Pitt Football: 3 takeaways from overtime win over North Carolina

1. Pitt is in the driver’s seat in the Coastal

Sometimes it is simply about surviving and advancing. This game was the case for the Panthers tonight. On a night where Kenny Pickett became Pitt’s all-time leading passer, the Panthers needed every one of those yards.

Pitt still needs to defeat the Cavaliers to win the Coastal outright, but tonight’s win eliminates the Miami Hurricanes. Tonight would be a challenging game for the Tar Heels after their track meet victory against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Tonight’s game was supposed to be a shoot-out, but both defenses played well. The Panther defense was stout against the running game, allowing a meager 88 rushing yards, including 44 by Ty Chandler. The running game is the catalyst of the North Carolina offense.

Carolina’s inability to run the football stifled their offensive rhythm all night.

For Pitt, when North Carolina decided to play coverage, Pickett could not find any open receivers. The football gods were smiling down on the Panthers, however. It began to rain as the Tar Heels clawed back in the game at the end of the fourth quarter.

It was raining heavily by the time North Carolina had their possession in overtime. An interception later, Pitt is playing Virginia for the ACC Coastal next week. Tune in; it is going to be fun.