Pat Narduzzi stands behind quarterback Kedon Slovis while looking to `clean up’ problems
Before launching into a discussion about why Pitt’s passing game has fallen into mediocrity, let’s get one issue out of the way. Kedon Slovis remains the unquestioned starter at quarterback. Nothing in Slovis’ 3 ½ games has indicated it’s time for a change. That’s more fact than opinion, and coach...
Pitt’s 5 worst losses of the Pat Narduzzi era
The Pitt football team has won an ACC championship and made six bowl appearances since Pat Narduzzi was hired as the program’s head coach in December 2014. But the Panthers also have experienced some crushing losses in his nine seasons, including Saturday’s 21-17 loss to Wake Forest. Here’s a look...
First Call: JuJu Smith-Schuster’s eye-catching quote about Steelers; Diontae Johnson says 2022 a ‘rebuilding year’
We have some very revealing quotes about the Pittsburgh Steelers from JuJu Smith-Schuster, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Diontae Johnson. Plus, a former Pitt Panthers football coach has been fired. All that in Monday’s “First Call.” So what are you trying to say, JuJu? Melissa Stark of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” had...
Former Pitt, Jets, Steelers offensive lineman Jim Sweeney dies at age 60
Jim Sweeney, who left his mark on Western Pennsylvania football as a teenager and later became a durable and reliable offensive lineman for Pitt, the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers, died Saturday. He was 60. Sweeney helped Seton LaSalle win its first WPIAL title in 1979 while compiling a...
Hard lessons, tough questions surround Pitt after embarrassing loss to Georgia Tech
The doors were locked to outsiders Sunday afternoon when Pat Narduzzi met with his Pitt coaches and players, but you can bet he was asking serious questions. Such as: • What’s up with the passing game? Kedon Slovis finished strong, but he missed 10 of his first 16 attempts when...
Pitt’s run defense collapses in loss to Georgia Tech
Heading into Saturday night’s ACC matchup between No. 24 Pitt and Georgia Tech at Acrisure Stadium, the contrast between the programs was visible to the naked eye. The Panthers, three-touchdown favorites, looked to be in good position to chalk up a conference-opening victory and in the process, increase their stock...
Georgia Tech bullies mistake-prone Pitt into deflating loss
Shortly before midnight Saturday — after a defeat that may rank as the worst of the Pat Narduzzi era because of expectations his team has created for itself — Pitt linebacker SirVocea Dennis glanced at the stat sheet and the hard, numerical facts of the 26-21 loss to Georgia Tech....
Pitt notebook: Panthers getting healthier on defensive line, but offensive tackle Carter Warren misses Georgia Tech game
Rain kept many people out of the Acrisure Stadium seats Saturday night for Pitt’s ACC opener against Georgia Tech, but the return of a few important players was a bigger story. Defensive end Deslin Alexandre, a captain, made his first start since the opener Sept. 1, and end Habakkuk Baldonado,...
Pitt Take 5: Panthers start string of 8 games that matter, seeking to repeat as ACC Coastal champions
The games that really matter — the eight that will determine if Pitt has what it takes to return to the ACC championship game for the third time in five seasons — begin Saturday night when Georgia Tech visits Acrisure Stadium. How difficult is Pitt’s road to Charlotte, N.C.? There...
Pitt defense makes positive strides while mindful of its mistakes
If you told Randy Bates his Pitt defense is fourth in the 14-team ACC in yards allowed, his answer would be predictable. Something like: “Why aren’t we No. 1?” Pitt’s defensive coordinator demands perfection from his players, no matter the circumstances they must overcome. But perhaps the defense is quietly...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans load up an (almost) ‘all Kenny Pickett, all the time’ edition
I have a concern about the Pittsburgh Steelers. What if coach Mike Tomlin does replace Mitch Trubisky with Kenny Pickett? And then, what if Pickett stinks and Tomlin goes back to Trubisky? I mean, what are people going to complain about? This column is going to run out of material...
While waiting for downfield catch opportunities to surface, Pitt wide receivers learn the importance of blocking
Tiquan Underwood was a star wide receiver at Rutgers, where he caught 132 passes for 1,931 yards and 16 touchdowns. Over five NFL seasons, he caught another 63 balls for 1,006 yards and six scores. Nice playing career, for sure. Yet Underwood — now coaching wide receivers at Pitt —...
