Pitt’s Jaylen Twyman ‘110%’ committed to returning to Pitt next season
DETROIT — After three years on Pitt’s campus, defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman is eligible to leave school early and enter the 2020 NFL Draft. And he has the resume to interest any team. • He’s a second-team All-American and first-team All-ACC performer. • He recorded 10½ sacks as an interior...
Pitt ends bowl losing streak with 34-30 victory against Eastern MichiganVideo
DETROIT — Down three, with only two minutes, 43 seconds left in the Quick Lane Bowl, Kenny Pickett broke the huddle, stepped behind center Jimmy Morrissey and surveyed the scene. It wasn’t pretty or encouraging. In front of Pitt’s quarterback stood 11 Eastern Michigan defenders guarding 91 yards of green...
Pitt AD Heather Lyke: Coach Pat Narduzzi improving, more work to doVideo
DETROIT — Heather Lyke said Thursday night Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi “continues to become a better head coach every year,” but she added the quest to lift the Panthers to a desired level of excellence is far from finished. “I think we’ve got a lot to do in the offseason...
Pitt’s Mike Ditka, Bill Fralic, Larry Fitzgerald, Hugh Green named to ESPN’s all-time All-America team
Four Pitt greats, all of whom have had their jerseys retired by the university, are first-team selections on ESPN’s All-Time All-America college football team announced Wednesday. Named to the team were tight end Mike Ditka, offensive tackle Bill Fralic, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and defensive end Hugh Green. Ditka, who...
Pitt bowl game matters, especially to those coming back for more
There can be reasonable debate about the importance of bowl games that don’t involve ranked teams. So let’s review the arguments: • If Pitt defeats Eastern Michiganon Thursday night in the Quick Lane Bowl, will anyone remember? Coach Pat Narduzzi surely will. It would be his first bowl victory in...
Pitt basketball’s Kyla Nelson returns to the court after cancer surgeryVideo
The game of basketball can mirror life. In between those lines, there is a competitor. Athletes go out every day to challenge themselves and persevere against roadblocks to victory. For Pitt women’s basketball player Kyla Nelson, the competitor was cancer, the challenge surgery and the roadblock the will to live....
Habakkuk Baldonado’s long journey from Rome to Pitt’s defensive line
The Italian Club has been active on Pitt’s campus for 106 years, but until the day Charlie Partridge walked Habakkuk Baldonado through the front door, it never was used as a recruiting tool for the football team. Partridge, Pitt’s defensive line coach and assistant head coach, said it’s an experience...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi on Kenny Pickett: ‘He’s a great quarterback. He’s our quarterback’
Kenny Pickett’s collegiate career, so fresh with hope when he boldly led Pitt to an upset of No. 2 Miami as a freshman only two years ago, has been reduced to one season and one game. “He’ll be a senior next year,” coach Pat Narduzzi said, almost sadly. “We wish...
Pitt gets defensive, breezes past Binghamton
With the Christmas break on the horizon, Pitt enjoyed a bit of a breather Friday night while taking advantage of another opportunity to sharpen its skills ahead of an ACC schedule that doesn’t offer many breaks. Pitt coach Jeff Capel saw some things to like in a 79-53 rout of...
Pitt’s Jaylen Twyman finds his name on a 5th All-America team
There are few guarantees in college football, but Pitt sophomore defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman has found one. His name is listed on all five All-America teams announced since the end of the season. The most recent organization to recognize Twyman on its All-America team is the Football Writers Association of...
Pittsburgh homecoming for Kennesaw State women’s basketball players, coach
Duquesne will be at home against Kennesaw State on Friday, but for many of the visiting Owls, the game is a chance to be home for the holidays. Kennesaw State, an Atlantic Sun Conference school located just north of Atlanta, boasts four former WPIAL standouts on its women’s basketball team,...
College football participants also contend for team recruiting title
Teams competing for the national championship this season got good news well before the College Football Playoff — even if they didn’t have much time to celebrate. The early signing period opened Wednesday with three playoff teams — Clemson, LSU and Ohio State — landing eight of the nation’s top...
Pat Narduzzi looking for a buzz from Pitt’s class of 2020Video
When Pat Narduzzi looks back on Pitt’s 2020 recruiting class, he will remember awaiting receipt of paperwork from Liberia; a meal of oxtails, salmon and Jamaican rice and how much assistant Tim Salem enjoyed it; and a series of good-night text messages from the best defensive lineman in Pennsylvania. Those...
