The Trib weighs in with a couple of things – first is this short video of Narduzzi’s post practice interview:

 The second is Jerry D’s article about the next star on offense Donte’ Ford (my opinion not his).  Ford’s contributions far exceed the chalk boundaries of the football field:

There were days early this spring when Sto-Rox baseball and softball players were forced to share gloves to get through a practice  When the sports returned to the school district after a two-year hiatus due to lack of funds, athletic director Ryan Kacsur thought the girls might have to wear mismatched uniforms.

An even sadder reality: Some players may not get enough to eat before and after games.  “It breaks my heart seeing that,” Kacsur said.

Then, one day, Pitt wide receiver/Sto-Rox graduate Dontez Ford and classmates Jim Fanning and Craig Bittner showed up in his office.  They wanted to help.

For a project in their Advertising and Social Media class, the seniors, with free-of-charge production from professional videographers Ben Petchel and Adam Kunes, decided to create a video and promote it with the aim of raising money and awareness for the baseball and softball teams.

Their initial goal was $4,000 to be split equally between the teams. Some thought they set their sights too high.  “Even our professor was kind of wary,” Fanning said.

But less than week after the video was released Feb. 24 on Facebook, they reached their goal and money kept coming in from 92 donors. So far, they have raised $5,800, Ford said. Two donors gave $500. Donations are still being accepted on the GoFundMe page on Facebook.com/BringitbackPGH.

This is why I take the time and effort to care about Pitt football.  All the time I spend driving, getting hotels sometimes, writing for hours and giving you thousands of words to read, buying season tickets, etc… is something I do because I like it and it fills a spot in my life well.  Then I read this and in a few paragraphs and it all comes together for me – this is why I love Pitt.

And you know what? The great thing about technology today is that as soon as you read this you can visit their website and help the cause without leaving the chair you are sitting it. I just did so, and it made me feel even better than my first cup of coffee this morning :).  Got mine in – Here is how to do it.

Here is the mentioned video:

 From the Pitt Media Dept:

April 12, 2016

QUOTES (PDF) | PHOTO GALLERY

Coach Pat Narduzzi Quote Sheet

Opening statement:

“We went out in shorts today. We practiced really well in shorts last Thursday. We’ll find out what we’re going to do this Thursday. We’re still a little banged up. It was a long spring. There were a lot of hours and a lot of hitting. It was another good day, but we’ll watch the tape. I always like to see the tape first, but our guys came out with good intent. It was really clean but I’m not sure our guys practiced as physical as we need to. As I told them afterwards, it’s not ‘tag.’ When you come out in shorts, you still need to be physical. We’ll see the tape. Maybe it was better than I think.”

On injured players wearing yellow at today’s practice:

“We’re just trying to make them available for Saturday. I don’t think that yellow meant anything. If you were watching you’d be like, ‘Why do we have so many people smacking each other?’ It’s kind of an alert that, ‘Hey, I’m not 100 percent.’ It’s a yield sign.”

On offensive lineman Alex Bookser and potential position battle at center:

“I see a position battle [everywhere on the offensive line] period. I think the offensive line as a whole has been pretty solid, although I would have liked to have rushed the ball for more yards in the scrimmage Saturday. I think we’re doing a good job at protecting the quarterback at times. So I think they understand the protection and all of that. I think if you look at John Guy and [Alex] Bookser, two guys who really weren’t out there a lot last year, stepping in, and when [Alex] Officer and Jaryd Jones-Smith come back, Jaryd Jones-Smith has done a lot of one-on-one pass rush, but we’re being smart. I know there’s going to be a battle somewhere. I can’t tell you where it’s going to be yet. But we’re going to get our best five out there, and we have our best seven or eight. Connor Dintino is doing a great job as well. I’ve got to mention him. I think the center position will be one of the last drafted positions because I think guys will say, ‘Hey, Dintino is pretty good too.’ So I think it’s probably one of our deeper positions where we’ve got some guys who can play for us.”

On Shakir Soto moving to first team defensive tackle:

“Shakir has been doing a great job. He’s had a great, great spring. I’m happy with his development, happy with his attitude. When some guys move inside they think they’ve been thrown to the wolves, but he’s done a great job. He’s got a great attitude. He’s a super, super kid and I’m happy where he is. He’s been fun to coach. But I was watching [Justin] Moody today, and Moody had a great day, too.”

On quarterback Manny Stocker:

“Manny can throw the ball pretty well. You’ll see that Saturday. It’ll be interesting. We don’t need to name a backup quarterback right now. We’re nowhere near being able to do that yet. We’ll find out on that position. Right now, I’d say he’s the guy right now, but we’ve still got a lot of football to play. We still have all summer for those guys to go out and throw together. There’s still some competition at that spot.”

