During what has been a relatively quiet fall training camp, Pat Narduzzi is pleased with how his team is progressing.
With three weeks until the season opener against West Virginia, the Panthers can be considered ahead of schedule in terms of installing schemes, even with a starting quarterback undecided.
"We are ahead of schedule install wise, but we're on schedule in terms of where we are," Narduzzi said during Thursday's media briefing. "We'll find out a lot on Saturday. If you go out there at Acrisure Stadium and don't do it the right way and you choke up, then it's a different thing. But right now I feel good with where we are in practice and in our 'thud' live sessions that we have."
The system that Frank Cignetti Jr. plans to run isn't a complicated one, though it will be complex. That said, players haven't had much trouble adjusting to the new style, whether it's new to them or just new to the team.
"Compared to spring, we've been putting in a lot more," transfer wide receiver Konata Mumpfield said. "I kind of come from a similar style back my old school (Akron). Just different lingo. Been picking it up pretty good. He's been installing it great. It's been easy for everyone to learn, even the young guys. It's been going well."
Narduzzi mentioned that Friday's practice will be a light one with spider pads, which will lead into a team scrimmage on Saturday. He deemed that scrimmage as "the most important one" of the fall camp thus far.
"I'm excited," tight end Gavin Bartholomew said. "I can't wait. Ready to start hitting kids even though it's our own players. But that's what we have to do for now."
Just as the rest of the week, soon to exclude Friday, has gone, Saturday's scrimmage will be at full speed. Narduzzi wants a game day feel to the session.
"I feel like we've been in camp forever," Narduzzi said. "We haven't had a scrimmage with the way the days lie. I'd like to do it on a Saturday, like on game day. Make it like a game day.
"It's important because it's a chance to go out there and do it live and really get it going. I'm looking forward to it. I wish we had one probably three days ago, to be honest with you."
The most important thing to note is that Pitt is riding into its scrimmage without major injury concerns. The team has been full-go since putting full pads on shoulders and legs on Sunday, and the one-week mark from that point will result in a full-go team scrimmage. Pitt's next day off from camp is Monday.