Pitt football letters of intent roll in on national signing day, reaches 15 by mid-morning
Defensive end Sam Williams, one of two Pitt recruits from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was the first to send in his letter of intent Wednesday morning. Pat Narduzzi acknowledged receipt at 7:05 a.m., and the process of restocking the roster began. Pitt started the day with 17 verbal commits, but wide...
Pitt flips safety on the eve of signing day
Safety Buddy Mack, who was committed to Charlotte for the past three months, changed his mind Tuesday night and announced on Twitter he will sign with Pitt. ?? #H2P pic.twitter.com/5hpqKU6GjL— Buddy Mack (@TMack_14) December 18, 2019 Mack, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound three-star prospect from Duncan, S.C., is the third defensive back...
ESPN’s Holly Rowe gives a surprise visit to Pitt women’s basketball player Kyla NelsonVideo
Kyla Nelson’s long-awaited return to the basketball court was halted from a special surprise of support. Nelson, a junior guard for the Pitt women’s team, made her comeback Tuesday after being diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor of the appendix in August. The Worthing, England native had surgery in October and...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi said he prefers Detroit’s dome to bright lights of Manhattan
In New York City, Pat Narduzzi could have caught a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, perhaps basked in the glow of Christmas lights in Times Square. In Washington D.C., maybe Pitt’s coach could have invited President Trump, who once owned a professional football team, to practice. Photo-ops everywhere, but...
2 tight ends announce plans to transfer to Pitt
Pitt received a double dose of good news Monday for one of its biggest roster deficiencies when junior college tight end Daniel Moraga said he plans to enroll next year. He joins Florida graduate transfer tight end Lucas Krull, who made a verbal commitment to Pitt earlier in the day....
Jeff Capel declines to get specific about interruption in Pitt-Duquesne series
For the second week in a row, Duquesne received one voting point (25th) in the Associated Press poll. But the undefeated Dukes (9-0) won’t get a chance to test themselves against their neighbors 2 miles up Forbes Avenue. The old rivals, who have met 87 times, aren’t playing each other...
Trey McGowens comes off bench, helps Pitt rally past Northern IllinoisVideo
The best coaches know what buttons to push to ignite their players. They can sense when to do it, and just as importantly, how to do it. Pitt’s Jeff Capel figured that out over the past few days and decided to bench starting sophomore guard Trey McGowens at the beginning...
Penn State LB Micah Parsons, Pitt DL Jaylen Twyman on AP All-America teamVideo
Penn State sophomore linebacker Micah Parsons was named first-team Associated Press All-America on Monday. Parsons has a team-best 85 tackles, including 10 for loss. He previously earned Big Ten Linebacker of the Year and was a finalist for the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker. The last Penn State...
Pitt receives commitment from graduate transfer tight end Lucas Krull of Florida
In Pitt’s continuing search for tight ends, coach Pat Narduzzi on Monday landed a verbal commitment from Lucas Krull, a graduate transfer from Florida. Krull (6-foot-6, 257 pounds) was a backup tight end at Florida the past two seasons, totaling nine receptions for 108 yards. He also completed a 15-yard...
4-star running back prospect Henry Parrish decommits from Pitt
One week before early signing day, Pitt lost one of its top targets in recruiting Wednesday when running back Henry Parrish said he is no longer committed to the Panthers. Parrish, rated a four-star prospect by Rivals.com, rushed for 2,319 yards and 31 touchdowns this season for Christopher Columbus High...
Eastern Michigan ‘fired up’ to meet Pitt in Quick Lane Bowl
Chris Creighton, the football coach at Eastern Michigan, was speaking to about 300 people at his team’s banquet Sunday night when the words “Quick Lane Bowl” appeared on his phone. When he relayed the good news to the crowd, “The place went nuts,” he said. “I mean, it went nuts.”...
Kevin Gorman: Cameron Johnson becomes shooting star for SunsVideo
PHOENIX — Cameron Johnson is past the pinch-me phase of his first NBA season, where the wide-eyed wonder of playing against the world’s best basketball players has worn off. When it comes to shooting, Johnson is an old pro. The highest NBA draft pick from Western Pennsylvania since Danny Fortson...
