Twitter Reaction: Pitt’s Defense Can’t Stop Miami’s Offense, Loses 38-34

Pitt’s road to the ACC Championship Game hit a speedbump on Saturday as the Panthers defense failed to show up losing to Miami, 38-34. Canes freshman quarterback Tyler Van Dyke carved apart the Pitt secondary as he passed for 426 yards and 3 TD’s. Pitt’s record falls to 6-2 and 3-1 in the Coastal Division, but they remain in first place. Pitt fans obviously are unhappy especially with this defensive performance.

If throwing for 500 yards in game lost by your defense makes a QB less worthy, that says all you need to know about how overrated the award is. Of course, Larry Fitzgerald not winning it proved that.

— John Steigerwald (@Steigerworld) October 30, 2021

Seven seasons in, finally blessed with a Heisman-caliber QB, and a defense-first coach loses a potentially landmark season by giving up 3 TDs on the first 3 drives. In just 10 plays.

— Chris Mack (@THEChrisMack) October 30, 2021

The sky isn’t falling in Pittsburgh. And there’ll be overreactions. But there’s plenty of reason to be worried. The defense with missed tackles. Poor coverage across the board. Penalties.

I expected one more trip up on the way. Just can’t lose to Virginia.

— Nick Farabaugh (@Nick_Farabaugh) October 30, 2021

Miami S James Williams on Pickett:
"That was a heck of a quarterback. He made some amazing throws that had me shocked back there. That's a top draft guy. So I wasn't expecting him to come in and give us the game. We had to go out there and earn it. Like I said, that kid good."

— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) October 30, 2021

I was incensed with the officials today but there was plenty of blame to go around: bone headed penalties from experienced players, interceptions and endless drive killing penalties. #H2P 🔵🟡🔵🟡

— Harry G. Psaros (@PittGuru) October 30, 2021

Hey refs. You saw this and still spotted the ball. Stick to your day job. https://t.co/NUTy6NBVQd

— Scotty Meru (@scottymeru) October 30, 2021

You can talk about the no-call safety all you want but the fact is, Pitt was a 9.5-point favorite at home against a 3-4 team and gave up 31 points in the first 30 minutes. And that wasn’t due to bad calls.

— Chris Mueller (@ChrisMuellerPGH) October 30, 2021

The flea flicker with Krull was the most ill advised play of the game,especially when ya have Kenny,and the throw proved it.

— Dave Yazz (@dyarksky) October 30, 2021

*extremely sports journalist voice* YOU CAN POINT TO THE REFS ALL YOU WANT BUT faaaart noise

Sorry you’re not convincing me that if that’s a safety and Pitt gets the ball down 1 they don’t win that. Whatevs, fix the defense and win out

— Chris (@ThunderPittRoad) October 30, 2021

Kenny Pickett has thrown for 901 yards and 9 TDs in Pitt’s two losses.

— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) October 30, 2021

Narduzzi puzzles me sometimes. If it’s not the offense that’s struggling, it’s the defense, or the other way around. Gotta put it all together. 10-2 is very possible, but they gotta make the corrections to stop UVA and UNC passing attacks.

— JJ Kitchen (@JJ_Kitchen40) October 30, 2021

Several things can be true at once:
1.) ACC officials are just awful.
2.) Even if it was a safety, Pitt still needed another score.
3.) Even after the blown call — you can’t let Miami out of that field position. HAVE to make a stop.
4.) ACC officials are just so bad. https://t.co/HG4XlSD6O3

— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) October 30, 2021

38-31 1st and goal from the 5 and Mark Whipple kills the Pitt offense you Kenny Pickett and you call no runs/ a fade to a running back and a trick play with Krull throwing…. That was a huge moment in this game 38-38 should have been the result not a field goal and down 38-34

— RickeyShifko (@RickeyShifko) October 30, 2021

I appreciate all the Pitt fans yelling about the officiating. There were bad calls all day. But if you’re Pitt, you can’t play that poorly on D and make critical mistakes on offense with multiple chances to take the lead – bad officiating or not. https://t.co/Jy29TirnZk

— Andrea Adelson (@aadelsonESPN) October 30, 2021

Alright. Penn State/Ohio State later this evening.

