Will injuries across offensive line slow Pitt's recovery efforts?

If you made a list of every complication that could further derail a struggling team’s season, injuries to the two most experienced — and probably two best — offensive linemen would be at the top.

But that’s the dilemma facing Pitt (1-3, 0-1 ACC) this week as it prepares to travel to face Virginia Tech on Saturday at noisy Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va.

Through the first four weeks, the same five offensive linemen have not appeared in the next game.

It started with the coaches’ decision for the second game (against Cincinnati) to insert freshman B.J. Williams at right guard, moving Blake Zubovic to the left side.

When Williams was injured and couldn’t play at West Virginia in the third game, Jason Collier, who started the season at left guard, moved to the right.

Last week, the most dramatic shift occurred when veterans Matt Goncalves (left tackle) and Jake Kradel (center) were injured and missed the North Carolina game.

Goncalves is lost for the season, but coach Pat Narduzzi’s silence on Kradel’s situation — he only comments on season-ending injuries — suggests the senior from Butler is expected to return sometime this season.

If Kradel, a third-team All-ACC honoree last season, returns against Virginia Tech, the line would move closer to normalcy, but it would be the fifth offensive line configuration in five games.

If Kradel can’t play, the same five who started the North Carolina game — tackles Branson Taylor and redshirt freshman Ryan Baer, guards Zubovic and Collier and center Terrence Moore — may line up Saturday, with Williams also available.

Narduzzi insists results can be traced back to all areas of the team. But coinciding with the injures, Pitt has fallen to 14th and last in the ACC in average yards per game (317), passing offense (182) and offensive efficiency (107.4). No wonder Pitt is 0-3 against its Power 5 opponents.

Give offensive line coach Dave Borbely credit for keeping the chess pieces properly aligned. But his toughest trick is getting Collier, Baer and Moore ready after they had not started a game before this season.

Goncalves, also named to the 2022 All-ACC team, is a big loss, given his experience (24 starts) and the fact he protects the quarterback’s blind side.

Kradel, who has made 34 starts, shouts out the calls, helping his linemates recognize blitzes and different defensive alignments. That duty has been passed down to Moore, who said, “I think I did solid (against North Carolina), but I can always get better with my communication.”

”You lose a lot of experience. You lose some really good players,” Borbely said. “With that said, that’s why we work the next-man-in philosophy and concept. That’s why guys practice. It’s someone else’s opportunity. So when it’s your time, rise to the occasion and perform.”

Borbely said the line “played well in spots” last week. “We’ve been inconsistent. I think our run game is coming along. The pass protection piece of it, we’re getting better.”

Pitt has high hopes for Baer (6-foot-7, 330 pounds), a four-star prospect when he joined the team in the class of 2022.

“He played in spots,” Borbely said. “He gave up a big pressure. He gave up a sack at the end.

“Sometimes, we forget — and, certainly, I do — when you look at him, you feel like you’re looking at a full-grown man and a veteran player. He’s a redshirt freshman.

“To put it in perspective, (former Pitt left tackle) Carter Warren didn’t start as a redshirt freshman. He didn’t start until his third year. When we talk about on-the-job training, (Baer) is going through that. I thought he made improvement from the beginning of the season until that being his first start. I thought he did very well in the run game. The protection piece of it, we just have to be more consistent with him.”

Borbely said the offensive line can be one of the most difficult positions for a young player to learn.

“I’ve always believed that the closer you move to the football, the harder it is to play as a young player,” he said. “You’re dealing with mental maturity. You’re dealing with physical maturity. Nobody grows up with a blocking sled in their backyard. It’s an acquired skill, for sure.”