Kenny Pickett, news flash, can throw the ball. But Pitt, which doesn’t run all that much, can run it well when it does, and on the defensive end, the Panthers can get after the QB, and defend downfield.
Pitt leads the ACC in sacks (3.6 per game), generating 18.3 QB pressures per game. This, along with tight coverage on the outside, is trouble for opposing QBs, that 44-41 loss to Western Michigan that makes less sense every week notwithstanding.
Against the run, Pitt is second in the ACC (105.2 yards per game, 3.1 yards per carry).
Running the ball themselves, the Panthers, like I said, don’t run it much – 38.3 times a game, eighth in the ACC – but they run it well, between the tackles and around the edges.
Which makes it hard to stack the box to stop the aforementioned Pickett, who leads the ACC in passer efficiency (169.6), throwing for 3,517 yards, 32 TDs and four INTs.
Deep dive: Kenny Pickett
Opponents have blitzed Pickett on 33.1 percent of his dropbacks. On those, he has a 66.1 percent completion rate, for 1,149 yards, 17 TDs/0 INTs, and a 135.4 NFL passer rating.
You want to send extra guys? Beware.
Pitt doesn’t play-action all that much – 22.4 percent of Pickett’s dropbacks, on which he’s had a 62.5 percent completion rate for 860 yards, 13 TDs/2 INTs, and a 125.0 NFL passer rating.
Offensive coordinator Mark Whipple is smart enough to keep his guy healthy – Pickett has only had 10 designed runs in 10 games, for 39 yards.
Scrambles: 45, for 319 yards.
Receivers/tight ends
The top target is wideout Jordan Addison – 60 catches/90 targets, 1,070 yards.
On passes that travel 20+ yards in the air, Addison has 15 catches on 26 targets for 569 yards and six TDs.
Watch him deep.
The rest:
- WR Jared Wayne: 37 catches/49 targets, 55 yards, 4 TDs
- WR Taysir Mack: 27 catches/47 targets, 461 yards, 3 TDs
- TE Lucas Krall: 27 catches/42 targets, 329 yards, 6 TDs
- WR Shocky Jacques-Louis: 20 catches/28 targets, 209 yards, 1 TD
Ground game
Tailback Israel Abanikanda is the featured back: 106 carries for 561 yards, 5.3 yards per carry, 5 TDs
Abanikanda also has 22 catches on 28 targets for 185 yards out of the backfield.
He gets the bulk of his yards around the edges – 46 carries for 317 yards and four TDs around left end and right end.
The backups:
- Rodney Hammond: 61 carries/354 yards, 5.8 yards/att, 4 TDs; 3 catches/6 targets, 15 yards
- Vincent Davis: 94 carries/332 yards, 3.5 yards/att, 4 TDs; 19 catches/22 targets, 105 yards
Where Pitt attacks on the ground:
- ML-MR: 89 carries/347 yards
- LG-RG: 52 carries/279 yards
- RT-LT: 43 carries/178 yards
- RE-LE: 99 carries/588 yards
- Jet sweeps: 13 carries/63 yards
Defense
Pitt attacks the QB, and puts its corners up to the line of scrimmage to try to make it hard for wideouts to get clean breaks into their routes.
Pressure
- DE Habakkuk Baldonado: 30 pressures, 9 sacks
- DT Calijah Kancey: 25 pressures, 5 sacks
- DE John Morgan: 18 pressures, 4 sacks
- LB Cam Bright: 15 pressures, 5 sacks
- LB Phil Campbell: 14 pressures, 5 sacks
Secondary
- CB Damarri Mathis: 24 catches/49 targets, 288 yards, 2 TDs/2 INTS, 64.0 NFL passer rating
- CB Marquis Williams: 15 catches/27 targets, 214 yards, 0 TDs/0 INTs, 81.4 NFL passer rating
- CB Erick Hallett: 46 catches/72 targets, 613 yards, 4 TDs/1 INT, 103.5 NFL passer rating
- S Brandon Hill: 19 catches/26 targets, 308 yards, 4 TDs/1 INT, 135.9 NFL passer rating
Kicking game
Kickoff specialist Ben Sauls has 32 touchbacks and eight fair catches on 78 kickoffs. Opponents average 23.1 yards per return on his kickoffs.
Placekicker Sam Scarton is 50-of-53 on extra points and 11-of-14 field goals – 3-of-4 40+, 0-of-1 50+.
Punter Kirk Christodoulou averages 41.5 yards per punt with a 38.2-yard net average, with 13 of his 39 punts downed inside the 20.
Story by Chris Graham
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