2017 ACC Football: Coastal Division power rankings Week 13

Whatever You Say

At halftime of his Panthers game against Miami, Pat Narduzzi guaranteed an upset. “Whatever you say Narduzzi”, many probably thought as the Hurricanes had trailed before including by two touchdowns just the week before and would most assuredly come back.

Whatever you say indeed as the Panthers pulled the upset and beat Miami for the Canes first loss of the season. If coaching doesn’t work out for Pat Narduzzi maybe he should take up fortune telling instead.

For the Panthers to win this game, Coach Narduzzi had to make all the right moves and that started at quarterback. Narduzzi has had more issues finding his quarterback this season than even Larry Fedora did.

It started with USC transfer Max Browne before switching to Ben Dinucci and then back to Browne. An injury to Browne led Narduzzi back to Dinucci and a two game winning streak that seemed to reignite the Panthers season.

However, that was followed by two straight losses and Narduzzi facing a tough decision. With the season on the line and an undefeated team in front of them, the coach benched DInucci in favor of true freshman Kenny Pickett.

Pickett, who had seen action earlier in the season including the week before against Virginia Tech, did just enough to pull off the upset. The freshman quarterback finished with 193 passing yards and a touchdown on 62.1 percent passing.

He also rushed the ball 13 times for 60 yards and two more scores, including the game clincher with 6:10 remaining to put the Panthers up 17.

This was the second straight season Pitt had upset a second ranked ACC team. Last year it didn’t cost Clemson. Will it cost Miami like it did West Virginia back in 2007 who also lost to Pittsburgh as a second ranked squad?

Pittsburgh and Pat Narduzzi aren’t concerned about that; they got the win they wanted and needed. Now, like Georgia Tech, they have to wait and hope a bowl invitation gets extended despite a 5-7 season.