Pitt football has lost its last three games after starting the season 7-0, and it is partially due to injuries. One position group that has been hit a bit harder than the others is the Panthers’ offensive line.
The unit lost left tackle Branson Taylor last month after a season-ending injury against Cal on Oct. 12. This past weekend, starting center Lyndon Cooper also had to be helped off the field against Clemson. Ryan Jacoby has been in and out of the lineup with an ankle injury, too.
These cluster injuries, in turn, have given some players down the depth chart more opportunities than offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau ever would’ve imagined heading into the season.
“The most challenging part of it is just some of these guys just haven't gotten the reps over the course of fall camp and over the course of this season,” Darveau said.
“Let's say you bring a third-string guy up. That's somebody who has maybe had 500 reps instead of a starter, who's had several 1,000, or backups who've had 1,000 reps or something. Just the technique things that show up, assignment things that show up, those are usually a product of just not getting the same amount of reps that an older guy has.”
Redshirt sophomore Jackson Brown is one of those guys who’s had to step in. He’s played in three games this season and earned a start at right tackle for the Clemson game. Darveau said he’s liked how Brown has improved despite some tough assignments. He was matched up against T.J. Parker, a possible first-round NFL draft pick.
Another player thrown into the fire has been Isaiah Montgomery, who played in the past five games with a start against Virginia. He’s had to play catchup with technique, however, which has been challenging for the redshirt sophomore.
“The thing is that we've got two weeks here, and who knows how long in that bowl game prep to continue to work with these young guys,” Darveau said. “Those are two guys that have done a phenomenal job of owning their own preparation and owning their technique.”
With less experienced players in the lineup, Pitt has struggled with procedural penalties, too.
The Panthers have had 17 this season, with nine coming in the past two games alone. They had three false starts from Jason Collier Jr., BJ Williams and Gavin Bartholomew, as well as one illegal formation and one delay of game against Clemson.
“That's a focus thing,” Darveau said. “... I don’t want to give an excuse, but there is a certain level of, all of a sudden, you're under 40 to 50,000 people and a big defensive line. There's a little bit of growth there, but it's not an excuse, and you can't use it as a way out. They've just got to focus, and I've got to do a better job of preparing them for those situations when they arise.”
One player who has been a staple of the offensive line this season is Williams, who has started in every single game this season and was key in helping the offense run smoothly early in the season. The 6-foot-4, 315-pound sophomore has been vital to the Panthers’ offensive line during the chaos of injuries.
“He prepares himself as good as anybody,” Darveau said. “His bust rate is so low I don't even know if it's got a percentage to it that I can assign to it. He's always on the right guy. He plays physically. He's always playing hard. He's always where he needs to be from an assignment standpoint. He's definitely been an Ironman for us.”
Load management
Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik found an open lane to run in the game-winning touchdown on Saturday, and Pitt safeties coach Cory Sanders said Pitt misjudged some angles regarding coverage with that play. One player in the right spot, though, was Donovan McMillon.
The senior defensive back was just short of catching Klubnik to prevent him from running in for the touchdown, and McMillon was visibly frustrated after the play. Sanders chalked it up to McMillon playing too many snaps up to that point in the game and not about his technique or effort.
“I’ll take ownership as a coach,” Sanders said. “Donovan, that was play 74 for him. He's been playing a lot of plays these last few games. I got to do a better job with player management and player load, of making sure that I'm giving him series off, managing his reps better, to make sure he is fresh for those key critical moments too.”
First Published: November 19, 2024, 8:00 p.m.
Updated: November 19, 2024, 11:36 p.m.