Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver’s 14-game absence didn’t hurt his ability to sack the quarterback. Perhaps just as important, he retained a most refreshing character trait: honesty.

In a 21-10 victory Saturday against Syracuse, Weaver experienced his first game competition since the Sun Bowl on New Year’s Eve 2018. After collecting two sacks against the Orange, he said he felt “like an old man.”

“I’m going to get in the ice tub,” Weaver said. “I feel like I just got beat up by eight people at the same time. Definitely not used to it. It’s not practice.”

Pitt’s defense mostly was dominant, thanks in large part to Weaver, who shared half-sacks with defensive tackle David Green and linebacker Cam Bright and recorded a solo one on fourth down in Pitt territory. He also added another tackle for a loss and Sunday was named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week.

Pitt sacked Syracuse quarterback Tommy DeVito seven times.

Actually, Weaver was physically ready to play last week after missing last season with a knee injury. But conflicting covid-19 tests — two positive, two negative — forced Pitt officials to keep him out of the Austin Peay game, quarantine him and limit his prep time.

It didn’t matter Saturday.

“Sometimes you wish it would just have been all positive or all negative,” he said. “Conflicting tests are what made it a little harder (to accept). That’s in the past now.”

Weaver said he felt like “a little kid at Christmas,” and was so eager to play, he slept fitfully Friday night.

“I was sitting with my eyes closed for 30 minutes and couldn’t fall asleep. I woke up at 3:40, energized, checked my phone, hoping it was 7 o’clock (wake-up time).

“I was very eager. I tried to control it as best as I could, but I couldn’t.”

Not good enough

Pitt held Syracuse to 171 yards and did not allow any sustained scoring drives.

Yet, Weaver and senior free safety Damar Hamlin weren’t satisfied.

“We’re a defense that wants to be great,” Weaver said. “We’re disappointed in the first half (when Syracuse scored 10 points). They shouldn’t have scored is how we personally felt. Great defenses don’t make mistakes.”

Hamlin said: “I know I have a lot to work on. The way the mentality is with (teammates), they all know there’s more to work on. Another game (next Saturday against Louisville), so another week to get better. That’s how we look at it.”

Dunk time

Pitt’s defense pulled out the turnover hoop when strong safety Paris Ford intercepted a pass and dunked the ball into a portable basketball hoop on the sideline.

Weaver said he wants his chance, too.

“I told them if I get a strip sack, I’ll put my whole elbow in there like Vince Carter. We’ll need a new one.”

Is he really a freshman?

Freshman wide receiver Jordan Addison led Pitt in receptions with seven for 57 yards, and he also carried three times for 24. Two of his catches were among the most important plays of the game.

He caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Kenny Pickett and helped set up a second score with a 12-yard reception on third-and-10 near the end of the first half. He gained the first down by plowing into two Syracuse defenders along the sideline to set up first-and-goal on the 6.

“My coach told me, ‘Make sure you know where the sticks are,’ ” Addison said. “I made sure I got vertical to get the first down.”

After two games, Addison has twice as many catches (14) as the next pass catcher on the team (D.J. Turner, seven).

“He’s a guy that we trust. He doesn’t play like a freshman,” Narduzzi said.

What’s wrong?

Kicker Alex Kessman is 0 for 3 in field goal attempts in two games, almost a repeat of last season when he missed two of his first three.

“We’ll look at the tape and just try to figure out what he’s doing wrong,” Narduzzi said. “We have a lot of faith in Alex.”

Kessman rallied last season with a streak of 10 successful attempts and finished 22 of 31.

Oops …

Tight end Lucas Krull, who didn’t play last week, had two drops in his Pitt debut, catching one pass for 6 yards.

Narduzzi said it’s best to limit conversation with a struggling pass catcher.

“You don’t want to talk to him too much during the game,” he said. “I don’t need to beat him up. He’ll beat up himself over that, and we just got to get him on the JUGS and keep working it.

“But maybe first game being the guy, and we expect him to make those plays.”

By the numbers

Pitt’s run game averaged only 2.9 yards per rush and Pickett was sacked three times. … Meanwhile, Pickett became the seventh Pitt quarterback with 6,000 career yards (6,068). Next on the list is John Congemi (6,467).

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