‘Pretty perfect’ Pitt seeks improvement entering ACC opener vs. Syracuse
On the surface, Pitt’s next challenge — moving beyond a performance Pat Narduzzi called “pretty perfect” — sounds impossible. Pitt’s coach offered his players that ultimate compliment Monday after reviewing video of Pitt’s 55-0 victory against Austin Peay on Saturday. “That’s what it’s supposed to look like in a perfect...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi: In-season rankings less important in covid-altered field
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi admitted Monday that being ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 in the midst of a season-altering pandemic carries less significance than in a normal year. Pitt (1-0) is ranked No. 25 this week after dismantling FCS opponent Austin Peay, 55-0, on Saturday. The rankings do...
Pitt lands at No. 25 in Associated Press poll
Pat Narduzzi has found the respect for his team he believed was lacking in the preseason. The Associated Press released its Top 25 on Sunday — its first since the start of the college football season — and Pitt landed at No. 25 after its dominant 55-0 victory against Austin...
La.-Lafayette leads 10 new teams in AP Top 25 rankings
Louisiana-Lafayette and Appalachian State were among 10 new teams ranked Sunday in first regular-season Associated Press college football poll, which was stripped of the teams not yet scheduled to play a fall season. There was no change at the very top: Preseason No. 1 Clemson received 60 of 61 first...
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi has covid warning for his players: ‘We don’t want to be next’Video
Pat Narduzzi had no appetite for discussing why seven players were kept home from Pitt’s season-opening victory Saturday against Austin Peay. School officials said the players were absent for “covid-related protocols.” That doesn’t mean they tested positive for covid-19; it could be a result of contact tracing. Defensive Rashad Weaver,...
Without 6 starters, Pitt slams Austin Peay in opener
In his time as Pitt’s coach, Pat Narduzzi had seen too many meaningless victories against weaker competition: • Youngstown State in 2015, 45-37 (overtime). • Delaware and Eastern Michigan last year (17-14 and 34-30). Of the latter game, Narduzzi said, “… we played hard enough just to win the game.”...
Rashad Weaver gets conflicting test results, won’t play; Pitt says seven players will miss opener because of covid protocols
Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver won’t play Saturday against Austin Peay after getting conflicting results from four covid-19 tests. Pitt officials announced that seven players won’t play because of “covid-related protocols.” The university did not identify the players. Missed all season heck let’s add one more game to it no...
Despite quarantine, disrupted routine, Pat Narduzzi says Pitt well-prepared for opener
Pat Narduzzi doesn’t usually watch another coach’s game early in the week when he’s getting Pitt ready to play. But he glanced at the TV on Monday night when Navy, a team that won 11 games last season, allowed 580 total yards (301 on the ground) in a 55-3 loss...
Answering the most pressing question about Pitt’s opener: Who was Austin Peay?
Pitt plays Austin Peay on Saturday at Heinz Field in its first game of what will be a season like no other. Let’s get the big question out of the way first: Who was Austin Peay? Born to a former Confederate cavalryman, Austin Peay was the first Tennessee governor since...
Rosary beads at the ready, Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi awaits covid test resultsVideo
On the day before the day before, Pat Narduzzi talked of rosary beads, his (potential) ulcer and a medical laboratory in Raleigh, N.C., that could hold Pitt’s fate in its test tubes. The issue is covid-19 testing. It happens three times a week for ACC teams – Sunday, Wednesday and...
Pitt’s Jason Pinnock hopes to have right answers at cornerback
Before Jason Pinnock started answering questions from reporters Wednesday afternoon, he glanced at his phone. The news of the day from the NFL struck him like a bolt of lightning. “Oooh, Jalen Ramsey,” Pinnock said, raising both eyebrows at Ramsey’s new five-year, $105 million contract from the Los Angeles Rams,...
ACC men’s basketball coaches want to invite every school to NCAA Tournament
While the start date of the 2020-21 college basketball season remains uncertain, ACC men’s coaches voted Wednesday to propose an all-inclusive NCAA Tournament in 2021. If every team was invited to the tournament, the difficulty of playing a nonconference schedule, followed by a conference season, would be mitigated in the...
