Pitt’s offensive line went through a shakeup Saturday night in its win over Western Michigan, as right guard Jake Kradel jumped to center to replace Owen Drexel and Blake Zubovic filled Kradel’s normal spot at guard. That change came in the same week that redshirt freshman quarterback Nate Yarnell started his first game for the Panthers and his first football game since he was a junior in high school in 2019.
It was crucial for the experienced offensive line to come out and set a strong foundation for Pitt’s offense to ease Yarnell into his first college action. The good news for the Panthers was that the line was up to the task both in pass protection and in the run game.
Pitt’s offensive line only allowed a single sack on Yarnell, despite several dialed up blitzes from the Broncos. In the run game, Pitt controlled the night with 238 yards on 52 carries for an average of 4.6 yards per carry to go along with two rushing touchdowns.
One of the most impressive moments that showed Pitt’s offensive line chemistry was on Yarnell’s very important 19-yard completion to Konata Mumpfield that converted a 3rd-and-18 for the Panthers in the first quarter. It was Yarnell’s first attempted pass of the game and a good confidence builder for a young quarterback.
But that play never would’ve happened had the Panthers’ interior offensive line not picked up a five-man blitz from the Broncos that featured a twisting inside linebacker into the A-gap. The Broncos used their defensive tackle to line up in zero technique directly over Kradel at center with a linebacker positioned over Zubovic at right guard. But that positioning was to disguise the linebacker’s blitz at Marcus Minor, Pitt’s left guard, to force him and Kradel to communicate.
Many offensive lines with a new center might not have picked that blitz up, so Western Michigan wanted to test Pitt’s communication skills. But the Panthers made the play look smooth and routine.
But where Pitt’s offensive line looked best was in the run game. That aspect of the Panthers’ offense improved as the night continued and they tired out the Broncos’ defensive front. Pitt averaged only 2.0 yards per carry against West Virginia, and the 3.6 yards per carry average against Tennessee was propped up by a 76-yard sprint from Israel Abanikanda early in the game. Outside of that, the Panthers averaged 1.7 yards per carry, which does not make for a strong day running the ball.
But those problems were gone Saturday, as the offensive line generated a consistent push against the Broncos. Vincent Davis’ 21-yard run in the fourth quarter came off a zone run scheme that showed dominance across the board. It was also the first real sign that Pitt’s offense was on the verge of breaking the Broncos’ backs.
On that zone run, the Broncos deployed an even-man front to put more bodies at the line of scrimmage for the Panthers to block and sent three linebackers to aggressively attack the line of scrimmage. But Pitt’s offensive line didn’t blink in the moment. Minor and Matt Goncalves had key blocks that turned the Broncos’ defensive tackles outside of their gaps to open an inside run, while Zubovic got to the second level to block out the Mike linebacker. That left Kradel with almost nobody to block and allowed for Davis to burst through the hole for a big gain.
Pitt struggled in the red zone against Tennessee, scoring only one touchdown on five trips. But that improved with three touchdowns on five red-zone trips against the Broncos. Two of those touchdowns came on the ground, as Abanikanda scored from 4 yards out and Daniel Carter scored on a 3-yard dive up the middle.
But again, it was the Pitt offensive line that carried those moments. The Panthers’ running backs did a good job to capitalize. But when you watch back on the film, you can see the Panthers linemen win across the board. On Abanikanda’s off-tackle touchdown in the fourth quarter, the entire offensive line turned their opponents to the inside part of the field to open up the left side of the formation for Abanikanda to jog into the end zone.
If Pitt’s offensive line can build off its performance against Western Michigan to make that the foundation for the season, it’s a good sign for the Panthers offense. They’ll get to face a Rhode Island defense they should match up well with across the board Saturday at Acrisure Stadium and be able to control the game whether Kedon Slovis returns to start or not.
Christopher Carter: ccarter@post-gazette.com and on Twitter @CarterCritiques
First Published: September 19, 2022, 2:26 p.m.