Watch Pitt-Penn State on the big screen in Oakland
With Pitt and Penn State meeting on the gridiron for the 100th and possibly last time, a big screen is being set up outdoors in Oakland to watch the game. The big screen will be located at Forbes Digital Plaza at the corner of Forbes Avenue and South Bouquet Street...
ACC, Pitt announce 20-game men’s basketball schedule
Pitt’s 20-game ACC men’s basketball schedule – two more conference games than in previous seasons – will stretch from early November to early March and feature a game at the Petersen Events Center against defending national champion Virginia. The ACC announced its schedule Thursday night on the ACC Network. Pitt’s...
Pat Narduzzi challenges Pitt players to step up against Penn StateVideo
Pat Narduzzi appeared to be in a good mood Thursday afternoon, less than 48 hours before Pitt kicks off against Penn State on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. An interesting look for the Pitt coach, considering Penn State might be the toughest opponent on his schedule this season. “I’m kind of...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi said there’s no time to steal signals, even if he wanted to try
When Penn State coach James Franklin said he changed play signals as soon as safety John Petrishen transferred from Penn State to Pitt, Pat Narduzzi smiled. “I haven’t said anything about Eric Thatcher (Penn State’s assistant recruiting coordinator),” Pitt’s coach said Thursday. “He sat in (Pitt’s) defensive meeting rooms for...
Penn State-Pitt gameday parking sold out; lots to open early
Penn State’s parking lots around Beaver Stadium will open at 6:30 a.m. Saturday — 30 minutes earlier than usual — but fans who don’t already have parking permits will be out of luck for the Pitt game. According to the athletics department, the game-day parking permits for Saturday’s matchup against...
Pitt’s Tre Tipton honored for community leadership
Pitt wide receiver Tre Tipton received an honor Thursday that only five other Panthers have earned in the history of the program. Joining linebacker Mike Caprara (2016), running back James Conner (2015) and quarterbacks Tyler Palko (2006) and Alex Van Pelt (1992), the 2015 Apollo-Ridge grad was named to the...
Pat Narduzzi, James Franklin play nice in days leading up to Pitt/Penn State
Although it might be stylish for rivals to trade barbs on social media, Pat Narduzzi and James Franklin have done the opposite in the days leading up to the Pitt/Penn State game Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Each coach had good things to say about the other, and they didn’t even...
Without a turnover or two, Pitt’s upset hopes diminishVideo
Upsets are built on turnovers, and that’s the one aspect of its game Pitt has yet to master. Or, even experience. Despite repeated drill work in practice and coaches nagging their players to attack the football, Pitt hasn’t had a fumble recovery or interception since the final seconds of the...
James Franklin suggests neutral site for future Pitt/Penn State games
When Pitt visits Penn State on Saturday at Beaver Stadium, the game will be the 100th and last between the in-state rivals for the foreseeable future. But Penn State coach James Franklin said it could resume if the schools can “get creative” and, possibly, move the game to a neutral...
Pitt needs clean-up effort to reduce a wave of penalties
Pitt’s margin for error will be reduced significantly Saturday when it faces No. 13 Penn State at Beaver Stadium. The game will be the first of two consecutive games against ranked opponents. Pitt plays No. 17 Central Florida on Sept. 21 at Heinz Field (kickoff 3:30 p.m.). As the schedule...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi shields players from reporters before Penn State gameVideo
Pat Narduzzi is feeding the prevailing perception that the Pitt/Penn State game is different from all others. Just as he has done in the past (with one exception), the coach has shut off all contact between his players and the media in the week leading up to the Penn State...
Pitt’s ground game starts to find a groove against Ohio
Making a passing reference to Pitt’s running game, Ohio coach Frank Solich defined it as accurately as anyone has so far this season. “They were able to establish a little bit of a running game,” Solich said. A little bit. That’s certainly not what Pat Narduzzi wants or needs as...
Pitt notebook: Jimmy Morrissey gets Penn State talk started
Jimmy Morrissey is ready for Penn State. He’s a Pitt co-captain, so you have to believe his teammates feel the same. After Pitt put away Ohio with a 20-10 victory Saturday at Heinz Field, the talk turned to Penn State, the opponent next Saturday in State College. It could be...
