Pat Narduzzi wonders if ex-Pitt player Carson Van Lynn was stealing signals to help Duke

Dating back to basketball player Cam Johnson’s transfer to North Carolina in 2017, Pitt officials have been opposed to transfers within the ACC.

Pat Narduzzi likes them even less after what he believes might have happened involving former Pitt offensive lineman Carson Van Lynn, who transferred to Duke in the offseason.

“You feel like they’ve got our signals,” Narduzzi said. “Carson Van Lynn is over there staring at our signalers. We changed some things up, maybe we didn’t change it up good enough. You’ve got a spy on the other team, and our kids found a way to get it done.”

Asked if he actually believes there was chicanery at play, Pitt’s coach continued, “I don’t know what he was getting. We’ve got some changes, but he’s a smart kid. You never know. You felt like it.

“Our kids early in the first quarter said they were calling stuff out. Nobody else will have inside information for the rest of the year. That’s why transfers and intraconfernece transfers are not good.”

For the record, Van Lynn was greeted by his former Pitt teammates after the game and posed for pictures with them.

Pickett approaching history

After throwing for 400-plus yards for the third time this season, Kenny Pickett moved past Ryan Finley of N.C. State into third place in ACC history with 11,155. He also passed Finley for second place in completed passes (946).

N.C. State’s Philip Rivers is the all-time leader with 1,087 completions, and he also leads in yardage with what appears to be an unattainable total of 13,484. Pickett would have to play in five more games this season — three in the regular season, the ACC championship and a bowl — and average nearly 500 to catch Rivers. Clemson’s Tajh Boyd is second with 11,904.

Closer to home, Pickett needs to throw for 113 to pass Alex Van Pelt and become Pitt’s all-time leader in passing yards.

In the first five ACC games, he has completed 137 of 210 passes (65.2%) for 1,829 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s been sacked 11 times, seven in the past two games.

Compensation No. 1

In Pitt’s first game without backup middle linebacker Wendell Davis, who announced his plans to transfer, Chase Pine and Brandon George backed up starter SirVocea Dennis. Pine recorded four tackles and a half-sack. George had three, one for loss.

Outside linebackers John Petrishen and Cam Bright, who share the star position, had 13 and six tackles. Petrishen had a sack, interception and a quarterback hurry. Bright had 2 1/2 sacks and a hurry. Phil Campbell III, the outside linebacker on the other side, had 10 tackles, one for a loss.

Compensation No. 2

Even without wide receivers Taysir Mack, Jaylon Barden and Melquise Stovall, Pickett had plenty of targets.

Jordan Addison caught seven passes for 177 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a 2-yard score after taking a long lateral from Pickett.

“I think we could have hit him a couple of more times,” Narduzzi said.

Shockey Jacques-Louis totaled six receptions for 66 yards, and Jared Wayne five for 81 and a score.

More numbers

Freshman running back Rodney Hammond was Pitt’s leading rusher with 81 yards on 16 carries, 10 in the fourth quarter. … Izzy Abanikanda carried 10 times for 67 yards and caught four passes for 24 more. … Pitt converted 9 of 14 third downs while the defense stopped Duke on 14 of 22 third- and fourth-down tries. … Pitt is 4-0 on the road this season, with one left in the regular season (Syracuse on Nov. 27).

Trap Takeover SZN ????

Only Pitt and Ohio State are 4-0 in Power 5 away games this season.

❌ Tennessee
❌ Georgia Tech
❌ Virginia Tech
❌ Duke#H2P » #WeNotMe pic.twitter.com/4LG9jLMbFr

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) November 6, 2021