Izzy Abanikanda had a great day on the football field. Virginia Tech’s defense did not.
Pitt’s junior running back ran over and around the Hokies, scampering up and down the field at Acrisure Stadium in the Steel City on Saturday. When the dust settled, Abanikanda had racked up a bunch of impressive stats and wrote his name in the record books with a Sharpie – putting his name alongside incredible college football running backs such as Ricky Williams and Tony Dorsett.
Abanikanda totaled an eye-popping 320 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 36 carries. That’s an average of 8.9 yards per carry. That’s a spectacular performance regardless of the rest of the game.
Pitt and @ACCFootball History ✨
SIX. TOUCHDOWNS. @IAbanikanda
📺 @ACCNetwork #H2P » #BeatVT pic.twitter.com/a9eIzJ2G6i
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) October 8, 2022
Here’s are the marks Abanikanda set, or broke:
- He’s the first player from a team in a Power 5 conference to rush for more than 300 yards and six touchdowns since Williams did for Texas in 1998.
- He joined Willis McGahee of Miami as the only players to rush for more than five touchdowns against Virginia Tech.
- He broke Dorsett’s single-game rushing record for a Pitt running back. Dorsett rushed for 303 yards against Notre Dame in 1975.
- He set the ACC record for the most rushing touchdowns by a player in a single game. And Abanikanda was just 19 yards shy of the single game ACC record for rushing yards, set by Boston College’s Andre Williams in 2013.
- It’s the most rushing yards Virginia Tech has given up to a single player in one game – ever. North Carolina’s Gio Bernard held the previous mark, with 262 rushing yards in 2012.
It was, indeed, an absurdly awesome day for Abanikanda. And for Pitt football too – which covered the 14.5-point spread in this game thanks to Abanikanda’s final touchdown run.
It’s worth taking another look at that scamper, and his other scores.
Dude has wheels 😮💨@IAbanikanda | @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/Rs8kjKG9Vc
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) October 8, 2022
How in the world did @IAbanikanda make it out of this 😮 @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/QhSAdinty6
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) October 8, 2022
Not one … not two … but THREE TDs for Izzy 💪 @IAbanikanda | @Pitt_FB pic.twitter.com/tpFs69OI58
— ACC Network (@accnetwork) October 8, 2022
History in the making 🖐️@IAbanikanda is one rushing TD away from the Pitt and @ACCFootball record.
📺 @ACCNetwork #H2P » #BeatVT pic.twitter.com/MsnszqwYky
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) October 8, 2022
You might remember that Pitt had a prolific Kenny Pickett-powered passing attack last season that led the Panthers to their first ACC title.
In the offseason, prickly Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi chased former offensive coordinator Mark Whipple off to Nebraska and replaced him with Frank Cignetti Jr., formerly of Boston College. It’s clear that this version of Pitt isn’t all that interested in running an offense that relies on passing, as the Panthers are averaging just 167 yards through the air per game this season, compared to 337.4 passing yards per game last season under the direction of Pickett and Whipple.
Good thing is Pitt doesn’t have to worry about passing all that much with a running back like Abanikanda and an offensive line that can pave the way.
Pitt also clearly doesn’t have a problem scoring points either, as it blew past the over-under of 41.5 points set for this game all on its own. The Panthers are 3-2, and have scored 27 points or more in all but one game this season.
