Jerry DiPaola stories, Page 79
Pitt’s Jordan Addison gets good news from mother after he is named Biletnikoff semifinalist
When Pat Narduzzi got word Monday that wide receiver Jordan Addison had been named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, the first call he made was to the woman who made it all possible: Addison’s mom, Keisha Blackman. “She was screaming on the phone, excited,” he said. “I said, ‘Do...
What pressure? Pat Narduzzi laughs off question about stress while Pitt protects 1-game lead in ACC Coastal
Pat Narduzzi thought the question was funny — truly knee-slapping, are-you-kidding-me? hilarious. So he allowed himself a chuckle and a sarcastic remark when asked about the stress that grows from trying to protect a one-game lead atop the ACC Coastal, especially when a loss Saturday against Virginia could all but...
Another big game for Pitt: This time it counts for everything
Three weeks ago, all eyeballs turned to Clemson/Pitt. The Panthers had slipped into the Associated Press Top 25 at No. 23. No one was laughing anymore when Kenny Pickett’s Heisman Trophy candidacy was mentioned. The six-time defending ACC champion Clemson Tigers were making their first appearance in Pittsburgh, and Pitt...
West Virginia rolls over Pitt, gives coach Bob Huggins milestone victory
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — William Jeffress understands the dire situation standing like a fortress between Pitt and success on the basketball court. “Most nights we walk in the gym,” he said, “the odds aren’t in our favor. Our team has been through a lot. We lost a lot. “That’s OK because...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi allows his pride, bravado to show after victory against North Carolina
Sometimes, Pat Narduzzi just can’t help himself. Pitt’s coach is justifiably proud of his team’s 8-2 record as it moves closer to a second ACC Coastal championship since 2018. If Pitt defeats Virginia on Nov. 20 at Heinz Field and Miami loses any of its three remaining games, the Panthers...
Pitt needs overtime to defeat North Carolina
Kenny Pickett vs. Sam Howell was advertised as a shootout between two of college football’s most prolific quarterbacks. Various betting parlors set the over/under points total for Pitt vs. North Carolina well into the ’70s. Passes would fly. Records would shatter. Defenses would bow in embarrassment when it was all...
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, Penn State’s Jahan Dotson named semifinalists for Walter Camp Award
Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett and Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson have been named semifinalists for the Walter Camp Award, which recognizes “the nation’s most outstanding player.” Pickett has become a regular contender for several national awards this season. Previously, he was named a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award “Top...
Four-star shooting guard Judah Mintz decommits from Pitt’s class of 2022
Four-star shooting guard Judah Mintz, who pledged to Pitt in June, reopened his commitment Wednesday on the first day of the early signing period for basketball, leaving coach Jeff Capel without a committed prospect from the class of 2022. Please respect my decision ???????? pic.twitter.com/dHNkax4k1h— Judah Mintz (@Jmintz10) November 10,...
Pitt Take 5: Who do you want? Kenny Pickett or Sam Howell?
The sky above Heinz Field will be bright Thursday night when Pitt plays North Carolina, and their fans hope the stars on the field, likewise, will shine. Pat Narduzzi said there will be 36 representatives from NFL teams at the game, perhaps a Heisman voter or two and many more...
Pitt’s loss to The Citadel was 4th defeat against small-conference opponent during Jeff Capel’s tenure
Maybe Pitt’s loss to The Citadel shouldn’t have come as a surprise after all. The Panthers’ loss Tuesday night was coach Jeff Capel’s fourth early-season, nonconference defeat to a team from a smaller conference. And they paid The Citadel $90,000. Almost four years after Capel took over a Pitt program...
Depleted Pitt men’s basketball team can’t keep up with The Citadel in opener
After Pitt’s season opener had ended, Femi Odukale tapped the stat sheet in front of him, eager to make a point. “We have enough on this paper to still win,” he said. “We just want to prove everybody wrong.” The stat sheet, however, said otherwise in the form of the...
Pat Narduzzi wouldn’t object to low-scoring game, but don’t bet on it when Pitt meets North Carolina
Pat Narduzzi asked a question Monday during his chat with reporters, but he already knew the answer. “Whatever happened to 14-3?” he said, indicating such low-scoring games seldom occur anymore in college football. “Are those days gone? They’re gone. They’re gone everywhere. You see it all over the country.” And...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel confronts the unexpected after losing 2 starting guards
Jeff Capel spent the offseason preparing for what he knew would happen. He was aware of Justin Champagnie’s interest in the NBA. He was painfully aware of the five players who transferred in the midst of a roster overhaul, two not even waiting for the end of the 2020-21 season....
