Bub Means, A.J. Woods hope to get a kick from Pitt’s passing game, special teams
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Wide receiver Bub Means has a ready explanation for why he is listed as the No. 1 kickoff returner on the Pitt depth chart. In his mind, it’s simple, really.
“They’re trying to get the playmaker the ball. That’s what I see. Me and my dog back there,” he said, gesturing toward cornerback A.J. Woods, who had wandered into the back of the room Tuesday while Means chatted with reporters.
Woods and redshirt freshman wide receiver Che Nwabuko are the other kick returners listed by Pitt coaches, who are hoping to create more splashes in the return game this season.
In recent years, Means and Woods have approached special teams coach Andre Powell, asking for an opportunity to return kicks. Finally, Powell relented in his quest to improve Pitt’s 2022 15.6-yard kickoff return average, last in the ACC.
“I always ask,” said Means, who returned one last year for 29 yards, second best on the team to C’Bo Flemister’s 31-yard return.
Pitt hasn’t brought back a kickoff for a touchdown since Izzy Abanakanda’s 98-yarder helped defeat Virginia and clinch the 2021 ACC Coastal championship.
Means asked again in the spring.
“He said, ‘Nah, we’re going to keep you at receiver.’ In camp (this summer), he finally threw me back there and gave me a shot, and we’ve been looking good and taking reps all camp. I’m nothing but grateful and appreciative of the opportunity.”
Woods’ insertion on the return team has a twist. He has returned only five kickoffs in his Pitt career for a total of 78 yards. That was in 2019, his freshman season.
But Powell is always thinking, and he remembered Woods’ 73-yard interception return against Wake Forest in the 2021 ACC Championship game. Much like a kickoff return, Woods caught the football in the middle of the field and ran toward the left sideline, stayed there while following his blockers before cutting back toward the right to end up at the Wake Forest 3. It set up a touchdown that lifted Pitt into a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter.
“Coach Powell came to me one day (this year),” Woods said. “He said, ‘I rewatched that return from the ACC championship. You might be able to kick return. ’ ”
That was fine with Woods.
“I asked him every year since my freshman year to kick return, and he would say, ‘No,’ ” said Woods, now a fifth-year senior. “I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team succeed.”
Means and Woods represent two of the most seasoned seniors on the team. Means, who appears to be WR1 for Pitt this season, started his career as a defensive back at Tennessee in 2019 before transferring to Louisiana Tech. There, he returned a total of 16 kicks in 2020 and 2021 for averages of 20.3 and 22.5 yards.
At that point, he was just learning how to play wide receiver.
“I was just an athlete my first year of college football,” he said. “I feel like now, I wouldn’t say the most polished receiver, but I’m more of a polished receiver now than I was as a freshman.
“Don’t get me wrong. I’m still freakish athletic, but I’m more of a polished route runner. I’m more of a receiver now.
“I look back at it and say, ‘Dang, I came a long way.’ I’m proud of myself for it, but I know I still got a long way to go. I can’t get complacent. I have to keep working, keep my foot on the pedal.”
There have been more than just whispered suggestions this season that Pitt plans to open up its passing game to include more downfield shots.
Not that anyone expected Kedon Slovis to duplicate what Kenny Pickett did in ’21, but there was a falloff from 4,723 aerial yards to 2,896 last season. When he’s not returning kicks, Means figures to be a big part of the anticipated upgrade.
“Any deep play is my favorite play,” he said.
“I feel like our coaches put a plan together and when we go out and execute, you’ll see we have a very explosive offense. We’re eager to show what we’ve been practicing all year, all summer.
“I can’t give you no details or specifics, but I know you’re going to see it’s going to be a new dynamic offense, and I’m looking forward to putting on a show for you all.”
Means said quarterback Phil Jurkovec appears more comfortable in the offense than Slovis was a year ago, based on the current quarterback’s history with offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr.
“Last year, we had a quarterback that had just transferred. He got a spring in, but he wasn’t as comfortable as Phil is,” Means said.
He said he feels more prepared for another more personal reason.
“I try to get more catches after practice,” he said. “Last year, I might have gotten 100 catches. This year, I’m trying to get 200.
“We’re throwing the ball deep. I have to be able to make those plays, no matter what type of ball it is. I can’t blame anything on the quarterback. If you throw it my way, I have to go get it.”