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As late as midway through training camp, D.J. Turner was just a name on somebody else's roster. If he had walked through the doors of Pitt's practice facility almost any day in August, he might have been asked to leave. Yet, here he is, shouldering much of the responsibility to make Pitt's offense go. Where would the Panthers have been without Turner's eight catches for 186 yards in the loss to N.C. State last Saturday? Definitely not within two points of winning. After four games, Turner leads the ACC and is eighth in the nation with 319 yards in receptions. Yes, Pitt has played four games - one or two more than 13 of the 14 other teams in the conference - but that doesn't diminish his productivity or offensive coordinator Mark Whipple's trust in his 5-foot-9 wide receiver.

He is here largely because the Big Ten postponed the start of its season, and Turner wanted a guaranteed place to play. Also, a big tip of the cap to Turner's brother, Mark Hayes, who played for Pat Narduzzi a quarter-century ago when Pitt's coach was an assistant at Rhode Island. Turner was set to play for Maryland this season. "I definitely planned on having a big season," he said. "But it goes to show that I'm here for a reason." - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

(DS#67 WR) rSr/2021

WR DJ Turner, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette
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10/05/20 - DJ Turner, rSr/2021, Pittsburgh, 5-09, 206 (DS#67 WR) + More +

OCT 5 ACC CO-RECEIVER OF THE WEEK: DJ Turner, Pitt, Sr., WR, Glenarden, Md.,...Compiled the highest receiving yardage by a Pitt player in nearly 16 years in Saturday's 30-29 loss to visiting NC State...Averaged 23.3 yards per catch with eight receptions for 186 yards, most by a Pitt player since Nov. 6, 2004, when Greg Lee had 188 yards on nine receptions at Syracuse...Turner, who joined the Panthers in August from Maryland, has 17 catches for a team-high 319 yards (18.8 avg.) and a touchdown so far this season...Leads the ACC and ranks eighth nationally in total receiving yards. - Atlantic Coast Conference Football

(DS#67 WR) rSr/2021

WR DJ Turner, Pittsburgh
News Source: Atlantic Coast Conference Football
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10/05/20 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

Boston College had its finest effort of the season undone by a missed two-point conversion. The Eagles went blow for blow against No. 12 North Carolina before falling 26-22 on Saturday at Alumni Stadium. BC fell to 2-1 and 1-1 in the ACC while the Tar Heels improved to 2-0 in the league. BC quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a transfer from Notre Dame, outdueled Carolina's more celebrated signal-caller Sam Howell. Jurkovec was 37-of-56 for 313 yards and two touchdowns. Howell completed 14-of-26 for 225 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. UNC had 401 yards of total offense to 353 by the Eagles.

Jurkovec managed the two-minute offense after taking possession on the BC 31 down eight points with 5:46 to play. Jurkovec used the short passing game to get the Eagles to the UNC 10. BC had two touchdowns taken off the board because of penalties before getting one that counted. Wide receiver CJ Lewis has a 10-yard touchdown reception negated by an offensive pass interference flag. Then Jurkovec's 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Long was called back on a holding penalty. BC finally cut the lead to 24-22 on a 6-yard scoring toss from Jurkovec to Lewis with 45 seconds remaining. Jurkovec's pass on the 2-point conversion was intercepted by Trey Morrison, who returned it to the BC end zone to put UNC up by four. "The last possession we just had a lot of confidence because we know from last week, we can make those plays in the two minutes," said Jurkovec. "The last play, basically we had a play called up with a couple of side looks and they had it zoned off and there wasn't much there." - Boston Herald

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: Boston Herald
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09/29/20 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

