Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh Football News: Draft Scout Player News

09/21/19 - QB Kenny Pickett, rSr/2022, Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Mark Whipple installed the play he dubbed "Pitt Special" during the second week of training camp. Whipple had his first-stringers run it once against the starting defense and it worked. So he made sure the Panthers practiced it during Thursday walkthroughs and tucked it in his back pocket just in case. Just in case arrived late Saturday afternoon with Pitt trailing 15th-ranked UCF by six and a minute to go. Facing fourth-and-2 at the UCF 3, an official came over and told Whipple the Panthers could still get a first down if they got to the 1. "Nah, we're going to score," Whipple said. In way that could prove to be the turning point in Pitt's season. UCF's, too.

Running back A.J. Davis took a direct snap from center, ran to his left and flipped the ball to Aaron Mathews, who was heading right. Matthews, a former high school quarterback, thought he might have to make a run at the pylon. When two UCF defenders closed in, Mathews pulled up and found quarterback Kenny Pickett in the end zone, giving the Panthers a euphoric 35-34 victory. "Kenny claims he has the best hands on the team," Mathews said with a smile. "He's one for one." One very big one. On a day Pickett threw for 224 yards and a score and added 61 on the ground despite exiting for a couple of series late in the third quarter after bruising his right (throwing) shoulder, his heady decision to find a spot in the UCF zone defense and wait for the ball ended UCF's 25-game regular-season winning streak. UCF had won 27 of its last 28 overall, including the Knights' American Athletic Conference championship game victories the last two years along with their Fiesta Bowl loss to LSU last year. - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

rSr/2022