Pitt’s Zack Austin brings loyalty, respect for teammates from his 2 seasons at High Point
Befitting a man who respects his teammates, Pitt’s Zack Austin didn’t want to name his victim. But when he was asked recently to recount some of his craziest shows of athleticism around the basket, he was quick with the recollections. “Practice-wise, when I was at High Point (N.C.), I got...
Over 3 years after covid’s onset, there’s hardly a mention of it in pro, college circles
During a brief stretch last month, the Cincinnati Reds must have felt as if the clock had been turned back three years. In the midst of a pennant race, a flurry of roster moves was necessary to address a pitching staff that was being depleted not by injury or trade...
Circumstances are different now, but Pitt history says it’s possible to recover from 1-4 start
At the dawn of the 21st century, the blame for Pitt’s 1-5 start in 2001 was pinned on an inability to immediately adapt to a new offensive scheme. Four years after that, in 2005, Pitt had parted company with Walt Harris, a coach who led the program out of the...
11-time Pro Bowl receiver Larry Fitzgerald now helping young players maximize earning potential
Larry Fitzgerald is attacking the board room the same way he took on cornerbacks during a sensational NFL career. The 11-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who caught more passes for more yards than every player in league history other than Jerry Rice has transitioned smoothly to the corporate world since...
Report: Pitt moves Phil Jurkovec to tight end, promotes Christian Veilleux to No. 1 quarterback
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi wasn’t kidding when he said there were “a lot of things that need changing” with his team. Quarterback Phil Jurkovec was benched and moved to tight end in practice this week, leaving Christian Veilleux in line to start the next game Oct. 14 against Louisville, ESPN...
Pitt Take 5: He’s done it before, but can Pat Narduzzi guide Panthers out of their malaise?
There are a few historical trends that may foretell how the remainder of Pitt’s season evolves. Critics and doomsday fans might prefer the word “unravels,” but let’s allow the remaining seven games to play out before slapping on labels. In coach Pat Narduzzi’s eight previous seasons, he has compiled an...
ACC quarterbacks, sometimes under the radar, are driving success across the league
The ACC is off to a promising start this season with several notable nonconference victories and five teams ranked in the Top 25. A common thread is easy to find: Check behind center. The Atlantic Coast Conference, not always known for its strong cadre of quarterbacks, has 10 of the...
Pain-free, Pitt’s William Jeffress puts foot injury behind him on the brink of a new basketball season
William Jeffress won’t lie about how difficult it was watching his Pitt teammates reach the NCAA Tournament last season. “It was tough to not be on the court,” he said. Foot surgery forced him to sit out the entire season and robbed him of the chance to be part of...
Analysis: Pitt’s 4-game losing streak raises questions about quarterbacks, everybody else
Pat Narduzzi called what Virginia Tech’s offense did to his team a “slow bleed.” He was describing how the Hokies controlled the pace of the game with an effective ground game, hitting only the occasional big play, while maintaining possession of the football for nearly 38 minutes. You know, domination....
Virginia Tech rolls over Pitt, stretches Panthers’ losing streak to 4
In the aftermath of Pitt’s embarrassing 38-21 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday night in Blacksburg, Va., Pat Narduzzi pointed the finger of blame everywhere. Just not at Phil Jurkovec. Pitt’s sixth-year senior quarterback completed only five passes in the game’s first 54 minutes, lost another fumble that led to...
Pitt’s Phil Jurkovec will start against Virginia Tech
Phil Jurkovec will start Saturday night in Pitt’s game at Virginia Tech, multiple sources confirmed to the Tribune-Review. The news was first reported by ESPN.com. Pitt (1-3, 0-1 ACC) is trying to end its first three-game losing streak since 2020. When he met with reporters Thursday, coach Pat Narduzzi declined...
If rule change continues to shorten games, Pitt must find a way to maintain possession
Times change, athletes’ physicality changes and, as a result in college football this season, rules change and the game changes. In an attempt to shorten games and reduce the number of plays — and, by extension, reduce the number of collisions and injuries — the NCAA instituted a rule change...
Take 5: By any name, Pitt and Virginia Tech need a victory desperately
You are probably under the impression that two schools named Pitt and Virginia Tech will play a football game Saturday night in Blacksburg, Va. You’re not wrong, but if one of the founding fathers of those schools heard those names, they might ask, “Sir, of what do you speak?” The...