Jurkovec struggled as a passer for most of the game, gaining just 5.5 yards per attempt and repeatedly demonstrating poor decision-making ability by throwing into double or even triple coverage. Still, he demonstrated how his abilities as a runner make him an effective weapon even when the pass game isn't clicking. Jurkovec was the Eagles' leading rusher on the night, picking up 37 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. At 6-foot-5, he adeptly uses his long legs to quickly pick up chunks of yards and has an impressive ability to dive forward for extra yards while still avoiding big hits. Jurkovec's strength and aggression as a runner also made him particularly effective on the QB sneak, and the Eagles took advantage of it to score two touchdowns. With BC's running backs and O-line struggling for most of the game, Jurkovec was a great option in short yardage and goal line situations. Jurkovec came alive through the air in the final few minutes of the game, completing five straight passes to bring the Eagles within scoring range. - The Heights

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: The Heights
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09/28/20 - Patrick Jones II, rSr/2021, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 261 (DS#7 DE) + More +

SEPT 28 ACC DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Patrick Jones II, Pitt, Sr., DE, Chesapeake, Va.,...Spearheaded a swarming defensive effort in the No. 21 Panthers' 23-20 win over No. 24 Louisville...Collected three of Pitt's seven sacks and tied for team-high honors with six total stops...Became the first Pitt player to compile three sacks in a game since Jaylen Twyman had three against Ohio on Sept. 7 of last season...Jones and the Panthers' defensive unit limited the Cardinals to 223 total yards and made three interceptions...Louisville entered the game averaging more than 500 yards. - Atlantic Coast Conference Football

(DS#7 DE) rSr/2021

DE Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh
News Source: Atlantic Coast Conference Football
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09/28/20 - Alex Kessman, rSr/2021, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 189 (DS#3 K) + More +

SEPT 28 ACC SPECIALIST OF THE WEEK: Alex Kessman, Pitt, Sr., PK, Clarkston, Mich.,...Kessman's right leg proved pivotal in Pitt's three-point victory over Louisville...Compiled a season-high 11 points as he was perfect on five placements...Converted three field goals (45, 41 and 42 yards) and both of his PATs. - Atlantic Coast Conference Football

(DS#3 K) rSr/2021

K Alex Kessman, Pittsburgh
News Source: Atlantic Coast Conference Football
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09/28/20 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

Boston College scored 10 points in the final 1:11 to secure an improbable 24-21 plug-ugly victory over Sun Belt Conference spoiler Texas State in BC's home opener Saturday night at Alumni Stadium. Aaron Boumerhi, who waited out three straight timeouts, kicked a 36-yard field goal with 3 seconds remaining to complete the Eagles' remarkable comeback. BC improved to 2-0 and will host North Carolina next Saturday. "That was something else and its very rare there are three timeouts left at that point," said Boumerhi. "But I was kind of expecting it, what else were they going to do with them?"

Sophomore quarterback Phil Jurkovec flawlessly executed short and intermediate passes on the Eagles' final two drives. He completed 7-of-9 passes and tied the game 21-21 on a 5-yard toss to tight end Hunter Long with 1:11 to play. The Bobcats imploded on their final possession and gave BC the ball back on its 33 with 47 seconds remaining. With the Bobcats playing a prevent defense, Jurkovec completed five straight short passes to set up the winning field goal. "Coach (Frank) Cignetti was dialing up some multiple coverage beaters that had check-downs whenever they were dropping out," said Jurkovec. "I just decided to check the ball down and get whatever was open with what they were giving us." - Boston Herald

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: Boston Herald
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09/26/20 - Patrick Jones II, rSr/2021, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 261 (DS#7 DE) + More +

Kenny Pickett threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns, and No. 21 Pittsburgh sacked Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham seven times in a 23-20 victory on Saturday. The Panthers moved to 3-0 for the first time since 2014 behind a relentless defense that kept the 24th-ranked Cardinals (1-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) in check for most of the afternoon. Pitt limited Louisville to 223 total yards - less than half of its season average coming in - and picked off Cunningham three times, including twice in the fourth quarter.

