PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – As Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi put it, for those going to the Blue-Gold Spring Game Saturday at 1p at Acrisure Stadium 'you will see actual football'.
What he means by that is they, for the first time in years, are holding a more traditional scrimmage. The last few years they have had captains hold a draft of two teams to play against each other in a controlled practice. Narduzzi is having the offense play against the defense in what he is calling a 'jersey scrimmage'.
It's still a Spring Game, so it will be modified at bit. But the Panthers head coach said they are going to play the game. He believes it will be good to have something different. It will be better than what it's been like for fans if you've attended any of the last few Blue-Gold games.
It's a complex point system that Narduzzi didn't fully disclose other than the offense will get points as they normally would (three for FG, six for TD, extra point), but they will also get a point for a first down.
Defense gets points for three-and-outs, turnovers, tackles for loss and sacks plays. Penalties will cost each side points.
"I tell the offense, if you don't turn it over, you won't lose," Narduzzi said.
Narduzzi said one of the big reasons was to keep the offensive line together on the same team, not just the first team, but the second team. Before they would be split up in drafts, he wants them together working with Phil Jurkovec and other members of the first team. It's also so the coaches can control the matchups.
"I like staying together as the same five guys that have worked with all Spring," said Pitt center Jake Kradel. "Mixing the matchups puts all of us at a disadvantage, offense and defense, playing as a cohesive five will definitely help us in the Spring Game. It will help us build the next step because we are not there yet. I wish I had 10 more practices."
It's the third scrimmage of Spring workouts. The defense won the first two, but Kradel is confident they will get the better of the D Saturday afternoon.
"I think we will win," Kradel said. "I pretty confident we will put everything together. The first two scrimmages we were super-close, just turnovers, a couple of missed blocks on our part. If we take care of those things, it's all ours."
Stepping into a leadership role with the losses on the defensive line, fourth year Westinghouse HS grad Dayon Hayes is also confident.
"We are going to beat them," Hayes said, adding he won't take it easy on his teammates-within reason. "There is tension, but it's like defense versus offense. We got to be aggressive. I've got to be aggressive. I can't be soft. This is how I have to be."
Join the Pitt Blue-Gold game broadcast on 100.1 FM/AM 1020 KDKA from 1-3p with Jeff Hathhorn, former Pitt QB Pat Bostick, Panthers All-American Dorin Dickerson, long-time Panthers reporter Larry Richert plus special guests Panthers play-by-play legend Bill Hillgrove, Tribune-Review's Jerry DiPaola and Post-Gazette's Chris Carter Saturday afternoon.
