Pitt Staying Patient With Deep Passing Game

The Pitt Panthers aren't overreacting to not hitting many big plays against Cincinnati.

PITTSBURGH -- Bub Means posted a remarkable stat line during the Pitt Panthers' 27-21 loss to Cincinnati and not in a good way. He was targeted 11 times - the vast majority of the time on throws 20 or more yards downfield - and didn't haul in a single pass. 

It's been an underwhelming start to the year for Means, who is expected to be Pitt's most dangerous deep threat this season after a strong spring ball and summer training camp. But with the connection between Means and starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec having not materialized in games, offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti is preaching patience. 

“It’s like golf, putting and hitting the ball," Cignetti said. "Sometimes you’re in such a great rhythm and you don’t miss anything. Other times, you come up short. The most important thing is that you take it one play at a time and you separate it. Football is the ultimate team game. It takes everyone out there functioning as one to get maximum execution.”

Adding that it's more about execution than any kind of communication or chemistry issues between Means and Jurkovec, Cignetti said there's been no signs of panic amongst the Panther offense. 

And Means' teammates have a similar brand of confidence. Cornerback M.J. Devonshire, who battled with Means all throughout training camp with mixed results, said he sees the same player walk into the facility every day and they expect a rebound soon. 

“Bub is the same guy when I deflect the ball or when he catches it," Devonshire said. "I know he doesn’t let anything phase him. He’s a smooth sailor, never gets too high and never gets too low. So I expect big things out of him the rest of the season because of the work he puts in."

Jurkovec said following the game that those deep shots to Means will be there and the Panthers are close to capitalizing on them. And once they work out the kinks, it'll pose a scary threat to opposing defenses. 

“We had made a lot of plays in practice and the way they were playing, they were giving us the fade and the go," Jurkovec said after the Cincinnati game. "So we we’re continuing to attack those and I know we’re going to get it right. And when we do get it right, it’ll be tough for teams to guard.”

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