Pitt Take 5: Winless in Chapel Hill, unbeaten Panthers return for ACC opener
Pitt’s 0-7 record against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., is a meaningless bit of trivia. For the record, Pat Narduzzi shares those losses with former Pitt coaches Paul Chryst and Walt Harris, even Jackie Sherrill and Johnny Majors. As expected and as he should, Narduzzi scoffed at the stat....
No. 1 Pitt women’s volleyball recovers from season’s 1st set loss, defeats Boston College
Pitt’s No. 1 women’s volleyball team lost its first set of the season after a program-record 36 consecutive victories, but in the end, it didn’t matter. Pitt (13-0, 3-0 ACC) defeated Boston College (7-8, 0-3), 23-25, 25-7, 25-9, 25-20, on Friday night in Chestnut Hill, Mass. Olivia Babcock set an...
Pitt reinstates RB Rodney Hammond after he was declared ineligible for 2024 season
Pitt senior running back Rodney Hammond, who was expected to carry a significant workload before he was declared ineligible for the season the day before the opener, has been reinstated and will be available Saturday when the Panthers visit North Carolina. “It was something we were hoping (for),” coach Pat...
Steelers’ L.C. Greenwood, Andy Russell, Pitt’s Bill Fralic advance in Hall of Fame seniors balloting
A pair of standout defensive players from the Super Steelers of the 1970s — lineman L.C. Greenwood and linebacker Andy Russell — are among 60 former NFL players from past generations who advanced in balloting to be considered for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s induction Class of 2025. Former...
Pitt men’s soccer stretches winning streak to 6 in 8-1 victory against Howard
Pitt men’s soccer, the No. 1 team in the nation, hit three milestones Wednesday night in an 8-1 victory against Howard at Ambrose Urbanic Field. • The Panthers (9-1-0, 4-0-0 ACC) have won six matches in a row, the longest winning streak in the nation. • Pitt scored eight goals,...
After the football is snapped, Pitt offensive linemen’s goal is to survive ‘6 seconds of hell’
At first, Pitt center Lyndon Cooper was too much of a gentleman to accurately describe what happens when the football is snapped and 300-pound men start crashing into each other. In the end, there were no other words. “Six seconds of hell, if I can say that,” he said. “Block...
Pitt’s George raising funds in late teammate’s honor to support families of young cancer victims
In his nearly 24 years, Pitt senior middle linebacker Brandon George has been on the football field for many punt returns. Some are special, such as the blocked punt he scooped up and returned for a touchdown against West Virginia. Most are routine, forgettable. Anthony Myers’ 80-yard punt return six...
Pitt, coach Pat Narduzzi gear up for 1st ACC game at North Carolina
During his regular Monday news conference, Pat Narduzzi was as welcoming as you might expect from any undefeated coach, especially when his most recent game was a 73-17 victory nine days ago. “Good to see you again, missed having you guys in here (last week). I did,” Pitt’s coach told...
Top-ranked Pitt women’s volleyball, men’s soccer record road victories
Pitt’s two top-ranked teams in the national polls continued to dominate away from home when women’s volleyball defeated No. 13 Georgia Tech on Sunday after men’s soccer shut out No. 17 Virginia Tech. Pitt volleyball (12-0, 2-0 ACC) won 25-11, 25-17, 25-8 to raise its streak of undefeated sets to...
Pat Narduzzi, Geoff Collins again will share same turf when Pitt visits North Carolina
Pitt’s promising 2024 season resumes Saturday at North Carolina, with a subplot that could turn out to be significant: Pat Narduzzi vs. Tar Heels defensive coordinator Geoff Collins. You might recall the way Collins, then head coach at Georgia Tech, all but ignored Narduzzi at their postgame handshake in the...
After last season’s disappointment, Pitt men’s soccer team returns to national title picture
Pitt men’s soccer coach Jay Vidovich insists that he and women’s volleyball coach Dan Fisher haven’t made a wager regarding which program finishes with a higher ranking. Fisher’s team is No. 1 in the country for the third week in a row, and Vidovich’s group ascended to the top of...
Pitt freshman guard Amsal Delalic injures right hand in practice, may miss opener Nov. 4
Pitt basketball experienced its first dose of adversity when wing guard Amsal Delalić, a freshman who arrived on campus as a top-30 European prospect, suffered a right hand injury during practice Wednesday afternoon. He is expected to miss six weeks and, potentially, the first game of the season Nov. 4...
