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No. 17 Pitt rolls by No. 18 Wake Forest 45-21 for ACC title

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kenny Pickett accounted for three touchdowns and Erick Hallett II returned one of Pittsburgh’s four interceptions for a touchdown to help the No. 17 Panthers beat No. 18 Wake Forest 45-21 in Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Hallett, selected the game’s MVP, had a pick-six with 11:42 left that came on the heels of A.J. Woods having a 75-yard interception return that fell only 3 yards short of taking it all the way for the score early in the fourth quarter. That was the highlight sequence in a strong defensive performance that locked up the high-scoring Demon Deacons after the opening quarter and ultimately carried the Panthers to their first ACC title since leaving the Big East in 2013.

After surrendering touchdowns on three first-quarter possessions, Pittsburgh (11-2) held Wake Forest scoreless for its last 13 drives while getting after Sam Hartman for five sacks to stymie the Demon Deacons’ tempo-controlling flow.

Wake Forest (10-3) was back in the ACC title game for the first time since winning the 2006 championship. But the Demon Deacons finished with 295 total yards, with only 109 of those coming after the opening quarter.

Hartman threw for two scores and ran for another in the opening period. But by the end of this one, Hartman was suffering through another nightmarish performance on a field about 20 minutes from his hometown in Cornelius.

He ended last year here with four interceptions in a Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to Wisconsin, then threw for 213 yards in another four-interception performance before exiting with 8:09 left.

The third was Woods’ long return that had him weaving all over the field before being stopped inside the 5 for the longest interception return in the 17-year history of the title game to set up a short TD by Israel Abanikanda.

And on the next offensive snap, Hallett jumped in front of Hartman’s pass for Jaquarii Roberson and sprinted for the 19-yard return – extending the ball with his right arm as he crossed the goal line – and a 45-21 lead that all but wrapped up the title for Narduzzi’s Panthers.

The game offered a departure from what had become a recent tradition: watching Clemson roll past an overmatched Coastal Division champion on the way to another league title and trip to the College Football Playoff. And going back a decade, either Clemson or Florida State had been in this game as the Atlantic Division champion before Wake Forest finally interrupted that run this year.

This game began with a high-revving show of four straight touchdown drives between the two teams, including a dazzling 58-yard scoring run by Pickett on the first in which he stutter-stepped near the 40 as though he was going to slide then took off around pulling-up defenders the rest of the way to the end zone.

Wake Forest led 21-14 when Hartman hit Taylor Morin on a contested TD catch near the left pylon. But after that, Pittsburgh’s defense started getting to Hartman more often while the secondary that found itself under early duress began to hold up against those deep throws.

Sam Scarton’s 41-yard field goal gave Pitt a 24-21 lead at the break, then Abanikanda scored from 12 yards out around the right side late in the third to make it a two-possession lead and send the Panthers on their way.

THE TAKEAWAY

Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons just couldn’t add another milestone in a what had become a special season full of them under eighth-year coach Dave Clawson, including the highest AP Top 25 ranking in program history (No. 10 in early November) and the program’s best-ever start (8-0).

Pittsburgh: The Panthers had reached the ACC title game in 2018 before losing a blowout loss to Clemson. They’re leaving Charlotte this time with the program’s first ACC title after sharing the Big East title in 2004 and 2010.

UP NEXT

Both programs must wait to learn where they will play a bowl game.


Heisman finalists: Young, Hutchinson, Pickett, Stroud

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NEW YORK — Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett and Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud were announced as finalists for the Heisman Trophy.

The Heisman will be presented in New York, returning to its usual routine and date after it was forced to delay and go virtual last year due to the pandemic.

There are some changes this year. The site of the presentation is moving from a theater in Midtown Manhattan, near Times Square, to a smaller venue on the West Side near Lincoln Center.

The process by which Heisman finalists are determined has also been modified. The Heisman Trust announced that starting with this season, there will be four finalists – no more, no fewer – invited to the award presentation ceremony.

In the past the Heisman has invited at least three and as many as six players to the presentation. The number was determined by distribution of vote, with the cut-off decided by the gap between vote-getters.

After a 2021 season in which a Heisman front-runner took a while to emerge and the race seemed wide-open into November, Young closed strong to become the favorite.

The sophomore led a 97-yard, game-tying touchdown drive against rival Auburn two weeks ago, helping the Crimson Tide rally to win the Iron Bowl in overtime.

Then Young broke the Southeastern Conference championship game record with 421 yards passing in a victory against Georgia’s vaunted defense on Saturday. For the season, Young has thrown for 4,322 yards, 43 touchdowns and just four interceptions while guiding the top-ranked Crimson Tide to the College Football Playoff.

As good has Young has been in his first season as Alabama’s starting quarterback, following Heisman finalists Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa, an argument could be made he is not even the clear best player on his own team.

Will Anderson Jr. appeared to be the Tide’s top Heisman contender until Young went off against Georgia. The sophomore outside linebacker leads the nation in tackles for loss with 31.5 and sacks with 15.5, but he didn’t get an invitation to New York.

Nether did Michigan State running back Kenneth Walker III, who is second in the nation in rushing at 136 yards per game with 19 touchdowns. The Wake Forest transfer jumped to the top of the Heisman watch lists after scoring five touchdowns in the 11th-ranked Spartans’ victory against Michigan on Oct. 30.

Young could become Alabama’s fourth Heisman winner, second consecutive, but first quarterback.

Tide receiver DeVonta Smith won the Heisman last year. Smith broke a streak of four straight quarterbacks to win the Heisman. Since 2000, 17 quarterbacks have won the trophy. Among the non-quarterback winners are Alabama running backs Mark Ingram (2009) and Derrick Henry (2015).

Hutchinson would be the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997. Woodson was also Michigan’s last Heisman winner.

The last Michigan player to be a Heisman finalists also played defense, though not exclusively. Defensive back Jabrill Peppers played some offense and returned kicks when he finished fifth in the voting in 2016.

Hutchinson is one of the nation’s best pass rushers with 14 sacks. The senior led No. 2 Michigan to its first playoff appearance as Big Ten champions and helped end an eight-game losing streak to rival Ohio State.

