Is Izzy ready to return? Pitt's Pat Narduzzi hints running back Abanikanda may be getting better

All Pat Narduzzi needed was a remote microphone, and his final words Thursday at his weekly media briefing would have qualified as a classic mic drop.

While he rose from the long, wooden table in a room where many of the Pitt coaching staff’s most important meetings are held, he was asked if any injured players will return Saturday against Virginia Tech.

Initially, he said, “I can’t remember.”

Then, he dropped a minor bombshell.

Said the coach as he left the room: “I like where Izzy’s at.”

Of course, the remark is up for interpretation because it was spoken by a coach and those men like to be vague and mysterious about personnel matters.

Did Narduzzi mean Pitt running back Izzy Abanikanda might play this Saturday against Virginia Tech? It’s a vital matter because Abanikanda was leading the ACC in rushing before missing the second half against Georgia Tech last Saturday with an undisclosed injury.

Or, is Abanikanda merely recovering nicely, with no known timetable for his return?

If the bookmakers got wind of Narduzzi’s injury file and it actually said Abanikanda is recovered and will play, the betting line certainly would spike beyond the 14 ½ points Pitt is giving the Hokies.

The running game is the fuel that makes Pitt’s offense go most efficiently. At least until the passing game becomes a greater threat.

With Abanikanda and Rodney Hammond Jr. out with injuries, Pitt’s offense hasn’t worked as well. It was grounded in the second half Saturday when backup running back Vincent Davis lost two fumbles in Georgia Tech’s 26-21 victory.

In the wake of Davis’ fumbles, Narduzzi had some fun with Davis at practice Thursday, playfully jabbing at the football his senior running back was carrying from one practice drill to the next.

“I came from behind and tried to punch it out,” Narduzzi said.

While tightly clutching the ball to his side, Davis responded: “C’mon, coach. That was last week. I got this.”

Narduzzi is pleased with Davis’ bravado.

“It’s not like he was ‘Oh, my gosh,’ nervous about ball security,” the coach said.

“A couple years ago, the guy played with a cast on his hand. That guy never dropped a ball with a cast on his hand for four or five weeks. I have complete faith. He’s awesome.”

There was no need for Narduzzi to go the extreme measure taken by the fictional Eastern State University coach Sam Winters, played by James Caan in the movie “The Program.” Running back Darnell Jefferson, played by Omar Epps, has a fumbling problem and is forced to carry the football everywhere he goes, even to class.

“I wouldn’t make him do that,” Narduzzi said.

Other than the fumbles, Davis has been effective in a reserve role, averaging 6 yards per carry (38/228), with seven catches for 61 yards.

If Abanikanda and Hammond remain inactive, Pitt has bodies even beyond Davis to pick up the slack. Daniel Carter, normally a fullback, has scored twice and C’Bo Flemister is averaging 4.1 yards on 11 carries.

Narduzzi said he’s comfortable with Davis, Carter and Flemister “unless it goes down to one and then I’m not so comfortable.”

“That’s kind of the 2022 season so far, for us at least. Injuries and (backups) stepping up. We’ve had that the entire year, and we’re continuing to battle that.”

Abanikanda’s skills are special, a mixture of power and speed that produced 510 rushing yards and seven touchdowns (one through the air) in 4 1/2 games. Pitt needs him healthy for the remainder of the season while confronting seven ACC opponents in a row.

“Daniel’s a physical runner. We’re not afraid to put him in there,” Narduzzi said, admitting there’s a difference between the two runners.

“If there’s a 5-yard hole, (Carter) is going to get 5 yards, probably. Izzy, if there’s a 5-yard hole, he might get 55 yards, too. (Carter) doesn’t have that burst, but he might run somebody over for another three.

“But he’s going to get probably caught. We have a lot of confidence in him, as well. It just takes longer to get to that end zone.”