Ex-Pitt AD Heather Lyke named acting president, CEO of FBS Athletics Directors Association
Relieved of her duties as Pitt’s athletic director only 16 days ago, Heather Lyke is back in the game. On Wednesday, Lyke was named acting president and chief executive officer of the FBS Athletics Directors Association, which represents athletics directors of the FBS’ 134 member schools. The advocacy group was...
Pitt men’s basketball’s 20-game ACC schedule includes a game New Year’s Day, no trips to West Coast
After a difficult stretch on the road early in the season, Pitt men’s basketball will start the new calendar year with three games against ACC opponents at Petersen Events Center during the first 11 days of 2025, commencing New Year’s Day. The ACC released its 20-game schedule for each team...
Pitt men’s soccer rises to No. 1 in nation
When Pitt’s men’s soccer team travels to Blacksburg, Va., on Friday to meet Virginia Tech, it will carry a designation as the No. 1 team in the nation. In the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 released Tuesday, the Panthers (7-1, 3-0 ACC) were No. 1 after being unranked in the...
It’s no Big Ten or SEC, but Pitt faces challenging gauntlet of 8 foes when it’s time to resume season
Let’s be clear about what awaits Pitt when the Panthers resume their season next month. The eight remaining games — four home, four away, with a noon kickoff next up at North Carolina on Oct. 5 — do not represent an insurmountable gauntlet. The ACC is not the SEC or...
Pitt women’s volleyball remains unbeaten, has yet to drop a set in 9 matchesVideo
The Pitt women’s volleyball team opened the week of Sept. 16 as the No. 1 team in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll. It was the second week in a row the Panthers had been ranked No. 1. There is a good chance that will extend to a third week...
Gateway grad Derrick Davis finds key role in Pitt backfield
When Derrick Davis Jr. was in the huddle before what turned out to be Pitt’s game-winning touchdown in the 107th Backyard Brawl between Pitt and West Virginia on Sept. 14 at Acrisure Stadium, he had one simple thought in mind. “I had to score. I had to get in that...
If Pitt QB Eli Holstein can’t achieve his desired perfect game, his best efforts still look good
Many thoughts raced through Eli Holstein’s head after he led Pitt to its fourth consecutive victory, a 73-17 humiliation of Youngstown State. He was proud to be part of Pitt’s undefeated nonconference season and the program’s first 4-0 start in 24 years. Pitt has played in a conference since 1993...
Pitt wins one for coach Pat Narduzzi in a big way, 73-17 vs. Youngstown State
Pitt’s 73-17 victory against Youngstown State on Saturday — more like a suffocation — was the product of superior athletes beating on inferior ones. Also, you should not minimize the aggressive nature of the Pitt offense that scored nine touchdowns — the defense added a 10th — and amassed 644...
Pitt Take 5: Youngstown State game matters to Pat Narduzzi on team, personal levels
If you’re unaware of the historical significance of Pitt’s game against Youngstown State on Saturday, here is what’s at stake: This game between a Power 4 school and one from the FCS matters because Pitt can nail down its first undefeated, multi-game, nonconference season and start 4-0 for the first...
Pitt uses transfer portal to build more than 1/3 of its 2-deep depth chart
Pat Narduzzi isn’t thinking past Youngstown State, the opponent that will visit Acrisure Stadium on Saturday to challenge his undefeated team (3-0). But if you ask him what might be necessary to succeed beyond 2024 and into the future, he might answer reluctantly even while he already knows the answer:...
No. 1 Pitt routs No. 3 Penn State in women’s volleyball showdown
Pitt senior libero Emmy Klika has played in three straight national semifinals. She has been on some of volleyball’s biggest stages. But as she walked through the tunnel for warmups before the top-ranked Panthers’ matchup with in-state rival Penn State, she admitted she had chills. And why not? A volleyball-record...
When Eli Holstein plays quarterback for Pitt, he said he’s representing pride, work ethic of 2 families
In the final tense moments of the Backyard Brawl, ESPN TV cameras focused on Eli Holstein, capturing the sweat on his brow, the passion and even anger in his eyes and — when the comeback against West Virginia was complete — the pride and joy on his face. You might...
Pat Narduzzi wants more than just wins, seeks flawless execution from Panthers
Pitt senior safety P.J. O’Brien had a request for Pat Narduzzi the day after the thrilling comeback victory against West Virginia. After the weekly team meeting Sunday night when Pitt’s coach had much on his mind, O’Brien said, “Coach, smile. We won the game.” “That’s the first time in 10...
