Defense leads Pitt to victory over Wake Forest in ACC championship game

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Through 12 games, Kenny Pickett made every throw, broke all the records and made the end zone his personal playground.

When it came time for No. 13 Saturday night on the ACC’s biggest stage, Pitt’s defensive players all but shouted, “Make room for us. It’s our turn.”

The ACC championship trophy sits on Pitt’s campus this week because the defense found itself after a slow start, smothered Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman under five sacks and four interceptions and led a 45-21 victory in the ACC championship game before a crowd of 57,856 at Bank of America Stadium.

Pitt won 11 games (out of 13) for the first time since 1981 on the way to its first outright conference title. This time, there was no tie for first place — no sharing — such as there was atop the Big East in 2004 and 2010. Pitt is the first ACC Coastal team to win the conference championship since 2010 (three years before it joined).

“Everybody says our defense was just OK and we were just floating on our offense,” said free safety Erick Hallett, who was named the game’s MVP after intercepting two passes, including a pick-6 in the fourth quarter that set the final score. “I think we took that as a challenge to step up to the plate — that’s an incredible offense we just played – and kind of answered the challenge.”

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Wake Forest (10-3) came into the game third in the nation in average points scored (42.9). But the Demon Deacons had 13 opportunities with the ball after taking a 21-14 lead in the first quarter. Each time, Pitt turned them away without a point being scored. At one juncture in the second half, Pitt intercepted passes on three consecutive Wake Forest possessions.

Aside from Hallett, cornerbacks A.J Woods and Marquis Williams picked off Hartman and linebacker SirVocea Dennis recorded two sacks. Woods returned his 73 yards to set an ACC championship game record.

“We’re gritty. We don’t take no for an answer,” Hallett said.

Understandably, no one wanted to give any details on what Pitt did in the final three quarters that they didn’t do in the first.

“I can’t give away all the secrets,” Hallett said.

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi described the fixes as “just little tweaks and adjustments.”

“We didn’t play any different defenses than we did in the first three drives that were touchdowns,” he said. “Make our adjustments, get comfortable in the game and get a bead on what they’re doing.”

The game might be perceived as validation of Narduzzi’s press-man defense that puts his cornerbacks on an island with little help. Hartman threw deep several times and rarely connected. He ended up completing only 23 of 46 passes for 213 yards and two touchdowns. But over the final three quarters, he was 10 for 28 for 95 yards.

Pitt’s pass rush also deserves credit, especially on the pick-6 where Hartman was under serious pressure.

“They continue to believe in what they are doing,” Narduzzi said. “Got him a little antsy because he did get hit a few times. Hartman is a great quarterback and our defense did a great job shutting him down.”

Meanwhile, Pickett threw two touchdown passes to set a Pitt all-time record with 81 for his career.

In his final audition before Heisman votes are due Monday, he directed an offense that scored five touchdowns in quick fashion. Each scoring possession lasted between 1 minute, 11 seconds and 1:29. But it was his 58-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that had Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson talking about petitioning the NCAA for a rule change.

On Pitt’s first possession, Pickett backed up to pass, facing a third-and-5 from his 42. He quickly changed his mind about passing when he saw plenty of empty space in front him. The first down was the easy part.

Suddenly, he faked a slide, painting a picture for the Wake Forest defense that he was giving himself up. Instead, he bolted upright, headed toward the sideline and scored untouched. The 58-yard scoring run was the longest by a quarterback in an ACC championship game.

Clawson made it clear that play was nowhere close to the turning point. Pitt’s 7-0 lead didn’t last long. But he said two of his defenders slowed up — not wanting to draw a late-hit penalty — when they saw Pickett fake a slide.

“It was intentional,” Pickett said. “I started slowing down and getting ready to slide and saw by their body language they pulled up as well. I’ve never done that before. I just kind of kept going after I was initially starting to slide.”

Narduzzi credited Pickett’s football instincts.

“He’s an athlete. You can’t teach that,” he said.

When a reporter asked Pickett if he could have imagined “in his wildest dreams” that this season would end this way, he didn’t blink when he said he saw it coming.

“This is the goal we’ve been chasing since I walked through the doors in 2017,” he said. “To say you’re going to do something and go out and do it is very special.

“That is why I came back (when he could have gone to the NFL after last season). I felt strong about myself and what I could do, and on top of that the team and the talent we had coming back.

“This is what I envisioned.”