PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The teams couldn't be closer in ranking with Pitt 15 and Wake Forest 16. They are both 10-2 on the season and when you look at their offensive numbers, both have quarterbacks having elite seasons.
Most know following the Panthers the amazing season Kenny Pickett is having in setting almost every Pitt offensive record. Wake Forest fourth-year sophomore Sam Hartman is having a year as well.
Hartman Rankings
· 9th in nation with 3,711 passing yds (Pickett 4,066)
· 9th in nation in pass TD with 34 (Pickett 40)
· 9th in nation in pass yds per game at 309.25 (Pickett 338.8)
· 2nd in pts responsible for w 268 (Pickett 264)
· 3rd in pts responsible for per game 22.3 (Pickett 22.0)
He's not alone as Wake Forest has a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in AT Perry (1112 yds.) and Jaquaril Robertson (1024 yds.). Perry is second to Pitt's Jordan Addison in receiving touchdowns with 13. Wake has a whole is averaging 42.9 points a game, 0.1 ahead of Pitt for third in the FBS.
They do all of this with a twist to their offense.
"They run a RPO, but it's a little different," said Pitt All-ACC linebacker Phil Campbell. "The quarterback will ride the mesh all the way down the line of scrimmage and he will pull it last minute and throw it or hand it off. We have to have gap integrity in the box and the linebackers and safeties have to be ready for the RPOs."
"When I look at what Wake Forest does," said Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi. "They do what they do and they perfect it and that's why they are where they are. They have mastered it. They do it their way. They don't do it like Clemson or Alabama, they do it the Wake Forest way. It's a unique way. They have mastered their way of doing it. That's the biggest thing, their kids believe it will be successful."
"Them as a program have mastered the RPO with the slow motion, the walk and everything," said First Team All-ACC defensive lineman Calijah Kancey. "They haven't seen anyone that run tracks like our defense, to get knocked back on the offensive lineman to disrupt the play."
That is the key for Pitt, to get into the Wake Forest backfield and cause Hartman to get out of rhythm. They have four players, including Hartman, who have gained over 439 yards on the ground this season. They have options.
Narduzzi and players believe the hard lessons learned defending the RPOs, especially against Western Michigan in a 44-41 September loss, have them ready for Saturday. Panthers think it exposed areas they needed to fix and have during the weeks after.
A son of a coach and former defensive coordinator, Narduzzi not surprisingly believes you win championships with defense. They have the confidence going into the title game they are going to do that.
"It's their own thing," said All-ACC defensive end Haba Baldonado. "We are perfect to go against it. I can't wait to show what we can do against that style of offense."
"Every week teams talk about their offenses, but our defense is elite as well," Kancey said. "We are going to stop them."
"We just got to go in there and execute," Campbell said. "We have a very good game plan defensively. I know the offense is going to take care of business. We are going in there to win and losing is not an option."
