Pitt Football: 3 takeaways from overtime win over North Carolina

2. This was a very Pitt game

The Panthers began this game like a house of fire, scoring the first 17 points of the game. Quarterback Kenny Pickett started the game, completing 12 of his first 14 passes. North Carolina looked overwhelmed by the Panthers’ tempo and spread attack.

The Tar Heels dialed back the pressure and dropped seven or eight into coverage, forcing Pickett to be patient and find underneath receivers. Ironically, when the Tar Heels played coverage, the pass rush could get home on Pickett.

After the Panthers’ hot start, Pitt did not score again until overtime. Pickett struggled against North Carolina’s coverage and pass rush most of the game.

Defensively, the Panthers gave up chunk plays, allowing the Tar Heels back into the game. Wide receiver Antoine Green had a 76-yard touchdown reception and Josh Downs had a 46-yard catch to set up a go-ahead score.

The Panthers looked up and found themselves in a tie game at the end of regulation. The rains game toward the end of the third quarter. It was a downpour by the start of overtime.

Amid the downpour, Pickett found the tight end, Lucas Krull, for the touchdown on their first possession of overtime. It looked like a monsoon by the time North Carolina’s first possession of overtime came about.

The Pitt pass rush, which was silent most of the night, came up big during the Tar Heels’ possession, pressing Howell into mistakes to end the game.