Cunningham completed just 9 of 21 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown to go with three picks. He was taken off the field on a stretcher following his fourth-down heave that ended up in the hands of Pitt's Jason Pinnock with 1:19 to go. Freshman defensive lineman Calijah Kancey had his arms wrapped around Cunnigham's legs as he let the pass go. There was no immediate word on the nature of Cunnigham's injury. Senior defensive end Patrick Jones II collected three sacks for the Panthers, who are threatening to lead the nation in the category for the second straight season. Pitt (3-0, 2-0) has 17 sacks through three games, including 14 since conference play opened last week against Syracuse. - AP College Football

(DS#7 DE) rSr/2021

DE Patrick Jones II, Pittsburgh
News Source: AP College Football
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09/21/20 - Rashad Weaver, rSr/2021, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 259 (DS#13 DE) + More +

SEPT 21 ACC CO-DEFENSIVE LINEMAN OF THE WEEK: Rashad Weaver, Pitt, Sr., DE, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,...After missing all of 2019 due to injury, made a standout 2020 debut in Saturday's 21-10 win over Syracuse...Playing in his first game since the Dec. 31, 2018 Sun Bowl, collected career highs in sacks (two) and TFLs (three), while totaling seven stops...Final sack came with the Panthers protecting a four-point lead and Syracuse threatening at the Pitt 44...Weaver sacked Orange QB Tommy DeVito for a seven-yard loss on fourth-and-3, shifting momentum back to Pitt...Weaver also earned Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week accolades for his play on Saturday. - ACC Football

(DS#13 DE) rSr/2021

DE Rashad Weaver, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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09/20/20 - Rashad Weaver, rSr/2021, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 259 (DS#13 DE) + More +

SEP 20 WALTER CAMP NATIONAL FBS DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: RASHAD WEAVER, PITTSBURGH, RS Senior, Defensive End,Fort Lauderdale, FL/Cooper City,...Rashad Weaver posted a team-high seven tackles (5 solo), three for losses and two quarterback sacks as 25th-ranked Pittsburgh defeated Syracuse, 21-10. With the win, the Panthers improved to 2-0, 1-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Notes: Rashad Weaver is the eighth Pittsburgh player to earn the recognition since 2004, and first since former running back Darrin Hall (Nov. 5, 2018). - The Walter Camp Football Foundation

(DS#13 DE) rSr/2021

DE Rashad Weaver, Pittsburgh
News Source: The Walter Camp Football Foundation
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09/19/20 - Kenny Pickett, rSr/2022, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 219 (DS#1 QB) + More +

Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi watched the Panthers put together a nearly flawless practice last Tuesday, one so close to perfect that Narduzzi admitted he practically had to invent something to complain about. That won't be an issue going forward. While Narduzzi remains high on his team, No. 25 Pitt still has plenty to work on following a sloppy 21-10 win over Syracuse on Saturday. A week removed from a romp against overmatched Austin Peay in the opener, the Panthers (2-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) looked very much like a work in progress against the Orange (0-2, 0-2). Seven penalties, three missed field goals and two turnovers allowed Syracuse to hang around well into the second half before Pitt finally pulled away behind a dominant defensive performance. "It was a lot uglier than I'd like it to be," Narduzzi said. "Disappointed more with just the penalties that we had, just some stuff that you don't expect to have at all."

Stuff Narduzzi told the Panthers "championship teams don't do." Still, it's a lesson Pitt learned in a victory. It certainly beats the alternative. "It was definitely a sloppy game," said Kenny Pickett, who threw for two touchdowns and ran for another score. "Didn't play the kind of football we need to play to go where we want to go. It's almost good that it happened, we persevered." Having one of the best defensive front sevens in the country certainly helps. Pitt limited Syracuse to 171 total yards, 69 of them coming on backup quarterback Rex Culpepper's second-quarter touchdown strike to a streaking Taj Harris. Otherwise, Syracuse mustered very little in the face of an unrelenting pass rush. - AP College Football