On Stocker’s strengths:

“He runs well and I think he throws well. He still manages the offense and it’s kind of new for him. He was out of being a quarterback for a year. And then it’s a new system, so all the terminology is new. So everybody picks it up differently, but I think he gets better every day he walks out of here, but so does [Ben] DiNucci and so does [Adam] Bertke as well.”

On defensive end Dewayne Hendrix and the pass rush:

“Our d-linemen better be able to play the run and the pass. If you can just pass rush you won’t play for us. Dewayne is a good run stopper, as well as Ejuan [Price]. So I think those guys have done a pretty good job at that and they’ll continue to get better.”

On Spring Game player and coach draft:

“I could guess at who the first pick is going to be. I’d have to look at the draft board. Everybody looks at it a different way. I’m looking at the weakest position. Some people are looking at the strongest position. I’m looking for the weakest position and trying to find out where there’s an imbalance between the one and the two.”

On process of the draft:

“I pick the head coaches and we flip a coin. Then the coaches will draft each other. We’ll draft all the way down the line.”

On banged-up guys playing Saturday:

“There are going to be a lot of guys out there Saturday. I don’t know who but we’ll find out. The main thing is safety. We don’t have to beat anybody Saturday. The injured guys are in two kinds of yellow. There are the guys in really dark yellow and then the light yellow guys are out there just to make sure, like we talked about earlier.”

Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada

On the likelihood of Chawntez Moss getting run plays:

“We could run the ball every play if we wanted to. We have plenty of run plays. It’s a matter of whatever that number is, players who deserve it and are going to give us production. Whoever those guys are, those are the plays we’re going to run. I see him coming and getting on James [Conner] who has been doing a great job. With him coming back, we have a good stable of backs right now.”

On having experience with quarterback Manny Stocker:

“The first day it might have helped him a little bit, but after that our guys are learning the offense. We have a very simple system and I don’t think there is any advantage for him anymore with that. Obviously, I know Manny; all of that happened a little quicker with him, personalities and all that. I don’t think there’s a huge advantage, if any anymore.”

On the offense winning the scrimmage:

“I think we have had a good spring. There are little things here or there, but I think we’re striving to be great every day. We’re being very critical and trying to play with urgency. Each practice we have a different focus. In that scrimmage we were outside in the weather and we ran the ball a little bit. We got tough yards and we made some plays. I have been really happy with what we’re doing. I think our guys have worked very hard to learn the system and I am really pleased with them.”

On the differences from practice one to practice thirteen:

“We’re going to win up front. I said that coming in, looking at the film and knowing who we are. We are going to win up front. Our guys are strong and playing very well. Nathan Peterman has had a very good spring. He’s a smart football player and he’s making all the throws. I’ve been really pleased with him and I’ve been pleased with our receivers. I know everyone wants the name of one guy, but as a collective group they’ve played well and made plays. I think we are going to be able to spread those balls out which I remember talking to you after the first practice — that was the big concern or question. It still is, but I think those guys have made strides and are playing well.”

On losing Dontez Ford for the spring:

“He was out there a little bit today. I think we’ll get him through the rest of the spring here. He’ll have to have a good productive summer and come back. It was a tough break, but he is a guy who has played a lot of football. You’d hate for it to happen to anybody, but at least it’s a guy who has a lot of experience as opposed to a guy like [Chawntez] Moss who would have lost his whole spring.”

On what Dontez Ford brings to the table:

“I think he has the ability to be a match-up issue and he’s got some physicality to him. He’s not scared to go in there and put his face on somebody. He’ll make some tough catches. I haven’t gotten to see him live too much, because he got banged up pretty quick, but that is what you see on film.”

 Quarterback Nathan Peterman Quote Sheet

On the return of wide receiver Dontez Ford:

“It was great. I thought he looked great out there. He said it was a little different getting back into it but I thought he looked great. He made some great catches and it was good to have his presence out there for the other receivers also.”

On what Ford brings to the table:

“He brings Experience. Just by the stats. He’s a calming presence out there and he’s a very smart guy. He understands what he does. We were in one drill and I was telling him on this route ‘do this,’ and he felt himself not do it. He came back to me and corrected himself. He understands the game and he’s a really smart guy.”

On opening of reps and opportunity to build chemistry with the other receivers:

“There’s always a positive way to look at things, and it wasn’t the optimal situation, but it gave other guys a chance to step up, and they did. Rafael Araujo-Lopes stepped up, and I’m sure he will continue to play and have a lot of impact plays for us this year.”

On Quadree Henderson and his speed:

“I think he’s really good with the ball in his hands. So anything like that, jet sweeps, you saw what he did on the kickoff return a couple times this past year. We just have to get him the ball and make plays.”

On the wide receiving corps playing without Tyler Boyd:

“I think maybe even the guys last year kept hearing all the Tyler Boyd stuff and thought maybe they didn’t have to step up enough to make plays. Everybody this year is coming out with a great attitude and making great plays while playing to the best of their ability.”

