Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 51
Sun Bowl notebook: Could Pitt victory cause Nick Patti to change his future plans?
EL Paso, Texas — Nick Patti was thinking, perhaps, the Sun Bowl would be the last time he strapped on shoulder pads and a helmet. It had been a good ride from the time when he was one of New Jersey’s top high school quarterbacks to when he committed to...
Pitt rallies in second half, defeats UCLA, 37-35, in Sun Bowl
EL PASO, Texas — From 34 seconds, the clock on the end zone scoreboard was ticking, unforgivingly moving toward what surely would have been one of the most discouraging Pitt losses of all-time. Yet, there was another clock in quarterback Nick Patti’s head, and that was the one he heard....
Sun Bowl Take 5: Stakes are high vs. UCLA in Pitt’s quest for 9th victory
EL PASO, Texas — In the end, Pitt football’s season and, certainly, coach Pat Narduzzi will be judged by what happens Friday at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in 58-year-old Sun Bowl Stadium. Is it fair and accurate to evaluate an entire season based on one afternoon in December?...
UCLA coach Chip Kelly reports no opt-outs, says players ‘love to play football’
EL PASO, Texas — UCLA coach Chip Kelly met with reporters Thursday, less than 24 hours before he sends his team onto the field at Sun Bowl Stadium to play Pitt. The Bruins will play a Pitt team that will line up without six starters/contributors who have elected to opt-out...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi eager to see Nick Patti get another chance to start in Sun Bowl
EL PASO, Texas — No one really talked much about Nick Patti during Pitt’s training camp. Coaches and fans were encouraged by the presence of Kedon Slovis, the transfer from USC with the glossy pedigree. Everyone was eager to see if he could be an adequate replacement for Kenny Pickett....
Surrounded by teachers, military officers his whole life, Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates always just wanted to coach
EL PASO, Texas — When Randy Bates was in his late 20s and coached at the U.S. Naval Academy, he met many high-ranking Marine officers who taught him a disciplined lifestyle and how to pass it on to others. “I had a lot of appreciation for the Marines. I think...
Pitt’s Dior Johnson returns to practice, expected to redshirt this season
Freshman guard Dior Johnson, the prize recruit in Pitt’s class of 2022, has returned to practice after being suspended since the start of the season. He is expected to use the 2022-23 season as a redshirt year, Pitt officials said in a statement released Wednesday. Johnson, 18, was in line...
Sun Bowl notebook: Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. no stranger to west Texas
EL PASO, Texas — Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. is no stranger to West Texas or to the UCLA coaching staff he must try to outwit Friday in the Sun Bowl. Cignetti was part of Pitt’s coaching staff in 1989 when the Panthers came to El Paso and defeated...
Pitt’s Jake Kradel, Brandon George eager for Sun Bowl, but they respect teammates who choose to skip game
EL PASO, Texas — Jake Kradel grew up in Butler, probably never dreaming he’d have two attractive career choices within reach of his massive hands before he turned 24. NFL or MBA? The former offers the eventual possibility of a nice paycheck. Draftcountdown.com ranks Kradel among the top 30 guards...
UTEP basketball coach Joe Golding steps up when Pitt football players needed a friendVideo
EL PASO, Texas — Before their Good Samaritan showed up Christmas night, Pitt football players Jake Frantl, Sam Okunlola and Hudson Primus had no reason to follow the Texas-El Paso basketball team. But they’re fans now, after UTEP coach Joe Golding came to their rescue. Victimized by a flight delay...
New-look Pitt leans on veterans Nick Patti, Jared Wayne for Sun Bowl
When UCLA’s players look across the line of scrimmage Friday in the Sun Bowl, the team looking back at them won’t resemble the one they watched on video in preparation for the game. Not even close. There are at least eight players — five on defense, plus quarterback Kedon Slovis,...
Florida wide receiver DayDay Farmer verbally commits to Pitt, Panthers’ 2nd from class of ’24
Ric’Darious “DayDay” Farmer has nearly 12 months before he can sign a letter of intent, but the junior wide receiver from Cocoa, Fla., told Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi on Saturday that he plans to enroll in 2024. COMMITTED????‼️ #H2P #LONGLIVEDAD @CoachHooksCOCOA @Cocoa_Schneider @TiUnderwood @CoachDuzzPittFB pic.twitter.com/cTUPXzVccq— Ric’Darious Farmer 4⭐️WR (@Dayday_F7) December...
Former Pitt quarterback Kedon Slovis will transfer to BYU
The next chapter of Kevon Slovis’ college football career will take him nearly back to the West Coast. Slovis, the Pitt quarterback who led the Panthers to an 8-4 record this season, announced Saturday that he has committed to BYU in Provo, Utah. I will always be grateful for Coach...
