Pitt notebook: John Petrishen carves out spot on defense by combining skills of linebacker, safety

John Petrishen put Pitt’s 51-7 victory against UMass into terms anyone locked inside training camp for a month can appreciate.

“We were waiting to hit somebody else,” he said.

After Pitt players collided only with teammates almost every day since early August, there was a game to play Saturday and the Panthers took out their frustrations on the Minutemen. It turned out to be a thorough thrashing in Pitt’s first of four consecutive nonconference games to start the season.

Next up: Tennessee, an SEC opponent — Pitt’s first since a 38-17 loss to Ole Miss in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Jan. 5, 2012. The Volunteers, under first-year coach Josh Heupel, opened their season Thursday with a 38-6 victory against Bowling Green. Heupel is no stranger to Pitt, having coached UCF in two games against the Panthers (1-1) in ’18 and ’19.

Of course, the past means little in college football, where rosters and staffs change dramatically from year to year. No one knows more about change than Petrishen, who couldn’t find his niche as a Penn State safety but now is an important part of Pitt’s rotation at linebacker.

He didn’t start against UMass, but he led the Panthers with six tackles and two sacks. He was one of 25 defensive players on the stat sheet with at least one tackle or quarterback hurry.

“I feel like I envisioned things like this for a long time,” Petrishen said. “I’m more confident than I’ve ever been, having more fun than I’ve ever had.”

He came onto the field in passing situations, playing a position Pitt usually had reserved for a defensive back in previous seasons. He’s a hybrid: part defensive back, part outside linebacker.

“I love my position,” he said, noting he didn’t love it when Pitt was recruiting him from Central Catholic to play linebacker. “I grew into my body. I’m able to transfer those ball skills and athleticism from the safety position.

“I gained a little bit of weight (to 225 pounds), being able to play inside the box and outside the box in coverage. I get to disguise, have some personality and we get four linebackers on the field.”

Petrishen, now in his seventh collegiate season, long ago made a complete recovery from shoulder injuries.

“Being healthy for a long period of time has made a big difference for me,” he said.

Petrishen was pleased with how all 11 players contributed to the success of the entire unit.

“We’re meshing really well. We’re all helping each other out, and we’re all really excited to see each other’s success,” he said. “My two sacks wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for the D-line doing its job, if it wasn’t for the secondary doing its job.”

Showing some love

Wide receiver Jordan Addison scored a touchdown after catching a sideline pass at the line of scrimmage, taking advantage of Jaylon Barden’s block and scooting 12 yards into the end zone.

“It was a great block,” Addison said. “In our room, we stress how you play without the ball determines how much you love your teammates. So, I guess that determines how much he loves me.”

A second chance

Addison dropped a long pass early in the game, but he recovered to finish his day with five receptions for 40 yards.

“I knew I can make plays, and they know after that dropped ball, I’m going to bounce back,” he said of his coaches. “I’m glad they came back to me.”

By the numbers

Pitt rushed for 222 yards, the 25th time under coach Pat Narduzzi the Panthers surpassed 200. … The 597 yards of total offense represented the most since gaining a school record 654 against Virginia Tech in 2018. … Pitt had five sacks and improved its record to 16-1 under Narduzzi when it records at least that many. … UMass rushed for only 42 yards, the 28th time in 77 games (36.3%) Narduzzi’s defense has allowed fewer than 100 yards on the ground.