First Call: Ex-Steelers QB could start in Arizona; pricey Roberto Clemente bat auction; Aaron Donald’s new ring trend
Friday’s “First Call” sees a former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback on the move. John Lynch’s real opinions on the Nick Bosa situation may be shining through in San Francisco. A piece of Roberto Clemente memorabilia is up for auction. And Penn Hills product Aaron Donald may have started a very unique...
Big week for Pitt punter Caleb Junko as he earns scholarship, starting job
After participating in some light stretching and then booting a couple of balls high into the air at the onset of Thursday’s Pitt football practice, Caleb Junko took a timeout and headed to a familiar spot occupied by his grandfather, legendary former Pitt assistant Bob Junko. “How are you doing?”...
First Call: 49ers reveal QB depth chart for opener vs. Steelers; new ACC expansion talk; will McCutchen hit 300th vs. Cubs?
Thursday’s “First Call” gets the full breakdown of the San Francisco 49ers quarterback depth chart as they prepare for the regular-season opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. We also have the network broadcast team for that game, and a little Steelers-Niners history from an opening-day perspective. Plus, we examine the latest...
U mad, bro?: Steelers preseason hype, RB1 debates, SMU in the ACC and lanternflies
There is only one thing that has truly made me mad this week. Lanternflies. Gawd, do I hate those things! I feel like I’m in the Battle of Stirling scene from “Braveheart.” “We’re outnumbered … at least three to one!” Watch the video I posted of the war zone that...
Phil Jurkovec eager to incorporate tight ends into Pitt’s offensive attackVideo
As Pitt’s Sept. 2 season opener against Wofford grows closer, plenty of questions have been asked about what the Panthers are capable of offensively. Will former Pine-Richland standout and high-profile transfer Phil Jurkovec take the reins seamlessly at quarterback? Are the Panthers prepared to run the football effectively in the...
Pitt football notebook: Phil Jurkovec on another preseason award watch list
Pitt quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a Pine-Richland grad, is among the preseason candidates for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. It marks the second award to recognize Jurkovec as a preseason candidate. The Unitas Award is presented annually to the top senior or upperclassman quarterback set to graduate with his class....
Pitt’s defense earns revenge against offensive counterparts at 2nd scrimmage
First, it was the Pitt offense that stood out. This time around, the defense took center stage. The Panthers’ second scrimmage of the preseason has been tickling the senses of coach Pat Narduzzi — a defensive-minded guy, mind you — and creating a stir at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex ever...
Leechburg’s Braylan Lovelace making smooth transition to college football at Pitt
Braylan Lovelace was faced with a dilemma when he enrolled at Pitt in January while his Leechburg High School classmates were five months from graduation. Pitt coaches and support staff presented him with this challenge: gain weight, but don’t get fat. Upon early graduation from Leechburg, which plays in the...
Depth, local flavor show up on Pitt’s defensive line
Not one prone to make exaggerated claims, Charlie Partridge rattled off names of 13 players he believes will contribute on Pitt’s four-man defensive line before the end of the season. Roster numbers are important, especially early in the season when heat can be an issue. It’s also good to keep...
Damar Hamlin soaks in return to Pittsburgh — and Steelers, fans return the love
Damar Hamlin was happy to be able to soak in the moment. The sights, the sounds. The … smells? “It kind of felt like college again, that feeling I got when I was playing at Pitt,” Hamlin said of his first football game in Pittsburgh as a pro. “Stadium smelled...
After walking the walk in NFL, Pitt WR coach Tiquan Underwood talks the talk
During wide receiver drills at Pitt practice, assistant coach Tiquan Underwood keeps up a dialogue. Good catch, bad catch, slick route or sloppy, Underwood will have something to say about it. He is among a cluster of Pitt coaches who constantly chatter during practice — whether it’s offering praise or...
Pitt grad Kathryn Nesbitt to referee Women’s World Cup Final
Throughout her life, Kathryn Nesbitt has been determined not to let her passion for two very different interests, science and soccer, get in the way of one another. To say Nesbitt has managed to pull off an impressive balancing act in that regard might be an understatement. Nesbitt, 34, studied...
Pitt preparing for 2nd scrimmage before the final week of camp
A week from Friday will be Pitt football’s annual kickoff luncheon, signaling the end of fall camp, the start of classes and the anticipation of football that actually matters. Before that, coach Pat Narduzzi will run his team through its second scrimmage this month Saturday on the Beano Cook Fields...
