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SEPT 13 ACC CO-DEFENSIVE BACK OF THE WEEK: Brandon Hill, Pitt, So., S, Apopka, Fla.,...Led the Panthers with seven tackles and came up with a game-clinching turnover in Saturday's 41-34 win at Tennessee ... With Pitt holding a one-touchdown lead and just under five minutes remaining, intercepted a Hendon Hooker pass at Pitt's 17 and returned it 25 yards ... The Panthers then ran out the final 4:52 of clock time for the victory. - Atlantic Coast Conference Football

(DS#7 SS) Jr/2023

SS *Brandon Hill, Pittsburgh
News Source: Atlantic Coast Conference Football
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09/11/21 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

Dennis Grosel replaced injured starter Phil Jurkovec in the first half and passed for 199 yards, ran for a touchdown and passed for another and Boston College beat UMass 45-28 on Saturday. Pat Garwo ran for 160 yards on 15 carries for the Eagles (2-0), who won their 11th straight against UMass. Travis Levy ran 20 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown in the fourth. Jaiden Woodbey scooped up a fumble on a punt return, taking it 41 yards for a touchdown that put the Eagles up 34-14 with 3:04 left in the third quarter.

Grosel completed 11 of 14 passes after taking over for Jurkovec, who was taken to the locker room late in the first quarter with an undisclosed injury. Although BC officials said he was "questionable" at halftime he didn't return. Coach Jeff Hafley said after the game that Jurkovec's injury involved the wrist and hand of his throwing arm, but wasn't sure how bad it was. "They took him for X-rays but I don't have a clue," Hafley said. Jurkovec completed 3 of 4 passes for 22 yards. A redshirt junior who transferred from Notre Dame before last season, he was the ACC co-quarterback of the week after throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns in a little more than three quarters in a 51-0 victory over FCS Colgate in the season opener. - Boston College/AP College Football

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: Boston College/AP College Football
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09/11/21 - Kenny Pickett, rSr/2022, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 219 (DS#1 QB) + More +

Kenny Pickett threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score to lead Pittsburgh to a 41-34 victory over Tennessee Saturday. The Panther defense collected five sacks, recovered two fumbles, had an interception and a crucial fourth-quarter goal-line stand to seal their second victory of the season. The Volunteers (1-1) lost the game and a starting quarterback. Joe Milton went down with a lower leg injury after being sacked and losing a fumble early in the second quarter. Hendon Hooker came on to throw for 189 yards, but the mistakes hurt the effort. "(Pickett) is a football player now," Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said of his quarterback. "I trust in KP. He knows what he's doing on the football field. The guys rally around him." After three straight three-and-out drives, Pitt came up with five straight scores.

The Panthers scored touchdowns on all five trips inside the Tennessee 20-yard line. "That's something we focused on in spring and (preseason) camp, to put touchdowns on the board," Pickett said. Tennessee, known for its uptempo offense, managed 66 plays, compared to 82 for Pitt. The Panthers' biggest play of all came on defense with a fourth-quarter goal-line stand from the Pitt 3 that could have tied the game. Jaylen Wright was stopped cold by John Petrishen. "Talk about the biggest play of the game," said Narduzzi. "Our defense played solid." - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

(DS#1 QB) rSr/2022

QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh/AP College Football
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09/06/21 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

SEPT 6 ACC CO-QUARTERBACK OF THE WEEK: Phil Jurkovec, Boston College, Jr., QB, Pittsburgh, Pa.,...Finished with his fifth career 300-yard passing game in Saturday's 51-0 win over Colgate ... Moved into fifth place in Boston College career history in 300-yard games in just his 11th career game as an Eagle ... Marked the second straight season opener Jurkovec went over the 300-yard mark ... Finished 16-for-24 for 303 yards with three touchdown passes ... Also rushed for 61 yards on five carries (12.2 yards per carry). - ACC Football

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: ACC Football
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09/06/21 - Deuce Spann, rSr/2026, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 208 (DS#999 WR) + More +

