Pitt Take 5: Panthers vs. Mountaineers has the feel of a college reunion
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The Backyard Brawl returns to Pittsburgh on Thursday night for the first time since 2010, and it almost sounds like a football game wrapped around a college reunion.
Former Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt will address the current players at their pregame meal, and will share hugs and old stories with many from the past. Among those expected to attend are Jimbo Covert, Tony Dorsett, Russ Grimm, Rickey Jackson, Dan Marino, Hugh Green, Ruben Brown and Al Romano. Also, former West Virginia quarterback Major Harris and some of his teammates may be there.
Remember, guys, don’t put Heinz Field in your GPS.
Here are five things to look for whether you’re one of the nearly 70,000 people on the North Shore or watching on ESPN:
1. Going long
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi and his staff have spent many hours watching video of WVU quarterback J.T. Daniels, a two-time transfer who spent the past two seasons at Georgia after two at USC.
Like Pitt’s Kedon Slovis, who was at one time Daniels’ backup at USC, West Virginia’s quarterback is an accurate passer who likes to throw deep and averaged 15.4 yards per reception in 2020. Two years earlier, he was considered mature beyond his years when he became only the second first-year freshman quarterback to start a season opener at USC.
“He’s just very accurate. He’s smart. He can throw a really good deep ball,” Narduzzi said. “He makes the right decisions. Our cornerback has to be really good in coverage.”
Related:
• After 10 seasons without a Brawl, Pitt, WVU find natural rival right down the road
• Backyard Brawl breakdown: West Virginia’s top 5 wins in series vs. Pitt
• Backyard Brawl breakdown: Pitt’s top 5 wins in the series vs. WVU
Narduzzi mentioned that he hasn’t seen Daniels (6-foot-2, 226 pounds) do much scrambling, but Daniels can hurt Pitt with his arm. The key for Pitt will be making him hurry. To throw deep, he must survey the field, find an open receiver, set his feet and wind up to throw. That takes time, and that’s where Pitt’s pass rush (151 sacks the past three seasons) can help decide the game.
2. Venturing into the unknown
Narduzzi believes he has a good team, but he will wait to pass final judgement.
“You don’t know until you take the test,” he said. “You can study, study, study. You’ve been on your iPad, your computer, but you have to show up for the test and do something.
“I think they’re prepared. I mean, I think we got a good football team. We’ll find out Thursday night. Then, you find out week by week if they can sustain and keep it together.”
Pitt’s offense and defense often have alternated winning efforts by day in training camp. So, Narduzzi isn’t sure what to expect when the hitting becomes real.
3. College free agency
The NCAA transfer portal facilitated Jordan Addison’s move from Pitt to USC and immediate insertion in the lineup. But during the 2022 offseason, Narduzzi was as busy as an NFL general manager during free agency, making regular use of the portal where he found starters at quarterback (Slovis), wide receiver (Konata Mumpfield and Bub Means) and linebacker (Shayne Simon). Guard Marcus Minor transferred from Maryland in 2021.
All eyes will be on Mumpfield and Means because — along with seasoned veteran Jared Wayne — they are helping replace a Biletnikoff winner.
Narduzzi was a bit cryptic Monday when he said the wide receiver room “gives me chest pains some days.”
What does that mean?
“Just drives me nuts. Leave it at that,” he said.
Asked to elaborate, he declined. “I wish I could. I won’t.”
Then, he did.
“Little details. Got to be detailed,” he said.
Narduzzi did offer details on what Mumfield and Means have shown this summer.
“Konata was in spring ball,” he said. “Quick twitch, (has) really good speed. He’s a play-maker. That’s what he’s does. Good knowledge of the offense. Really smart football player.
“Bub Means is a guy that came in the summer. He’s worked well with the rest of the receivers. He’s worked well with the quarterbacks. He’s huge. His thighs are bigger than yours,” Narduzzi said, referring to a reporter who does have impressive thighs.
“And he can run, OK. He’s probably a 4.6 (40) guy.” Means, not the reporter.
4. For openers
Pitt hasn’t defeated a Power 5 opponent in its opener since 2006 (38-13 against Virginia). Narduzzi is 6-1 in openers, defeating Youngstown State (twice), Villanova, Albany, Austin Peay and UMass. But he’s 0-1 when he opens the season against the Power 5 (Virginia again, 30-14, in 2019).
“I think that was a crappy game,” he said of a game that stretched Pitt’s losing streak over two seasons to four games. “It was the first year of (an) offensive coordinator (Mark Whipple). We didn’t play very good. Didn’t look very good in the first game. I look at that as maybe just a bad-looking offense at that point. We just weren’t very productive that night, from my recall.”
It was Whipple’s first season at Pitt, and quarterback Kenny Pickett’s second as a full-time starter. He completed only 21 of 41 passes for 185 yards and two interceptions.
How is that game relevant three years later? It’s not, but keep in mind that Pitt has another first-year coordinator (Frank Cignetti Jr.), with a first-year quarterback. Both men have more than enough experience, but transitions often lead to growing pains.
5. Where’s Frank?
One of the first noticeable departures from the 2021 offense will be the lack of a coordinator on the field.
Over the past three seasons, Whipple stood on the sideline and communicated the play calls to Pickett, who jogged close enough to hear what Whipple was saying.
Whipple would be OK with the installation of small headsets in the quarterback’s helmet, but the coach and quarterback liked the face-to-face communication. Aside from the play call, Whipple also could quickly offer a tip or warning to his quarterback that wouldn’t necessarily be possible otherwise.
This season, Cignetti will send down the play call from the coach’s box.
“I like being in an environment where you don’t let the emotions of the game get involved in your play-calling,” he said. “You have an unbelievable view of what’s going on from an offensive and defensive perspective. You can organize your call sheets, your situational sheets. And the guys who are in the box with you, you have really clean, clear communication.”