Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 12:54PM |  36°
MENU
Advertisement
Pitt teammates lift Jester Weah after he pulled in the winning touchdown pass in overtime Saturday against Youngstown State at Heinz Field.
1
MORE

Pitt gets to Penn State week healthy and unbeaten, but far from perfect

Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

Pitt gets to Penn State week healthy and unbeaten, but far from perfect

Not long after a second half that was somewhat unexplainable in the moment — a variant of “We’ll have to see the tape,” was a common refrain from coach Pat Narduzzi — starting running back Qadree Ollison resorted to a metaphysical outlook after Pitt managed to slip past Youngstown State Saturday in overtime.

“No matter what you do, you can’t rewind,” Ollison said. “Scientists haven’t figured that out yet. You can’t rewind time, you can’t rewind that play, you have to move on to the next play.”

And assuming no breakthroughs in time travel over the next 100-some hours, Pitt has to move on to the next game, the one some have been waiting for since Sept. 10, 2016. It might seem like this week is on fast-forward as we near a 3:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Beaver Stadium against Penn State, a hated rival that also happens to be the sixth-ranked team in the Associated Press poll.

Advertisement

The Panthers left their opener undefeated and healthy, but they will have to be much sharper than they were in their 28-21 win that perhaps felt more like a loss. Ollison can’t rewind time, but we can, and we’ll start with the aspect of the Youngstown State game that might be most up for debate:

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi will meet with the media in anticipation of Saturday's visit to Penn State, but no one else within the program will.
Brian Batko
Pat Narduzzi mutes Pitt players, assistants ahead of Penn State game

• Quarterback Max Browne’s final numbers in his Pitt debut were unspectacular, but not entirely ugly: 17 of 24, 140 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions. The 8.2 yards per completion, and just 5.8 per attempt, are indicative of some of Browne’s shortcomings; he didn’t do much with the deep ball, often checking down short and even completing two for minus-5 yards. He also was sacked three times and twice tried forcing the ball to eventual day-saver Jester Weah in double coverage. It’s always easy to point fingers at the quarterback, but while Browne didn’t do much to win the game for Pitt, he didn’t lose it, either.

“I don’t think it was bad,” Narduzzi said. “I think he thinks he played pretty good.”

For the most part, yes.

Advertisement

“I felt like it was good,” Browne said. “There was one third down toward the end of the game I probably should’ve ran. That’s a mistake. That can change the game. That can’t happen from a player like me that’s been around the game. But besides that, making the throws that were there, I don’t think I really missed any throws, so that’s always good.”

• The run game was all Pitt needed in the first half, but generated just 62 yards on 23 carries in the second. Less push from the offensive line and only two carries for jitterbug receiver Quadree Henderson contributed to that, which was never more troubling than early in the fourth quarter after a blocked punt when Ollison was stood up from the 4, then again at the 3 and Pitt settled for a field-goal attempt, which was no good and thus a missed opportunity.

“When you don’t score in that red zone, we take that hard as an offense,” Ollison said. “We take pride when you get in the red zone, that’s when you score, so we gotta do better and we will get better.”

• Browne’s sacks, all of which came in the final 20 minutes, were partly on him and partly on the offensive line. He chalked it up to timely blitz calls from Youngstown State, but Brian O’Neill had one brutal whiff in his first game at left tackle, right tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith was beaten at times in his first true start since 2014 and center Jimmy Morrissey gave one up inside the 5. Mike Herndon occasionally rotated in at right guard for Brandon Hodges, a spot where Alex Bookser could start now that he has served his one-game suspension.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi greets Penn State head coach James Franklin before last season's game at Heinz Field.
Brian Batko
Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi: Penn State 'not just another week'

• Elsewhere in the trenches, the defensive line produced little to be excited about. Sophomore tackle Amir Watts had Pitt’s only sack, and end James Folston got a paw on a pooch punt, but penetration was largely absent. It wasn’t for a lack of trying; Pitt played 10 linemen on defense, rotating early and often.

“We didn’t get pressure. I wasn’t happy with our pressure, four- or five-man pressure,” Narduzzi said.