Short work week disrupts Pitt’s Sunday routine; Pat Narduzzi forced to miss Mass
Sunday started badly for Pat Narduzzi. “I didn’t get to Mass,” Pitt’s coach said. “Sunday, I like to get to 7:30 (a.m.) Mass. That’s the first bad part of the day because we were in the office before that.” The day did get better, however, as soon as Pitt associate...
After South Side arrest, Pitt guard Ithiel Horton suspended indefinitely
Pitt basketball player Ithiel Horton has been suspended indefinitely after he was arrested Saturday morning and charged with punching a police officer on the South Side. During the suspension, he will be ineligible to participate in practices and games. Horton, a redshirt junior who was expected to be a starting...
Pitt notebook: Pat Narduzzi won’t let that extra hour go to waste
Any politician trying to eliminate the November practice of setting clocks back one hour won’t get any support from Pat Narduzzi. Not this week. Narduzzi believes his Pitt players and coaches need as many hours as possible to prepare for Thursday night’s nationally televised game against North Carolina at Heinz...
Duquesne men’s basketball preview: Keith Dambrot salutes poll that picks Dukes 11th in Atlantic 10
Keith Dambrot’s routine was the same: • Lead his Duquesne team through basketball practice. • Offer final thoughts and instructions to his players. • Get in his car and drive to Akron. Every day. For five weeks. His intent was to spend as much time as he could with his...
Pat Narduzzi wonders if ex-Pitt player Carson Van Lynn was stealing signals to help Duke
Dating back to basketball player Cam Johnson’s transfer to North Carolina in 2017, Pitt officials have been opposed to transfers within the ACC. Pat Narduzzi likes them even less after what he believes might have happened involving former Pitt offensive lineman Carson Van Lynn, who transferred to Duke in the...
Pitt survives slow start, recovers to defeat Duke, retain 1st place in ACC Coastal
All sorts of misfortune struck Pitt in the first half of its game at Duke on Saturday. • A safety was finally called, but this time it went against the Panthers. • Heisman Trophy candidate Kenny Pickett was sacked and lost a fumble in the first quarter. • Duke’s Jaylen...
Pitt men’s basketball preview: Roster upheaval marked Jeff Capel’s offseason
Bad news has followed Pitt coach Jeff Capel into the 2021-22 men’s basketball season. After Pitt’s three leading scorers and four of its top five rebounders transferred during and after last season, Capel was struck with two additional blows within the time frame of five days — a week before...
Pitt Take 5: Panthers hope to hold tight to respect earned through eight games
For anyone who believes Pitt doesn’t get enough national respect, the first College Football Playoff rankings offer an argument to the contrary. Pitt is ranked No. 25, one of only three ACC teams in the Top 25 and the only one from the Coastal Division. How did that happen only...
Pitt notebook: Panthers likely to be short-handed at wide receiver against Duke
After three consecutive games against high-profile opponents Virginia Tech, Clemson and Miami (and North Carolina looming next Thursday), Pitt must fit Duke into its schedule Saturday in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils (3-5, 0-4 ACC) will carry a four-game losing streak into the game, a stretch in which they have...
Linebacker Wendell Davis decides to leave Pitt, enter transfer portal
Two years ago, Pitt might have lost the Central Florida game if Wendell Davis had decided out of high school to attend another school. Thanks for all the folks reaching out. Unfortunately I’ve decided to move on but I’ll be a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh in a...
Pitt ranked No. 25 in first College Football Playoff rankings
While players and coaches were trying to recover from a disappointing loss to unranked Miami, Pitt received some good news Tuesday night when the College Football Playoff committee ranked the Panthers 25th. The committee released its first rankings of the season on ESPN. Despite the Miami loss, Pitt (6-2, 3-1...
In his mind, Pitt’s Phil Campbell sets aside loss to Miami, focuses on bigger goals
Phil Campbell wasn’t hiding a camera phone in his shoulder pads when he wrapped up Miami’s Jaylan Knighton for what everyone wearing the Pitt colors insists was a safety. But he does have visual evidence that, he claims, shows Knighton’s forward progress was stopped in the end zone in Pitt’s...
