Pitt OC Frank Cignetti Wants More Touches for Rodney Hammond
PITTSBURGH -- Rodney Hammond entered the 2023 season as the Pitt Panthers presumed top tailback and his spot atop the last two depth charts his coaching staff has published cemented his status as such.
But the distribution of touches over the first two games of the season tells a much different story. Hammond has touched the ball a total of 12 times over the past eight quarters of football, a number that's been far too low, according to offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti.
“I take a critical look at myself in terms of the game plan and the play calling," Cignetti said. "After the fact, yeah I’d like to get Rodney more touches. I’d like to get the entire running back group more touches.”
Hammond scored both of his 2023 touchdowns in the season opener, but because the score against FCS Wofford became so lopsided so quickly, he took a rest while Daniel Carter, C'Bo Flemister and Derrick Davis Jr. took their carries.
The following week, Hammond's usage was artificially capped when the Panthers went down by two scores in the first quarter. Still, he ended up playing 23 snaps - the same as Carter, his backup and just two more than Flemister, another backup, according to a report from Chris Peak of Panther Lair.
If there was any week to turn Hammond loose, this would be the one. He was the star of last season's Backyard Brawl, accounting for 129 total yards and two touchdowns on 18 touches before suffering a brutal leg injury that kept him out of the lineup until late October and opened the door for Israel Abanikanda to grow into a bonafide superstar.
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