Pitt category

External optics surrounding Pitt’s win over Boston College — that the Panthers simply beat up on a bad opponent — are unlikely to change, at least in the short-term. After all, only one ACC team, the Eagles, have suffered three losses in league play. Though the Panthers (3-2, 1-1 ACC)...

Pitt’s coaches had a hunch that Kavir Bains-Marquez, a first-team all-conference safety at UC Davis of the FCS, would be a useful addition from the transfer portal last winter. But a starter? There probably was less certainty on that front, given the Panthers returned Javon McIntyre and Cruce Brookins at...

It seems like only yesterday that Jeff Capel sat alongside ultimate Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski as Duke’s associate head coach. Where did the time go? Already, as Capel enters his eighth season in Oakland, his tenure at Pitt is the second longest among current ACC men’s basketball coaches...

As a counter to Central Michigan’s run-heavy, three-quarterback offense in Week 2, Pitt unveiled an interesting defensive scheme featuring five linemen. The result could be judged in only 40 net rushing yards allowed by the Panthers. Key to that look was Isaiah Neal, normally an interior lineman, deploying at end....

Pitt true freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel put forth an unforgettable first college start Saturday, slicing up Boston College and throwing four touchdowns in the Panthers’ 48-7 blowout. Unsurprisingly, his efforts were rewarded with ACC Rookie of the Week honors, announced by the league Monday afternoon. Heintschel, who completed 73% (30...

Pitt’s weekly two-deep depth chart, released every Monday around noon, is always interesting to observe but not worth putting too much stock into the document. To be sure, there can be interesting developments. But there are also quirks such as defensive end Jaeden Moore, who began the season with an...

Pitt’s Oct. 18 game at Syracuse will kick off at 7:30 p.m. from the JMA Wireless Dome and be broadcast on the ACC Network, the league announced Monday morning. The Panthers (3-2, 1-1 ACC) first do battle this upcoming weekend in Tallahassee vs. the 25th-ranked Florida State Seminoles, while the...

Pat Narduzzi must have felt major confidence in Mason Heintschel to turn to the freshman quarterback Saturday versus Boston College. With Pitt riding a two-game losing streak and Eli Holstein looking lost, Narduzzi went with Heintschel to stabilize a season that was on the verge of slipping away. Heintschel, listed...

Pitt will play another game without its most dynamic offensive player, as tailback Desmond Reid has been ruled out of Saturday’s contest vs. Boston College at Acrisure Stadium. The Panthers listed Reid as out on their final weekly player availability report, released at 10 a.m. Saturday. Pitt (2-2, 0-1 ACC)...

Pitt will make a change at quarterback Saturday vs. Boston College, ESPN reported, as true freshman Mason Heintschel is set to start vs. the Eagles. Coach Pat Narduzzi told reporters Thursday afternoon that redshirt sophomore Eli Holstein would remain as starter, signalling he was sticking with Holstein through a period...

How are you doing? The question is asked all the time, mostly casually. But Tre Tipton believes it is the most important question someone can ask. Because, as Tipton knows all too well, no matter how happy someone looks on the outside, what is going on inside might not align....

Pat Narduzzi understands a team’s record goes a long way in shaping perceptions. At 2-2 (0-1 ACC), Pitt appears less than formidable. The same could be said of the Panthers’ upcoming opponent, Boston College (1-3, 0-2), which visits Acrisure Stadium at noon Saturday. Narduzzi would be guilty of significant dereliction...

Friday’s “First Call” links Kenny Pickett’s name to trade speculation again. A pair of ex-Pittsburgh Pirates performed well in MLB playoff elimination games. Local college hockey is getting ramped up. And there is a full weekend of bounce-back potential for some regional college football teams. Pickett predicament Could ex-Steeler Kenny...

There was plenty in Pitt’s offensive performance against Louisville last weekend that merited concern. At different junctures and to varying degrees, quarterback play, coordinator Kade Bell’s calls and a lack of a run game contributed to Pitt managing only 10 points after the first quarter. But all of those areas...

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Thursday he is sticking with Eli Holstein at quarterback against Boston College, which visits Acrisure Stadium on Saturday. Holstein was benched in the fourth quarter of the Panthers’ 34-27 loss to Louisville last weekend after throwing two costly interceptions, including one at the Cardinals’ 2-yard...

Pitt center Dishon Jackson is out indefinitely as he deals with an unspecified medical condition, the Panthers announced Wednesday. Declining to offer any additional comment, Pitt released a statement on behalf of Jackson. “I’ve appreciated the concern and outreach recently,” Jackson said. “I’ve been dealing with a medical issue for...

Pitt’s special teams began the year in the splashiest of fashions. In Week 1 vs. Duquesne, Desmond Reid returned a punt 88 yards for a score, and Kenny Johnson took a kick back 78 yards in the Panthers’ blowout win. Special teams play remained competent in Weeks 2 and 3,...

Pitt forward Cam Corhen and guard Brandin Cummings will join coach Jeff Capel at the 2025 ACC Tipoff held in Charlotte, N.C., the Panthers announced Tuesday. Third-year women’s coach Tony Verdi will be accompanied by guards Amiya Jenkins and Mikayla Johnson. The women’s event will be held Oct. 6-7, with...

Pat Narduzzi had a lot on his mind Monday afternoon at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side. It’s routine for Narduzzi, after a day-plus of watching game film from the prior weekend, to offer more detailed answers and insights than fresh from the sidelines, when reporters meet with...

The manner in which Pitt left guard Keith Gouveia went down with a right leg injury during the third quarter of Saturday’s 34-27 loss to Louisville appeared serious, as he was quickly fitted with a temporary cast and carted off the field. On Monday, coach Pat Narduzzi revealed that Gouveia...

Pitt and Florida State will kick off at noon Oct. 11 in Tallahassee, Fla., the ACC announced Monday morning. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. Following a 46-38 double-overtime road defeat to Virginia last weekend, the Seminoles (3-1, 0-1 ACC) dropped from No. 8 to No. 18 in the...