Pitt Preparing Young LBs With Injuries Piling Up

The Pitt Panthers are thin at linebacker heading into a big game against Notre Dame.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers arrived in Winston-Salem, North Carolina ahead of their Week 8 matchup with Wake Forest already thin at linebacker with two young reserves having not made the trip. 

Bryalan Lovelace and Kyle Louis stayed home in Pittsburgh while their team was taking on the Demon Deacons, something freshmen are bound to do fairly often during their first years at Pitt. But given how much those two have played so far this season, their absence could really only mean one thing.

"Banged up," head coach Pat Narduzzi said of his two young defensive standouts. "But not out for the year."

The Panthers will have to continue to monitor the status of both Lovelace and Louis, plus that of redshirt junior starter Solomon Deshields, who depleted the already waning linebacker ranks when he went down with an injury on the opening kickoff against Wake Forest. 

As a result, more freshmen - Rasheem Biles and Jordan Bass - will have to be ready to step in. Both have played special teams and Bass made his first career start in DeShields' place, recording four tackles, including one for a loss, but committing some youthful mistakes as well when put in a difficult spot. 

"No question about it, Jordan is going to kept more playing time period, and he's only going to keep getting better," Narduzzi said. "Based on injuries, we have to get Biles ready to go as well."

Narduzzi was impressed with Bass' first start, saying he did about as well as the circumstances probably could have allowed. He'll need to keep improving, though, with a tall task in No. 14 Notre Dame looming this weekend. 

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