Former Miami coach Mark Richt says Pitt’s Kenny Pickett ‘the right quarterback’ for Pat Narduzzi
Mark Richt has watched Kenny Pickett’s career at Pitt with special interest. After all, he was there when it started. And the memory is one he’d prefer to forget. Richt was the coach at Miami in 2017, undefeated and ranked second in the nation. Pickett was a first-year freshman, with...
First Call: Steelers, Giants face O-line questions; Matt Murray and NHL goalie pool; Pitt star shines in NBA playoffs
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at a shared concern for both the Steelers and the New York Giants in advance of Monday Night Football. A former Pitt basketball player is emerging in the NBA playoffs. And the NHL goalie rumor mill may have one less name in the hopper. So what...
Pitt’s Wendell Davis humbly accepts starting job at middle linebacker
Wendell Davis has confronted temptation and walked away from it — not his toughest task as Pitt’s starting middle linebacker. But staying on course helped him remain healthy and focused, two of the most important attributes any college football player needs to survive this season. Davis was not tempted to...
How Pat Narduzzi used his ORs to row toward the start of the 2020 Pitt season
Sometimes, the preseason depth chart is barely worth the ink used to run it through the copy machine. It can change daily, and coaches, including those at Pitt, might be disappointed if it remains unchanged for too long. That means backups aren’t improving. Pat Narduzzi released his first two-deep (in...
Former major-league catcher Devin Mesoraco joins Pitt staff
Former All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco joined the Pitt baseball coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. He will work primarily with catchers. Mesoraco, a native of Punxsutawney, played eight years in the major leagues after joining the Cincinnati Reds in 2011. He was drafted by the Reds with the 15th overall...
Covid-19 tests three times a week part of Pitt’s regimen on game week
The practices, meetings and video sessions aimed at preparing Pitt for its opener Saturday against Austin Peay are underway. But that is only part of what players, coaches and staff need to do. Everyone will be tested for covid-19 three times a week during the season. It started Sunday. There...
Pitt Take 5: Game week … 6 months ago, who thought we’d reach this point?
Back in March, when sports stopped and we had no idea when they would resume, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit offered these distressing words: “I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football,” he said in a radio interview. This is not meant...
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, fellow co-captains seek respect after snub from ACC media
When he was a freshman quarterback just trying to figure things out, Kenny Pickett mostly watched as a bad Pitt team lost seven games. A year later, he was on an ACC Coastal Division champion that ended the season on a three-game losing streak. Then, a year ago, Pitt won...
Pitt women’s volleyball releases fall schedule
In accordance with a design developed by the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Pitt women’s volleyball team will play eight matches this fall against four regional conference opponents. The three-time defending ACC champion Panthers released their schedule Friday morning. They will face Syracuse, Boston College, Notre Dame and Louisville. Play begins...
ACC media poll ranks Pitt 8th in preseason rankings
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi was handed more motivational material Friday when the ACC released its preseason media poll and the Panthers were ranked eighth out of 15 teams. Nonetheless, the 134-member panel chose three Pitt players to its All-ACC team: Center Jimmy Morrissey, defensive end Patrick Jones II and safety...
This college football season will be unlike any otherVideo
A most overused coaching cliche has never been so relevant as college football embarks on a season of covid-19: Take it one day at a time. With so much uncertainty, trying to figure how this will go is impossible. But there will be games, including a few this weekend, though...
Bill Hillgrove faces 2-game suspension from Steelers, Pitt broadcasts for DUI charge
Bill Hillgrove, the radio voice of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 1994, will return for the 2020 season but will serve a two-game suspension after being charged with DUI in June. Hillgrove, who also has been affiliated with Pitt since 1969, also will be suspended for the two games of the...
Pitt freshman WR Jordan Addison hopes chalk talk, not trash talk, sets him apart
When he heard Pat Narduzzi compared him to Antonio Brown, Jordan Addison allowed himself to smile. Or, was it just a polite grin? “I think that’s great,” Pitt’s freshman wide receiver said, “but I just try to stay humble and focus on myself.” When he was asked if he likes...
