Pitt notebook: Bub Means’ injury creates depth problem at wide receiver
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Pitt faced a depth problem at wide receiver Saturday night before the Louisville game when Bub Means was injured during pregame warmups.
“We thought they were going to be able to rub it down and put a little spit on it and he’d be ready to go,” coach Pat Narduzzi said. “But we come in after pregame and he’s not ready to go.”
Coupled with Jaden Bradley’s decision to leave the team and enter the NCAA transfer portal, Means’ injury left Pitt with only four wide receivers who had recorded receptions in the first six games, including Jaylon Barden and Gavin Thomson, who had only three between them.
Pat Narduzzi, on those decisive moments in the fourth quarter Saturday night. pic.twitter.com/0OdJkZYCv2
— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) October 25, 2022
“So, we’re trying to get Barden ready to go there and just give him the Cliff Notes on (Means’) position,” Narduzzi said. “It wasn’t fair to him to even try to do that. He struggled to get lined up, so we had to do it with Gavin, who did a nice job.”
Thomson, a former walkon from Central Catholic, made one catch for 19 yards late in the game, but he appeared to suffer a foot injury in the process.
Pitt’s wide receivers have made only four touchdown catches this season, and Bradley has two of them.
Asked why Bradley decided to transfer, Narduzzi said, “You can ask him. I’m over that one. Ask him.”
Going for two?
When Pitt reached the Louisville 35-yard line on Thomson’s catch and a roughing the passer penalty, the Panthers were trailing only, 17-10.
At that point, Narduzzi said he was thinking about possibly opting for the two-point conversion after Pitt scored the anticipated touchdown.
“Again, as crappy as you can say we played, turnovers and all those things, we’ve still got a chance to win the game,” he said. “I’m already in my head thinking about we’re on the road. We going for two or not? Are we going to get home at 4 o’clock in the morning or are we (avoiding overtime) and getting home at 3:30 in the morning?”
But those thoughts were quickly shut down.
First, a false start on right tackle Gabe Houy moved Pitt to the 40.
Then, a cadence problem when Pitt moved from no-huddle to huddle-up mode allowed Louisville linebacker Yasir Abdullah a clear lane to the quarterback. Louisville’s Kei’Trel Clark returned Slovis’ ensuing fumble for a touchdown, ending Pitt’s comeback hopes.
“Our cadence was still in a no-huddle tempo, and it was a mistake,” the coach said. “We screwed it up.”
Notable
Senior center Owen Drexel, who has missed the past five games with a foot injury, was taken off the two-deep depth chart. Narduzzi said Drexel is not lost for the season. … Kickoff for the Syracuse game on Nov. 5 at Acrisure Stadium is set for 3:30 p.m. It will be televised on the ACC Network. … Senior safety Erick Hallett has been named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award, given annually to the nation’s best defensive back. He has recorded three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.