— EdOBrienCFB (@EdOBrienCFB) October 30, 2021

I hate it when referees make themselves a prominent part of the outcome of a game #H2P 🏈 pic.twitter.com/CdYzK76B2o

— Jeff Verszyla (@Verz) October 30, 2021

Narduzzi & Harbaugh should go out for a beer together tonight & compare notes! Their coaching careers have mirrored one another!!

— Dave Fuhrman (@CoachFuhrman) October 30, 2021

Whipple refusing to run the ball in the first half put the defense in bad spots- defense not tackling and missing tackles hurt not getting off the field on 3rd downs and then the PI taking away the Mathis pick on top of #Pitt self inflicted mistakes all hurt then the safety call

— RickeyShifko (@RickeyShifko) October 30, 2021

Miami coach Manny Diaz on Kenny Pickett:

"Kenny Pickett, he is that guy. He was special."

— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) October 30, 2021

Narduzzi is supposed to be a defensive wizard and his defense blows year after year. They made some scrub look like Tom Brady out there today.

— Boreas (@DaveSk7714) October 30, 2021

Pitt needs to win out to win the Coastal. Very tight margins to win it.

— JJ Kitchen (@JJ_Kitchen40) October 30, 2021

It’s gotta kill Narduzzi as a defensive minded coach that anything close to competence defensively today and versus W Michigan and his team would be 8-0. Awful.

— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) October 30, 2021

Pitt should still have a 10 win season this year.

Pitt should still win the ACC.

Pitt should still appear in a NY6 bowl.

Pitt should still end the year ranked.

The sky isn’t falling everyone.

— Logan Carney (@Media_Carnival) October 30, 2021

Pitt still in control of its own destiny in the Coastal even w/the loss but man … when you put up 587 yards you'd like to think it's gonna enough to win.

It wasn't.

Grumble about officiating if you like but … that's second time D has given up 490+ yds at home in 2021.

— Will Graves (@WillGravesAP) October 30, 2021

If Pitt wins out they still win the coastal. If they win the ACC, they get in a NY6 bowl automatically.

The season is far from over.

— Logan Carney (@Media_Carnival) October 30, 2021

We’re the refs awful and did they certainly hurt Pitt a lot? Yup. Hell yeah.

But this loss showcased problems far beyond the refs to be quite honest. Defense has issues. Pickett had an off game, too.

But they’re talented. Easy to get too on this team, too.

— Nick Farabaugh (@Nick_Farabaugh) October 30, 2021

Pitt had opportunities to win this game. Pickett interception was a huge turning point. Also refs were the worst I think I’ve ever witnessed. That’s was a 100000000000000000% a safety

— Rich Walsh KDKA (@RichieWalsh) October 30, 2021

Besides 2016 I don’t remember the last time we beat Miami 😡

— Aaron Mathews (@Mathews_A1) October 30, 2021

Just an absolutely atrocious officiating effort today. Bad defensive effort. But Miami got 21 points off of refs calls/extending drives. And now the refs just costed Pitt the game after missing both a safety and a fourth down stop. Shit should be raining down in the field rn

— Pissed off Mark Whipple (@coach__whipple) October 30, 2021

I’ve been saying that Pitt’s defense wasn’t good enough for the CFP. Now ya’ll know why.

Ya’ll shouldn’t get that upset by this. They still have a 1 game lead on the division and will likely win the ACC.

Root for an ACC title and NY6 Bowl. They were never a CFP team.

— Logan Carney (@Media_Carnival) October 30, 2021

Pitt football 100% pain… never a doubt

— Harrlos (@zjharr) October 30, 2021

These ACC refs did everything they could to help Pitt lose this game

— Kody Duncan (@TalkPirates) October 30, 2021

In what world is that not a safety?!?

— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) October 30, 2021

Safety? pic.twitter.com/W8VOQMhOMC

— Cam Mellor (@CamMellor) October 30, 2021