AUG 30 BIG TEN FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Deuce Spann, Illinois, WR - St. Petersburg, Fla. - Lakewood (Fla.),...Saw his first action at wide receiver after converting from quarterback and led Illinois with 45 receiving yards...Late in the third quarter, hauled in a 45-yard catch at the Nebraska 1-yard line to set up what amounted to the game-winning touchdown for the Illini...Earns the first Freshman of the Week honor of his career...Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Isaiah Williams (Nov. 16, 2020). - Big Ten Football

(DS#999 WR) rSr/2026

WR Deuce Spann, Pittsburgh
News Source: Big Ten Football
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09/04/21 - Kenny Pickett, rSr/2022, Pittsburgh, 6-3, 219 (DS#1 QB) + More +

Kenny Pickett threw for two touchdowns passes and the Pitt defense held Massachusetts to 209 yards of total offense as the Panthers cruised to a 51-7 season-opening victory on Saturday. Pickett linked up with Lucas Krull and Jordan Addison for first-quarter touchdowns as the Panthers jumped out to a two-score lead in the first 15 minutes. The fifth-year senior directed the offense efficiently, completing 27 of 37 passes for 272 yards and the two scores. Pickett also rushed six times for 39 yards on a combination of scrambles and designed runs.

Pickett missed one play after taking a hit late in the second quarter that caused Massachusetts linebacker Gerrell Johnson to be ejected for targeting, and the Pitt offense seemed to feed on the return of its leader. "He's got the heart of a lion," Krull said. "He's a special person. You'd go to war with that guy every day. You see him down, you hate to see it. As a team, we're pissed off, because it's a late hit and we hate seeing that from our quarterback and our leader. But we knew he was going to bounce right back." After taking an early lead, the Panthers leaned on the rushing game, with four different backs finding the end zone. A.J. Davis scored from 18 yards out in the second quarter. In the third, Vincent Davis rushed in from six yards out and Israel Abanikanda scored from 12 yards to extend the lead. - Pittsburgh/AP College Football

(DS#1 QB) rSr/2022

QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh/AP College Football
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09/04/21 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec is now on the radar screen with much higher expectations on him in his second season with the Eagles. His first test went well. Jurkovec threw for three touchdowns and 303 yards in a little over three quarters, leading BC to a 51-0 victory over Colgate on Saturday in the season opener for both schools. Jurkovec, a 6-foot-5 redshirt junior who transferred from Notre Dame before last season, completed 16 of 24 passes with no interceptions.

Last season, he threw for 2,558 yards, the most ever by a BC quarterback in his first 10 games. "Just the expectations on Phil going in, everybody's been talking about him now," BC coach Jeff Hafley said. "Now the pressure's on him. The way he handled this today says a lot about him." He responded with his fifth career 300-yard game. After a sloppy first quarter, the Eagles took charge by scoring on their final three possessions of the second, taking a 27-0 edge into halftime. "You could tell we were a little bit shaky early on in the game, we had a couple of drops," Hafley said. "(Phil) looked comfortable, he looked confident running the ball." BC posted its first season-opening shutout since beating Northeastern 54-0 in 2009. - Boston College/AP College Football

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: Boston College/AP College Football
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08/28/21 - Cal Adomitis, rSr/2022, Pittsburgh, 6-2, 235 (DS#1 LS) + More +

On a Pitt football team with 21 seniors, including 14 who decided to come back for the bonus year granted by the NCAA, the four captains this season will represent all three units - offense, defense and special teams. After a vote by the players, quarterback Kenny Pickett, defensive end Deslin Alexandre, outside linebacker Cam Bright and long snapper Cal Adomitis were named captains. Coach Pat Narduzzi made the announcement Friday at the Kickoff Luncheon at the Westin Pittsburgh. The theme of training camp this month is the slogan, "We Not Me," with players signaling their solidarity. How is that different from previous years? "The difference is how tight we are," said Pickett, who's been on campus since January 2017. "That's not going to go out there and win games and we know that. But it's a huge piece in winning. "We've been playing for so long together. I'm really excited for one last year." - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

