Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple seeks more balance in Year 2

After three days of football practice in March, it is impossible to build momentum or make definitive declarations, especially when players donned pads only one day.

Doesn’t matter. Mark Whipple is giving it his best shot.

Before the coronavirus outbreak halted spring drills at Pitt and everywhere else and the ACC on Tuesday canceled all athletic activities (including practices) through the end of the academic year, the Panthers offensive coordinator was pleased with the progress his unit made.

What we know about the Pitt offense:

• There is a rich pool of experience at quarterback;

• Intriguing freshman running back Izzy Abanikanda, who has size and speed, at least will add desperately needed depth;

• Talented wide receivers have much to prove;

• Offensive linemen are eager to prove last season’s leaks can be plugged;

• Tight end Lucas Krull, a transfer from Florida, looks like he might make a difference.

At the top of Whipple’s list of things to do, however, is building a running game to support quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is approaching his third full season as a starter.

Last season, a year after sporting two 1,000-yard rushers, Pitt’s run game fell to 119th of 130 teams in the nation (13th of 14 in the ACC), gaining an average of only 118.8 yards.

“We had running backs get hurt,” Whipple said. “A.J. (Davis) got hurt. Vince (Davis) got hurt. Sib (Todd Sibley) had a pretty good game against Miami, and, all of a sudden, he got hurt. We never really got our rhythm that way.”

Whipple only has three days of spring drills to review, so the offense needs plenty of repair work. But he and the other coaches are on the job for now, reviewing video and offering an ear and a shoulder to players who expected to be at football practice for the next four weeks.

Meanwhile, Whipple will seek ways to prop up his unit when the practice ban is lifted.

It is the second year in his offense, so he believes players are making progress.

“We’re way ahead of where we were last year at this time,” he said. “I want to be more balanced. It makes play-calling a lot easier. It will help the play-action game. It will help everything, controlling the ball. You’d like to be second and 5 a lot of times, instead of second and 8.”

The best part of the offense might be the quarterback room has plenty of experience. Pickett, a rising senior, is backed by Nick Patti and Arizona State transfer Joey Yellen (both of whom started one game last season) and promising redshirt freshman Davis Beville.

Whipple said the holdovers have welcomed Yellen.

“You worry about sometimes when a (new) guy comes in,” he said. “I’ve had it happen in the NFL (when the newcomer isn’t welcomed). But they are really a bunch of fun guys to be around, supporting one another.”

Whipple said he followed Yellen’s prep career at Mission Viejo (Calif.) High School and freshman season at Arizona State in 2019.

A native of Tarrytown, N.Y., and a Brown graduate, Whipple has many contacts in Arizona. He moved to Phoenix at the age of 9, was all-state in football and baseball and was the Arizona Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 1975.

“I knew about him. I have a place in Arizona,” he said. “The strength coach I had at UMass is the strength coach there (Arizona State). My son (Spencer) is out with the Cardinals (their assistant wide receivers coach). I’ve seen his name when he came out of high school. I follow those guys, even though I didn’t have a shot at him at UMass. I knew his legacy in high school.”

Whipple said he watched the first half of Yellen’s start against USC last season when he threw for 292 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions.

“We were off. I said, ‘This kid’s pretty good.’ Didn’t know if we had shot,” he said. “Had a good conversation with him. Came sight unseen.”

The other time Whipple added a quarterback without a face-to-face visit was in 1998 when Todd Bankhead committed to UMass and led the Minutemen to a national championship.

“I told (Yellen) that story ,and maybe he believed it,” Whipple said, laughing. “He’s done his homework. Smart guy, good family.”

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