Mark Richt has watched Kenny Pickett’s career at Pitt with special interest. After all, he was there when it started.
And the memory is one he’d prefer to forget.
Richt was the coach at Miami in 2017, undefeated and ranked second in the nation. Pickett was a first-year freshman, with zero starts.
“We go to Pitt,” said Richt, now an analyst on the ACC Network after 18 seasons as the head coach at Georgia and Miami. “Pitt’s like 4-7 or something at the moment. We go in there and get our butts beat (24-14) and he plays his tail off.
“Just a gutsy performance, throwing and running the football (253 total yards and three touchdowns) and taking some shots and getting up and showing his teammates his physical and mental toughness.
“I like Pickett. I don’t like what he did that day, but I do think he’s a very good player. I think he’s very tough-minded.”
Richt said Pickett and Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi are a perfect match.
“Coach Narduzzi is a tough coach, period,” Richt said. “Defensive-minded guy, hard-nosed guy. He doesn’t pull any punches. I think Kenny Pickett is the right quarterback for him. Some guys aren’t able to handle that type of coaching.”
Former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel, also an ACC Network analyst, joined Richt and former Clemson offensive lineman Eric Mac Lain on a conference call with reporters Wednesday.
“We need to put more respect on his name,” Manuel said. “This dude’s still a 3,000-yard passer (3,098 last season).”
Mac Lain agreed while adding this warning, “The (Pitt) run game is going to have to improve.”
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