Pitt to host Sun Bowl watch party at the Pete after basketball meets North Carolina
Pitt officials are hoping their fans will spend all afternoon at Petersen Events Center on Dec. 30. The university’s athletic department will serve as host for a Sun Bowl watch party after Pitt basketball plays North Carolina. Basketball tips at noon, followed by football vs. UCLA from El Paso, Texas,...
After signing 19-man class, Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi says recruiting road ‘a mess’
While assembling Pitt’s 22-man recruiting class — 19 high school seniors, three seasoned transfers — Pat Narduzzi enjoyed some light moments with their families. He beat quarterback Ty Dieffenbach of Agoura, Calif., and his dad in a backyard basketball game of P-I-G. “I think they let me and coach (Tim)...
Dick Hoak recalls Franco Harris’ early days with the Steelers
Dick Hoak’s phone doesn’t often ring early in the morning. So, when Hoak heard the phone Wednesday morning, and it was his son on the other end, his first thought was “What the heck? What’s going on?” The news wasn’t good. Franco Harris had died. What hurt Hoak most about...
Steel Valley’s Cruce Brookins signs with Pitt
It didn’t take Cruce Brookins long to find a new home after he de-committed from Kent State last month. Brookins, a three-star prospect who played quarterback and defensive back at Steel Valley, signed a letter of intent Wednesday morning with Pitt. He committed to Kent State this summer, but wavered...
Offensive tackle Isaiah Neal kicks off Pitt signing day, first of 19 to send letters of intent to Pat Narduzzi
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi received the first of what he hoped would be at least 19 signed letters of intent shortly after 7 Wednesday morning when offensive tackle Isaiah Neal of St. Frances Academy in Baltimore made his six-month-old verbal commitment official. Neal (6-foot-3, 270 pounds) is one of three...
Pitt loses most of its 20-point lead, but escapes with 84-82 victory against Syracuse
On the surface, there was nothing cute about Pitt’s 84-82 victory against Syracuse on Tuesday night. It was thrilling, intense in the final minutes and nearly devastating for a Pitt team that almost lost a 20-point lead in the second half. But cute? That’s how Blake Hinson described one postgame...
WR Zion Fowler changes mind again, rejoins Pitt’s 2023 recruiting class
Zion Fowler visited Pitt’s campus five times during the recruiting process. So, even after the three-star wide receiver prospect decommitted from Pitt on Nov. 18, he never stopped thinking about a career with the Panthers. On Tuesday afternoon, the day before national signing day, Fowler of St. Peter’s Prep in...
Florida defensive end Maverick Gracio commits to Pitt
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi landed the 17th member of his 2023 recruiting class Monday when defensive end Maverick Gracio announced his plans to enroll next year. Straight business. AGTG???? ????????#H2P #Committed @Pitt_FB @CoachDuzzPittFB @CoachPartridge @CNHS_Athletics @JackDan55847282 pic.twitter.com/jw5osvRyX7— Maverick Gracio (@MaverickGracio) December 19, 2022 Gracio (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) recorded 22 sacks...
End of nonconference season signals nothing but ACC opponents, tougher games for Pitt
Every game is important in Pitt’s rebuilding process, but its season will take a significant turn toward relevancy Tuesday when the Panthers begin their grueling, 19-game stretch of nothing but ACC opponents. The Panthers visit Syracuse (8-4, 1-0) at the JMA Wireless (formerly Carrier) Dome, carrying confidence into the 9...
With 4 more opt-outs, Pitt will go to Sun Bowl without 8 of its best players
Dramatic change is coming to Pitt football and not at the traditional time when we used to expect it. You know, after the last game. It’s happening now, 11 days before Pitt plays UCLA in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Eight of the best players who helped Pitt...
Pitt continues quarterback facelift, gets verbal commitment from PSU transfer Christian Veilleux
Anyone who believes the Pitt quarterback situation needed an upgrade might be encouraged by coach Pat Narduzzi’s offseason moves. Another new quarterback … Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) December 18, 2022 Narduzzi added a third eventual new player to offensive coordinator/quarterback coach Frank Cignetti’s meeting room Sunday when Penn State transfer...
Pitt safety Brandon Hill opts out of Sun Bowl to prepare for 2023 NFL Draft
Strong safety Brandon Hill, who has been a major element in Pitt’s success on defense since replacing Paris Ford at midseason in 2020, decided to opt out of the Sun Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft. Hill, who played four seasons at Pitt, made the announcement on his Twitter...
