Pitt Piecing Together Solutions for Run Defense

The Pitt Panthers believe they have a handle on what's ailed their rushing defense so far this season.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers' run defense has been surprisingly poor on the whole this season. Unit's built by Pat Narduzzi make run stuffing a hallmark of their play and predicate everything else on selling out to stop the run but this group has yet to get a real handle on how to contain opponent tailbacks. 

Pitt's been disappointed in their own efforts so far defending the run and are desperate to regain their form as the second half of the 2023 season gets underway. 

"Continue to be disappointed in the way we rushed, or stop the rush, stop the rush, stop the run," Narduzzi said. "And I reminded our defense last week, in the last three years, I guess we've been spoiled."

The Panthers have a long way to go before they can regain their perch atop the league's rushing defenses after the way the first half of the season unfolded. 

Four of the six FBS opponents the Panthers have faced this season ran for 150 yards or more and four have rushed for multiple touchdowns. Pitt is allowing 3.1 yards per carry and an average of 1.6 rushing touchdowns per game, the second-highest rate of the Narduzzi era at Pitt. 

They own the sixth-best rushing defense in the ACC entering Week 9 and are coming off a game in which they surrendered 172 net rushing yards on an average of 4.2 yards per tote to Wake Forest, who ranks 10th in the league in rushing offense. 

Defensive line coach Partridge believes the Panthers have been stout defending runs as they come up the middle but teams have been able to exploit some deficiencies on the edge. For Partridge, that means he has to coach up his ends but even the linebacking corps has to be a part of those efforts as well. 

“Any run is on us first and foremost," senior middle linebacker Shayne Simon said. "We’re the linebackers for a reason, we have to be able to make plays all over the field. ... It’s always some steps wrong we made here or there, some itty bitty things that can help you or stop you from making plays so getting on those keys and being perfect there will continue to help us make those outside plays." 

Pitt's been okay but not great so far in 2023 at stopping the run like so many of their recent predecessors have and they face a tall task this week as they try to climb back to the top. 

Led by Audric Estime (787 yards and nine rushing touchdowns), No. 14 Notre Dame averages 165 yards on the ground per game and 5.0 yards per carry. But to be the best you have to beat the best and Pitt believes it has what it takes to right the ship.

"We’re I think sixth in the league right now and that’s not our standard," Patridge said. "We want to get back to first in the league. ... It’s a combination of all of it. Just a higher percentage of high-level, precision execution." 

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