Pat Narduzzi said defensive end Patrick Jones practiced “like an animal” last week before getting three of Pitt’s seven sacks Saturday in a 23-20 victory against Louisville.

Alex Kessman took a different road, as kickers often do. He met with a sports psychologist, took copious notes about their conversation and meditated.

The result was Kessman kicked field goals of 45, 41 and 42 yards to help Pitt improve to 3-0. He moved into sixth place all-time at Pitt with 261 career points.

Kessman, a senior, had missed all three of his field-goal attempts this season — “It was a long two weeks, that’s for sure,” he said — and he thought it was time to do something about it. So he stopped thinking.

“I cleared everything out, stopped being so robotic, just went back to my natural kicking style,” he said. “I know how to kick the ball. I told myself just go out there and kick the ball.”

He also started to meditate, something he had been doing in training camp, using an app called “Calm.”

Kessman said the app offers 30 minutes of guided meditation.

“I just turn the lights off or put on some kind of light and just take a deep breath,” he said. “I think the world right now is too fast. People need to just slow down and reflect on themselves.”

Kessman said he has been meeting with a sports psychologist since his sophomore season, but he hadn’t reached out to him this year until Wednesday.

He didn’t want to reveal the details of their conversation, but he said, “What he told me, it just set me in the present.”

“Maybe my mind was down the road or something, but I think he brought me back and grounded me and he told me to just trust myself. I’ve done it before.”

‘Blame me’

Coach Pat Narduzzi said Pitt might have had a shutout in the second half if he hadn’t made a “dumb” move.

In the third quarter, Pitt was clinging to a 23-17 lead when Louisville took a delay-of-game penalty, turning fourth-and-2 from the Cardinals’ 34 into fourth-and-7 from the 29.

Pitt kept the defense on the field for fourth-and-2, sensing Louisville might try for the first down. But he called for the punt team when it was fourth-and-7.

“They took a delay of game for whatever reason, and I went and put a punt return out there, and I shouldn’t have done it,” he said. “I said, ‘They’re not going to delay a game and then fake it, are they? For more yards?’

“And I played right into their hands. That’s what they wanted to do. They wanted to get our rangers out there.”

Louisville snapped the football to the up back, D.J. Van Horn, who ran 31 yards to keep the drive alive.

Louisville eventually kicked a field goal — its only points of the second half — after a defensive pass interference penalty against cornerback A.J. Woods, also on fourth down.

Injury update

Tight end Lucas Krull and starting middle linebacker Wendell Davis were on crutches before and during the game.

Narduzzi said of the injuries, “They’re not season-ending yet, so we’ll play it day by day.”

Also missing with undisclosed injuries were tight ends Kyi Wright and Jake Zilinskas and defensive back Erick Hallett.

After having seven and three covid-related absences in the first two weeks, Pitt had none Saturday.

Steel Curtain?

Pitt’s defense assembled an impressive array of big plays that included 12 tackles for a loss, seven sacks (17 on the season), three interceptions (six on the season), two pass breakups, five quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.

Perhaps inspired by the new sheet-metal gray jerseys, Narduzzi stopped just short of comparing his defense to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Steel Curtain.

“I know the Steel Curtain is Pittsburgh Steelers, but (Saturday), really, (Pitt)’s been dominant up front,” he said.

“We did get a lot of four-man pressure. I don’t know if we had a five- or six-man sack or not, but a lot of coverage sacks, a lot of quarterback tucking it and containing him near the end. Seemed like he got away a few times.”

Pitt fell from No. 21 to No. 24 in the Associated Press poll released Sunday, but the Panthers (3-0, 2-0 ACC) lead the nation in total sacks and are fifth in average per game (5.7). A total of 10 players have at least a half-sack, led by Patrick Jones II and Rashad Weaver (3 1/2).

2️⃣4️⃣#H2P • @AP_Top25 pic.twitter.com/FDmWRvpUgn

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) September 27, 2020

Offense, by the numbers

Freshman Jordan Addison has a team-high 21 receptions to show for his first three games as a collegian — seven in each game. … The Pitt ground game gained a season-high 156 yards, using five rushers led by Vincent Davis’ 47 on 14 carries. … Louisville’s two touchdown drives consumed 13 and 35 seconds, respectively, and three plays. … Stat that will give Narduzzi sleepless nights: Pitt has fumbled nine times in three games, losing two. … The ability to recover those fumbles has allowed Pitt to possess the football an average only 10 seconds under 35 minutes. … That’s fifth in the nation, first in the ACC.

Recruiting news

Pitt received its first commitment from the class of 2022 when junior safety Aveon Grose of Mansfield, Ohio, announced via Twitter his pledge to enroll two years from now. Grose, 6-foot-1, 185, also has offers from Akron, Cincinnati, Eastern Michigan and Toledo.

I am excited to announce that I am committed to the University of Pittsburgh. Thank you @Pitt_FB, @CoachDuzzPittFB, @ARCHIECOLLINS22 HAIL2PITT! pic.twitter.com/eJUrkrNARL

— Aveon Grose (@AveonGrose) September 27, 2020

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