Pitt defensive backs will seek redemption when Syracuse comes to town
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There is no questioning the athleticism of Pitt’s defensive backs.
The five who sweat and stress the most when the opposing quarterback puts the football in the air have enough experience, dating to the 2018 and ‘19 seasons, that nothing should surprise them.
But speed, smarts and seasoning don’t always equal victory, especially when the quarterback on the other side of the line of scrimmage is North Carolina’s Drake Maye, the leading candidate for ACC Player of the Year.
Maye threw for 388 yards and five touchdowns last Saturday in the Tar Heels’ 42-24 victory against Pitt. The loss trashed Pitt’s hopes for a repeat ACC championship.
So no wonder coach Pat Narduzzi said Thursday that the North Carolina game might be a motivator for safeties Erick Hallett and Brandon Hill and cornerbacks A.J. Woods, M.J. Devonshire and Marquis Williams when the Panthers meet Syracuse on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium.
“I think so,” he said. “Not to take anything away from North Carolina, but they were not happy after the game. So they’ve got pride about who they are and what they do back there, and I think they take it personal. I can tell you that.”
Narduzzi noticed his defensive backs taking the loss personally as soon as they walked into the locker room after the game.
“They were all talking to each other like they were down,” he said, “and that’s not what they want to be. That’s not who they want to be. Which, every unit should be like that.”
He also noticed the DBs ratcheting up their intensity in practice, but the fact is this:
“You have to go play it in a game,” the coach said.
Is hurt pride enough to keep the Syracuse aerial game in check?
“We’ll see how it transfers to the field Saturday,” Narduzzi said.
Syracuse’s passing game is ranked seventh in the ACC (an average of 232.3 yards per game), compared to North Carolina’s conference-leading attack (334.4).
But this game might be one for which Pitt’s secondary will need help from linebackers in pass coverage, with Syracuse running back Sean Tucker a willing and able recipient.
Tucker is second on the team in receptions (32) and receiving yards (248) to wide receiver Oronde Gadsen II (41/671/6).
Tucker is responsible for Syracuse’s longest pass play of the season: 55 yards to the house in the 31-7 victory against Louisville.
“He’s fast. He’s elusive. He’s got good wiggle. He’s a really good tailback,” Narduzzi said. “Actually, we got him in the run game last year (13 carries, 29 yards), but now you’re going to deal with him in space this year in the passing game.
“He’s running wheel routes. He’s running bubbles over there into the boundary. (Syracuse quarterback Garrett) Shrader looks for him a lot.”
Perhaps Pitt will catch a break Saturday. After winning its first six games, Syracuse is on a two-game losing streak with losses at Clemson, 27-21, and at home last Saturday to Notre Dame, 41-24.
Shrader had a lower body injury in the Notre Dame game and was pulled by coach Dino Babers after misfiring on nine of 14 passes.
“Certain opponents, (Shrader) may have been able to play the entire game, but not against those cats,” Babers told Syracuse.com. “You could tell that the stuff we needed him to do, he was not going to be as effective against those guys as other people, so I made the decision to make a change at quarterback.
“Garrett wanted to stay. Garrett wanted to play. He’s a competitor. Sometimes you gotta protect people from themselves, and I wanted to make sure I protected my guy.”
Redshirt freshman Carlos Del Rio-Wilson replaced Shrader and was slightly more accurate (11 of 22 for 190 yards, one touchdown and one interception).
Babers, like all coaches, wasn’t especially revealing this week about his plans Saturday for the quarterback position. But he said Shrader will play when he’s healthy.
Meanwhile, Narduzzi said it’s difficult to prepare for two quarterbacks, but he doesn’t expect the Syracuse offense to change dramatically if Del Rio-Wilson is in the game.
“It’s hard. No. 1, you only have so many scout team quarterbacks,” he said. “You’re not going to get this guy to do this and that guy to do that.
“Their offense is not going to change a lot. If you had big, stiff guy in the pocket, compared to an athlete, we’d be able to (practice) that. But they’re both athletic guys and both throw a nice ball.”