Wide Receiver Dontez Ford Quote Sheet

On his versatility:

“Whether it’s on screens or whether they’re handing the ball off to me or throwing it deep, If I can make all of those plays it will just prove my versatility.”

On the importance of this summer:

“It’s the same thing we did last summer and even summers prior before Nathan Peterman came. We pretty much work with our quarterbacks every day. We’ll just go out there, have a set amount of plays we want to run and just practice them over and over again. That way we can build chemistry and timing so that when we’re out there in the fall it’s seamless.”

On his leadership role:

“I feel like it’s the same role as last year from a leadership stand point. I’ve always felt like a guy that can teach the younger guys and can coach them up. Whenever I see something on the field or on film that’s not correct, I can call them out on it and they’ll listen. They’re able to take the constructive criticism and build off of it, which in turn helps make me a better player as well.”

On the wide receiving corps contributing:

“I think all of our guys are capable of going out there and making the plays that we need. I just think it’s a matter of being able to step up and have the confidence to make those plays. You see flashes of it from everybody, they’ve all made plays. During the practices I didn’t get to see it as much because I was off to the side trying to get healthy. Whenever we go in and watch the film, I was able to see it and everything is looking a lot cleaner. We’re getting faster and a lot more confidence. Overall as a group you can see there’s a lot more confidence and more explosive plays as a whole.”

On the mental side of football:

“A huge part of it is mental. At the end of the day, you have to have the athletic ability to go out there and make the plays. I think knowing what you’re doing, it helps you so much. It enables you to play fast and to play confident. Whenever you go out there and you’re going full speed without thinking you’re going to make a mistake, you’re going to make plays.”

On his knowledge of the new offense:

“It’s been a little hard learning without going out and running the plays. I think I’m getting a pretty good grasp of it already. Anytime I came over I was locked in paying attention, because that’s the way I was able to learn the plays since I wasn’t actually out there running them. I would ask the other receivers while they were out there what they were thinking, why they did this, and discuss it. In turn it helps both of us out.”

 Defensive Lineman Allen Edwards

On being on the scout team:

“I redshirted last year, sat out and had to start over. I took a little mental step back to get to know the defense and got to a point where I didn’t need to think about it to play fast.”

On coming from junior college to Pitt:

“A hurdle I had to overcome was that there is more than you think to the defense. It’s not basic and it is more detailed in terms of the signals. I had to learn signals, plays, and different techniques. In Juco, they just let me be athletic.”

On seeing a role for himself in the defense:

“Wherever the coaches want to put me, I am fine with it. Playing with those guys [Ejuan Price and Dewayne Hendrix] is only going to make us better. I love playing with them and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

On learning the defense while on the scout team:

“I was still in the meetings with the starters so I was taking mental reps. We were calling some plays for the scout team and I was still going over plays.”

On the Spring Game:

“I want to stay healthy and finish the game. I hope to use my athletic ability the best that I can.”

Tight End Zach Poker

On moving to tight end:

“I broke my foot last year during the season and then Coach and I just sat down. We talked about it and decided tight end would be a better position for the future. I feel more natural playing tight end too, because it’s more of an assignment position rather than a react and play position. Some people are different.”

On if he’s ever played tight end:

“I played tight end in high school. Pitt was the only school that wanted me to play defense, but I came here and now we’re back at tight end.”

On the tight end position:

“It’s kind of natural because I played it in high school, but obviously I’m still learning all the plays. In college, technique is so much more critical and there are so many more plays. It definitely still feels more natural overall.”

***PITT***

This was posted a while ago on ESPN but it sums up Nate Peterman’s story in how he came to be at Pitt and the roller coaster (“rollie coaster” in Pittsburghese ) season he had last year.

 A year ago, Peterman was still at Tennessee, awaiting graduation to make his transfer official. When he arrived at Pitt for fall camp, he had a rapport with Chaney, but little else going for him. Incumbent QB Chad Voytik had finished 2014 strong and looked to be firmly ensconced as the starter.

Still, Peterman took his reps, impressed his coaches and bonded with his teammates. That was enough to convince Chaney, and just a few series into the opening game of the season, Peterman was installed as the new QB1.

The results ranged from acceptable early to impressive by midseason, but in the final two games of the year, the bottom fell out. For the season, he completed 61.5 percent of his throws, tossed 20 touchdowns to just eight picks, averaged 7.3 yards-per-attempt and tallied more than 2,500 total yards of offense — a stat line that only eight other Power 5 QBs in the country (and none in the ACC) could match. (Uh Oh! Hey Emel, check that out!)

But those final two contests were ugly, by his own admission. After pinning his season on his ability to protect the football, he tossed four of his eight interceptions in losses to Miami and Navy, completing just 54 percent of his throws in the process.

Here is something to argue about… (Now this is spin!)