Furious Pitt Run Game 'Cracked' Virginia Tech Defense

Starting center Jake Kradel thinks the Pitt Panthers were able to break Virginia Tech's will in the second half.

PITTSBURGH -- Starting center Jake Kradel was clear - he thinks the Pitt Panthers are operating a run-first offense and for good reason. The Panthers have averaged 216 yards on the ground over their last five games and 17 of their 24 offensive touchdowns have been scored on the ground. 

This transition from the air raid scheme fueled by Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison last season has arrived and in no game was it more evident than the win over Virginia Tech, when Israel Abanikanda set a Pitt record for rushing yards in a single game with 326 and added six touchdowns for good measure. Starting center Jake Kradel said the offensive line was finally in a good rhythm, which helped Abanikanda run wild over the Hokies. 

"We finally got into a rhythm," Kradel said. "We were just going. I feel like in past weeks, we really haven't meshed together. It's always just one guy or myself missing a block or something. I think we finally saw everyone working on the same page."

Kradel said he could feel the punishment of repeated runs through the heart of the Hokie defense weigh on his opponent more and more as the game went on until eventually, Virginia Tech's will was broken. 

"Somewhere in the third quarter is where we opened it up. We started going fast, using tempo and they couldn't really keep up with us and that's when they cracked."

The nail in the coffin was an 80-yard house call from Abanikanda with 7:56 left in the game. He ran untouched through the exhausted, beat-up Hokies to give the Panthers a three-score lead and ice the win. 

"I feel like in the second half, when you're just running on a team, they just crack and break and that's what we did," Kradel said. "I think Izzy's 80-something-yard touchdown, that's when I was like 'Okay, they're broken. They're done.' And we just kept going after them."

This run-first approach isn't just an effective strategy given how talented Abanikanda is as a runner and experienced the offensive line is. Running the ball is a matter of pride for Pitt. 

"I think that's something we try to pride ourselves on," Kradel said. "Just run the ball first and open up the passing lanes and see what happens."

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