Know Your Foe: Breaking Down the Pitt Offense

After leading the ACC in offense a season ago, the Panthers are seeking a strong rushing attack

The West Virginia Mountaineers open the 2022 season on the road and will square off against the Pitt Panthers in a rekindling of the Backyard Brawl Thursday night at seven.

The Pitt offense averaged a program record of 41.4 points per game last season, ranking third nationally behind Ohio State (45.7) and Western Kentucky (44.2). The offense propelled the Panthers to their first ACC title since joining the conference in 2013, also marking the program's first conference championship since 2010 and the first ten-plus win season in 40 years.

The Panthers will have to replace the ACC Player of the Year and quarterback Kenny Pickett along with Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison, and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple left for Nebraska. Head coach Pat Narduzzi brought in Boston College’s offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. to replace Whipple.

Boston College ranked in the bottom half of the ACC in both rushing and passing yards per game the last two seasons under the direction of Cignetti, after BC led the league in rushing in 2019.

After leading the ACC in offense last season, Narduzzi wants to revert back to a run first offense and stated in the midst of fall camp to expect a Panther running back to hit the 1,000-yard mark this season, a mark the program has not hit since 2018 where Qadree Wilson and Darren Hall both eclipsed the 1000-yard mark.

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The Panthers have a three-headed rushing attack, featuring Israel Abanikanda, Vincent Davis and Rodney Hammond Jr. The trio combined for 1,748 yards and 16 touchdowns along with 379 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 55 receptions.

Leading the Panther passing attack in 2022 will be USC transfer Kedon Slovis. Slovis ended the 2021 season with a lower leg injury, finishing the year with 2,158 yards 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

His career got off to a fast start, garnering first team Freshman All-America honors from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and was the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and Associated Press Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year after tossing for 3,502 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2019. However, his development slowed in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, only appearing in six games but threw for 1,921 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Removing three games from his resume where he left two games early with an injury and his first game at USC he came in for an injured JT Daniels in the season opener, Slovis is averaging 312.5 yards per game for his career.

Slovis will have big targets on the outside with six-foot-three 210-pound senior receiver Jared Wayne and Akron transfer Konata Mumpfield looking to forge their own path. Wayne was second on the team in receptions (47), yards (658) and touchdowns (6) for the Panthers. Of note, sophomore tight end Gavin Bartholomew hauled in 28 passes for 326 yards and four touchdowns.

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