Pitt Take 5: With No. 17 Tar Heels in town, Panthers hope to avoid rare 1-3 start

Pitt has lost three of its first four games only three times this century (2017, 2005 and 2001), but the Panthers will be on the brink of a fourth slow start Saturday night against 17th-ranked North Carolina at Acrisure Stadium.

Twice (in ’17 and ’05), Pitt won only four more games. In 2001, it got as bad as 1-5 before coach Walt Harris led the team on a six-game winning streak, including a victory against N.C. State in the Tangerine Bowl.

The point: After 20 victories in two seasons, Pitt wants no part of a minor bowl, losing season or even a 7-5 record. Coach Pat Narduzzi believes Pitt has risen from those ashes, and to fall back would be devastating.

Pitt might have to play a perfect game, especially in the secondary, to defeat the Tar Heels and Heisman Trophy candidate Drake Maye. While you consider Pitt’s chances, ponder these five storylines:

1. Yes, he is human

If you’re a desperate Pitt fan looking for some hope, you might have noticed that Maye has thrown four interceptions in three games, one more than Phil Jurkovec.

ACC Network analyst Tim Hasselbeck said that only proves Maye is human.

“It’s the old Peyton Manning saying: ‘Every interception has its own story.’ I think that’s definitely the case for him,” Hasselbeck said.

“Just because you’re a great player doesn’t mean you’re immune from turning the football over. It still can be a dependent position at times. The reason Tom Brady was down 28-3 in the Super Bowl was that he turned the football over. It’s kind of the nature of playing the position.”

Hasselbeck prefers to dwell on what Maye does well.

“The thing that shocked me was how good of a runner he was. He’s a very athletic, elusive runner,” he said.

Which presents a dilemma for Narduzzi. Will Pitt rush three and cover with eight or put heat on Maye with a variety of blitzes that could leave his secondary vulnerable?

If Narduzzi chooses coverage, Hasselbeck has a warning: “Sometimes what happens is he finds a lane to climb in the pocket and he takes off and runs for 12 yards.”

“In terms of coming after him, people have done that as well. He can make you pay because they do have some talented receivers. He’s going to make some plays. You have to understand that’s going to happen.”

2. An athletic family

Maye’s father, Mark, played football at UNC from 1983-88. Brother Luke was a Tar Heels basketball great from 2015-2019. Brother Cole won an NCAA baseball title at Florida, and brother Beau plays basketball for the Tar Heels.

“He has that DNA about him that makes him successful,” ACC Network play-by-play veteran Wes Durham said. “He’s a competitor. I think he’s a terrific leader. There is a reason that it’s him and Caleb Williams (USC) at the top of the chart for (the NFL Draft) next April, for sure.”

3. Mack still mad

North Carolina coach Mack Brown continues to gripe about the NCAA refusing to grant eligibility to wide receiver Tez Walker, a former Kent State player who initially signed with North Carolina Central before the covid-19 pandemic wiped out its 2020 season.

He hoped to play for the Tar Heels this season, but the NCAA said no, based on its desire to curb two-time transfers. Brown was hoping to pair Walker with wide receiver Nate McCollum, a transfer from Georgia Tech, to give a significant boost to Maye and the passing game.

“Two great choices in the transfer portal to give us great speed outside and change games,” Brown said. “Tez would have had a great impact on our team and put him in a tremendous position with the NFL and with NIL money as well. That is more reason we are upset.”

McCollum had 15 receptions last week against Minnesota, the most by any player this season and one short of Josh Downs’ UNC record. “If I had known that, we would have thrown him one more ball,” Brown said.

4. Can Jurkovec handle the load?

Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. called run plays on 13 of the first 14 snaps against West Virginia. Were Cignetti and Narduzzi reluctant to put too much on Jurkovec’s plate?

“Why did we keep running the ball down the field? Because it was there, and we felt good,” Narduzzi said. “Nobody goes into a game and says, ‘Let’s run the ball 13 times and we’re not going to throw one down.’ That’s not the plan.”

There was room to run on the first series, especially for Rodney Hammond Jr., who carried seven times for 41 yards. But his number was called only seven more times the rest of the game.

Narduzzi said Hammond will get an increased workload Saturday. That’s a good plan. But what if the Panthers fall behind? Can Jurkovec rally the team with his arm?

5. Aerial show grounded

There is still time for Pitt to fix its aerial game crisis, but the first three games have been a nightmare — nothing like the optimism that ran through training camp in August.

Bub Means’ speed was supposed to help Jurkovec develop a deep passing game. Plus, at least two from among freshman wide receivers Kenny Johnson, Zion Fowler-El, Lamar Seymore and Izzy Polk appeared to have the ability to give Pitt much-needed depth at the position.

Plus, 6-foot-7 tight end Malcolm Epps looked to be a nice red-zone target.

So far, Means is on a 16-catch pace, with four for 64 yards, and Epps, Johnson and Fowler-El have combined for five receptions and 17 yards.

Jurkovec’s completion total (35) is tied for 99th in the nation with Kent State’s Michael Alaimo and Western Michigan’s Jack Salopek, a Norwin graduate. National leader Shedeur Sanders of Colorado is averaging 35.7 per game.

Meanwhile, Johnson has earned the team’s kickoff return job and has returned three for 69 yards.

“Kenny can run. You can’t teach a guy to run fast,” special teams coach Andre Powell said. “The more he does it, the better he sees it. He’s going to make more plays as we go down the road.”