Inside The Panthers

Pitt RB Unit Ranked Fifth in ACC

ESPN's David Hale ranked the Pitt Panthers' running backs fifth in the ACC.

Stephen Thompson

Pitt RB Unit Ranked Fifth in ACC
Pitt RB Unit Ranked Fifth in ACC /
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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers boasted one of the most productive and explosive rushing attacks in America last season, with speedster and eventual fifth-round draft pick Israel Abanikanda ripping off touchdown run after touchdown run from any distance.

Pitt will have to replace him this season with junior tailback Rodney Hammond, who has little starting experience but plenty of snaps under his belt. Behind him, the depth chart is more unproven but still good enough to earn a spot in ESPN analyst David Hale's second tier of ACC running back units and a No. 5 ranking in the conference. 

"The Panthers averaged 5.7 [yards per designed run with Abanikanda] on the field vs Power 5 [opponents] last year; 3.99 with Hammond," Hale wrote on Twitter. "BUT with Hammond averaged nearly a yard more per dropback vs Power 5 [opponents] than they did with Izzy. Better [third down and fourth down conversion percentage] too."

The Panthers were very obviously a run-first team in both a literal and philosophical sense, as Hale pointed out. They ran on 62.2% of first downs last season, good for the highest rate in the ACC and the sixth highest in the Power 5. That could hold true this season unless transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec meshes well with returning wideouts Bub Means and Konata Mumpfield. 

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Stephen Thompson
STEPHEN THOMPSON

Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper.  He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press.  During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general.  You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:

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