ATLANTA — After a promising early touchdown drive in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, Pitt starting quarterback Nick Patti went back to the locker room with an injury.
Patti led the Panthers on a 12-play, 75-yard scoring march against MIchigan State that was capped off by a 16-yard touchdown run on 3rd and 4, but it came at a cost.
The redshirt junior appeared to be holding his left shoulder after he dove for the pylon on his touchdown run, and immediately went back to the injury tent and subsequently the locker room at the conclusion of the possession.
The injury moves the Panthers down to their third string quarterback after starter Kenny Pickett opted out of the game to begin preparing for the NFL Draft.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Davis Bellville replaced him after Patti went to the locker room. Belville has appeared in two games in the 2021 season, completing three out of his four pass attempts for 58 yards in September action against UMass and New Hampshire.
Pretty selfish on Pickett’s part in my opinion saying he had to prepare for the draft. That is in April. To me he let his team down, & then he is at the game?
Pickett, like all the other opt-outs around the country did not want to risk injury. Or as he stated in an interview, further injury since he finished the season with an undisclosed injury. As you might recall he had to leave the Virginia game with a leg injury. Seeing what happened to Patti it looks like he made a smart decision.