Narduzzi has a queue forming in his backfield
Pitt run the ball well enough that the coach now has to ration carries.
Damon Ferguson Jr. and La’Vell Wright produced 183 yards between them in last week’s 27-13 home win over Syracuse, part of a 245-yard rushing afternoon that pushed the Panthers to 3-0. Ferguson took 10 carries for 102 yards and a touchdown and was named Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week. Wright added 81 yards and a score on 14 attempts.
Ja’Kyrian Turner led Pitt in rushing last season and has missed the last two games injured. Pat Narduzzi says he could be back on Saturday against Bucknell.
“It’s a good problem to have when you’ve got three dudes back there that can run the ball,” Narduzzi said. “We felt like our backfield had been deep, and hopefully we get a peek at (Turner) on Saturday as well.”
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The passing game has not been carrying anything either way
Mason Heintschel has completed 59 of 93 attempts for 788 yards with seven touchdowns and a single interception through three games. That is a clean, unspectacular line from a quarterback who has not been asked to rescue anyone yet.
The defence has held up too. Linebacker Alex Sanford Jr. took ACC Linebacker of the Week honours after matching his career high with 11 tackles and setting a new career best with 2 1/2 tackles for loss against Syracuse.
Bucknell arrive with an offence that has stopped working
The Bison are 1-3 and lost 20-7 at home to Penn last Saturday. Their only touchdown came from Nate Olson, who returned an interception 77 yards. The offence managed 124 total yards, 84 through the air and 40 on the ground.
Chris Dietrich completed three of nine passes for eight yards in the first half before Emmett Dowling took over. Dowling threw for 76 yards and an interception. Neither half produced a scoring drive.
Jeff Behrman is not blaming effort for any of it.
“We’re playing really hard,” the Bucknell coach said. “We just have to play with better fundamentals.”
This is Pitt’s last non-conference game of the season, and Narduzzi is treating the gap in quality as a test rather than a gift.
“We’re gonna find out how mature we are for sure,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for them and the toughness that they show.”
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