Pitt Take 5: Injuries on offense cause defense no stress

When a quarterback goes down with an injury, it will cause angst inside and outside any team’s locker room. At Pitt, however, it seems the players on defense have more pressing concerns.

When senior safety Erick Hallett was asked if injuries to Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti might cause the defense stress, thinking it must pitch a shutout Saturday night at Western Michigan, he said the identity of the quarterback doesn’t matter.

“We see stress as (being) unprepared,” Hallett said. “Going into every game, you always want a shutout. No matter who’s under center. We could have (305-pound guard) Jake Kradel under center.”

Now, that would be a story.

Slovis probably has a better chance of playing than Patti, but it’s also worth paying attention to the running back and center positions, where injury issues last week affected Rodney Hammond Jr. and Owen Drexel. Hammond didn’t play; Drexel left in the fourth quarter.

Here are a five other thoughts to ponder before the 7:30 p.m. kickoff:

1. Why Western Michigan, why on the road?

Filling out a 12-game schedule that includes four outside the conference can be tricky.

They all can’t be against Power 5s — unless the coach and athletic director are OK with putting their jobs at risk. Convincing all four opponents to visit your campus can be difficult.

Sometimes, you need to pack up the equipment van and play a game against a non-Power 5 school on the road. That’s what Pitt must do Saturday night in Kalamazoo, Mich. The ACC will play 10 such games this season; the SEC, Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 together will play a total of 12.

Similar quirks in Pitt’s schedule have arisen in recent years. Pitt played at Florida International in 2014, Akron in 2015 and Central Florida in 2018. The 2020 game at Marshall was canceled when the covid-19 pandemic led to a reconfigured schedule.

Options are limited.

“Sometimes you’re stuck with what you have,” Narduzzi said.

The problem occurs when schools, no matter their size or reputation, insist on a home-and-home series.

2. Big Saturday night in Kalamazoo

Western Michigan’s 2022 home opener at 108-year-old Waldo Stadium — named after the school’s first president, Dwight B. Waldo — is a big deal in Kalamazoo.

Officials project an electric crowd, which is what Pitt senior defensive tackle David Green wants to see.

“I just love when everybody boos us, and we’re the underdogs and everybody’s against us,” he said. “To shut everybody up is a beautiful feeling.”

Pitt is no underdog, though. If you want to bet the Broncos, you’re getting 10¹⁄₂ points in some places.

Western Michigan athletic director Dan Bartholomae, who spent 15 years as a key figure in athletics administration at Pitt, has scheduled country music star Chase Bryant to perform before the game during an interactive Block Party with games and giveaways.

“We’re committed to making Bronco football gamedays a top-notch experience for all of our fans, and what better way to kick it all off than with a big-name country music star like Chase Bryant, followed by a night game against the reigning ACC champs?” Bartholomae said in a news release. “I’m looking forward to seeing Bronco Nation pack Waldo for Pitt.”

The school’s release capitalized the words PACK, WALDO and PITT. Yeah, this is a big deal.

3. Respect for Pitt

Norwin graduate Jack Salopek is the Broncos’ quarterback, and he has gained much respect for Pitt during video study.

“They play hard, and they’re fast. Their D-line is one of the best, if not the best, unit in the country,” Salopek said. “There are really no specific weak spots on their defense. All 11 guys are solid players.

“They are heavy downhill in the run game, and in the pass game they’re going to force you to beat them one-on-one. So it should be a good challenge.”

Salopek is working under first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Thorne, who led North Central (Ill.) College to a Division III national championship in 2019.

“He’s smart and bright. I’ve been able to grow so much under him,” Salopek said.

No matter how challenging the Pitt defense will be for Thorne, the game will be a bit easier for him than Western Michigan’s opener. Thorne was coaching against his son, Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne.

4. Not enough carries to go around

One of the most difficult jobs on the Pitt coaching staff is finding playing time for all five running backs.

Hammond and Izzy Abanikanda have been the busiest, leaving few carries for Vincent Davis, C’Bo Flemister and Daniel Carter. In two games, those three have carried a total of eight times (five by Davis).

“When a guy gets hot, you don’t take him out of the game,” running backs coach Andre Powell said.

“I know (Davis) was disappointed. I was disappointed. Maybe he’s the guy who gets hot this week. You never know when you’re going to get an opportunity to make an impact.

“He’s eager,” Powell said of Flemister, a transfer from Notre Dame. “I feel for him because I’ve been there.”

5. OL line woes

Abanikanda has the longest run from scrimmage among ACC running backs (76 yards), but Pitt’s veteran offensive line has yet to distinguish itself. The Panthers are 13th (next to last) in rushing yards (217) and yards per attempt (2.8) in the conference and tied for last with Boston College in sacks allowed (nine).