Pitt needs overtime to defeat North Carolina

Kenny Pickett vs. Sam Howell was advertised as a shootout between two of college football’s most prolific quarterbacks. Various betting parlors set the over/under points total for Pitt vs. North Carolina well into the ’70s.

Passes would fly. Records would shatter. Defenses would bow in embarrassment when it was all over.

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, a man who has built his reputation on defense, was tired of hearing it. So before the game Thursday night at Heinz Field, he gathered his defensive players around him and read them his gospel. Brief, but to the point.

’”Everybody’s talking about offense,’” he told his players. ‘You win championships with defense.’”

The Panthers didn’t win a championship Thursday night, and Pickett reminded everyone that “we have a lot of work to do.”

But fueled by five sacks, three fourth-down stops, backup cornerback M.J. Devonshire’s game-ending interception and an overall stout defensive effort, Pitt (8-2, 5-1 ACC) finally put away the Tar Heels, 30-23, in overtime in front of an announced crowd of 41,687.

Pitt’s lead over second-place Virginia (6-3, 4-2) in the ACC Coastal stands at one game and the Cavaliers will be at Heinz Field on Nov. 20 to settle that.

Meanwhile, Pitt can take a few days to recharge. And maybe get some injured players back in the lineup. Right guard Jake Kradel was hurt early in the game and didn’t return. Right tackle Gabe Houy, wide receivers Taysir Mack and Jaylon Barden and defensive tackle Keyshon Camp were also out with injuries.

Pitt led, 23-7, at halftime. But after Pickett’s touchdown pass to Jared Wayne with 4 minutes, 40 seconds left in the second quarter, the Panthers didn’t score again until heavy rain started to fall in overtime. That’s when Pickett, unconcerned about Krull’s drop early in the game, drilled his tight end with an 11-yard touchdown strike on the first possession of overtime.

When North Carolina (5-5, 3-4) took its turn in the extra session, Pitt cranked up the defensive pressure. On fourth down, Howell’s desperation pass, with linebacker Cam Bright bearing down on him, was intercepted by Devonshire.

A backup cornerback from Aliquippa, Devonshire was playing because A.J. Woods is injured. Yet, he didn’t let his lack of playing time earlier this season deter him.

“You have to give credit to my teammates,” he said. “All those guys, talking to me when I was down. Telling me to keep my head up. My dad always tells me when your number gets called, just go out and make sure you make a play. (Thursday) was my chance to finally make a play.”

With 36 scouts and executives from 21 NFL teams watching from the press box, Pickett completed 25 of 44 passes for 346 yards (244 in the first half) and three touchdowns. In the first quarter, he moved past Alex Van Pelt and became Pitt’s all-time leader in passing yardage (11,501). But he was sacked four times in the game, matching the previous season high in the Miami game.

Pitt’s offense was leading the nation in points per game (45), but needed overtime to reach 30, thanks in part to special teams gaffes — kicker Sam Scarton’s missed two field goals and an extra point — and an offense that repeatedly stalled after halftime.

But the defense kept the game close until the offense was finally able to score.

“It was our turn to help them out,” Devonshire said. “That’s what it’s about, brothers playing for your brother across from you.”

Said Narduzzi: ““That was a championship effort by our defense.”

No one on the Pitt sideline doubted that the Panthers would find a way to win.

“We said we’re going to get the ball and score,” Krull said. “Never a doubt.”

Pickett said the touchdown pass was merely a matter of finding a reward after months of hard work.

“It’s a play we’ve been oiling up for months,” Krull said. “Linebacker dropped into a hole and (Pickett) did a really good job of letting me get through that.”

“It feels great after you put a lot of work in like that,” Pickett said. “I’ve probably (thrown that pass) to him 100 times. I’m not even exaggerating. That’s why you work hard, why you put the hours in.”

But this was no perfect performance by the Panthers. There was a point in the fourth quarter when Pitt looked like it might lose

While Pitt was protecting a 23-20 lead with 5:26 left in the quarter, North Carolina linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel intercepted Pickett’s pass at the Pitt 35-yard line. The pass was intended for running back Izzy Abanikanda but tipped off his hands and those of a North Carolina defender before Gemmel secured it.

Again, Pitt’s defense stepped up. Howell, who threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns, moved North Carolina to the Pitt 2. The Tar Heels were pushed back 5 yards by a false start and ended up settling for Grayson Atkins’ game-tying, 20-yard field goal with 57 seconds left.

Narduzzi said there was talk among his coaches about allowing North Carolina to score a touchdown to give Pitt time to answer. But that just goes against the coach’s DNA.

“I was, like, I can’t do that. We’re going to stop them here,” he said. “Just incredible efforts by a bunch of guys.”

Said senior linebacker Phil Campbell III, who made a fourth-down stop on Howell early in the third quarter: “It was pretty crazy. It was in the rain. Crowd was screaming. We couldn’t hear some of our checks. We got it done.

“Everybody did their jobs. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”