Grading Pitt: Overcoming injuries leads to 3-1 record and hope for start of ACC play
The questions on the minds of Pitt fans thirsty for another championship are these: • Just how good is Pitt? • Are trips to Charlotte, N.C., and the ACC Championship game part of the Panthers’ destiny for the second consecutive season? • Without Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison, how can...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel eager to see the results of his offseason reconstruction project
Finally, Pitt coach Jeff Capel can put down his phone and start doing what he loves and does best: coach basketball. Capel opened basketball practice Monday at Petersen Events Center with seven players who weren’t on the team last season, and he’s eager to see the tangible results of a...
Georgia Tech fires Geoff Collins in 4th season with 10-28 mark
ATLANTA — Geoff Collins is out as Georgia Tech’s football coach, fired Monday in the midst of his fourth season after failing to make headway with a brash plan to turn the Yellow Jackets into a national powerhouse through branding and promoting Atlanta’s big-city culture. Collins was officially dumped during...
Pat Narduzzi reflects on 8 seasons at Pitt on the day Georgia Tech fires coach Geoff Collins
After Dave Wannstedt was fired in 2010 and in the four years before Pat Narduzzi arrived on the day after Christmas, 2014, Pitt football players called six men coach: Three interims with one-game tenures, Michael Haywood, whose two weeks ended badly, and two others — Todd Graham and Paul Chryst...
First Call: Update on Jets plans at QB before playing Steelers; another milestone for Aaron Donald; rebuilding Matt Murray
Monday’s “First Call” looks at the New York Jets quarterback situation in advance of Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. We also have Aaron Donald’s latest milestone and a big day for a former Steeler in Miami. Plus, an in-depth piece about Matt Murray’s attempt to rediscover his game in...
Pitt secures verbal commitment from Florida wide receiver Daidren Zipperer
Three hours after its victory against Rhode Island, Pitt received more good news Saturday night when wide receiver Daidren Zipperer made a verbal commitment to the Panthers. 100% Commited ???????? #h2p pic.twitter.com/Y886xSjVLM— Daidren Zipperer ???? (@daidrenz) September 25, 2022 Zipperer (6-foot, 165 pounds) is the 19th prospect from the class...
Pitt notebook: M.J. Devonshire calms his nerves after finding mom in the stands
M.J. Devonshire had returned many punts prior to his 82-yard touchdown in the first three minutes of Pitt’s 45-24 victory against Rhode Island on Saturday. But most of those occurred at Aliquippa High School’s Pit. So, when Pitt’s coaches told him Friday night that the job was his, he admitted...
Izzy Abanikanda’s 4 touchdowns lead Pitt to 45-24 victory against Rhode Island
Izzy Abanikanda hears the names of Pitt’s all-time great running backs and figuratively bows in due respect. Yet he is not in awe. Perhaps that’s because he aspires to one day be among them. Pitt’s junior running back still has a long way to go — Tony Dorsett and Curtis...
Pitt vs. Rhode Island matters, but Pat Narduzzi will monitor playing time
Pitt’s game against Rhode Island will unfold Saturday at Acrisure Stadium and on the ACC Network just like any other. It’s Power 5 vs. FCS — not as appealing as the first two home games this season — but it still matters. Nonetheless, Pitt’s coaching staff might not manage it...
Pat Narduzzi’s head full of thoughts on quarterbacks, Rhode Island, bocce ball courts
Reporters never know what they might hear on a typical Thursday afternoon when a relaxed Pat Narduzzi is confident that “the hay’s in the barn” and his team is almost ready to play. This? “(Kedon) Slovis is ready to roll. Nate Yarnell is ready to roll. Nick Patti is ready...
First Call: Todd Haley has a specific concern about Steelers offense; Pat Narduzzi is convinced Kenny Pickett will be ready
Thursday’s “First Call” has a different view of the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive woes from a former coordinator. Pitt’s coach thinks his former QB can get the job done as soon as he is allowed to play. Things aren’t great for the Cleveland Browns. And the New York Yankees did something...
Pitt linebackers coach Ryan Manalac unafraid to make his players mad
An important part of good coaching is knowing what buttons to push and when to push them, and recognizing how much adversity is the right amount to throw at players. The idea is to ensure they won’t be surprised on gameday. Pitt linebackers coach Ryan Manalac likes when his players...
If necessary, ‘mild-mannered’ Pitt quarterback Nate Yarnell can show an angry side
You would never guess what burns inside Nate Yarnell by watching the video of Pitt’s quarterback calmly sitting at the piano, playing Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.” There’s another side of the 6-foot-6, 20-year-old Texan that, if triggered, could serve him well — as a football player, not a concert pianist. Great...