(DS#1 QB) rSr/2022

QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
News Source: AP College Football
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09/19/20 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

Phil Jurkovec threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, Zay Flowers had 162 receiving yards, and Boston College beat Duke 26-6 on Saturday to give Jeff Hafley a win in his first game as a head coach. Hafley, who served as Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach last season, replaced the fired Steve Addazio in December 2019. Jurkovec, the former four-star quarterback who transferred to Boston College from Notre Dame in the offseason, led the Eagles (1-0, 1-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) to a touchdown on their first drive, only to see the offense sputter. But, gradually, Jurkovec started to find his rhythm. In the third quarter, Jurkovec completed 6 of 7 passes for 151 yards and both of his touchdowns. The second, a 61-yard strike to Flowers, pushed the Eagles' lead to 23-6, from which point there was no looking back. Despite tallying 351 total yards, Duke's offense was unable to capitalize in Boston College territory. Chase Brice completed 23 of 42 passes for 217 yards and two interceptions for the Blue Devils (0-2, 0-2). - AP College/Boston College Football

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: AP College/Boston College Football
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09/17/20 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

Boston College coach Jeff Hafley held off on naming his starting quarterback for Saturday's noon ACC opener against Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C. Hafley said the competition between incumbent Dennis Grosel and Notre Dame transfer Phil Jurkovec remains ongoing and the starter will be a game-time decision. The BC depth chart included the ambiguous word "or" between Jurkovec and Grosel's names and at several other positions. "You'll get a clarification when the ball is kicked off and whomever walks out of the huddle," said Hafley during his Tuesday Zoom conference. "Right now, it is 'or' so both could be starting. There are a couple of 'ors' on the depth chart and that's just how we feel right now. It's not just the quarterback position. I want to build this thing on competition."

Grosel started seven games last season so there is available game film on him. But BC employed a run-oriented offense last year. Hafley and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti have introduced a pro set offense so BC has a whole new look. Jurkovec saw limited action last season at Notre Dame. "They both did a good job and they are both competing and it's not just the quarterback position," said Hafley. "I want there to be an urgency and I want guys coming in every day to get better." - Boston Herald

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: Boston Herald
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09/14/20 - Kenny Pickett, rSr/2022, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 219 (DS#1 QB) + More +

SEPT 12 WEEK 2 STARS: Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh, threw a for 277 yards and TD and ran for another as the Panthers raced to a 55-0 victory over Austin Peay. - AP College Football

(DS#1 QB) rSr/2022

QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
News Source: AP College Football
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09/12/20 - Kenny Pickett, rSr/2022, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 219 (DS#1 QB) + More +

Kenny Pickett threw a touchdown pass and ran for another as Pittsburgh scored on each of its first six possessions in its season opener, and raced to a 55-0 victory over Austin Peay at Heinz Field on Saturday. Pickett and offensive coordinator Mark Whipple spread the love around as Pickett threw to seven receivers and six players scored touchdowns during the Panthers' offensive explosion. A Paris Ford interception set up Pitt's first score, a 1-yard Daniel Carter plunge.

Pickett connected with Shocky Jaques-Louis on a 68-yard strike before scrambling into the end zone from six yards out to score on Pitt's second drive. He then connected with wide-open Maryland transfer DJ Turner for a 51-yard score. After that, Whipple turned over the offense to the running game, with Vincent Davis scoring on a one-yard rush, Israel Abanikanda scampering to pay dirt on a 10-yard draw, and Todd Sibley, Jr. plunging in from one yard out on Pitt's three second-quarter possessions. Pickett finished 14 of 20 for 277 yards. Freshman Jordan Addison was his most frequent target, hauling in seven catches for 35 yards. The Pitt defense pitched its first shutout since 2014, holding the Governors to 146 yards of total offense and 10 yards rushing. - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

(DS#1 QB) rSr/2022

QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh/AP College Football
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