Pitt stars take up cause to save the season

From front to back on every level of the Pitt defense and splashing over to offense, five players have separated themselves from the pack.

Middle linebacker SirVocea Dennis, defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and free safety Erick Hallett are semifinalists for the Butkus, Bednarik and Thorpe awards for the best players at their positions.

Running back Izzy Abanikanda has earned a similar standing for the Maxwell that is awarded to the nation’s best player. He leads the ACC and is third in the nation in rushing with 1,086 yards.

Dennis and Kancey have recorded 8 ½ tackles for loss each, with five and three quarterback sacks. At his best, Hallett has been a game changer with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

Meanwhile, defensive end Deslin Alexandre has trumped them all in terms of reaching beyond the football field.

He is a semifinalist for the Wuerffel Award given to the college football player who excels in serving his community. Alexandre, a sixth-year senior, will make his 32nd career start Saturday at Acrisure Stadium against Syracuse. But his Fifth Down campaign has raised $11,550 toward a $50,000 goal to provide food and quality education for children in his hometown of Cap-Haitien, Haiti. He plans a trip to present a check to people of the Caribbean nation sometime next year.

All five players are eligible for the draft and might be playing in their final two Pitt home games.

On top of their in-game contributions, those players play a role in keeping everyone’s spirits up in the midst of the current 1-3 slide. The Panthers (4-4, 1-3 ACC) have won only once since the victory against Rhode Island on Sept. 24.

It’s not unusual when players in similar situations lose interest. Yet, Dennis, who has his thumb on the pulse of the locker room, said that’s not the case.

“These guys are still fired up,” he said. “I know they’re ready to go, and I’m ready to go with these guys. From offseason to now, you make sure you keep those guys up no matter what it is.”

Alexandre said he is looking at the final four regular-season games as a means to salvage the season.

“I’m really enjoying every moment I have and taking advantage of every opportunity I have,” he said.

Despite the month-long slump, the mindset remains the same.

“Right now, we’re trying to be 1-0,” secondary coach Archie Collins said.

It’s a phrase coach Pat Narduzzi repeatedly pounds into his players, hoping it helps them maintain a weekly focus.

Looking at the big picture, however, finishing 8-4 with a four-game winning streak could help erase some of the sour moments of October. There’s no championship to win this season, but there’s pride to salvage and the chance to win back some of the lost national relevance.

“We always look back and see how we can prevent the past,” Dennis said. “Making sure this November we pick it up. We want to rally.”

If it appears that Pitt has nothing to lose, Dennis disagrees.

“We still have a chance to be bowl-eligible (with at least two more victories),” he said.

Pitt has gone to a bowl 17 times this century, opting out in 2020 at the end of the covid season. Admittedly, going to a bowl is not a great accomplishment — considering the growing number of low-profile games in the postseason — but that’s also why teams still strive to earn a bid. Staying home would be a bad look for the program.

Even more important, however, is keeping alive the feeling of team as long as possible, Dennis said.

“It’s a chance to go back out there and play with the guys, have fun and play the game we love. It’s football. We love football.”