Pitt 5 things: ACC Network analyst, ex-Miami coach Mark Richt misses game, just not ‘wildly dramatic’ changes
Mark Richt stopped coaching five years ago after 171 victories in 18 seasons, 15 at Georgia, three at Miami. Yet the sights and sounds — even smells — of the game he loves linger. Now an analyst for the ACC Network, Richt visited Pitt practice this week. The stage set...
Pitt notebook: Some starting spots solid on offensive line, but keep an eye on 330-pound redshirt freshman Ryan Baer
There’s plenty of vocalized optimism surrounding Pitt’s offensive line that returns four players with significant experience. Yet there has been no definitive word on the makeup of certain positions along the line. All-ACC preseason tackle Matt Goncalves can play on the left or right side. If he is left —...
Pat Narduzzi teaches ball security by sticking it to Pitt’s ball carriers
During a typical practice, Pitt coaches conduct a wide variety of drills on as many as three fields. Coach Pat Narduzzi walks from one station to another, sometimes just observing, but often offering advice and loud admonishments if something displeases him. Unlike legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant, who used to...
Splash plays make highlight reels, but Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi more interested in consistency
After two weeks of hanging around Pitt’s summer training camp, you get the impression that everything is great and there are, perhaps, a dozen big plays every day. That may be true, but coach Pat Narduzzi is looking for more than splashes of production. He wants consistency, and the coach...
Pitt’s Bub Means part of WR group that could signal change in offensive philosophy
Let’s run down the specific reasons why offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. believes Pitt will have a different look this season, with speed among the wide receivers and a newfound willingness to throw downfield. • Start with wide receiver Bub Means, whose goal is to be the “fastest, strongest person...
4-star defensive end Sincere Edwards makes verbal commitment to Pitt
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi is in the midst of preparations for the season opener Sept. 2, but the future beyond 2023 got a little brighter Tuesday when four-star defensive end Sincere Edwards announced his verbal commitment to the Panthers. Edwards (6-foot-3, 240 pounds) is Pitt’s fourth four-star prospect from the...
Ranked or unranked, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi says ‘chip’ will rest on players’ shoulders
Someone told Pat Narduzzi that Pitt came in 32nd in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll, seventh among the ORVs (others receiving votes). If Narduzzi played the disrespect card to his players in their private meetings, he didn’t say so Tuesday morning when he met with reporters. “I heard...
Pitt left off Top 25 preseason poll, but no big deal … rankings have created talking points for 88 years
Monday was a big day for those who follow college football. The Associated Press released its preseason Top 25 poll. With 60 of 63 possible votes, defending champion Georgia is the overwhelming choice for the No. 1 team in the land, followed by Michigan, Ohio State and Alabama. Penn State...
Gateway graduate Derrick Davis resurrects that old high school feeling as a running back at Pitt
Derrick Davis Jr. is not dreaming when he steps onto Pitt’s practice fields. Coaches demand focus, not dreams. These days, however, Davis is getting that old Gateway High School feeling, thinking about the success he enjoyed as a football player for the Gators and a student in the classroom, too....
First Call: Steelers coach IDs player who ‘left some plays out there’ against Bucs; 2 Pitt alumni start NFL comebacks
A lot of positives came out of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ first preseason game. But one defensive back had a rough night. And defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is well aware of the struggles. Also, two former Pitt players are on the NFL comeback trail. The Cleveland Browns suffered an injury setback...
Pitt Take 5: Panthers are confident, but there’s much to be done
Optimism and sincere confidence have been flowing freely from Pitt’s football players over the first nearly two weeks of training camp. Pivotal year for the Panthers? Not really. Thanks in large part to Kenny Pickett’s presence and Pat Narduzzi’s ability to keep the roster largely intact and coaching staff consistent,...
Pitt goes 2-0 overseas after 83-66 victory in Spain
Pitt basketball concluded its 10-day, two-game overseas trip Saturday, overcoming transportation problems while recording an 83-66 victory against the Sant Julia All-Stars in Sant Julia De Vilaporta, Spain. Defense carried Pitt to the victory, allowing the home team only 10 points in the third quarter. Blake Hinson led the Panthers...
