Pitt rolls over UMass in opener

The numbers were so outrageous — 597 yards, 35 first downs, seven touchdowns and 51 points — that Pitt’s opening day victory against UMass didn’t ever look like a fair fight.

The defensive line overwhelmed and overran the UMass offensive line and quarterback Kenny Pickett propped up the offense with his arm in a 51-7 Pitt victory.

“The defense was pretty nasty,” coach Pat Narduzzi said.

But he also likened the game to a scrimmage.

“This was a good scrimmage. Scrimmage No. 3. We only had two during camp,” he said.

But Pickett knew he was in a battle. He took a vicious shot to the chest that got UMass linebacker Gerrell Johnson ejected in the second quarter.

And he also knew the other truth: It’s time to forget the outcome and get ready for a hostile environment next Saturday at Tennessee.

“I hope they enjoyed it,” Pickett said of the announced crowd of 41,486. “We put on a show. We’ll flush it and get ready for next week.

“We came in. We did what we knew we were going to do. That was the goal — to go in there and handle business. We handled business. We have a really tough road test against a really good team. I think it gave some guys some confidence, but you have to put the work this week and get prepared.”

Defeating a UMass team that played only four games last season reveals little about Pitt. Other than the fact that the Panthers had plenty of playmakers on offense on this day.

Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who had one of Pitt’s five sacks, saw the victory manifest itself early in the eyes of the UMass offensive linemen.

“There were times those guys’ eyes got big and weren’t on the same page, and we took advantage of that,” he said. “Basically, I took a risk (on his sack when he beat two blockers). Either you make it, or you don’t. I ended up making it. The guy was slow off the ball. The guard was light on his feet.”

In distinct contrast to last season when All-American defensive ends Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver spearheaded the pass rush, linebackers collected four sacks. John Petrishen, who combines the athleticism of a safety with enough bulk to play linebacker, had two sacks. Wendell Davis and Phil Campbell III had one each.

It was no game for the timid, and Pickett showed what tight end Lucas Krull called “the heart of a lion” when he missed only one play after he was leveled by Johnson.

“Took a second to get my wind back,” Pickett said. “I was good to go. It comes with the job.”

“You go to war with that guy every day,” said Krull, who had five catches for 58 yards.

Pickett completed 27 of 37 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns (to Krull and wide receiver Jordan Addison). He also displayed quick thinking in the first quarter when he saw the middle open up, faked a handoff to running back Izzy Abanikanda and kept the football himself for an 18-yard gain to the 5-yard line. That set up Pitt’s first touchdown.

“It’s a read,” Pickett said. “We’ll open up the offense more and more as we go.”

Backups Nick Patti and Davis Beville completed 7 of 8 for 103 yards, and Patti added a 9-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

“He’s confident and made good decisions,” Narduzzi said of Patti. “He didn’t like where he was going to throw it and tucks it and goes.”

Overall, Pitt scored five touchdowns on the ground, with A.J. Davis, Abanikanda, Vincent Davis and Daniel Carter also crossing the goal line.

Freshman Rodney Hammond didn’t score, but he was Pitt’s leading rusher with eight carries for 44 yards.

The outcome was decisive, but Pitt’s performance wasn’t always pretty.

An alignment penalty, a lost fumble by A.J. Davis and a dropped pass in the end zone by Taysir Mack kept the score 23-0 at halftime.

“We did some things to slow us down,” Narduzzi said of the warts that developed. That included a snap over the head of Patti that led to a fumble recovery by UMass defensive lineman Avlen Peah and the Minutemen’s only touchdown.

“Nick changes the play and Owen (Drexel, the center) thought he said, `Hike,’ ” Narduzzi said.

Added Pickett: “It’s the first game. It’s not always going to be perfect. I told the guys (at halftime) to keep their heads up. We felt like we left two touchdowns out there, minimal. The goal was to come out in the second half fast and put them away early.

“It shows signs of growth. It’s something early in my career we didn’t do here.”

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