Pitt Offense Expecting More Big Pass Plays

With a second year in the offensive system, the Pitt Panthers believe they'll be able to air it out more.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers' passing offense looked capable at some points and downright anemic at others last season. The unit finished 78th in FBS football with 222.8 passing yards per game and 30 of the team's 49 total touchdowns scored all season came on the ground. 

But ask the Panthers and they'll tell you that it's been a transformative offseason for the passing attack. They ushered in an almost brand new group of quarterbacks but retained most of their leading pass catchers and with a year of experience in offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti's system under their belts, the Pitt offense believes it will be able to rely less heavily on the run game and hit on big plays through the air. 

“Last year, I feel like we didn’t take as many opportunities down the field but this year, I feel like with the offense in the spring, you see the offense clicking," redshirt senior receiver Bub Means said. "We’re throwing the ball so I can’t do nothing but get excited for it.”

Just a couple of weeks deep into spring practices, Means can already sense a different flavor to this Pitt offense. Their new set of quarterbacks - from freshman Ty Dieffenbach to sophomore transfer Christian Veilleux to graduate transfer Phil Jurkovec - have been more than willing to air the ball out. It's a stark difference from last year, when preseason talk of "balance" really meant leaning on the explosive running of Israel Abanikanda. 

In the regular season finale against Miami and in the Sun Bowl, Pitt showed some life when trying to move the ball through the air, when the offense combined for more than 500 yards and four touchdowns passing. The offense thought they could use it as a springboard into 2023. 

"At the end of the year last year, we started making some bigger plays in the pass game so I felt like we could exploit that too," Means said. "It was a lot of plays left on the field last year and I feel like we’re trying to score 60 a game here. I’m looking forward to what our offense can do.”

Means himself was a big part of that end-of-year resurgence, capping his first year as a Panther with four catches, 84 yards and a touchdown against UCLA in the bowl game. With his second season in the system, Means and the rest of the group feel ready to take on a bigger workload. Head coach Pat Narduzzi can sense the quarterbacks and receivers - especially Means - are eager to prove they're capable of carrying the offense. 

"I think things slow down and he’s playing with a lot of confidence right now," Narduzzi said. "I think part of it is what’s going on. So he’s in his second year and I think for any second year player, things go a little smoother.”

Means and his fellow pass-catchers have gotten more opportunities so far in spring practices than they did when he arrived at fall camp after transferring from Louisiana Tech last August. The comfort allows them to be more aggressive and makes the entire unit excited for what they can show. 

“We’re getting opportunities in the spring that I didn’t get last year," Means said. "I’m getting opportunities that I wasn’t getting in the fall or fall camp so I can’t do nothing but be excited for this offense." 

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