PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There was no big team announcement, just an individual meeting with Kedon Slovis and Nick Patti as Pitt Head Coach Pat Narduzzi named Slovis the starting quarterback a week out from the season opener.
The USC transfer said it wasn't a huge shock to him and always had the confidence he would be the starter.
"Day-in, day-out you're not thinking what do I have to do different to win the job," Slovis said Wednesday. "My perspective is to go out and do your job, execute the offense as well as you can and things will take care of itself."
"You look at camp, it's a long grind, you are at Day 10 or 12 or 14 and you got to remind yourself to do what coach wants you to do. Be coachable, run the offense, execute and things will take care of itself. That was my focus throughout camp and the Spring."
Slovis has the overall experience advantage playing in 27 games at USC throwing for 7,576 yards with 58 touchdowns to 24 interceptions. Patti played in 12 career games, all with the Panthers, including starting the Peach Bowl before leaving early with an injured shoulder. Slovis said the two had a professional relationship, that they weren't going back-and-forth for each throw or every rep in practice.
"I think the whole time you are preparing for September 1, so regardless of whether you are announced the guy or not, your mentality is the same," Slovis said. "Your mentality was to be the guy. It's not like it's been some huge changing thing, I've gotten some more reps, but preparing the same way."
Even with the experience edge, Slovis said he's grown under the Pitt offense. Narduzzi turning that over to long-time coaching veteran and former Pitt Offensive Coordinator Frank Cignetti this year and Slovis said they hit it off quickly.
"I feel like I've just learned a lot," Slovis said. "Coach Cignetti has so much experience. He's coached NFL offenses, he's been coaching forever. He'll bring up a play 'in 1992 we ran this play to win the game, pull up the YouTube video'. He's awesome, he has a ton of experience. I feel like I've learned a lot from understanding defenses and how the offense works and what it's designed to do."
Slovis said he wants to continue to learn not only from his teammates, but about them. The Arizona native says he's made the effort to learn more about the other players in the locker room.
"The most challenging thing, I want to get to know every single guy or at least let every single guy get to know me," Slovis said. "It seems like you have a lot of time, but 110 guys is a ton of people. That was my biggest thing and focus because everything else is football. I can watch film whenever I want, but there is only so much time in a day you can get with the guys, hang out and get to know someone."
Now Pitt fans will get to know their new starter with potentially the biggest game of the year being the opener next Thursday.