Pickett returned to Pitt for a fifth season in 2021, taking advantage of the NCAA’s eligibility give-back for playing through the pandemic in 2020, and had a record-breaking year. Pickett passed for 4,319 yards with 42 touchdowns to eclipse school marks and led the 13th-ranked Panthers to their first Atlantic Coast Conference title.

The last Pitt player to be a Heisman finalist was receiver Larry Fitzgerald in 2003.

Stroud completed 71% of his passes for 3,862 yards, 38 touchdowns and five interceptions as the seventh-ranked Buckeyes finished 10-2 in his first season as a starter.

He is the third straight Ohio State starting quarterback to be a Heisman finalist, joining Justin Fields (2019) and Dwayne Haskins (2018).

Mark Whipple joins Nebraska as offensive coordinator day after leaving Pitt

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LINCOLN, Neb. — Mark Whipple was named Nebraska’s offensive coordinator, a day after he resigned from the same position at Pittsburgh.

Cornhuskers coach Scott Frost also announced the hiring of Chicago Bears assistant Donovan Raiola as offensive line coach.

Frost is making over his offensive staff following a 3-9 season, the Huskers’ worst since 1957. Former Nebraska quarterback Mickey Joseph was hired as receivers coach last week after serving in the same position at LSU. Frost is yet to name a new running backs coach.

Whipple, 64, also will coach Nebraska’s quarterbacks. His Pitt offense averaged 43 points, 350 yards passing and 503 total yards per game this season as the Panthers won the Atlantic Coast Conference championship.

Whipple coached two of the top offensive players in the country this year in Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison. Pickett threw for 4,319 yards and 42 touchdowns and Addison caught a nation-leading 17 touchdown passes.

“The opportunity to coach at a school with the history and tradition of Nebraska is special,” Whipple said. “Coach Frost has a great offensive mind, and I look forward to working together with him and our staff to best position our players for success. I can’t wait to get to Lincoln and represent Husker football.”

Whipple was head coach at Massachusetts from 2014-18, and his resume also includes NFL stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles.

Raiola, 38, is the younger brother of former Nebraska All-America center Dominic Raiola.

Donovan Raiola has been the Bears’ assistant offensive line coach for four seasons. He previously was a graduate assistant at Notre Dame and an offensive intern at Hawaii.

Raiola started 39 games at center for Wisconsin from 2003 to 2005 and spent parts of five seasons in the NFL with six teams.

“I am humbled to lead the offensive line at the University of Nebraska,” Raiola said. “I understand the responsibility of coaching the `Pipeline’ and the history of offensive line excellence at Nebraska. We will work tirelessly to add to that tradition.”

Pitt awaits QB Pickett’s decision on playing bowl game

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PITTSBURGH- Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi is just fine if quarterback Kenny Pickett takes his time deciding whether he’ll play in the Peach Bowl against Michigan State.

Narduzzi said jokingly on Tuesday he’s OK as long as Pickett lets him know the night before the 13th-ranked Panthers (11-2) face No. 11 Michigan State (10-2) on Dec. 30.

Narduzzi is putting no pressure on the ACC Player of the Year and third-place finisher in the Heisman Trophy race to make up his mind. Pickett dramatically improved his NFL draft stock during his record-setting season, which could play a factor in whether he tries to help the Panthers win 12 games for just the second time in the program’s 117-year history.

“I think everybody’s got a business decision to make,” Narduzzi said. “Not everybody is going to agree with decisions that I make or Kenny makes or anybody else makes. … We all know what we’d like but not everybody in this room has to deal with the consequences of playing or not playing. Those are big-boy decisions.”

Regardless of who is quarterback, Pitt will have a new play-caller against the Spartans after offensive coordinator Mark Whipple left last week to take the same job at Nebraska. Narduzzi said he hasn’t decided who will run the offense in the bowl game.

Pickett isn’t the only marquee player whose status is uncertain. Michigan State coach Mel Tucker said Monday there’s a chance running back Kenneth Walker will miss the game due to health reasons.

Narduzzi’s breakout seventh season with the Panthers Will Likely lead to a new deal. His current contract runs through 2024, but athletic director Heather Lyke indicated she and Narduzzi have been in talks and praised the major step forward Pitt took this fall.

“This program, it takes time to build it the right way,” Lyke said. “We have unbelievable confidence in coach Narduzzi and our staff and they are building it. This is just the start of where we’re headed.”

Pitt lands former USC quarterback Kedon Slovis

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PITTSBURGH — Kedon Slovis is trading USC for Pittsburgh.

The former Trojans quarterback announced Tuesday he is heading east to join the ACC champion Panthers, where he will get a chance to replace ACC Player of the Year Kenny Pickett.

“I’m feeling incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be a Panther – and I can’t wait to prove myself again on this stage,” Slovis said in a piece he wrote for The Players Tribune released Tuesday evening.

Slovis entered his junior season at USC as a Heisman Trophy contender but he struggled to find any rhythm. He passed for 2,153 yards with 11 touchdowns against eight interceptions in nine games before being lost for the season with a leg injury.

Slovis joins a wide-open race to replace Pickett, who announced last week he will not play when the 13th-ranked Panthers (11-2) face No. 10 Michigan State (10-2) in the Peach Bowl next week. Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi has not said who will start in place of Pickett, though Nick Patti figures to get the nod as the primary backup.

The Panthers also have Davis Beville and Arizona State transfer Joey Yellen, who joined Pitt in January 2020.

Pitt is in the process of looking for a new offensive coordinator after Mark Whipple left for the same position at Nebraska.

Whoever is at quarterback for the Panthers won’t lack for weapons, including Biletnikoff Award-winning wide receiver Jordan Addison, who caught 93 passes for 1,479 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Slovis figured not to be part of USC’s future plans after the Trojans lured Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma to replace Clay Helton as head coach.

Slovis made the All-Pac 12 first-team in 2020 while throwing for 1,921 yards and 17 touchdowns with seven interceptions playing an abbreviated schedule thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pickett-less Pitt turns to Patti in Peach Bowl

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PITTSBURGH- Kenny Pickett walked into Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi‘s office last week and spent 30 minutes laughing about the 13th-ranked Panthers’ remarkable season, one that carried them to the program’s first ACC title and Pickett to a prime spot on NFL draft boards.

