Pat Narduzzi labels Pitt’s Kenny Pickett ‘the most underrated quarterback in the country’
Pat Narduzzi is certainly no neutral observer, but that hasn’t stopped him from beating the drum for quarterback Kenny Pickett. "I think he is the most underrated quarterback in the country." @CoachDuzzPittFB on why you should watch out for @kennypickett10 ?#PackerAndDurham pic.twitter.com/WcevCg7Vf2— ACC Network (@accnetwork) September 16, 2020 Appearing on...
Vincent Davis accepts ‘old-school’ lessons from Pitt assistant Andre Powell
Andre Powell smiled when he heard Pitt running back Vincent Davis called him “old school.” “It means I’m old, and I went to school,” said Powell, Pitt’s 53-year-old running backs coach/special teams coordinator. It was a joke, of course. After 33 seasons of continuous service as a college football coach,...
First Call: Ravens coach defends risking Lamar Jackson, Bruce Arians blunt about Tom Brady
Tuesday’s “First Call” gives us John Harbaugh’s defense of Lamar Jackson staying in the Baltimore Ravens’ blowout win Sunday. Bruce Arians isn’t afraid of criticizing Tom Brady. The Dallas Stars are onto the Stanley Cup Final. And Pitt is a big favorite on Saturday. Leavin’ Lamar The Baltimore Ravens destroyed...
Pat Narduzzi says he feels ‘safe’ from coronavirus in Pitt’s training facility
Although seven players were kept out of Pitt’s opening game Saturday for what the university called “covid-related protocols,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said he feels safe in the team’s training facility on the South Side. “I feel safe as I can be in this building and with the people that...
Pitt’s duplicate jersey numbers escape officials’ attention in Austin Peay game
Pitt got away with having duplicate numbers on the field for two punt returns Saturday. Wearing a No. 3 jersey, starting free safety Damar Hamlin was on the field with returner Jordan Addison (3). Also, safety Brandon Hill (9) was one of the 11 with returner D.J. Turner (9). Narduzzi...
‘Pretty perfect’ Pitt seeks improvement entering ACC opener vs. Syracuse
On the surface, Pitt’s next challenge — moving beyond a performance Pat Narduzzi called “pretty perfect” — sounds impossible. Pitt’s coach offered his players that ultimate compliment Monday after reviewing video of Pitt’s 55-0 victory against Austin Peay on Saturday. “That’s what it’s supposed to look like in a perfect...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi: In-season rankings less important in covid-altered field
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi admitted Monday that being ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 in the midst of a season-altering pandemic carries less significance than in a normal year. Pitt (1-0) is ranked No. 25 this week after dismantling FCS opponent Austin Peay, 55-0, on Saturday. The rankings do...
Pitt lands at No. 25 in Associated Press poll
Pat Narduzzi has found the respect for his team he believed was lacking in the preseason. The Associated Press released its Top 25 on Sunday — its first since the start of the college football season — and Pitt landed at No. 25 after its dominant 55-0 victory against Austin...
La.-Lafayette leads 10 new teams in AP Top 25 rankings
Louisiana-Lafayette and Appalachian State were among 10 new teams ranked Sunday in first regular-season Associated Press college football poll, which was stripped of the teams not yet scheduled to play a fall season. There was no change at the very top: Preseason No. 1 Clemson received 60 of 61 first...
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi has covid warning for his players: ‘We don’t want to be next’Video
Pat Narduzzi had no appetite for discussing why seven players were kept home from Pitt’s season-opening victory Saturday against Austin Peay. School officials said the players were absent for “covid-related protocols.” That doesn’t mean they tested positive for covid-19; it could be a result of contact tracing. Defensive Rashad Weaver,...
Without 6 starters, Pitt slams Austin Peay in opener
In his time as Pitt’s coach, Pat Narduzzi had seen too many meaningless victories against weaker competition: • Youngstown State in 2015, 45-37 (overtime). • Delaware and Eastern Michigan last year (17-14 and 34-30). Of the latter game, Narduzzi said, “… we played hard enough just to win the game.”...
Rashad Weaver gets conflicting test results, won’t play; Pitt says seven players will miss opener because of covid protocols
Pitt defensive end Rashad Weaver won’t play Saturday against Austin Peay after getting conflicting results from four covid-19 tests. Pitt officials announced that seven players won’t play because of “covid-related protocols.” The university did not identify the players. Missed all season heck let’s add one more game to it no...
