Pitt position analysis: Roster change coming, but Sun Bowl victory provides positive offseason trigger
EL PASO, Texas — In the aftermath of victory, Pat Narduzzi might have been one of the few men in Pitt’s locker room thinking these words: Winter conditioning. Yes, those sessions with Pitt strength coach Michael Stacchiotti will start before the end of January. Pitt’s last game of Narduzzi’s eighth...
2022 Year in Review: Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement, Franco Harris’ death among top stories in Pittsburgh sports
For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the year began with a victory lap of sorts and one final playoff appearance for Ben Roethlisberger. It ended with the Steelers breaking in a new quarterback and reeling from the sudden loss of one of the franchise’s all-time great players. Before he retired, Roethlisberger guided...
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....
Jamarius Burton scores career-best 31 points to rally Pitt past No. 25 North Carolina
For as much respect as Jeff Capel had for North Carolina, the Pitt coach was confident about one thing: Jamarius Burton presented a difficult matchup for the Tar Heels because of his size and strength. Trailing by nine points in the second half, the Panthers knew they needed a star...
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....
Pitt coach Jeff Capel finds North Carolina ‘fascinating’ in preparing for ACC home opener
Dating to his playing days at Duke, Jeff Capel is intimately familiar with the North Carolina basketball program, so the Pitt coach marvels at how much the Tar Heels have changed their style under Hubert Davis. The staples established under Dean Smith and continued under Roy Williams remain, from the...
Decision to redshirt Dior Johnson ‘best thing for him and us,’ according to Pitt coach Jeff Capel
Dior Johnson was Pitt’s prized basketball recruit before being charged in early October for a domestic violence incident that prohibited him from being on campus or participating in any basketball activities. Pitt announced Wednesday afternoon that Johnson has returned to practice but is expected to redshirt this season. Panthers coach...
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,...
3 Pitt soccer players selected in MLS SuperDraft
Three members of the Pitt men’s soccer program had their name called Wednesday during the 2023 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Junior forward Bertin Jacquesson, senior midfielder Valentin Noel and fifth-year midfielder Jackson Walti were selected. Jacquesson, Pitt’s highest draft pick in program history, was taken 16th overall by Real Salt...
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)...
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...
Pitt basketball alum Curtis Aiken recalls friendship with Franco Harris, how he’d want to be remembered
Pitt basketball alum Curtis Aiken was supposed to see his friend Franco Harris on Thursday — a day in advance of celebrations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Steelers legend’s “Immaculate Reception.” On Tuesday, Aiken was on the phone with Harris’ wife, Dana Dokmanovich. Aiken could hear the NFL...
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...
