Narduzzi, team didn’t lose heart

plays off a card to taking snaps with the first team.

“We needed a little more time with him,” Narduzzi said of Pickett.

Pickett left no doubt he was ready against Miami, becoming Pitt’s first true freshman starter at quarterback since Pat Bostickled the shocking win against West Virginia in 2007. Pickett easily outplayed Hurricanes red shirt junior quarter back Mali kR osier, who had led his team to a 10-0 start and had Ufans thinking national championship. Pickett did it with his arm ,throwing for 193 yards and a touchdown with no intercept ions against a defense that camein with 17. He did it with his legs, running 13 times for 60 yardsand two touchdowns, including a 22-yard naked bootleg with2:54 left that gave Pitt a 24-7 lead.

“I wish we would have it called it last week,” Narduzzi said, wistfully.

And Pickett did it with his courage.Did you see the big hit he took after he hung in the pocket to complete a 29-yard passto Jester Weah in the thirdquarter? Did you see him on Pitt’s go-ahead touchdown drivein the second quarter whenhe ran over cornerback Malek Young to gain 7 yards ona third-and-6 play and then tooka monster hit from safety Jaquan Johnson as he scored a 6-yard touchdown?

“Kenny Pickett played lights out,” Narduzzi said. So did Pitt’s defense. Was that really Pitt’s defense that absolutely suffocated Miami’ s offense?

Narduzzi, who came from Michigan State after the 2014 season with a reputation of being a defensive genius, was widely ridiculed last season when Pitt gave up 45 points to Oklahoma State, 51 to Miami and 61 to Syracuse. There also were rough moments in Pitt home losses this season when the Panthers allowed 59 points to Oklahoma State, 35 to North Carolina State and 34 to North Carolina.

But the Pitt defense that lined up Friday was ridiculously young. It had only one senior starter, cornerback Avonte Maddox, who went out in style, by the way, with two sacks and a forced fumble that snuffed out Miami’s final hope of a comeback. Pitt held the Hurricanes to 193 total yards if you don’t count the 39 that came on a late touchdown pass after the game had been decided. It forced two three-and-outs after Pitt turnovers. It forced 10 punts. It had four sacks.

I have a feeling that a lot fewer critics will be ridiculing Narduzzi and his defense next season.

“Thisis going to be a great team,” Maddox said, clearly sad he won’t be a part of it. “They are young. They are talented. They want to compete every play. They don’t give up.

“Isee it every day at practice and I see it every day in the film room. When you are taking a lot of losses, you tend to give up and stop doing the things that you usually do. But they still putin 100 percent to this program.”

Narduzzi said the same thing, patting his assistant coaches on the back if not himself.

“When you’re winning and you’re 9-1 or 10-0, it’s easy to coach. It’s hard when you’ve got four wins going against the No. 2 team. Sometimes, you can lose your guys, but our coaching staff did a heck of a job. That’s coaching. The players trusted and believed. That kind of tells you what we have in that locker room.”

It all came together for Pitt onthe Heinz Field lawn on this gorgeous afternoon against the No. 2 team in America.

I can’t say for sure if Pitt fans already were looking ahead to next season when Pickett lined upin the victory formation for thefinal snap. All I know is they weres waying to the sweet strains of “Sweet Caroline” one finaltime in 2017.