Kenny Pickett Arrives On National Stage

Spending basically every weekend of the college season on a college campus watching a college game, you tend to really want to be impressed by the players performing.

It is a letdown to invest an entire Saturday afternoon and see a bad display off football.

That is not the case watching Pitt Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett.

Is he the second coming of Dan Marino?

No.

He might not even amount to a better draft prospect than Nathan Peterman but on a college Saturday he is one tough S.O.B. and love watching him operate from the pocket.

A fearless competitor playing the quarterback position.

“I feel like some people have it and some people don’t,” said Kenny Pickett after catching not throwing the game winning pass to snap UCF’s 27-game winning streak and go ahead 35-34.

“I grew up coached hard, playing through pain. My dad did a great job of coaching me growing up. Pushing me to be ready for moments like that. So, when it comes its just another day. I just try to go out and be a leader.”

There is no question on the leadership and toughness Pickett brings to the Panthers. He finished the game with 224 passing yards and one touchdown pass. He ran the football effectively on the Knights to the tune of 12 carries for 61 yards. Then in miraculous fashion catching the game winning pass from receiver Aaron Mathews for three yards.”

Mathews and Pickett said the ‘Philly Special’ that the Eagles made famous in Super Bowl LII was something they’ve had incorporated in their offense since the second week of camp.

It was one of the more amazing plays in college football considering the circumstances. It was fourth down for Pitt. The game was one the line. The Knights 27 game winning streak in jeopardy. The was executed flawlessly and helped the Panthers upset the 15th ranked team in the nation.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi called it the ‘Pitt Special’ post-game when reflecting back on the play that helped Pitt prevail after giving up a 21-0-point lead to the Knights.

“Give credit to Pitt,” said Knights head coach Josh Heupel. “They played a good game and found a way to be plus-one on the scoreboard. This is going to hurt for a while, but we’ll get back on Monday and get back after it.”

This was a perfect stage for Pickett to capture some of the national attention paid to so many other deserving players in college football.

ESPN’s Jessie Palmer helped motivate the Panthers because Coach Narduzzi mentioned him in his press conference and Pickett mirrored what the coach said that it was something that the team took to heard and basically as an insult.

“It’s an easy win against Pitt every week,” said Pickett quoting the former Florida Gators quarterback and now television personality. “So, he said it last week and said it this week. So, we watch and use it as motivation.”

Pitt had an early lead up 21-0, then the Knights came storming back to take a 31-21 lead themselves. It looked as if the words spoken by Palmer were going to ring true after UCF started to click offensively.

“You talk about adversity,” said Narduzzi. “When things started to look bad in that second half, I think they might have scored four straight times after that fumble on our own 27-yard line, our guys hung in there and believed. And that’s what great football teams do. That’s what character does.”

Pickett would leave the game in the second half after taking a hit to his throwing shoulder. It came at a time in the game where the Knights were in control and it looked like with him leaving the game it would be the end for the Panthers.

“Kenny didn’t want to come out,” said Narduzzi. “I don’t even want to tell you what he said on the field, But I’m good. We just wanted to make sure he was good. So, we went in, just made sure we evaluated him. And he comes storming out of the locker room ready to roll.”

Fearless and tough and the national audience got the witness Pickett and his Panthers teammates shock college football this afternoon.

What did I tell you earlier in this piece?

It is such a wonderful thing to watch certain players elevate their game and play with such intensity. A survival of the fittest. Pickett plays hard and it showed today big-time.

Needless this to say this one was one of the better games I’ve seen in a while.

Anyone new to seeing Pickett will forever walk away with the memory of the gritty performance he put together in a great team win for the Panthers.

Photo Credit Mark Alberti