A once-promising season for the Pitt Panthers has started to spiral out of control. The Panthers dropped their second game in a row, falling 51-28 to the Miami Hurricanes. And in an increasingly troubling trend, Pitt’s defense was torched all afternoon. The Panthers' porous defense has proven to be their undoing. Despite head coach Pat Narduzzi’s pedigree as a defensive coordinator at Michigan State before his hiring at Pitt, his defense has routinely been burned. If Pitt’s current 34.4 ... Read More
After 16 years, Penn State and Pitt take their rivalry to the gridiron
Penn State University and the University of Pittsburgh haven't squared off on the gridiron since 2000. Now, 16 years later, as the two football teams are gearing up to face each other, the rivalry is more intriguing than ever before. Pitt and Penn State are natural rivals — Pennsylvania's version of Alabama vs. Auburn — yet hardly any of the action has taken place on the field. Saturday, that changes as the Nittany Lions head to Heinz Field for the Keystone Classic to take on a Panthers team ... Read More
Pitt vs. Penn State by position: Coaching
Leading up to Saturday's Pitt-PSU game, our beat reporters looked at key position battles: linebackers and defensive backs; linemen; and running backs and receivers. In the final battle, they took a look at the coaching matchup. Daniel Greenwald, Pitt beat reporter: Penn State head coach James Franklin went from being a decent coach at Vanderbilt to being an average coach with the Nittany Lions. Franklin’s first two years at PSU haven’t exactly been barn burners. The Nittany Lions have gone ... Read More
Pitt football faces offensive uncertainty
Heading into the Pitt Panthers spring game this Saturday at Heinz Field, there are more questions than answers. An offense hit by the departures of wide receiver Tyler Boyd and tight end JP Holtz, among others, needs new downfield playmakers. There's uncertainty at the tailback position, but the nature of that discrepancy is more generous, as the Panthers boast a full stable of capable backs. The spring game will not bring final resolution to these offensive issues, but it should start to add ... Read More
Pitt’s Elijah Zeise making switch to linebacker
As spring practice continues for the Pat Narduzzi's Pitt Panthers, we get a look at a few guys making position switches. One of those guys could make a big impact in 2016 is sophomore Elijah Zeise. Zeise received a text message from Narduzzi earlier in week as the North Allegheny graduate found out he will be making the switch from wide receiver to linebacker for the upcoming season. “Coach texted me earlier this morning and told me to come in," Zeise said. "Honestly, I thought I ... Read More
Pat Narduzzi signs two-year extension
From the moment Pat Narduzzi was introduced as the head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh, he brought some much needed energy to a program that was lacking a lot of things. That energy translated into an eight-win regular season that will conclude with a trip to the Military Bowl on December 28 to take on No. 21 Navy. That successful regular season earned Narduzzi a two-year contract extension on Thursday. The extension will keep Narduzzi at Pitt through at least the 2021 season. ... Read More
Pitt gets verbal commitment from DE Zach Gilbert
Things didn't go the way the 8-4 Pitt Panthers may have wanted on Friday against Miami, but Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi had a good day nonetheless when the Panthers received a verbal commitment from South Mecklenburg (N.C.) High School defensive end Zach Gilbert. Gilbert is the son of former Pitt star Sean Gilbert. The Aliquippa native ended up having a very good NFL career, which is something he can only hope for his son. The younger Gilbert also has a couple other ties to the Pitt program ... Read More
Miami vs. Pitt: Preview, analysis, prediction and more
The Pitt Panthers are coming off an impressive 45-34 win over the Louisville Cardinals to push their record to 8-3 (6-1 ACC) and now prepare to finish their regular season when they host the Miami Hurricanes this Friday for a noon kickoff. With a win, the Panthers have an opportunity to reach nine regular season wins for the first time since 2009 and set themselves up for a high-profile bowl bid. Miami comes in with a 7-4 record and have won three of four since firing Al Golden a month ... Read More
Jordan Whitehead prepared for double duty
With the Pitt Panthers offense in search of big plays, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi found a bit of a spark Saturday against Notre Dame by turning to the defensive side of the ball. Freshman safety Jordan Whitehead made his debut on the offensive side of the ball Saturday against Notre Dame, carrying the ball four times for 27 yards, scoring a pair of touchdowns. Getting Whitehead involved in the offense is something Narduzzi has been contemplating for a while now, but finally decided to ... Read More
Pitt looking to hit home run with UCLA transfer Chris Clark
Pitt Panthers head football coach Pat Narduzzi has brought a jolt of energy to the program during his first season on the sidelines and it hasn’t just paid off to this point on the field, but in terms of recruiting as well. While Narduzzi has had success to this point luring high school recruits to Pitt, he has also been able to land a couple of solid transfers as well. If you need an example, look no further than starting quarterback Nate Peterman, who transferred to Pitt from ... Read More