Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett entered this weekend as one of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy. While he turned in a record-setting performance with 519 yards passing and three touchdowns against Miami on Saturday, but it wasn’t enough to keep the No. 17 Panthers undefeated in ACC play.
Heisman implications will be a back-burner issue for Pitt after Miami freshman QB Tyler Van Dyke led the Hurricanes to a dramatic 38-34 win in Heinz Field. Van Dyke didn’t exactly match Pickett’s stats, but his 428 yards passing and three touchdowns powered the ‘Canes effort in a game where neither side finished with more than 70 yards rushing. The dueling quarterbacks — one a graduate student, the other a second-year freshman — took over as the featured matchup early in the game. While Pickett had more yards, it was Van Dyke who finished with the win.
“Last four games, this team showed a lot of fight. We know we’re one of the best teams in the conference, despite what our record was. This team has a lot of confidence right now and we’re not done yet,” Van Dyke told ESPN after the game.
The game was littered with penalties, replay reviews and numerous controversies, giving the contest a strange feeling as early as the first quarter. Both teams had more penalty yards than rushing yards with handfuls of personal fouls assessed on both sides throughout the afternoon. The boos rained down on the officials as Pitt felt the game sliding away in the fourth quarter, particularly when Miami got two favorable calls on the game’s final possession.
First, Miami running back Jaylon Knighton was ruled down at the 1-yard line when it appeared as though Pitt’s defense may have tackled him in the end zone for a safety. Later on that same drive, tight end Will Mallory fumbled backwards out of bounds after a reception that had gained enough yards to be a game-sealing first down. The spot of the ball after the fumble was reviewed extensively, and when the ‘Canes were awarded the first down, it was good enough to kneel out the remaining time on the clock.
Ultimately, the reason Miami had the opportunity to even have those calls break its way was one of the biggest mistakes of the game, the second of two Pickett interceptions. Pickett’s first pick was a stellar play by Miami defensive back Tyrique Stevenson, but the blame for the second falls at the feet of the quarterback.
Pickett was riding high after marching the offense from its own 5 all the way Miami 23 in the final minutes of the game. Just as the situation seemed primed for Pickett to have a Heisman moment with a game-winning touchdown, he took a sack on first down and then threw an interception on second down, missing wide receiver Jordan Addison at the 4-yard line.
It’s a heartbreaking finale to an otherwise noteworthy game for Pickett, who set a new single-game school record with his 519 passing yards and passed Dan Marino for most touchdowns in school history.
Miami has played in nothing but one-score games against ACC opponents, and Saturday was a continuation of the tide turning following last week’s 31-30 win against NC State. The emergence of true and redshirt freshman as the key contributors to the team’s success has been the main point coach Manny Diaz has been selling regarding the bright future of the Hurricanes.
At 0-2 in ACC play, Diaz began facing significant pressure on a week-by-week basis regarding his job status. Now with two straight wins against ranked opponents, Miami is not only playing its best football of the season but back in the mix of the crowded ACC Coastal race thanks to this head-to-head win against the first-place Panthers.
As for Pitt, a fall from the top 25 is almost certain but the status as the frontrunner in the division remains. Pitt should be the favorite in all four of its remaining games: at Duke, vs. North Carolina, vs. Virginia, at Syracuse. If they win out, the Panthers will be in Charlotte playing for the ACC title on Dec. 4. One additional loss brings Miami back into the picture and further hurts any chances for individual honors for Pickett at the end of the year.