Pitt defense sacks Ohio in 1st win of season
Victories in football generally are awarded to teams that block and tackle, catch and throw better than the opponent. Sometimes, however, the right words in the days leading up to the game play a role that shouldn’t be minimized. Such was the case for Pitt and sophomore defensive tackle Jaylen...
Ohio game will help answer some tough questions about Pitt
Every coach and even some reasonable fans will tell you that it’s lunacy to declare the second game of the season a must-win. Such is the case for the Pitt Panthers (0-1), who welcome Ohio into Heinz Field on Saturday. A loss would stir up a fan base that is...
Overcoming loss of Keyshon Camp to injury won’t be easy for PittVideo
For the second time in a month, Pat Narduzzi called a starting defensive lineman into his office to deliver bad news. After only one game, the season is over for Pitt defensive tackle Keyshon Camp, who hurt his knee Saturday night not by running into a Virginia opponent but by...
U mad, bro? Pitt fans lash out at Pat Narduzzi; angst over Pirates, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell
How do I know when somebody is starting to slip in popularity at Pitt? When I write a critical column regarding the Panthers football team and I get far more positive response to it than I do negative. Normally, if I write anything remotely skeptical about Pitt football, I’m overwhelmed...
Strong safety Paris Ford ‘juices’ up Pitt secondaryVideo
When Virginia wide receiver Hasise Dubois caught a short flip from quarterback Bryce Perkins late in the third quarter against Pitt, he appeared to have enough for an important first down. But when Dubois turned upfield looking for more yardage, Paris Ford was waiting for him. Ford punched the football...
Mark Madden: Pitt football long on problems, short on fixes
Pitt football might not quite be broken, but elements of it certainly are. Pitt sold 47,144 tickets for its opening-night loss to Virginia. You can be encouraged by that, or discouraged by more than 21,000 left unsold. (It didn’t look like every ticket-buyer showed up, either. About 35K in the...
Set your alarm clock: Pitt/Ohio starts at 11 a.m., but it’s not the earliest kickoff in school history
For those Pitt fans troubled by the 11 a.m. start to Saturday’s game against Ohio, be glad you’re not an Alabama fan. For Pitt, it’s a one-time event, but the Crimson Tide often start their games at 11 a.m. to accommodate TV networks that want noon (Eastern) kickoffs. Pitt’s game...
Pitt loses defensive tackle Keyshon Camp to season-ending knee injury
The news keeps getting worse for the Pitt football team. For the second time in a month, the Panthers have lost a starter on the defensive line. Junior tackle Keyshon Camp, who started and recorded a half-sack and two quarterback hurries against Virginia, injured his knee in the game and...
Pitt OL coach Dave Borbely hopes ‘moments’ with players lead to improvementVideo
Pitt offensive line coach Dave Borbely admits he has “his moments” when he gets a point across using special emphasis. But in the case of how the players performed Saturday night against Virginia, Borbely believes he can teach by espousing reasonable logic in a normal tone of voice. “I make...
Tim Benz: Pitt is stuck in the middle with Pat Narduzzi
One of the easiest things to do in sports is throw dirt on a college football team if it loses its opener. Especially if that loss is at home, in conference and against a beatable opponent. With only 12 games on the schedule, if a team drops a contest like...
Pat Narduzzi questions Nebraska’s 2003 firing of Ohio coach Frank Solich
Pat Narduzzi’s praise for Ohio’s Frank Solich went beyond the normal, mundane coach-speak that flows back-and-forth before a game. Narduzzi said he still hasn’t set aside Nebraska firing Solich — and that happened 16 years ago. “The guy never should have been let go there,” Narduzzi said Monday at his...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi doesn’t excuse defense, but questions ‘yellow hankies’Video
Among the optimists remaining in Pitt’s fan base — and their numbers aren’t necessarily growing — there’s a natural tendency to make excuses for the 30-14 loss to Virginia. It might be a reach, but here’s one: Virginia’s three touchdown drives of 19, 29 and 27 yards were shorter in...
