Underdog Tigers facing a complete team in Pitt

Vonta Bentley takes aim at Kenny Pickett last season.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Wed Oct 20 08:00:06 GMT-04:00 2021

CLEMSON – No. 24 Clemson has struggled to beat even lesser opponents this season, and the opposition gets better this week when they take on a Pitt team that head coach Dabo Swinney says is the most complete team the Tigers have played since Georgia.

The Tigers (4-2, 3-1) are a 3.5-point underdog to the Panthers. The two teams will square off at 3:30 p.m. ET in a game televised by ESPN.

Pitt boasts the nation's No. 3 scoring offense, averaging an ACC-best 48.3 points per game. Clemson is second nationally in scoring defense, yielding an ACC-low 12.5 points. Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett has thrown 21 touchdowns against only one interception. Pickett's TD pass total—already a single-season personal high—ranks fourth in the nation and first in the ACC.

With 854 career completions, Pickett needs just 14 against Clemson to eclipse the all-time Pitt record held by Alex Van Pelt (867 from 1989-92). Pickett is averaging 23.83 completions per game to rank 10th nationally and second in the ACC.

Swinney loves what he sees out of Pickett, who has been in the Pitt program since 2017.

"When Pitt's quarterback scrambles, it usually leads to a big play. He keeps them on schedule. It's a very physical group. We have to match that. They have a top 10 offense in several categories,” Swinney said.

"Defensively, they lost two ends from last year but have a lot of experience, still. They're very physical. No. 8 (Calijah Kancey) is one of the more disruptive players we have seen on tape. He is a guy who knows how to play the game. They are an aggressive group. They will force the issue. They don't give you a chance to figure things out. They are a 4-3, press-man kind of team. They have a lot of experience in the secondary. No. 21 (Damarri Mathis) is a great player. They're very aggressive at linebacker. This is a complete team."

Swinney said Pickett is playing with the confidence of a senior leader who has been around the program for six years.

"Their offensive line is a very experienced group now and he's playing with a lot of confidence behind them,” he said. “He is a sixth-year guy, very well-coached and very confident. There is no greater teacher than experience. He is applying all the lessons he has learned throughout his career. He understands all the nuances. He is an NFL player. There's no doubt about that."

Defensive coordinator Brent Venables compares Pickett to former LSU star Joe Burrow.

"(Pickett's) a lot like Joe Burrow from experience, calmness, accuracy and can run, makes all the right decisions, having a heck of a year," Venables said. "He's got a good compliment of players around him like Joe did and a good system that takes advantage of his skill set. Thinking about the most recent guys, he's probably the best comparison.

"He's really good. He's going to play in the NFL. We've seen some really good quarterbacks over the years and we've been beaten by them, like (former Ohio State QB) Justin Fields a year ago to guys that we have defended well."

Clemson defeated Pitt 52-17 last season in Death Valley in what was the last home game for quarterback Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne. Lawrence threw for 403 yards and two touchdowns while Cornell Powell had six receptions for 176 yards as the Tigers scored 31 points in the first quarter.

"We turned them over. They had some inexperienced linemen. Pickett is a rhythm thrower,” Swinney said. “You can't let him get comfortable. He's too good. He has seen every coverage. He's like Skalski playing linebacker. He's got really good players around him. We turned them over early last year and then we made some big plays, huge plays. The turnovers were critical. We were able to get some pressure on him."