Pitt's defense earns revenge against offensive counterparts at 2nd scrimmage

First, it was the Pitt offense that stood out. This time around, the defense took center stage.

The Panthers’ second scrimmage of the preseason has been tickling the senses of coach Pat Narduzzi — a defensive-minded guy, mind you — and creating a stir at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex ever since the Panthers’ defense evened the score Saturday with the victorious offense of a week earlier.

“A good day overall,” Narduzzi said Tuesday. “Happy the defense won the scrimmage.”

But it was the way the day unfolded that had Narduzzi energized even into this week as he prepared his players for another sun-splashed session in the city’s South Side section.

“The defense played like they were mad about the last scrimmage, so they were going to fight back and say, ‘Hey, it’s our turn to win,’ and that’s exactly what happened.”

While Narduzzi shared that the team’s ongoing quarterback battle between redshirt senior Phil Jurkovec and redshirt sophomore Christian Veilleux was taking a more defined shape, he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm for the determined effort of the Panthers’ defense.

“We had some turnover issues on the offensive side of the ball,” Narduzzi said. “Threw a couple of interceptions and we had one fumble. But there’s been some separation … Phil has separated himself, for sure.”

Narduzzi quickly shifted back to the defense, where he seemed most impressed.

“There was some great play in the secondary, some tipped balls,” he said. “M.J. (Devonshire) had one unbelievable interception again. That’s two weeks in a row.”

Devonshire, a 5-foot-11, 190-pound redshirt senior from Aliquippa, is entering his third season at Pitt, where last year he started nine of 13 games at cornerback, earning all-ACC honorable mention with three interceptions and eight pass breakups.

Devonshire, who spent two seasons at Kentucky before transferring to Pitt before the start of the 2021 season, also garnered all-ACC second-team honors a year ago as the Panthers’ primary punt returner.

“If I was their offense, I would not throw his way,” Narduzzi said. “If you get anywhere near him … he’s like a receiver right now. He’s got a lot of confidence in what he’s doing.”

Narduzzi was quick to respond to a suggestion that he already has a specific group in mind to take the field as starters for Pitt’s opener Sept. 2 against Wofford at Acrisure Stadium.

But he wants you to stay tuned.

“We have a pretty good idea right now who those (guys) will be,” Narduzzi said. “We actually made some jersey changes, just because some things were determined. You’re always worried about the special teams and getting the right numbers on the field.”

Narduzzi was reminded of a time when the Panthers were warned for employing two players with the same jersey number, and he doesn’t want to see it happen again.

“They didn’t call it, but they alerted us to it the next week,” he said.

One of the two players wearing No. 3 was former Pitt star and current Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin, the Central Catholic product whose cardiac arrest during a “Monday Night Football” game in early-January captivated the sports world.

Hamlin went on to recover and has rejoined the Bills this season.

“Numbers are always an issue,” Narduzzi said. “In that particular game, someone else wore No. 3 and we had two No. 3s on the field on special teams for two plays in a row. With all the retired jerseys we have, we made some changes so we don’t have too much of that stuff and put coach (Andre) Powell in a bind on the sideline during special teams periods.”

As Pitt barrels toward its regular-season opener in less than two weeks, the Panthers are sizing up their roster and Narduzzi has liked what he has seen.

“I feel really good about the depth of this team,” he said. “I mean, I feel really good. I think we’re deep. Even watching (Saturday), it’s like what coach (Frank) Cignetti said: ‘It’s a great rock team,’ referring to the Panthers’ second unit. ‘Those are some dudes who can make some plays.’ ”