The ACC Championship game between Pittsburgh and Wake Forest started out as a shootout between two of the top offensive team in the country. It ended as a defensive game for Pitt as the Panthers stepped up big in the second half in the 45-21 victory.
Both teams combined to score 35 points in the first quarter as the Demon Deacons lead 21-14 after one period. Wake Forest scored on its first three possession before the Pitt defense held them scoreless on the next 13 possessions. Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman was intercepted four times and sacked five times during that stretch.
Hartman started the day with three first quarter touchdowns (two passing, one rushing).
Pitt broke took a 24-21 lead late in the third quarter with three consecutive interceptions of Hartman passes, turning them into touchdowns.
Pittsburgh defensive back Erick Hallett II, selected the game’s MVP, had a pick-six with 11:42 left in the contest. Hallett jumped in front of Hartman’s pass intended for Jaquarii Roberson and sprinted for the 19-yard TD return.
A.J. Woods had a 75-yard interception return that fell just three yards short of taking it all the way for a score early in the fourth quarter. That was the highlight sequence in a strong defensive performance that locked down the high-scoring Demon Deacons offense.
Panther’s quarterback Kenny Pickett, the ACC Player of the Year and a Heisman Trophy candidate, had a strong game. He accounted for three touchdowns, including a dazzling 58-yard scoring run in which he stutter-stepped near the 40 as though he was going to slide then took off around pulling-up defenders the rest of the way to the end zone. He also threw two touchdown passes and broke the ACC single-season touchdown passing record previously held by Clemson’s Deshaun Watson.
With his first quarter touchdown pass Pickett surpassed Dan Marino to become the career passing touchdown leader at Pittsburgh with his 80th career touchdown pass.
After the game Pickett was asked if he had played his last game at Pitt and he said that he planned to play in the bowl game.
Pittsburgh (11-2) will next play in a New Year’s Six bowl game as the ACC champion. The Panthers will face Michigan State in the Chick Fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30.
Wake Forest was back in the ACC title game for the first time since winning the 2006 championship. But the Demon Deacons finished with only 295 total yards, just 109 of those coming after the opening quarter.
The Demon Deacons (10-3) earned a trip to the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., and will face No. 25 Texas A&M at 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 31.
