Pat Narduzzi puts Kenny Pickett, Heisman in same sentence after Pitt pounds Georgia Tech

There might have been a few people thinking it.

But Pat Narduzzi actually said it out loud Saturday afternoon — postgame and on the ACC Network — after quarterback Kenny Pickett and the Pitt aerial show carved up the Georgia Tech defense 52-21 at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta.

“He should be a Heisman candidate,” Pitt’s coach said of his quarterback. “I don’t know if they’re talking about it out there or not.”

Later, he doubled down, “Put him on your Heisman watch list,” the coach said.

Premature? Maybe not. In Narduzzi’s defense, he didn’t call Pickett the front-runner and advocate for him to win it — as some eager Pitt fans might do — but he merely pointed out Pickett belongs somewhere in the conversation.

For the record, only two Pitt quarterbacks have finished in the top seven in Heisman voting: Dan Marino (fourth in 1981) and Matt Cavanaugh (seventh in 1977).

More to the point are the numbers that mattered Saturday in Atlanta.

Pickett completed 23 of 36 passes (actually lowering his season completion percentage from 74.2% to 72%) for 389 yards and four touchdowns — without an interception — to lead a Pitt offense that set a school record by scoring more than 40 points for the fifth consecutive game.

He was sacked only once and usually given ample time to eyeball the secondary. Pitt’s improving offensive line also opened enough holes for running backs Izzy Abanikanda, Vincent Davis and Rodney Hammond to combine for 158 yards rushing.

Put it all together, and Pitt is leading the nation in scoring with an average of 52.4 points.

“The offense is hard to stop right now,” Narduzzi said.

Pickett came into the Panthers’ ACC opener tied for second nationally in touchdown passes (he’s now at 19), second in passing efficiency (he’s now at 194.7) and third in the Power 5 in passing yards per game (he’s now at 346.2).

Kenny Pickett was on ???? today

23-for-36, 389 yards, 4 TD, 0 INT

The first ACC QB with 4+ TD passes in 3 straight games since Russell Wilson.#H2P » @KennyPickett10 pic.twitter.com/SzyPWTfHXW

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) October 2, 2021

Over the past three games, he has thrown 15 touchdown passes while averaging 391.3 yards. He’s also the first ACC quarterback to throw at least four touchdown passes in three consecutive games since Russell Wilson of N.C. State in 2009.

But even if Heisman voters fail to pay attention to Pitt’s quarterback — there’s an off week coming up before the season resumes Oct. 16 at Virginia Tech — Pickett gets props for engineering a surprisingly easy victory against Georgia Tech (2-3, 1-2).

“That was a good football team. Don’t kid yourself. That was not some average team,” Narduzzi said of Georgia Tech, which nearly upset six-time defending conference champion Clemson and beat then-21st ranked North Carolina, 45-22, a week ago.

Pitt (4-1 for the first time since 2015) was in control from the outset, starting fast on defense with a furious pass rush on Georgia Tech quarterback Jeff Sims.

First, defensive end Deslin Alexandre tipped a Sims pass into the arms of linebacker Cam Bright for an interception. Pitt moved 52 yards for the score, with Abanikanda going the final 9 for the first of his two touchdown runs.

Next series, Habakkuk Baldonado, the defensive end on the other side, slammed Sims as he threw. Linebacker John Petrishen had an easy interception and clear path to a 33-yard return for a touchdown, Pitt’s second pick-6 in two weeks.

Pitt’s defense did surrender large chunks of yardage at times. Sims ended up throwing for 342 yards and two touchdowns, but Georgia Tech had two touchdowns called back by penalties.

Pitt was also stingy at crucial moments, stopping Georgia Tech on nine of 11 third downs and three of four fourth downs.

“It doesn’t matter what happens on first and second (downs),” Narduzzi said. “We have to win money downs.”

Pickett threw for 300 yards in the first half, even after tight end Lucas Krull and wide receiver Jordan Addison dropped catchable balls.

But it was Pickett’s awareness on a pass late in the first half that caught Narduzzi’s eye.

“Two-minute situation,” the coach said. “He runs to scramble out of the pocket, looks over, checks the chains to make sure he didn’t cross the line of scrimmage and then throws the ball to Lucas.

“Whipple doesn’t coach that. It’s (learned) year after year. He’s just a smart football player. It takes time to get that where you want it to be. He’s put the work in. He deserves what he’s getting right now.”

Pickett might be less concerned about Heisman voters than what those NFL decision makers are thinking. He might have been a fifth-round choice if he left college after the 2020 season. Now, he has a chance to take significant strides up draft boards.

“He’s made himself a lot of money coming back,” Narduzzi said.

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