Playing the guessing game, Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi, Hokies’ Brent Pry tight-lipped on quarterbacks
Pat Narduzzi said revealing who will start at quarterback when there’s some question about it hands the opposing coach no specific advantage. “I don’t think it really matters,” he said, noting that each of Pitt’s top three quarterbacks is capable of running the offense. Nonetheless, when he was asked Thursday...
Peter Neft, who played quarterback for Pitt in the historic 1956 Sugar Bowl, dies at age 89
Peter Paul Neft, one of three Pitt quarterbacks who shared the backfield with Bobby Grier when he became the first Black player to play in the Sugar Bowl, died Tuesday. Neft, a native of Sharon, was 89. Neft helped make history Jan. 2, 1956, when he joined Grier and their...
Jeff Capel started reshaping Pitt basketball during overseas trip to Canary Islands
Perhaps the first step toward building the same togetherness that helped carry Pitt into the 2023 NCAA Tournament came last month when the team’s plane landed in the Canary Islands. Natives Guillermo and Jorge Diaz Graham were given the rare opportunity to show off their homeland to teammates, who are...
Will injuries across offensive line slow Pitt’s recovery efforts?
If you made a list of every complication that could further derail a struggling team’s season, injuries to the two most experienced — and probably two best — offensive linemen would be at the top. But that’s the dilemma facing Pitt (1-3, 0-1 ACC) this week as it prepares to...
Pitt’s Jeff Capel hopes ‘positive things’ happen for dismissed guard Dior Johnson
Freshman guard Dior Johnson never played for Pitt, but he practiced with the team last season and even accompanied teammates on their trip to Spain in August. He was expected to be a significant part of coach Jeff Capel’s young guard rotation this season. But after being charged with misdemeanor...
Pitt basketball opens ACC competition in December against Clemson, Syracuse
The ACC revealed its men’s basketball schedule Tuesday night, and it includes Pitt meeting two conference opponents before the calendar turns to 2024. With coach Jeff Capel in his sixth season, Pitt will play seven nonconference games before opening its ACC schedule Dec. 3 against Clemson with a 2 p.m....
Perhaps he can’t shoot free throws, but Pitt’s Kenny Johnson creates another type of ‘adventure’ on the football field
Levi Murphy laughed while remembering the rare moments when Kenny Johnson struggled with a ball in his hands. It was Johnson’s junior season at his new school, Dallastown in York County, and he wanted to play basketball after two seasons as a wrestler at York Suburban High School. “He had...
Phil Jurkovec’s health a concern; Pitt loses injured tackle Matt Goncalves for the season
There’s nothing like a good, juicy quarterback controversy to add spice to a drab 1-3 start to the season. Except, none exists at Pitt, only a question about the health of Phil Jurkovec, who missed the second half of the loss to North Carolina on Saturday night with an unspecified...
First Call: Steelers’ next opponent pulls off a road upset; James Conner, Josh Dobbs shine as Cardinals stun Cowboys
Monday’s “First Call” takes a look at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ next opponent. We also examine how a pair of former Steelers led the Arizona Cardinals to a big upset. A wrestling superstar almost won big on a Steelers bet. A former Pirate had a nice afternoon. And the Pitt Panthers...
Analysis: With injuries surfacing, Pitt must play a cleaner, mistake-free game to end losing streak
Losing is as much a part of college football as the coin toss. Every game has a loser. The distinction is the good teams don’t help the opponent’s cause with mental errors and penalties. That is, at least, part of Pitt’s problem as it deals with a three-game losing streak,...
Busted punt return coverage a source of frustration for Pitt in loss to No. 17 UNCVideo
Generating explosive special teams plays such as blocking a punt or returning a kick for a touchdown can be a major difference-maker on any given night. Pitt did both of those things Saturday against No. 17 North Carolina but still lost to the Tar Heels at Acrisure Stadium, 41-24. UNC...
North Carolina hands Pitt 3rd consecutive defeat
So many questions arose after Pitt’s 41-24 loss to North Carolina that just making a list may take most of Sunday morning before coaches and players can even think about how to fix them. Around midnight Saturday night, Pat Narduzzi spent 7½ minutes answering questions in the aftermath of Pitt’s...
