When Pitt takes the field for its 135th season of football, the only thing on its mind should be execution.
Pitt and Kent State have played seven times since their first matchup in 1970 and the Panthers have won all of them. Their smallest margin of victory was seven points in 1991 when they won 30-23. Other than that, Pitt has won by 23 points or more and has, on average, done so by 27.6 points. So, while the Panthers shouldn't overlook Kent State, they need to be more focused on themselves.
"It doesn't matter what they give us, we have to just go out and execute," Pat Narduzzi said earlier this week. "If it's a run, execute the run. If we're going to blitz them, then let's be really good at the blitz and keep things as simple as possible, let our guys play hard, play fast."
The Panthers are in a position to answer a lot of questions and there is no better place or time to do that than in a live game at Acrisure Stadium. A coach can only learn so much about a player in practice, which is why Narduzzi and his coaching staff are weighing this game so heavily when it comes to position battles across the entirety of the team.
As I've touched on already, Eli Holstein is starting on Saturday against Kent State but Nate Yarnell is also expected to play. Narduzzi did not reveal how snaps would be split up and instead said it is something they'll play by ear as the game carries on. However, he did say that if Holstein falls into a rhythm and the offense is running smoothly and efficiently, he may get more time.
"If things are going really good and we’re moving the ball and being productive then we’ll stick with him a little longer," Narduzzi said. "If things aren’t going so well, ya know, we’ll play it by ear."
This is a situation that has carried out over the last month or so but when it comes down to it, both Narduzzi and Kade Bell need to see how the offense translates to a real game against a real opponent. They've faced off with Pitt's defense enough and while Randy Bates called it a "challenge" earlier this week, it's not the same as going up against an opponent who is specifically game-planning to stop you.
So, when the offense takes the field look for execution. A successful day will be a game in which it gets to the line quickly and the ball is snapped between seven and 15 seconds. But, the ball also needs to move and whoever is at quarterback needs to get everyone involved. With the news of Rodney Hammond being ineligible for the 2024 season, guys like Desmond Reid, Derrick Davis Jr. and Daniel Carter need to touch the ball and be targeted out of the backfield and Gavin Batholomew, Konata Mumpfield, Daejon Reynolds, Kenny Johnson and Raphael Williams Jr. need to find openings in Kent State's secondary.
"Saturday is not going to be perfect, there will be hiccups along the way, but I want to see details, I want to see us pay attention to details," Narduzzi said. "There’s going to be a TFL in the run game, there’s going to be a misread in a route, there’s going to be a throw that’s going to get buried into the ground, it’s going to happen. But just the details, the operation, getting lined up properly, not having false starts, all those things that kill and stall drives."
The same goes for the defense. This year will be about stopping the run and both Narduzzi and Bates believe they have the pieces in place to be able to do that, but it starts with the defensive line. There are currently five defensive tackles -- Nahki Johnson, Francis Brewu, Anthony Johnson, Nick James and Isaiah Neal -- who are listed as starters and Narduzzi hasn't been ready to determine a starter at that position because he is waiting to see how they pan out in the season opener.
But, to be a good defense, the Panthers must thrive on making offenses one dimensional and they need to stop the run to do that. Pitt has a ton of experience in the secondary and has athleticism and physicality at the linebacker position so if it can control the line of scrimmage, opponents will be forced to pass and play to Pitt's strengths.
"They like to run the football," Narduzzi said about Kent State. "The head coach (Kenni Burns) is a running back guy who wants to get his tail back, who I think is one of their better players on the football team, the quarterback, they are probably going to run some RPOs. But, we better stop the run. If we get beat by an RPO, I’m not going to be as concerned as if we give up a run. To be successful this year, we have to stop the run. We did not do that last year."
Over the past five years, Pitt leads the country in sacks, even after tallying 31 last season, its lowest total since the 2017 season. They are looking to return to that top-tier form this season and it all starts on Saturday.