Narduzzi knew what was coming, so he didn’t so much as flinch when his senior quarterback said he was going to skip the Peach Bowl to focus on the next step of his burgeoning career. Asking Pickett to do anything more would have been selfish.

Besides, Narduzzi knows the cupboard is hardly bare. Not with Nick Patti ready to step in when Pitt (11-2) faces No. 10 Michigan State (10-2) in Atlanta next week. Narduzzi officially tabbed Patti as the starter on Wednesday as the Panthers try to win 12 games in a season for just the second time in their 117-year history.

“Nick is a guy that this entire room trusts,” Narduzzi said. “He’s a good football player. He can throw the ball. … We’re excited to see what Nick (can do). It’s his time in this game to show Panther Nation … show everybody, who he is.”

Patti played sparingly this season while serving as the main understudy as Pickett took over the Pitt record book. Pickett set new marks in touchdown passes (42) and yards passing (4,319) while also becoming the school’s career leader in both categories.

“It’s obviously a huge loss for us,” said tight end Lucas Krull, named Wednesday as Pickett’s replacement as offensive captain. “But at the same time, you know, we knew this was going to be a possibility just because he’s the best quarterback in this draft.”

Still, Krull and the Panthers believe they can be plenty dynamic even with Pickett wearing a headset. They still have Jordan Addison, the Biletnikoff winner as the nation’s top receiver, and running backs in Vincent Davis, Israel Abanikanda and Rodney Hammond.

While Pitt will be missing both Pickett and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple – who left for the same job at Nebraska two weeks ago – the Panthers also see the Peach Bowl as a chance to prove they are far more than the fireworks Pickett produced so regularly this fall.

“I mean, this is everything right now,” senior linebacker Phil Campbell said. “I mean, it’s huge. We have a big chip on our shoulders right now. You know, we’re just trying to go out and prove, you know, one more time who we are.”

Even if Pickett, the team’s unquestioned leader, will be watching instead of playing for the first time since missing two games in 2020 while recovering from ankle surgery.

Patti worked out with the team’s wide receivers on his own during finals week, and the start against Michigan State comes in the wake of the Panthers landing former Southern California quarterback Kedon Slovis, who announced on Tuesday he is transferring to Pitt in January.

That means despite being a fixture in the quarterback room for the last four years, there are no guarantees for Patti heading into 2022. Still, the Peach Bowl offers him a chance to get the early lead in what could be a four-headed quarterback derby next spring if Joey Yellen and Davis Beville also stick around.

“It’s a great opportunity for (Patti),” Narduzzi said. “I don’t want him to stress about that either. He just needs to go out and play. He’s been as locked in as anybody … He’s prepared for this moment for a long time and I’ve got a lot of faith in him.”

Georgia No. 1 in AP poll for second time, with Alabama No. 2

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INDIANAPOLIS- Georgia is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll, earning their second national title by beating Alabama on Monday night.

The Bulldogs received all 61 first-place votes to be a unanimous No. 1 for the ninth time this season. Georgia’s only other time finishing No. 1 was 1980.

The Tide finished No. 2, giving the Southeastern Conference the top two teams in the final rankings for the third time since 2011.

Michigan was No. 3, the Wolverines best final ranking since winning the national championship in 1997 and their first top-10 finish since 2006.

No. 4 Cincinnati, which became the first team from outside the Power Five conferences to reach the playoff, finished with its best final ranking.

As did No. 5 Baylor. The Bears previous best finish in the AP poll was No. 7 in 2014.

Ohio State was No. 6 and Oklahoma State finished seventh. The Cowboys had their best finish in the poll since they were third in 2011.

Notre Dame was eighth, Michigan State was ninth and Oklahoma was 10th, giving the Big 12 three top 10 teams.

For Michigan State, its the Spartans first top-10 finish since a string of three straight from 2013-15. The two Big Ten schools from the state of Michigan last both finished the season ranked in the top 10 in 1999.

Utah was No. 12, BYU was 19th and Utah State was No. 24, marking the first time the Beehive State has had all three of its major college football teams finish the season ranked.

Clemson finished 14th, snapping a string of six straight seasons in which the Tigers were no worse than fourth in the final Top 25.

Frank Cignetti returns to Pitt as offensive coordinator

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PITTSBURGH – Frank Cignetti is ready for a third stint at Pittsburgh.

The Panthers have hired Cignetti as the team’s offensive coordinator more than 30 years after he began his coaching career at the school as a graduate assistant and a decade removed from a brief stint as offensive coordinator under former Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt.

The school made the announcement on Friday. The 56-year-old Cignetti replaces Mark Whipple, who left to take the same position at Nebraska.

The well-traveled Cignetti broke into coaching at Pitt in 1989. He’s spent the last 32 years in coaching at both the college and professional levels. Cignetti has worked for six different NFL teams and six Football Bowl Division programs. He most recently served as the offensive coordinator at Boston College in 2020 and 2021.

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi called Cignetti’s hire a “tremendous coup” for the Panthers.

“”He’s an extremely talented football coach and teacher,” Narduzzi said in a statement. “Frank has worked with some of the greatest quarterbacks in the game. He knows what it takes to build a championship-caliber offense.”

The Panthers will lose quarterback Kenny Pickett, a Heisman Trophy finalist, to the NFL but have several weapons returning from a team that won the program’s first ACC title and set myriad offensive records, including Jordan Addison, who won the Biletnikoff Award to the nation’s best wide receiver in 2021.


Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi signs new contract fresh off ACC title

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PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh and football coach Pat Narduzzi have agreed on a new contract that will keep Narduzzi with the Panthers through at least 2030.

The deal announced Monday comes three months after Narduzzi led Pitt to its first Atlantic Coast Conference championship on its way to an 11-3 record and a No. 13 ranking in the final AP Top 25 poll, the program’s highest postseason ranking since 1982.

Narduzzi is 53-37 in seven seasons with the Panthers. His 53 wins rank fourth all-time in program history.

“I am so appreciative of our players, coaches and staff,” Narduzzi said in a statement. “Nothing great can be accomplished without their efforts and commitment. I’ve always talked about the importance of pushing together in the same direction. We have that at Pitt across the board.”

Pitt will have to reset on offense heading into 2022 following the departure of quarterback Kenny Pickett, the 2021 ACC Player of the Year. The Panthers open the season on Sept. 1. Pitt is in the middle of spring drills, which will wrap up with the Blue-Gold Spring Game on April 9.

