PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Statistically the two best quarterbacks in the ACC and the game matched the numbers. Back from injury, Virginia's Brennan Armstrong threw for 487 yards. Kenny Pickett 340 yards and four touchdowns and Pickett's last clinched a 48-38 win and the ACC Coastal Championship for the 9-2, 6-1 Panthers.
The matchup had the lead-changes and ties similar to a college basketball game. Virginia grabbed the lead on an opening drive TD aided by a targeting penalty on SirVocea Dennis eliminating a third down stop. Armstrong to Keytaon Thompson from three yards out.
Pickett would find Jordan Addison from 11 yards out two drives later to tie it. Pickett would find Addison again from 18 yards before Mike Hollins ran it in from two-yards out to tie it at 14. That tie would last seconds as Israel Abanikanda returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a 21-14 Pitt lead. Sam Scarton hit a 36-yard field goal for the largest lead of the game, 24-14 Pitt. Armstrong to Jelani Woods late in the first half to cut the Panthers lead to three at half.
Virginia would tie it with a 30-yard field goal, set up by a Joey Blount interception of Pickett on the first series of the second half. Pickett hits Addison again, this time on a fourth-and-one for a 34-yard touchdown to put Pitt up seven. Virginia comes right back on a Thompson eight-yard TD run, it's 31-31. Sam Scarton followed with a 23-yard field goal. Pitt back on top.
We head to the fourth quarter, Panthers went on a 15-play drive that included plays missed by Pickett due to injury, an offsides on fourth-and-five to give Pitt a first and goal at the five. Freshman Rodney Hammond, Junior ran it in from a yard out to make it 41-31. It took the Cavaliers two plays to answer, Armstrong his third touchdown, first to Ra'Shaun Henry from 39-yards out to cut the lead to three.
Pickett sacked on third-and-two forcing a punt on the next drive. Panthers Calijah Kancey would tackle running back Devin Darrington for a 14-yard lost on a botched play to eventually force a Virginia punt with 3:47 to play.
Pitt facing a third-and-one from its own 37, Pickett threw a pass up to Addison. He came down with the combat catch and ran the rest of the way into the end zone to restore a 10-point lead.
"He (Virginia defensive back) almost had it," Addison said. "I just had to go get it. We've been working on that play all week in practice."
"Jordan did a great job of adjusting," Pickett said. "I was thinking we were going to get a hold or a PI and I wanted to make sure I gave him a chance. He did the rest, caught it and went to the house. He had a heck of a game."
"When that ball was thrown, we thought it was going to be intercepted," said senior linebacker John Petrishen. "He snatched it out of the air and made the play of the game for sure."
A stop on fourth-and-two from their own 14-yard line ended the game.
It's the 13th second half rally in Pat Narduzzi's career at Pitt and his second ACC Championship.
"To be able to have my family come down, see them and my girlfriend saw me play for the first time in person," Pickett said. "Couldn't ask for a better ending at Heinz."
Addison Climbing
As Pickett's numbers grow, so do Addison's. The sophomore receiver had four touchdown catches on Saturday. That's 15 on the season moving him past Antonio Bryant and Terry Murphy for third place on the Pitt single season TD list. Julius Dawkins (1981) is next with 16 and Larry Fitzgerald (2003) had 22.
His fourth touchdown late in the game tied him Dawkins and Billy Davis for most TD receptions in a game.
Addison finished with 14 receptions for 202 yards. That moves Addison past Antonio Bryant for third on the receptions in a game record book. It also moves Addison past Tyler Boyd for fourth on the single season receiving yards list with 1,272.
"I had a great night," Addison said. "But I'm always going to try to go in the film room and look at what I could have done better."
House Call
Pitt had it's first kickoff return for a touchdown since 2018. Tailback Israel Abanikanda went 98 yards midway through the second quarter to give Pitt the lead back, 21-14. Maurice Ffrench went 99-yards in 2018 against Notre Dame, the last 'house call' for the Panthers.
Senior Sack
One of 24 seniors introduced before the game, Deslin Alexandre, with a half a sack before the game started, finished with 2.5 sacks. For his career, the 6'4" Florida native has 11 sacks.
Calijah Kancey had 1.5 sacks, in his first year as a full-time starter, the sophomore from Miami has 6.5 on the season.
Up Next
Panthers close the regular season Saturday at Syracuse. ACC has will not announce the game time until Sunday.
