Despite the headaches, Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi grew to know, respect Mark Whipple
When Pat Narduzzi was a 28-year-old defensive line coach at Rhode Island in 1994, he knew a headache awaited him when he saw Brown on the schedule. All Narduzzi had to know was Mark Whipple was Brown’s head coach. “The passing game just blew us up,” he said. Same deal...
First Call: Far-too-early ESPN mock draft has Kenny Pickett gone before Steelers; Le’Veon Bell may not be done with Ravens
Former Steeler Le’Veon Bell has fallen on hard times but may not have fallen out of favor with the Baltimore Ravens. An “all-too-early” NFL mock draft has Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett off the board before the Steelers have a chance to select him. A former WPIAL and Penn State star...
Kenny Pickett’s love for football started at an early age
You’d never know it by watching the first 10 games of Pitt’s season, but there was a time when Kenny Pickett couldn’t stand up straight while holding a ball in his hands. “My wife used to hold him standing up to shoot basketball,” Ken Pickett Sr. said in an interview...
In the ACC, picking the top quarterback won’t be easy task
Someone is getting snubbed. Virginia has Brennan Armstrong, who is third in the country with 3,557 passing yards. Pittsburgh has Kenny Pickett, who vaulted himself into the Heisman Trophy conversation with 32 touchdown passes this season. Wake Forest has Sam Hartman, who may wind up leading the Demon Deacons into...
Pitt holds off UNC Wilmington rally for 1st victory of the season
Jeff Capel didn’t say he has a bad team. He didn’t say he has a good one, either. “Our team is interesting,” Pitt’s coach said. Pitt also is no longer winless after the Panthers (1-2) blew most of a 17-point lead in the second half before surviving a UNC Wilmington...
Senior Cal Adomitis knows stakes will be high Saturday for Pitt’s final home game
They were exhausted and sweaty, soaked and chilled from the steady rain that pelted Heinz Field. But Pitt seniors Kirk Christodoulou and Cal Adomitis didn’t care. When they finally reached the locker room just before midnight Thursday after Pitt’s 30-23 overtime victory against North Carolina, the two close friends —...
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett ranked No. 1 QB by ESPN NFL Draft analysts McShay, Kiper
Five months before the 2022 NFL Draft, there is no consensus No. 1 overall choice. But Kenny Pickett remains No. 1 among quarterbacks on the ranking boards of ESPN draft analysts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper. Pickett climbed to No. 14 from No. 27 on McShay’s list of overall prospects....
University of Pittsburgh athletic trainer donating kidney to colleague’s 4-year-old son
Mary Beth and Bobby George have searched since May for a living kidney donor for their 4-year-old son, Daniel, who suffers from chronic kidney disease. Little did the Pittsburgh family know how close to home a donor would be found. Mary Beth George is a strength and conditioning coach at...
Pitt, Femi Odukale hope to benefit from tough lessons learned at WVU
When Femi Odukale scored in the first half of Pitt’s game at West Virginia on Friday night, he blew a kiss to the crowd as he ran back on defense. That was all the large group of students at WVU Coliseum needed to see. He became a target all night,...
Pitt, Penn State earn 1st-round byes in NCAA men’s soccer tournament
Pitt and Penn State earned first-round byes as the NCAA revealed the bracket for its men’s soccer tournament Monday. Pitt, seeded fifth, will host the winner of Thursday’s first-round matchup between Northern Illinois and Oakland in the second round Sunday. Penn State, seeded 12th, will face the winner of Thursday’s...
Pitt’s Jordan Addison gets good news from mother after he is named Biletnikoff semifinalist
When Pat Narduzzi got word Monday that wide receiver Jordan Addison had been named a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, the first call he made was to the woman who made it all possible: Addison’s mom, Keisha Blackman. “She was screaming on the phone, excited,” he said. “I said, ‘Do...
What pressure? Pat Narduzzi laughs off question about stress while Pitt protects 1-game lead in ACC Coastal
Pat Narduzzi thought the question was funny — truly knee-slapping, are-you-kidding-me? hilarious. So he allowed himself a chuckle and a sarcastic remark when asked about the stress that grows from trying to protect a one-game lead atop the ACC Coastal, especially when a loss Saturday against Virginia could all but...