“Our ACC championship season was the result of a strong culture and foundation that Pat Narduzzi has tirelessly built for Pitt football,” athletic director Heather Lyke said. “That foundation has our program positioned for sustained success well into the future.”

ACC: Pitt, Wake Forest out to keep momentum, Clemson hits reset

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The Atlantic Coast Conference changed significantly last season with Pitt winning the league title, Wake Forest taking the Atlantic Division and conference powerhouse Clemson largely out of the mix by mid-October.

Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi and Demon Deacons coach Dave Clawson believe their teams worked hard this spring to stay on top. Pitt defeated Wake Forest 45-21 in the ACC title game, ending Clemson’s run of six straight championships.

Narduzzi spent the spring seeking a successor to Kenny Pickett, who was expected to be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the NFL draft.

“I was happy we got a lot of work done,” Narduzzi said. “We saw enough in 14 practices that we know who we are and I’m happy.”

The Panthers watched as Nick Patti competed with Southern Cal transfer Kedon Slovis for the starting spot. Slovis, who threw 30 touchdowns as a Trojans’ freshman, called it a “no-brainer” joining his new team.

Wake Forest, the first team other than Clemson to win the Atlantic since Florida State in 2014, won a program record-tying 11 games last year. Clawson took some offseason steps to improve a defense that was 10th in the ACC in points (28.9) and yards (413.2) allowed last season.

Clawson hired Brad Lambert as defensive coordinator. Lambert was linebackers coach at Wake Forest under Jim Grobe in 2006, the only other time the Deacons were 11-3.

“I’m encouraged by some things, and I’ve got a pit in my stomach about others,” Clawson said. “Were we better on defense because we are better on defense? Or because we did not play as well on offense.”

He will know for sure in about five months.

CLEMSON BACK?

Tigers coach Dabo Swinney was pleased with what he saw this spring, especially with starting quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei, who struggled early with injuries and off-target throws.

Uiagalelei went 17 of 36 for 175 yards in the Tigers’ spring game earlier this month. Still, his body of work was more than good enough to keep him the starter over freshman Cade Klubnik.

Uiagalelei “has had a great spring,” Swinney said. “He has not done anything to not be the starter. Cade is a really talented player. We got two guys, I think, that can win at a high level, just like when Trevor (Lawrence) and DJ were coming out of the spring” in 2020.

It helps that receiver Joseph Ngata has had a injury-free spring. He finished with four catches for 50 yards in the spring game.

NEW FACES

All four new ACC coaching hires after last season came in the Coastal, highlighted by Miami bringing in Oregon’s Mario Cristobal for Manny Diaz. Cristobal was a former Miami offensive tackle who was part of two national title teams. He’s charged with bringing “The U” back to prominence.

The first spring under Cristobal ended April 16 with a commitment to the little details that the new coach regularly preached will determine how far the Hurricanes go this fall.

“There’s no more excuses,” quarterback Tyler Van Dyke said.

The other first-year coaches are former Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko taking over at Duke for longtime coach Dave Cutcliffe; ex-Penn State defensive coordinator Brent Pry succeeding Justin Fuente at Virginia Tech; and Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliott moving to Virginia after Bronco Mendenhall‘s surprising move to step away.

The Cavaliers had the ACC’s final spring game this past Saturday and Elliott saw what he expected four months in.

“I thought that the majority of the guys were going to buy in, but I was still going to have a couple that were skeptical and kind of one foot in the water,” Elliott said. “And I’ve got a couple of those.”

CLOSING IN

In the Atlantic Division, Boston College, Louisville and North Carolina State all have experienced, play-making quarterbacks.

The Eagles hope for a healthy Phil Jurkovec, the Notre Dame transfer who played just six games last year due to a broken bone in his throwing hand. He completed 8 of 17 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown in the Boston College spring game.

Louisville’s Malik Cunningham threw for 2,941 yards and ran for 1,034 yards last season. The Cardinals have had losing seasons in three of the previous four years and are hoping Cunningham can lead a turnaround.

The Wolfpack feature Devin Leary, who threw 35 touchdowns last season to break Philip Rivers’ school record. Along with finding receivers, Leary has just five picks in 431 attempts.

Pitt WR Addison, Biletnikoff winner, in transfer portal

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Pittsburgh wide receiver Jordan Addison is exploring his options.

The rising junior and 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top receiver is in the NCAA transfer portal. Addison put in his paperwork by the May 1 deadline and his entry became visible Tuesday.

Two people with access to the NCAA’s database confirmed to The Associated Press that Addison’s name was in the portal. The people spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal that information publicly.

Now that Addison’s name is in the portal, he can officially be recruited by other schools. The move does not preclude him from staying at Pitt.

The decision comes amid reports that Addison, who caught a single-season school record 100 passes for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns for the ACC champions last fall, is considering USC as a potential destination.

Pitt’s offense is in a transition period after quarterback Kenny Pickett left for the NFL, offensive coordinator Mark Whipple left for the same job at Nebraska and wide receivers coach Brennan Marion left for same position at Texas.

USC transfer Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti are competing for the right to replace Pickett. Joey Yellen, who transferred to Pitt from Arizona State before the 2020 season, entered the portal last week and transferred to Hawaii.

Addison could not enter this year’s NFL draft because he wasn’t three years removed from graduating high school, per NFL rules. Should he stay healthy, he is expected to go early in the 2023 draft.

Pitt’s Narduzzi: NIL rules ‘probably’ violated by others

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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi thinks name, image and likeness rules were “probably” violated over the spring, not so subtly hinting those violations led to star wide receiver Jordan Addison‘s decision to transfer to USC.

Without naming the Trojans and Addison specifically, Narduzzi said he doesn’t think “there’s any question” his players were “tempted with (NIL inducements) one way or the other.”

Addison, who won the Biletnikoff Award last December given annually to the nation’s best receiver, entered the transfer portal just before the May 1 deadline and officially transferred to USC later in the month.

Narduzzi said he’d like to see some sort of guardrails on NIL rules and called the current set-up essentially a pathway for backroom deals that are difficult for schools to regulate.

“I want our kids to make as much money as they can, but I want them to work for it and do it the right way and not just black market it,” he said.

