Kenny Pickett, Pitt win critical moments, game at Tennessee

After Pitt’s 41-34 victory against Tennessee, Pat Narduzzi looked to the heavens.

Maybe he knew that what happened Saturday in front of 82,203 people in Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., was based nearly as much on good fortune as good football.

But — make no mistake — there was plenty of good football.

“I wish Johnny Majors was here to see what happened,” Narduzzi said of the legendary former Pitt and Tennessee coach, who died last year. “He was wearing the blue and the gold in the press box up above. He would have been happy with what he saw.”

The game was labeled the Johnny Majors Classic, and it was just that — a classic, early-season matchup with plenty of mistakes and missed tackles on both sides, 134 yards in penalties against the Volunteers that aided Pitt’s cause and enough interesting plays to keep the ESPN suits happy.

It was a team victory for Pitt (2-0), but the game was won during several crucial moments by four major players: quarterback Kenny Pickett, linebackers John Petrishen and Chase Pine and strong safety Brandon Hill.

Plus, Pitt’s ability to focus when it looked like the team might crumble after Tennessee blocked a punt on the first series and seized a 10-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.

“We knew the noise and chaos going on in the stadium was going to be something,” Narduzzi said. “We knew we were going to be going through adversity in the fourth quarter, and our guys stuck with it.

“Our guys got it done. Couldn’t be prouder of them, the perseverance and the adversity our kids went through. That’s a good football team in there.”

Said Pickett: “No one blinked.”

It started with Pickett, who did far more than his passing statistics indicated. He completed 24 of 36 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Of historical note, he moved past Tyler Palko and into fourth place on Pitt’s all-time passing list with 8,541 yards.

But this game was more about the present and what Pitt can build on beyond Knoxville.

Pickett got help late from his defense and running game, but he made two big plays on a crucial third-quarter scoring drive that staked Pitt to a 34-20 lead that Tennessee threatened, but never overcame.

Early in the third with Pitt up by only seven, Narduzzi allowed backup kicker Ben Sauls to try a 56-yard field goal. It was far short.

“He kicked laces or whatever. That was not pretty,” Narduzzi said.

The kick was caught several yards deep in the end zone by Tennessee’s Theo Jackson, who returned it for what looked like a tying touchdown. But both teams were called for block-in-the-back penalties, and the apparent score was nullified.

“We dodged that bullet,” Narduzzi said.

Given a do-over, Narduzzi called on Kirk Christodolu, whose punt was downed at the 3 by Pitt’s Tre Tipton.

With field-position flipped, Pitt’s defense forced a punt and Pickett took over at his 40-yard line. Subsequently, two fourth-down plays turned out to be the most important offensive snaps of the game.

First, on fourth-and-2 from the Volunteers 33, Pickett scrambled 5 yards for a first down.

Then, from the 1, he snuck across the goal line for a touchdown and a 34-20 lead.

“Trust in KP. That fourth-down scramble he had. He put his shoulder down,” Narduzzi said. “Our guys rally around Kenny Pickett.”

Narduzzi didn’t forget about the guys on the receiving end of Pickett’s throws.

Pickett threw for 200 of his 285 in the first half, and Taysir Mack caught four for 100, helping Pitt take a 27-20 lead into halftime. Jordan Addison added six receptions for 64 yards.

“Credit those receivers for staying out on the Jugs (pass-catching machine) all day,” Narduzzi said. “There were some times at 10 o’clock at night that they were asking if they could go outside in the dark to catch Jugs.”

But Pickett didn’t throw every Pitt pass.

The halftime lead was partially a product of offensive coordinator Mark Whipple finding the right time for another trick play. In 2019, Whipple fooled Tennessee coach Josh Heupel with the Pitt Special when Heupel was the coach at UCF. That was a play in which Pickett caught the winning touchdown pass from wide receiver Aaron Mathews.

This time, Pickett threw what amounted to a long lateral to wide receiver Jared Wayne, a high school quarterback, who tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Lucas Krull.

“Coach Whips had that one in his back pocket for a while,” Narduzzi said. “Panther Special. Jared Wayne’s got a great arm.”

Still, Tennessee kept punching back.

Twice in the fourth quarter, Tennessee seemed on the cusp of forging a 41-41 tie. The Volunteers moved to the Pitt 3 and 34 on consecutive possessions.

First, on fourth down from the 3, Petrishen and Pine closed in on running back Jaylen Wright for a 1-yard loss.

I’ll never forget how quiet it was after this... except for that area of Pitt fans! man that was fun!!! #WeNotMe https://t.co/oQmcqG95PW

— Johnny JP Petrishen (@jP5_ERA) September 12, 2021

“You talk about play of the game,” Narduzzi said.

Not so fast.

Tennessee forced another Pitt punt and had a shot from the 34 when Hill intercepted a pass to all but seal the victory with 4 minutes, 52 seconds to play.

“I thought the defense played solid, not what we want to,” Narduzzi said.

Pitt recorded five sacks, including a key strip by Keyshon Camp in the second quarter that knocked Tennessee starting quarterback Joe Milton out of the game with an injury.

Hendon Hooker, a transfer from Virginia Tech who Pitt has seen in the past, replaced him and completed 15 of 21 for 188 yards and two touchdowns and the decisive interception.

“We gave them a 2-yard touchdown drive early (after the blocked punt),” Narduzzi said in a subtle attempt at sarcasm. “We missed a tackle when Hooker came in the game (and threw a touchdown pass to Jimmy Calloway). Some quarterback draws hurt us.”

But when the dust settled, Pitt had its first regular-season victory in a nonconference Power 5 road game since 2008.

No one knows where 2-0 will lead, but Narduzzi is pleased it will be under Pickett’s direction.

“He’s poised, he’s athletic and he’s a leader. He leads them in a huddle. He gets every ounce out of our guys when he’s out there.”

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