Despite quarantine, disrupted routine, Pat Narduzzi says Pitt well-prepared for opener
Pat Narduzzi doesn’t usually watch another coach’s game early in the week when he’s getting Pitt ready to play. But he glanced at the TV on Monday night when Navy, a team that won 11 games last season, allowed 580 total yards (301 on the ground) in a 55-3 loss...
Answering the most pressing question about Pitt’s opener: Who was Austin Peay?
Pitt plays Austin Peay on Saturday at Heinz Field in its first game of what will be a season like no other. Let’s get the big question out of the way first: Who was Austin Peay? Born to a former Confederate cavalryman, Austin Peay was the first Tennessee governor since...
Rosary beads at the ready, Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi awaits covid test resultsVideo
On the day before the day before, Pat Narduzzi talked of rosary beads, his (potential) ulcer and a medical laboratory in Raleigh, N.C., that could hold Pitt’s fate in its test tubes. The issue is covid-19 testing. It happens three times a week for ACC teams – Sunday, Wednesday and...
Pitt’s Jason Pinnock hopes to have right answers at cornerback
Before Jason Pinnock started answering questions from reporters Wednesday afternoon, he glanced at his phone. The news of the day from the NFL struck him like a bolt of lightning. “Oooh, Jalen Ramsey,” Pinnock said, raising both eyebrows at Ramsey’s new five-year, $105 million contract from the Los Angeles Rams,...
ACC men’s basketball coaches want to invite every school to NCAA Tournament
While the start date of the 2020-21 college basketball season remains uncertain, ACC men’s coaches voted Wednesday to propose an all-inclusive NCAA Tournament in 2021. If every team was invited to the tournament, the difficulty of playing a nonconference schedule, followed by a conference season, would be mitigated in the...
Former Miami coach Mark Richt says Pitt’s Kenny Pickett ‘the right quarterback’ for Pat Narduzzi
Mark Richt has watched Kenny Pickett’s career at Pitt with special interest. After all, he was there when it started. And the memory is one he’d prefer to forget. Richt was the coach at Miami in 2017, undefeated and ranked second in the nation. Pickett was a first-year freshman, with...
First Call: Steelers, Giants face O-line questions; Matt Murray and NHL goalie pool; Pitt star shines in NBA playoffs
Wednesday’s “First Call” looks at a shared concern for both the Steelers and the New York Giants in advance of Monday Night Football. A former Pitt basketball player is emerging in the NBA playoffs. And the NHL goalie rumor mill may have one less name in the hopper. So what...
Pitt’s Wendell Davis humbly accepts starting job at middle linebacker
Wendell Davis has confronted temptation and walked away from it — not his toughest task as Pitt’s starting middle linebacker. But staying on course helped him remain healthy and focused, two of the most important attributes any college football player needs to survive this season. Davis was not tempted to...
How Pat Narduzzi used his ORs to row toward the start of the 2020 Pitt season
Sometimes, the preseason depth chart is barely worth the ink used to run it through the copy machine. It can change daily, and coaches, including those at Pitt, might be disappointed if it remains unchanged for too long. That means backups aren’t improving. Pat Narduzzi released his first two-deep (in...
Former major-league catcher Devin Mesoraco joins Pitt staff
Former All-Star catcher Devin Mesoraco joined the Pitt baseball coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. He will work primarily with catchers. Mesoraco, a native of Punxsutawney, played eight years in the major leagues after joining the Cincinnati Reds in 2011. He was drafted by the Reds with the 15th overall...
Covid-19 tests three times a week part of Pitt’s regimen on game week
The practices, meetings and video sessions aimed at preparing Pitt for its opener Saturday against Austin Peay are underway. But that is only part of what players, coaches and staff need to do. Everyone will be tested for covid-19 three times a week during the season. It started Sunday. There...
Pitt Take 5: Game week … 6 months ago, who thought we’d reach this point?
Back in March, when sports stopped and we had no idea when they would resume, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit offered these distressing words: “I’ll be shocked if we have NFL football this fall, if we have college football,” he said in a radio interview. This is not meant...
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, fellow co-captains seek respect after snub from ACC media
When he was a freshman quarterback just trying to figure things out, Kenny Pickett mostly watched as a bad Pitt team lost seven games. A year later, he was on an ACC Coastal Division champion that ended the season on a three-game losing streak. Then, a year ago, Pitt won...