Narduzzi, who is entering his eighth season at Pitt and led the Panthers to their first ACC championship last fall, suggested the NCAA “remove the boosters from the game.”

When it was pointed out that the head coaching position at Pitt’s official title is “Chris Bickell ’97 Head Football Coach” after Bickell – a Panther alum – donated $20 million to the program for a series of capital improvements last fall, Narduzzi clarified he’d like to see the banning of the kind of third-party “collectives” that have popped up in the last few years as NIL rules have been relaxed.

“What you’ll see throughout the country now is a booster, OK, saying `Do I give my money to the athletic department or do I give it to the collective?”‘ he said. “I’m saying we should be giving our money to the athletic department and kind of eliminating that.”

Narduzzi added he would like to see some control over what boosters can do.

“It has to be pretty equal throughout the country,” he said. “(There) can’t be wide gaps or we are going to ruin college football.”

The Panthers open the season on Sept. 1 against West Virginia in the renewal of the “Backyard Brawl.” The series, which dates to 1895, hasn’t been played since 2011 after the longtime rivals left the Big East.

USC transfer Slovis wins starting QB job at No. 17 Pitt

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PITTSBURGH — Kedon Slovis didn’t transfer from USC to Pitt planning to sit on the bench.

He won’t.

Head coach Pat Narduzzi named Slovis the starting quarterback on Wednesday, ending a months-long competition with Nick Patti for the right to replace Kenny Pickett, who is working next door with the Pittsburgh Steelers after a remarkable final season with the Panthers last fall.

Narduzzi praised the way both Patti and Slovis approached their extended job interviews but called Slovis’ accuracy the separator.

“He’s a really, really good passer,” Narduzzi said. “We think he can lead us.”

Slovis, who threw for 58 touchdowns against 24 interceptions in three seasons with the Trojans before leaving last winter, won’t get a chance to ease into the gig. The 17th-ranked Panthers, who won the program’s first ACC title in 2021, open at home against West Virginia in the renewal of the “Backyard Brawl” on Sept. 1.

It will hardly be Slovis’ first go-round in the crucible of a rivalry. He went 2-0 against UCLA and played well in losses to Notre Dame in 2019 and 2020.

“I love playing in big games,” he said. “I think every player loves playing in big games. You know, from your high school rival to college, I think everyone’s favorite games are rivalry games. So yeah, you know, obviously you feel prepared, but more so I just feel excited.”

Narduzzi and new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti – in the first year of his third go-round with the Panthers – didn’t rush to a decision. They attempted to split the practice reps 50/50 and “looked at every tiny detail” before giving Slovis the nod.

Patti, a redshirt senior, spent his first four seasons at Pitt as a backup behind Pickett. He started the Chick-Fil-A Bowl against Michigan State when Pickett opted out to focus on the NFL draft but ended up breaking his collarbone in the first half after completing just 2 of 5 passes for 21 yards.

By then, Slovis had already announced he was transferring to the Panthers. Patti stressed he welcomed the competition, and Narduzzi praised Patti’s professionalism in welcoming Slovis to campus.

“We’ve got confidence in both of them,” Narduzzi said. “Unfortunately the quarterback position is one guy, it becomes a one-man show.”

A show that is Slovis’ for the foreseeable future. Asked if he would introduce an “OR” on the depth chart to indicate a position is up for grabs – a favorite pastime of his – and Narduzzi shook his head.

“(Slovis) is the guy,”‘ Narduzzi said. “And we’ve got a lot of trust and faith that he’s going to be the guy.”

Slovis appeared to be “the guy” at USC indefinitely following a spectacular freshman season in which he threw for 30 touchdowns. He entered 2021 as a darkhorse Heisman Trophy-candidate before his season quickly unraveled behind injuries and inconsistent play for a team that saw head coach Clay Helton fired in mid-September.

A lower-leg injury in early November ended Slovis’ season and barely a month later he committed to Pitt after USC lured Lincoln Riley away from Oklahoma to replace Helton.

There is no such uncertainty with the Panthers. Narduzzi is firmly entrenched entering his eighth season, and with two years of eligibility remaining and the entire starting offensive line from 2021 returning, Slovis is confident he can be, if not Pickett, then Pickett-like.

He said at the beginning of the month he wanted to take the standard that Pickett set and take it to the next level. Now, he’ll get his chance after a training camp that felt like a grind.

“You’ve got to remind yourself, you know, just do what coach wants you to do, be coachable, run the offense, execute,” he said. “And again, things will kind of take care of itself.”

The Backyard Brawl is ‘where the beast lives’ for Pitt, WVU

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PITTSBURGH — Pat Bostick‘s official title at the University of Pittsburgh is “Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development, Major Gifts.”

There’s an unofficial title that pops up fairly regularly for the quarterback who helped the Panthers pull off one of college football’s greatest upsets of the 21st century.

“I joke sometimes people think when they see my face they think of a score before they think of my name,” Bostick said with a laugh.

That’s because across a significant stretch of the Appalachians and western Pennsylvania foothills, “13-9” lives on forever.

Pitt’s stunner over West Virginia in 2007 deflated a stadium, derailed a season, and redefined a rivalry, one that will be renewed for the first time in more than 10 years on when the 17th-ranked Panthers host the Mountaineers in the return of “The Backyard Brawl.”

Well over a decade removed from that cold December night in Morgantown, West Virginia, the details remain fresh in Bostick’s mind.

The way Pitt’s bus swayed as West Virginia fans pushed against it as it made its way to Milan-Puskar Stadium. The sound of something heavy – a battery maybe, Bostick thinks – smacking against the bus’s frame over and over again. The way running back LeSean McCoy stood up and challenged his teammates to make the impossible possible.

“It was supposed to be a coronation (for West Virginia),” Bostick said. “That team was really, really good.”

It was. Just not on Dec. 1, 2007. Bostick remembers the feeling of disbelief as the Panthers poured onto the field with the Mountaineers’ hopes of crashing the BCS title game gone, soon to be followed by head coach Rich Rodriguez, who bolted for Michigan shortly thereafter.

