Nearly an entire year has gone by, but if you ask the members of the Pitt defense if the sting from last season’s loss to Western Michigan has worn off, they’re quick to give an honest answer.
Even after the ACC Championship, the New Year’s Six bowl appearance and a top-25 ranking in each of the first three weeks of 2022, the No. 23 Panthers’ blunder against the Broncos on Sept. 18, 2021, still remains fresh on their minds.
“It’s not in the past,” redshirt senior defensive tackle David Green said Wednesday. “I feel like Michael Jordan right now, from (“The Last Dance”) documentary. This is it.”
“No one likes to lose to anybody,” redshirt senior safety Erick Hallett II added. “Especially now, we’re able to play them again, to get revenge, per se. There’s always a little added motivation for that.”
A review of the film — or even just a quick glance at the box score — explains why the Panthers’ defense has plenty to be upset about. Despite getting a big day from its offense, which included six touchdown passes from Kenny Pickett, the Pitt defensive unit had little to no answer for Western Michigan’s game plan.
The Broncos’ consistent blend of run-pass-options, quick slants to the back side and a powerful rushing attack resulted in 517 total yards of offense, 44 points and one shocked opponent.
“They just really caught us off guard with a lot of the stuff they were doing,” Hallett recalled. “We kinda had to play catch-up to a certain point. ... We knew what they had; we knew what they were capable of, but I just think it caught us off guard with the efficiency that they ran at. We hadn’t seen it like that.”
Familiarity is something the Panthers have to their advantage Saturday. While Western Michigan will have a new quarterback under center, key players from last year’s offense like running back Sean Tyler and receiver Corey Crooms return.
Pitt also anticipates a similar game plan from the Broncos, which they hope means there will be no getting “caught off guard” this time around.
“There’s a lot of things you look at,” safeties coach Corey Sanders said. “You look at how they attacked us last year and what their game plan was going into it. Obviously, they have a new offensive coordinator, but at the same time, their head coach is an offensive guy.
“He’s going to sit back and look at what they did through the years of competing against us — even when he was back at Syracuse — and keep that in mind. We’ll be prepared for what is to come.”
Sanders says he’s pleased with the overall performance from the secondary through the first two weeks of the season. Both West Virginia and Tennessee’s veteran quarterback play provided notable tests for Panthers defensive backs to kick off the year.
The group knows another challenge awaits against a Western Michigan offense that will look to efficiently move the ball through air, and though the coaching staff gave them good reviews, members of the Pitt secondary know there is still room for improvement.
“We’re striving to be champions,” Hallett said. “In that, we want to practice like champions. We want to prepare like champions, and we want to play like champions. I think, shoot, if we let up 10 yards passing, we’re going to feel like we could do a little better.”
Prepared for the pressure
Perhaps another incentive for the defense to do better is what Pitt has to offer on the other side of the football.
Despite taking the Volunteers to overtime last week, the Panthers struggled to find a rhythm when they possessed the football following the loss of starting quarterback Kedon Slovis on the final play of the first half. With the injury status of both Slovis and his backup Nick Patti unknown, few know what to expect from the Pitt offense when it takes the field Saturday evening.
Yet, even with a banged up quarterback room, the Panthers defense says the goal remains the same. When asked if the potential of a third-string quarterback starting against the Broncos creates extra stress to perform, Hallett provided a confident reply.
“We like to call it pressure, not stress. We see stress as being unprepared. I think, going into every game, you always want a shutout, no matter who’s under center. We could have (starting right guard) Jake Kradel under center — if we shut them out, we can win the game at the end of the day.”
Sweet sound of silence
While it’s clear the Panthers are on a mission for payback, they understand their upcoming matchup is highly anticipated on Western Michigan’s side, as well. After starting the first two weeks on the road against Michigan State and Ball State, the Broncos host the Panthers in their home opener, in what’s expected to be a rowdy atmosphere.
Yet, similar to how they feel about Western Michigan’s plan of attack, Pitt feels it will be ready for a chaotic crowd, as well, and like it hopes to keep the Broncos’ offense quiet, the Panthers defensive unit says its goal is to silence those in attendance Saturday night at Waldo Stadium, so those in blue and gold can enjoy the final laugh.
“I love that type of environment,” Green said. “I love when everybody boos us, when we’re the underdogs and everybody is against us. When you shut everybody up, it’s a beautiful feeling.”
Noah Hiles: nhiles@post-gazette.com and Twitter @_NoahHiles.
First Published: September 14, 2022, 7:30 p.m.
Updated: September 15, 2022, 11:47 a.m.