(DS#1 LS) rSr/2022

LS Cal Adomitis, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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08/24/21 - Ryan Jacoby, rSr/2025, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 305 (DS#44 OG) + More +

If Ryan Jacoby, an offensive lineman who transferred from Ohio State to Pitt, is rewarded with an NCAA waiver and is eligible to play this season, Pat Narduzzi believes there's plenty of time for him to learn the playbook. How is he so sure? Jacoby is coming to Pitt with a 3.7 grade-point average. "Anytime you have that, there's always time," Pitt's coach said. Jacoby (6-foot-5, 310 pounds) participated in his first Pitt practice Wednesday, but he can't play until the NCAA approves his waiver request. He missed the July 1 deadline for entering the transfer portal. Worst case: With five seniors on the offensive line, Jacoby can improve depth there in 2022.

Jacoby entered the portal Aug. 9, attracting Narduzzi's attention. Still, the Pitt coach said he always steps carefully when investigating transfers. He contacted old friend Tim Hinton, who coached with Narduzzi at Cincinnati and is now Ohio State's executive director for football relations. "Anytime you go in the portal you better know what you're getting," Narduzzi said. "And we got a kid from Mentor, Ohio, 6-5, 310 lineman who looks athletic. He's looking for a re-start for whatever reason. "Great addition to what we are looking for." - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

(DS#44 OG) rSr/2025

OG Ryan Jacoby, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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08/23/21 - Ryan Jacoby, rSr/2025, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 305 (DS#44 OG) + More +

Pitt's offensive line entered training camp as a curiosity, if not a question mark. Now, the Panthers have another option as they figure out the best five to protect Kenny Pickett. Ohio State lineman Ryan Jacoby is transferring to Pitt, he announced on social media on Sunday night. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder entered the transfer portal last week. Jacoby will join the Panthers as a redshirt sophomore - with a super senior season available in 2024, if desired - and will at the very least provide depth this fall. He could bring more, of course, as he looks for a fresh start. Jacoby was a four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting cycle, per 247 Sports. He ranked 283rd overall and 23rd among offensive tackles when he chose Ohio State over offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Oregon and a host of other Power Five programs. - Pittsburgh Post Gazette

(DS#44 OG) rSr/2025

OG Ryan Jacoby, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh Post Gazette
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08/18/21 - *Israel Abanikanda, Jr/2023, Pittsburgh, 5-10, 216 (DS#7 RB) + More +

Andre Powell has been coaching running backs about a decade longer than any of his Pitt players have been alive. He can teach the proper method to follow blocks, encourage them to break tackles and stress the importance of protecting the quarterback. But some players come equipped with certain skills that Pitt's seventh-year running backs coach can only sit back and enjoy.

From all accounts, sophomore Izzy Abanikanda is one of those players. At least, that's the type of player the coaching staff is hoping to see as training camp progresses. "I can't coach a guy to be really fast. I can't coach a guy to be really strong," Powell said. "He has some of those of things." The buzzword around camp is "explosiveness" when the subject turns to Abanikanda, who is atop the running back pecking order after less than a week of camp. To be clear, coach Pat Narduzzi hasn't promised Abanikanda will be Pitt's starting running back Sept. 4 in the opener against UMass. But if camp evolves the way Narduzzi expects, Abanikanda will get more than his share of touches. "He sees a hole, he takes it," right guard Jake Kradel said. "He takes it for about 15-20 yards, and he's gone." - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

(DS#7 RB) Jr/2023

RB *Israel Abanikanda, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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08/15/21 - Ryan Jacoby, rSr/2025, Pittsburgh, 6-4, 305 (DS#44 OG) + More +

As Ohio State football's continues to sort out the top of its depth chart in preseason camp, it continues to experience attrition. Per multiple reports, redshirt sophomore Ryan Jacoby has entered the transfer portal. The former four-star, top-300 prospect from Mentor has not yet played for the Buckeyes. Jacoby became the second offensive lineman to enter the portal since last season, joining Max Wray, who transferred to Colorado. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said the presumptive starting offensive line has been jumbled at times in practice so far this offseason. Tackles have worked inside at guard in pursuit of finding the best possible starting five. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

