Pitt moves forward, awaits PSU
final numbers in his Pitt debut were unspectacular, but not entirely ugly: 17 of 24, 140 yards passing, 1 touchdown, 0 interceptions. The 8.2 yards per completion, and just 5.8 per attempt, are indicative of some of Browne’s shortcomings; he didn’t do much with the deep ball, often checking down short and even completing two for minus-5 yards. He also was sacked three times and twice tried forcing the ball to eventual day-saver Jester Weah in double coverage. It’s always easy to point fingers at the quarterback, but while Browne didn’t do much to win the game for Pitt, he didn’t lose it, either.
“I don’t think it was bad,” Narduzzi said. “I think he thinks he played pretty good.” For the most part, yes. “I felt like it was good,” Browne said. “There was one third down toward the end of the game I probably should’ve ran. That’s a mistake. That can change the game. That can’t happen from a player like me that’s been around the game. But besides that, making the throws that were there, I don’t think I really missed any throws, so that’s always good.”
• The run game was all Pitt needed in the first half, but generated just 62 yards on 23 carries in the second. Less push from the offensive line and only two carries for jitterbug receiver Quadree Henderson contributed to that, which was never more troubling than early in the fourth quarter after a blocked punt when Ollison was stood up from the 4, then again at the 3 and Pitt settled for a field-goal attempt, which was no good and thus a missed opportunity.
“When you don’t score in that red zone, we take that hard as an offense,” Ollison said. “We take pride when you get in the red zone, that’s when you score, so we gotta do better and we will get better.”
• Browne’s sacks, all of which came in the final 20 minutes, were partly on him and partly on the offensive line. He chalked it up to timely blitz calls from Youngstown State, but Brian O’Neill had one brutal whiff in his first game at left tackle, right tackle Jaryd Jones-Smith was beaten at times in his first true start since 2014 and center Jimmy Morrissey gave one up inside the 5. Mike Herndon occasionally rotated in at right guard for Brandon Hodges, a spot where Alex Bookser could start now that he has served his one-game suspension.
• Elsewhere in the trenches, the defensive line produced little to be excited about. Sophomore tackle Amir Watts had Pitt’s only sack, and end James Folston got a paw on a pooch punt, but penetration was largely absent. It wasn’t for a lack of trying; Pitt played 10 linemen on defense, rotating early and often.
“We didn’t get pressure. I wasn’t happy with our pressure, four- or five-man pressure,” Narduzzi said.
• Five-man pressure means getting help from the linebackers, a unit that was manned almost entirely by the three starters. Sean Idowu, Elijah Zeise and Saleem Brightwell combined for 18 tackles, but Hunter Wells found Christian Turner out of the backfield to Zeise’s side on two consecutive touchdowns. Narduzzi said he’s “maybe a little bit” concerned about his linebackers in coverage.
“But I guess that’s different than last year, right?” he asked rhetorically, a nod to constant criticism of the secondary a year ago.
• Speaking of the defensive backs, they had some nice moments after a season of forgettable ones. Narduzzi was pleased with Dane Jackson, who got the start opposite Avonte Maddox and was credited with two pass break-ups. Another fringe starter, Bricen Garner, had a huge deflection on a third down and sealed the game with an interception in his college debut. Also making his first start, redshirt junior strong safety Dennis Briggs led the team with seven tackles.
Offensively, coach and players reiterated what Narduzzi said Monday before the opener, that some plays and at least one entire package was held back in order to spring it on Penn State. That might leave room for optimism with the ball, but on the other side, Trace McSorley, Saquon Barkley and the Nittany Lions await.