Injuries, opt-outs force young Pitt team into on-the-job training

Perhaps it is a good sign Pitt defensive coordinator Randy Bates didn’t want to discuss Paris Ford’s decision to opt out.

It’s also not a surprise.

Win or lose, Pitt’s final four games will create waves at least as important as any past developments, and Bates said it is “absolutely” time to turn the page.

“I’m here to talk about the guys on the team, not the guys off the team,” he said Wednesday on a conference call with reporters.

Which brings up the subject of what Pitt’s defense will look like when the Panthers (3-4, 2-4 ACC) visit Florida State on Saturday.

Brandon Hill, a redshirt freshman, will step into Ford’s starting spot at strong safety. He will be among 10 sophomores or freshmen who will be asked to play critical snaps the remainder of the season. Actually, many already have been filling those roles.

When preseason All-American Jaylen Twyman opted out, and senior Keyshon Camp went down with an injury for the second consecutive season, sophomores Tyler Bentley, David Green (Central Catholic), Devin Danielson (Thomas Jefferson) and Calijah Kancey stepped into the void at defensive tackle.

Sophomore outside linebacker SirVocea Dennis suddenly is the team leader in tackles (44, to Ford’s 45). Dennis is not listed No. 1 on Pat Narduzzi’s depth chart, but he has started two of the past three games.

In the secondary, Hill will join sophomore cornerbacks Marquis Williams and A.J. Woods. They are trying to replace senior Damarri Mathis, who has missed the entire season with a non-football-related injury.

Sophomores Erick Hallet and John Morgan are playing important roles, too.

The result is a defense that looked in July to have the proper seasoning, savvy and maturity but now is learning on the job and building for the future while trying to hold the present together.

“We were down to the seventh defensive lineman,” Bates said. “I thought they did well (in the Notre Dame game).”

The Irish managed only 110 yards on 48 rushing attempts, but Notre Dame still found a way to score 45 points.

“It’s a learning experience when you get down that far,” Bates said. “Kids will make two or three great plays, and then it’s an ‘Oh, crap,’ type thing.

“The older we get, the better we make choice-wise and sometimes young guys make a bad choice, and when you’re playing one of the top teams in the country, you pay for it when that happens.”

Bates likes the way Williams and Woods have responded to their additional responsibility, but cornerback is not an easy position for veteran players.

“You’re talking about two guys with limited experience,” he said. “I think they’re handling it well.

“Ultimately, that’s a position that when you don’t make a play there, you really stand out. Whereas, when you’re a defensive tackle or mike linebacker, you make the same error and nobody even knows it happened sometimes.

“You practice as much as you can with the scout team and with our offense, but ultimately, it comes down to experience in games, and that’s where you learn the most. Sometimes, it’s good. Sometimes, it’s bad.”

Bates said the off week was good for players, especially those with injuries.

“We were about to the point where we were practicing the whole team in yellow (jerseys) because guys were banged up,” he said. “It gives them a chance to heal up, which is really critical and gives us a chance to play fast again.

“I hope to see, after a week off, that we’re going to play as fast as we have, maybe faster. It seemed like as we got through the grind, we started to slow a little bit and maybe that hurt us a little bit in chasing down quarterbacks at the time.

“But I see us out there (Wednesday) playing a lot faster.”

Dennis also is optimistic.

“I think our best is yet to come,” he said. “We’re getting very close. The team knows that we haven’t played our best, but we definitely can get there.”

And to all those unhappy fans with high expectations? Bates wants them to know they have company.

“I’m sorry for those who have angst,” he said. “We all want to be 7-0, including myself, just in case anybody needs to know that.”

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