an unbelievable football player," Narduzzi said.
Pickett continued to show he can make all the throws. He threw a rocket over the middle for a 25-yard gain to Addison and another 29-yard pass to Addison. He threw a 13-yard bullet to Mack and another for 13 yards to Lucas Krull.
Pickett also showed he has the mobility that every NFL team covets. Pitt was able to run out the final 7:56 of the game because of two of his runs. He beat safety Nolan Turner to the first-down marker and dived for an 8-yard gain on a third-and-7 play. He then ran for 7 yards on a third-and-6 play, jumping off the ground and pumping his fist in the air.
"I told [the coaches] to keep the ball in my hands," Pickett said. "I wanted to do it myself."
It really did look like it was a lot of fun beating Clemson.
"This will all be for nothing if we don't handle business [against Miami at home Saturday]," Pickett said.
"Every game gets a little bit bigger," Narduzzi said.
Pickett and Narduzzi are right.
Pitt has to keep winning if Pickett is going to remain in serious Heisman conversation. Four regular-season losses in 2003 sabotaged Fitzgerald's Heisman run. It's easy to think these Panthers will win out before the ACC championship game. They will be favored in all five of their remaining regular-season games against Miami, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia and Syracuse.
Who saw this coming after Pitt's 44-41 home loss to Western Michigan on Sept. 18?
Who saw Pitt regrouping after a team meeting called by Pickett — who else? — to beat New Hampshire, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Clemson in lopsided wins?
Narduzzi, for one. At least that's what he said Saturday night.
"You learn from your mistakes. That's what life is. We stumbled, but we got back up. It's not what happens early. It's what happens late. Our guys responded after that [Western Michigan] game."
No one responded more than Pickett.
"We lean on Kenny," Narduzzi said. "We ride with Kenny."
It's been a fun trip so far.
Can it keep getting better and better for Pickett and for Pitt?
Why not?