The renewal of the series after both teams left the Big East for more lucrative pastures – Pitt to the Atlantic Coast Conference, West Virginia to the Big 12 – has already produced a rare home sellout for the Panthers. It also required Bostick and others on both sides to spend the run-up serving as history professors of sorts. After all, the players who will participate in the 105th edition of the Brawl were in elementary school the last time Pitt and West Virginia shared the same field, a 21-20 victory by the Mountaineers in 2011.

“I absolutely do feel a responsibility to share,” Bostick said. “It’s the same responsibility that the seniors had when I was a freshman. I’m also going to encourage them to enjoy it.”

Maybe it’s because, as former Pitt running back LeSean McCoy put it, “nothing else matches up” to the Brawl.

“The rivalry is something special,” said McCoy, who ran for 148 yards during the 2007 win and later embarked on a 12-year NFL career.

A feeling embraced by all involved. For years former WVU linebacker Gary Stills tried to impart the significance of the Brawl to his son Dante, who admittedly didn’t particularly grasp it while growing up.

He does now. Maybe because the Mountaineers’ defensive lineman will find himself thrust into it for the first time.

“I wasn’t, like, locked in, because I’m a kid. I’m just playing around,” Dante Stills said. “I remember just people talking about it growing up as a kid: `We don’t like Pitt, we don’t like Pitt.’ But I’m a kid, so I’m like, `Why don’t you like Pitt?’ But now, I obviously know.”

At least he thinks he knows. His father isn’t so sure his son will understand the Brawl until he experiences it first-hand.

“That Backyard Brawl, that’s where the beast lives,” Gary Stills said. “I’m going to be excited to watch my son play with my number and with the bloodline still going.”

Pitt has been relying on more than folklore to get emotionally ready. Quarterback Kedon Slovis, who will get the start after transferring from USC over the winter, hinted the Panthers have been familiarizing themselves with “Country Roads,” the iconic John Denver song that doubles as West Virginia’s unofficial state anthem.

The anthem has made its way onto a playlist in Pitt’s weight room, a psychological ploy designed to offer a little extra motivation at the end of a workout.

This isn’t the first time during Pat Narduzzi‘s now eight-year tenure that the Panthers have revived a dormant series. Pitt and Penn State played annually from 2016-19. Nearly 70,000 crammed into what was then known as Heinz Field for the 2016 meeting, the biggest crowd to attend a Pittsburgh sporting event of any kind in the city’s history.

Narduzzi declined to offer specifics on what he’s learned about how to prepare for what awaits in front of a packed stadium and a national television audience against essentially a blood rival. Yet he’s well aware of the stakes.

“There’s a lot of hatred on their end – but there’s got to be a lot of hate on our end,” he said. “That’s what it comes down to in rivalry games.”

Even if the hate doesn’t come from history but from happenstance. Pitt linebacker SirVocea Dennis grew up in central New York, far outside the specter of the Brawl and doesn’t really know any of the current Mountaineers. That won’t matter once the ball is kicked off.

“Once we (put on) our jerseys and that Pitt script on our helmets,” Dennis said, “whoever they say we don’t like, we don’t like.”

Hooker, defense lead No. 24 Tennessee past No. 17 Pitt in OT

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PITTSBURGH – Tennessee coach Josh Heupel isn’t sure his team would have found a way a year ago to win a game where it fumbled twice and allowed a blocked punt. All in the second half. On the road. Against a program coming off a Power Five conference title.

It’s not last season. The 24th-ranked Volunteers may be maturing in front of their coach’s eyes. The latest proof came in a draining 34-27 overtime victory over No. 17 Pitt on Saturday, a four-hour physical and emotional marathon that ended with Tennessee spilling onto the field in a mixture of joy and relief.

“There’s a certain level of maturity that we certainly didn’t have last year at times,” said Heupel, who is in his second season of trying to restore the Volunteers to relevancy in the SEC. “Our kids are willing to continue to compete. They handled the flows, the ups and downs of the game the right way.”

There were plenty of each to go around. The Volunteers (2-0) allowed a game-tying touchdown pass from Pitt backup quarterback Nick Patti with 2:23 to go but regrouped to win it on a 28-yard lob from Hendon Hooker to Cedric Tillman on Tennessee’s first possession of the extra period.

The Volunteers’ defense, which had been relentless over the final three-plus quarters following a slow start, did the rest. It used a third-down sack and the one last of a seemingly unending streak of quarterback pressures to force Patti to throw incomplete on fourth down to end it.

“The second, third and fourth quarter, that’s as good a performance as I’ve been around in a long time,” Heupel said of a defense that struggled against quality competition in 2021. “They got put in a lot of bad positions. … I thought the overall effort from them was special.”

The defense needed to be on a night when the offense, which has become the program’s calling card, spent much of the second half running in place.

While Hooker finished with 325 yards passing and two touchdowns and Tillman caught nine passes for 162 yards, Tennessee couldn’t put the Panthers away even with Pitt severely limited.

The Panthers (1-1) lost starting quarterback Kedon Slovis to an undisclosed injury at the end of the first half and Patti spent the final quarter-plus effectively on one leg after twisting his knee while getting sacked.

The Volunteers allowed a blocked punt, saw a fumble cut short a drive and gave Pitt life late when Tre Flowers muffed a punt with 7:28 to go. The Panthers slowly moved the ball deep into Tennessee territory before a backpedaling Patti found Jared Wayne for a 4-yard score on fourth-and-goal to tie it at 27 with 2:23 to play.

Pitt finally ran out of chances in overtime. Patti – who finished 9 of 20 for 79 yards – drove the Panthers inside the 10 but Tennessee’s fourth sack forced Patti into a “heave and pray” and when his final pass fell to the turf, the Volunteers had found a way to win the type of game they’d grown accustomed to losing in recent years.

“(The defense) played amazing, you know, especially in the second half,” Tillman said. “You know, we’re not in his game if they don’t make the plays that they did.”

MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

The Panthers missed a pair of field goals and saw a red-zone possession in the first quarter end with an interception instead.

“I told our guys, it’s a game of inches, and there were inches all over the place that we needed to get,” Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said.

Narduzzi declined to give specifics on the nature of Slovis’ injury, saying only that he was hurt while getting sacked late in the first half that turned into a fumble – allowing Tennessee to take a 24-17 lead into the break.

Slovis, who finished 14 of 24 for 195 yards with a touchdown and a pick, felt “good” after the game according to Narduzzi.