Another big game for Pitt: This time it counts for everything
Three weeks ago, all eyeballs turned to Clemson/Pitt. The Panthers had slipped into the Associated Press Top 25 at No. 23. No one was laughing anymore when Kenny Pickett’s Heisman Trophy candidacy was mentioned. The six-time defending ACC champion Clemson Tigers were making their first appearance in Pittsburgh, and Pitt...
West Virginia rolls over Pitt, gives coach Bob Huggins milestone victory
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — William Jeffress understands the dire situation standing like a fortress between Pitt and success on the basketball court. “Most nights we walk in the gym,” he said, “the odds aren’t in our favor. Our team has been through a lot. We lost a lot. “That’s OK because...
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi allows his pride, bravado to show after victory against North Carolina
Sometimes, Pat Narduzzi just can’t help himself. Pitt’s coach is justifiably proud of his team’s 8-2 record as it moves closer to a second ACC Coastal championship since 2018. If Pitt defeats Virginia on Nov. 20 at Heinz Field and Miami loses any of its three remaining games, the Panthers...
Pitt needs overtime to defeat North Carolina
Kenny Pickett vs. Sam Howell was advertised as a shootout between two of college football’s most prolific quarterbacks. Various betting parlors set the over/under points total for Pitt vs. North Carolina well into the ’70s. Passes would fly. Records would shatter. Defenses would bow in embarrassment when it was all...
Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, Penn State’s Jahan Dotson named semifinalists for Walter Camp Award
Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett and Penn State wide receiver Jahan Dotson have been named semifinalists for the Walter Camp Award, which recognizes “the nation’s most outstanding player.” Pickett has become a regular contender for several national awards this season. Previously, he was named a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award “Top...
U mad, bro?: Penguins fans prickly about Tristan Jarry criticism; Najee Harris taking heat; Pitt fans percolating
In this week’s “U mad, bro?”, Penguins fans defend Tristan Jarry. Pitt fans are agitated. And at least one Steelers fan is already turning on Najee Harris. Now I think we’ve gone too far! Who am I kidding? We go too far in this post every week. So, let’s have...
ACC title race wide open heading into season’s final weeksVideo
The ACC divisional races are far from decided, and several schools still have a shot at winning the league crown. Virginia defensive lineman Mandy Alonso is enjoying the journey. “This is like what you train for and all season, you want to be in these positions,” Alonso said. “We put...
Four-star shooting guard Judah Mintz decommits from Pitt’s class of 2022
Four-star shooting guard Judah Mintz, who pledged to Pitt in June, reopened his commitment Wednesday on the first day of the early signing period for basketball, leaving coach Jeff Capel without a committed prospect from the class of 2022. Please respect my decision ???????? pic.twitter.com/dHNkax4k1h— Judah Mintz (@Jmintz10) November 10,...
Pitt Take 5: Who do you want? Kenny Pickett or Sam Howell?
The sky above Heinz Field will be bright Thursday night when Pitt plays North Carolina, and their fans hope the stars on the field, likewise, will shine. Pat Narduzzi said there will be 36 representatives from NFL teams at the game, perhaps a Heisman voter or two and many more...
Pitt’s loss to The Citadel was 4th defeat against small-conference opponent during Jeff Capel’s tenure
Maybe Pitt’s loss to The Citadel shouldn’t have come as a surprise after all. The Panthers’ loss Tuesday night was coach Jeff Capel’s fourth early-season, nonconference defeat to a team from a smaller conference. And they paid The Citadel $90,000. Almost four years after Capel took over a Pitt program...
Depleted Pitt men’s basketball team can’t keep up with The Citadel in opener
After Pitt’s season opener had ended, Femi Odukale tapped the stat sheet in front of him, eager to make a point. “We have enough on this paper to still win,” he said. “We just want to prove everybody wrong.” The stat sheet, however, said otherwise in the form of the...
Pat Narduzzi wouldn’t object to low-scoring game, but don’t bet on it when Pitt meets North Carolina
Pat Narduzzi asked a question Monday during his chat with reporters, but he already knew the answer. “Whatever happened to 14-3?” he said, indicating such low-scoring games seldom occur anymore in college football. “Are those days gone? They’re gone. They’re gone everywhere. You see it all over the country.” And...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel confronts the unexpected after losing 2 starting guards
Jeff Capel spent the offseason preparing for what he knew would happen. He was aware of Justin Champagnie’s interest in the NBA. He was painfully aware of the five players who transferred in the midst of a roster overhaul, two not even waiting for the end of the 2020-21 season....