(DS#44 OG) rSr/2025

OG Ryan Jacoby, Pittsburgh
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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08/15/21 - Damarri Mathis, rSr/2022, Pittsburgh, 5-11, 198 (DS#12 CB) + More +

Pitt senior cornerback Damarri Mathis vows never to box again - even as a conditioning exercise - after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury last year while working out at home. "No one ever heard that story?" coach Pat Narduzzi said during his post-practice news conference. "So, you know how kids are. You have those boxing things, you punch the hands (of a partner). It wasn't really in a ring or anything, but just sparring, I guess, and just working on your hand quickness and all that stuff in his front yard - not with (Pitt strength coach Michael Stacchiotti)." Apparently, Mathis missed the hands. "You talk to boxers. You can dislocate your shoulder from, must have missed the hand, I guess, I don't know," Narduzzi said. Mathis, who is fully recovered, said he never has boxed in a real match, and doesn't plan to take up the sport.

"Boxing, I'm done with that. None of that," he said. "Anything from now on that I do is only football-related. I'm sticking to that. Just conditioning." If not for the injury, Mathis might be in the NFL this season. From 2017-19, he played in 36 games, with 12 starts and three interceptions. "Pretty good corner," Narduzzi said. "We're just getting him back into great football shape. We're happy where he is. Again, it was an innocent mistake. He's working to get better. He's just not allowed to box anymore." - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

(DS#12 CB) rSr/2022

CB Damarri Mathis, Pittsburgh
News Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
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08/12/21 - CBo Flemister, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 5-11, 205 (DS#66 RB) + More +

University of Notre Dame running back C'Bo Flemister could have a misdemeanor charge against him dismissed after entering into an agreement with prosecutors. Flemister is charged with leaving the scene of an accident when police found his BMW crashed on South Bend Avenue in April. The 21-year-old agreed to enter a pretrial diversion program last month, meaning prosecutors will not continue proceedings against Flemister and will dismiss the charge one year from now, provided he meet certain conditions.

As a condition of the program, Flemister must complete a substance abuse evaluation, attend a victim impact panel, pay $334 in court fees and perform 25 hours of community service. If he completes those items and isn't charged with any additional crimes for a year, prosecutors will dismiss the charge. The charge against Flemister stems from an April 25 crash where police found a BMW on South Bend Avenue near Corby Boulevard around 3 a.m. with no one inside and the keys missing. - Indianapolis Star/News

(DS#66 RB) rSr/2024

RB CBo Flemister, Pittsburgh
News Source: Indianapolis Star/News
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08/11/21 - Phil Jurkovec, rSr/2024, Pittsburgh, 6-5, 243 (DS#31 QB) + More +

Boston College quarterback Phil Jurkovec has moved on to the advanced courses in his football development. Jurkovec began the process of expanding offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti's detailed playbook for the 2021 season when the Eagles opened training camp on Friday morning inside the Fish Field House. BC, which was picked to finish in third place in the Atlantic Division in the ACC preseason poll, opens the campaign at Alumni Stadium on Sept. 4 against Colgate. "We have everything in and everybody is feeling really comfortable about that," said Jurkovec following the two-hour practice in gold helmets and maroon shorts. "We can add or adjust and I'm sure we will put in a lot of new stuff and make changes throughout the season. Talking to the receivers and all the guys on offense, we feel comfortable with it because we have gone through it a lot right now. And, our spring was big for getting back to fundamentals."

The redshirt junior transfer from Notre Dame enjoyed a stellar debut season in the ACC on a team that exceeded all expectations in the age of COVID. Under first-year coach Jeff Hafley, BC went 6-5 with five league wins. BC played 11 games without a bye week and elected not to participate in a bowl game. Jurkovec started 10 games and threw for 2,558 yards, the most by any BC quarterback over his first 10 games in program history. Jurkovec also became the first BC quarterback to toss for more than 300 yards in four of his first five starts. - Boston Herald

(DS#31 QB) rSr/2024

QB Phil Jurkovec, Pittsburgh
News Source: Boston Herald
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