Israel Abanikanda ran for 154 yards and a touchdown for Pitt.

THE TAKEAWAY

Tennessee: The Volunteers are eyeing a big step forward this fall. Whether they take it will rely heavily on a defense that struggled against quality opponents in 2021. So far, so good.

Pitt: The offense entered the season with plenty of question marks following Kenny Pickett‘s graduation. The offensive line was not supposed to be one of them. There were times Saturday when there were multiple white jerseys in the Panther backfield almost immediately after the snap.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Panthers could potentially fall out of the poll for the first time since Halloween after letting an early 11-point lead get away. The Volunteers should vault into the Top 20 for the first time since October 2016 when the poll is released Sunday.

UP NEXT

Tennessee: Hosts Akron next Saturday, with a visit from Florida looming on Sept. 24.

Pitt: Travels to Western Michigan next Saturday hoping to avenge a stunning home loss to the Broncos last fall.


Narduzzi mum on status of injured Pitt QBs Slovis, Patti

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PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi says he doesn’t know anything about the status of his quarterbacks as the 23rd-ranked Panthers prepare for a trip to Western Michigan.

USC transfer Kedon Slovis didn’t play in the second half of Pitt’s 34-27 overtime loss to Tennessee. Backup Nick Patti filled in but appeared to injure his left leg early in the fourth quarter. Patti remained in the game and even threw a tying touchdown pass with 2:23 to go despite limping noticeably between plays.

“I always say, guys, I’m not talking personnel on Monday,” Narduzzi said. “We all know what we know. I know nothing, how about that?”

Patti completed 9 of 20 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown but also took a sack on Pitt’s penultimate snap in overtime. He took a 12-yard loss when the Volunteers blitzed and with limited mobility had no chance to escape the rush. His fourth-down toss fell incomplete.

Redshirt freshman Nate Yarnell was listed as Pitt’s third-string quarterback last week, though it was Dartmouth transfer Derek Kyler who started to warm up in the fourth quarter when it was uncertain whether Patti would be able to return.

Narduzzi called the third-string situation “unsettled,” adding that it’s a “toss up” between the two. Yarnell has received more snaps during certain team periods during the fall because he has more experience in the program, but Narduzzi said Kyler is “locked in” to what first-year offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. is doing.

Narduzzi said the uncertainty on the depth chart behind Slovis and Patti did not factor into the decision to keep Patti on the field.

“When (Patti) was out there, you know, he moved around,” Narduzzi said. “Well, now we weren’t moving the pocket or running a naked (bootleg) or anything like that with him. So we knew we didn’t feel that good. But, you know, (what’s happening with the third-stringers) had nothing to do with it.”

Pitt (1-1) is making a rare road trip to a non-Power Five conference foe when it visits the Broncos. Western Michigan (1-1) stunned the Panthers at Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium) last fall.

Pitt QB Kedon Slovis still ‘not sure’ about 2023 status

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PITTSBURGH — Kedon Slovis is in no hurry to talk about 2023. Getting through 2022 has been challenging enough for the Pittsburgh quarterback.

While Slovis said he and head coach Pat Narduzzi have “glossed over” the USC transfer’s future, he’s not quite ready to make any pronouncement about where he might be playing next season.

“I told coach I’m not sure yet,” Slovis said Tuesday.

Slovis arrived in January looking to revive his career and welcomed the chance to replace Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett.

While Slovis won the starting job in training camp, he has struggled with consistency for the Panthers (6-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who welcome surprising Duke (7-3, 4-2) on Saturday.

Slovis is last in the conference in touchdown passes (six) and ranks in the bottom half of the ACC in yards passing (seventh), pass efficiency (10th) and completion percentage (10th).

Not exactly what Slovis had in mind when he committed to Pitt last December. While he allowed he is dealing with some level of frustration, he added “that (frustration) is there probably in every season I played,.”

An injury suffered late in the second quarter of what became an overtime loss to Tennessee on Sept. 10 blunted any early momentum. He sat out a victory over Western Michigan before returning against Rhode Island. By then the offense’s identity had already begun shifting from the pass-happy approach of 2021 with Pickett and former offensive coordinator Mark Whipple to the more run-heavy attack led by breakout star Israel Abanikanda.

Slovis anticipated the learning curve to be steep while trying to find common ground with first-year offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti. It turned out to be even more difficult than he imagined.

“It’s a big process for everyone,” Slovis said. “And for me, obviously, I haven’t played an offense like this.”

There were signs of improvement in a victory over Virginia last week. Slovis threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Bub Means, then managed the game after the Panthers took a 28-point, first-quarter lead. Slovis pointed to the uptick in shots downfield as proof of his increased comfort with Cignetti’s game plan.

Still, Slovis will not participate in the team’s Senior Day festivities, though he was careful to point out the decision was based more on logistics – only select members of his family were available to make the trip – than any sort of definitive hint that he will return.

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi has repeatedly supported Slovis and publicly endorsed Slovis’ potential return in 2023. While the NFL likely isn’t an option at this point, Slovis could transfer and would likely be cleared to play immediately.

His best option is to run it back with the Panthers, though he said knowing who will or won’t be around will play a “big part” in whatever decision he makes. Narduzzi need not look far for evidence of how a transfer quarterback can thrive in year two with a program.

Nate Peterman‘s numbers were so-so when he took over as the starter in 2015, Narduzzi’s first year with the Panthers. The following season Peterman threw for 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions before getting drafted by Buffalo.

Slovis said Peterman’s journey didn’t come up in his initial talks with Narduzzi and reiterated he is going to take his time before making anything official.

“We’ve got two more games, we’re focused on that,” Slovis said. “But really (Narduzzi and I are) just organizing the types of things I need to know or the information I need to get to make a decision.”

Patti could start for Pitt in Sun Bowl after Slovis’ exit

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PITTSBURGH — Nick Patti’s long journey at Pittsburgh could end with one more unlikely start. The senior quarterback is in the mix to play when the Panthers (8-4) take on No. 18 UCLA (9-3) in the Sun Bowl because Kedon Slovis entered the transfer portal.

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said Monday that he is holding an open competition between Patti and freshman Nate Yarnell, who started in a victory over Western Michigan in September when both Slovis and Patti were out with injuries.

