Predictably, minor skirmish breaks out between 2 Pitt teammates on 1st day of padded practice

Pitt players donned their big-boy pads Friday for the first time since the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30, and three elements surfaced, according to coach Pat Narduzzi.

Intensity. Enthusiasm. A fight.

Friendly fire is nothing new to football practices, and Narduzzi was not upset by it. Nonetheless, he declined to divulge the names of the combatants after their tussle in front of ACC officials, but away from reporters’ prying eyes. The officials are there to adjudicate the proceedings in an attempt to simulate a game as much as possible.

“There’s always going to be a fight in practice,” Narduzzi said. “It was intense. Usually, they love each other up afterwards, so it’s awesome. You just love the way they compete. When you’re competing, you’re going to have some of that.”

Narduzzi’s rule is that teammates don’t join the fray.

“Usually, it’s one on one. We can’t have guys jumping in. Then, it becomes out of control.

“Two guys, if they do get in a little fight, it lasts about 10 seconds and everybody’s exhausted. Let them get exhausted. Don’t let anybody else get exhausted. Probably the last time it will happen.”

How does he know?

“The teaching after that is they ran about eight gassers and they didn’t like that too much,” he said.

Time for spring break

Narduzzi put his team through three practices this week, with 12 more remaining, including the annual Blue-Gold game April 9 at Heinz Field.

With Pitt’s spring break scheduled next week, players are off until March 15.

“We got about every ounce of energy we could out of them the past two hours,” the coach said. “Really good day in pads.”

Senior center Owen Drexel said Narduzzi’s message to the team while sending them off for a week’s break was simple: “Don’t be out past 12.”

“I’m staying home and sleeping,” Drexel said. “We always tell the guys, ‘Be safe, be smart, do the best thing you can do, stay out of trouble.’ ”

Too soon to tell

Narduzzi and defensive coordinator Randy Bates were in agreement that no complete evaluation of the day’s practice can be made before watching the video.

Asked about the linebackers, Bates said, “We have a bunch of eager guys and an experienced older guy who’s transferred in (Shayne Simon, formerly of Notre Dame). We’ll have to wait and see.”

Narduzzi did point out sophomore Solomon DeShields, junior Bangally Kamara and seniors Simon and Brandon George for general praise among linebackers.

Asked about the quarterback competition, he said Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti “looked well.”

“It’s going to be a battle. We have two quarterbacks we can win with right now, maybe it’s three. We’ll see. It’s a work in progress.”

Couple of highlights

• Bates said redshirt freshman safety Javon McIntrye blocked a field goal, broke up “two or three passes” and “had a couple good hits.”

• Defensive back Myles Canton, a walk-on transfer from Robert Morris, returned an interception for a touchdown.