Pitt blasts Wake Forest, wins 1st ACC crown
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Erick Hallett II saw the receiver running to his side and knew the ball was coming his way.
He cut in front to snag a jumping interception and began sprinting for the end zone with the ball clutched in his right hand — then extended the ball as he crossed the goal line for the touchdown that transformed No. 17 Pittsburgh’s lead into a rout.
It was the highlight on a night full of them for a defense that powered the Panthers to the first Atlantic Coast Conference championship in program history.
Hallett’s 19-yard score was one of Pittsburgh’s four interceptions to help the Panthers beat No. 18 Wake Forest 45-21 in Saturday night’s ACC title game. It came on the heels of A.J. Woods having a 75-yard interception return that fell only 3 yards short of taking it all the way for the score early in the fourth quarter. And it all came as the Panthers locked up the high-scoring Demon Deacons after the opening quarter and ultimately carried the Panthers to their first league title since leaving the Big East in 2013.
“In the second quarter we used that take-it mentality,” Woods said. “That was the word on our board this week: take it. Because that is what champions have to do, they take it.”
The Panthers (11-2) sure took all momentum from the Demon Deacons.
After surrendering touchdowns on three first-quarter possessions, Pittsburgh held Wake Forest scoreless for its last 13 drives while getting after Sam Hartman for five sacks to stymie the Demon Deacons’ tempo-controlling flow.
“They bowed up and we played some great coverage,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “Our guys made plays on the ball. I think we shook them up a little bit in the backfield and got them a little antsy. .... Our defense did a great job to shut them down.”
Hallett was game MVP with two interceptions.
Wake Forest (10-3) was back in the ACC title game for the first time since winning the 2006 championship. But the Demon Deacons finished with 295 total yards.
“It was just tough on us,” said receiver Jaquarii Roberson, who was Hartman’s target on Hallett’s TD return. “Pitt was playing really good defense and we just couldn’t get a flow going.”
That only made things easier on star quarterback Kenny Pickett and the offense. Pickett accounted for three touchdowns while Israel Abanikanda ran for two second-half TDs, one after Woods’ return.
“It’s not like we played an average football team and blew all these opportunities,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said. “They were good. A lot of errors today were because of how good Pitt is, and I give those guys all the credit.”