“Based on today’s practice, they will do it daily, but Nick Patti was on fire today,” Narduzzi said. “So, off of today, it’s Nick Patti. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Patti started the Peach Bowl last year for Pitt after Heisman Trophy finalist Kenny Pickett opted out and completed 2 of 5 passes before leaving with a broken collarbone in the first quarter of what ended up being a loss to Michigan State.

Narduzzi did not go into details about the specifics around Slovis’ departure. Slovis, a USC transfer, completed just 59% of his passes with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Narduzzi said he didn’t consider going away from Slovis, whose numbers dipped in the second half of the season as Pitt became a more run-first team behind running back Israel Abanikanda.

“I love Kedon,” Narduzzi said. “Kedon is a great kid and did a nice job for us. He helped us in winning eight football games. I believe that at that point he was the best quarterback to lead our 2022 season.”

Who will be the best quarterback to lead the Panthers in 2023 is uncertain. Pittsburgh native Phil Jurkovec is transferring back home after spending time at Notre Dame and Boston College. Christian Veilleux, a backup at Penn State, is also transferring to Pitt.

Narduzzi declined to answer questions about either player, citing NCAA rules that won’t allow him to comment on incoming players until the signing period opens Wednesday.

Former USC, Pitt QB Kedon Slovis says he’s transferring to BYU

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Quarterback Kedon Slovis is transferring from Pittsburgh to BYU, he announced on social media.

Slovis, who had transferred from USC to Pitt, has one year of eligibility remaining. He will compete for the starting job at BYU in its first season in the Big 12 Conference, which the Cougars join after playing as an independent since the 2011 season.

Slovis struggled in his only season with the Panthers. He completed just 59% of his passes with 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions, his numbers dipping in the second half of the season as Pitt became a more run-first team.

“I will always be grateful for Coach (Pat) Narduzzi and the time I got to spend with all of my teammates at the University of Pittsburgh,” Slovis wrote in a tweet showing him pictured in a BYU uniform. “I’m excited for this new chapter and can’t wait to get to work.”

Pitt (8-4) takes on No. 18 UCLA (9-3) in the Sun Bowl on Friday. Narduzzi has not said whether senior quarterback Nick Patti or freshman Nate Yarnell will start.

BYU beat SMU 24-23 last weekend in the New Mexico Bowl, stopping a late comeback by the Mustangs. With three inexperienced quarterbacks on the Cougars’ roster, redshirt freshman Sol-Jay Maiava-Peters got the nod.

Late field goal puts Pitt over No. 18 UCLA 37-35 in Sun Bowl

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EL PASO, Texas — Ben Sauls kicked five field goals, including a 47-yarder in the final seconds, and Pitt beat No. 18 UCLA 37-35 in a back-and-forth Sun Bowl on Friday.

The Panthers (9-4), playing without five starters who opted out of the game, took advantage of five UCLA turnovers, including four interceptions.

“We were down a few guys and just found a way to win a football game,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “One way or another, our guys found a way to get it done. I couldn’t be more proud of this team.”

Sauls, who was named the game’s Special Teams MVP, got his first start a year ago.

“Flip it a year from then and we’re kicking game-winners and going 5 for 5,” Sauls said. “You are what you tell yourself. And at the end of the day, I really think I’m a decent kicker.”

UCLA (9-4) grabbed a 35-34 lead on T.J. Harden’s 8-yard touchdown run with 34 seconds remaining. The late scoring drive started at the UCLA 25-yard line with less than two minutes left, and was keyed by a 34-yard run by Harden.

“I thought both teams played their hearts out,” UCLA coach Chip Kelly said. “It was a heck of a game.”

Pitt quarterback Nick Patti had completions of 18 yards to Jared Wayne and 17 yards to Bub Means on the ensuing drive. After spiking the ball to stop the clock, Patti scrambled for 11 yards to the UCLA 29-yard line. After another spike with 10 seconds left, Sauls came on to kick the game-winner.

Sophomore Rodney Hammond Jr., the game’s MVP, rushed for 89 yards and two TDs for the Panthers, who were without running back Israel Abanikanda, the nation’s leader in total TDs with 22.

The Bruins, who led 21-14 at halftime, played without star senior running back Zach Charbonnet. Harden finished with 111 yards on 11 carries.

UCLA was in control after Jaylin Davies intercepted Patti and returned it 52 yards to make it 28-14 with 8:45 to go in the third quarter. But Pitt responded with 20 straight points.

UCLA senior Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was injured and didn’t return to the game after throwing an interception early in the fourth, threw for 271 yards on 16-of-24 passing. He had three interceptions, and Ethan Garbers also threw an interception on the game’s final play.

Pitt got picks from Tylar Wiltz, Javon McIntyre, Bengally Kamara and M.J. Devonshire, and added a fumble recovery on a kickoff.

THE TAKEAWAY

Pitt: The Panthers came into the game with a top-20 defense and a top-10 run defense, and that defense showed up in a big way, limiting UCLA to 141 yards rushing and forcing five Bruins turnovers.

UCLA: Turnovers and special teams hurt the Bruins. Thompson-Robinson threw three interceptions for only the second time this season – the other was a 48-45 loss to Southern California. UCLA had consecutive misplayed kickoff returns in the fourth quarter. The first was a fumbled kick that the Panthers turned into a field goal and a 31-28 lead. The second pinned the Bruins at their own 5-yard line and led to a punt and a Pitt field goal.

LOOKING AHEAD

Pitt: Since Kedon Slovis transferred to BYU and Patti is a senior, the Panthers will look to either transfer Phil Jurkovec, a three-year starter from Boston College, or freshman Nate Yarnell as next year’s starter.

UCLA: The Bruins have to replace a lot of offense, but they brought in QB prospect Dante Moore from Detroit, a heralded recruit who originally committed to Oregon. He is expected to compete with transfer Collin Schlee from Kent State and Garbers. At running back, former Army standout Anthony Adkins has transferred to UCLA. He’ll compete with Harden and redshirt junior Keegan Jones, who had 20 yards on 7 carries.

UP NEXT

Pitt: Begins 2023 season Sept. 2 at home against Wofford.

UCLA: Begins 2023 season Sept. 2 at home against Coastal Carolina.





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