• Five-man pressure means getting help from the linebackers, a unit that was manned almost entirely by the three starters. Sean Idowu, Elijah Zeise and Saleem Brightwell combined for 18 tackles, but Hunter Wells found Christian Turner out of the backfield to Zeise’s side on two consecutive touchdowns. Narduzzi said he’s “maybe a little bit” concerned about his linebackers in coverage.

“But I guess that’s different than last year, right?” he asked rhetorically, a nod to constant criticism of the secondary a year ago.

• Speaking of the defensive backs, they had some nice moments after a season of forgettable ones. Narduzzi was pleased with Dane Jackson, who got the start opposite Avonte Maddox and was credited with two pass break-ups. Another fringe starter, Bricen Garner, had a huge deflection on a third down and sealed the game with an interception in his college debut. Also making his first start, redshirt junior strong safety Dennis Briggs led the team with seven tackles.

Offensively, coach and players reiterated what Narduzzi said Monday before the opener, that some plays and at least one entire package was held back in order to spring it on Penn State. That might leave room for optimism with the ball, but on the other side, Trace McSorley, Saquon Barkley and the Nittany Lions await.

Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.

First Published: September 3, 2017, 4:58 p.m.

RELATED
Linebacker Quintin Wirginis had been participating in Pitt's training camp, but is now out for the season with a non-football injury.
Brian Batko
Pitt linebacker Quintin Wirginis out for the season
Pitt kicker Alex Kessman was 0 for 2 on field goals Saturday, but there's a reason for that, and Pat Narduzzi says the reason is him.
Brian Batko
Pat Narduzzi takes blame for kicker Alex Kessman’s misses
Penn State’s Juwan Johnson against Pitt last season.
Dave Molinari
Penn State's Juwan Johnson: Pitt is 'just another game for us'
Penn State's DeAndre Thompkins returns a punt for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Akron Zips on September 2, 2017, at Beaver Stadium in University Par
Omari Sankofa II
DeAndre Thompkins breaks Penn State's punt return TD drought, draws praise
Pitt's Qadree Ollison leaps over Youngstown State's Jaylyn Powell in the first quarter Saturday at Heinz Field.
Brian Batko
Pitt squeezes past Youngstown State in overtime, 28-21
Bricen Garner reaches to knock the ball away from Youngstown State's Kevin Rader in the fourth quarter Saturday.
Craig Meyer Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Redshirt freshman from Central Catholic delivers late in Panthers' win
DeAndre Thompkins #3 of the Penn State Nittany Lions returns a punt for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Akron Zips Saturday at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Omari Sankofa
Penn State football opens season with "complete" victory against Akron, 52-0
SHOW COMMENTS (0)  
Join the Conversation
Commenting policy | How to Report Abuse
If you would like your comment to be considered for a published letter to the editor, please send it to letters@post-gazette.com. Letters must be under 250 words and may be edited for length and clarity.
Partners
Advertisement
The neighborhood of Beechview is photographed on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020. Tensions are high in that community and others in Western Pennsylvania as President Donald Trump's administration ramps up Immigration & Customs Enforcement roundups of illegal immigrants.
1
news
Fear and anxiety ripple through Western Pa. communities amid immigration crackdown
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey spoke Monday to members of the Pennsylvania Press Club in Harrisburg.
2
news
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey says his administration will not work with ICE
Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II walks around the field before an NFL football game between the Denver Broncos and the Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Denver.
3
sports
Art Rooney II gives Mike Tomlin vote of confidence, admits Steelers unlikely to re-sign both QBs
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Justin Fields is greeted by Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson after scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers at the Acrisure Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in the North Shore. The Pittsburgh Steelers won 20-10.
4
sports
Gerry Dulac: Steelers want a streamlined QB style, so who fits the bill?
Pittsburgh helmets on the sidelines during an NCAA college football game against North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022.
5
sports
ACC reveals full 2025 conference schedule for Pitt football
Pitt teammates lift Jester Weah after he pulled in the winning touchdown pass in overtime Saturday against Youngstown State at Heinz Field.  (Matt Freed/Post-Gazette)
Matt Freed/Post-Gazette
Advertisement
LATEST sports
Advertisement
TOP
Email a Story