Tag: Pitt Panthers

Bills DBs Damar Hamlin and Dane Jackson compare city cuisines: Pittsburgh vs. Buffalo

Which city has better food: Buffalo or Pittsburgh?

In the week leading up to the 2024 Super Bowl between the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, For The Win caught up with Buffalo Bills defensive backs Damar Hamlin and Dane Jackson to cover a wide variety of topics ahead of the big game.

The Pennsylvania natives and former Pittsburgh Panthers shared what they love about the Steel City’s cuisine and how it compares with Buffalo food — Hamlin really wants to give our Christian D’Andrea a tour of Pittsburgh — and their favorite bars.

“See, man, you gotta come to Pittsburgh and come get a scenery of food from us,” Hamlin said.

“For real, for real,” Jackson added.

“You gotta come get the real Pittsburgh, not the touristy [Pittsburgh],” Hamlin continued.

Hamlin said it’s a tie for him between Buffalo and Pittsburgh food, but he later changed his mind to Pittsburgh, admitting he hasn’t tried a lot of places in Buffalo. Jackson went with Pittsburgh too but noted that Buffalo has many hidden gems that “will fulfill all your tastebuds for sure.”

On the field, they broke down their defensive strategies for not letting players create space and get open, as well as how they mask their own schemes.

“It’s just all about executing the call that you’ve been running all week in practice,” Hamlin said. “However we decide to play it out this week — it may be different than [last] week, it may be the same. We might just be set on our rules because this is what works for us, you know what I mean?

“So it all depends, you know what I mean? But as long as the defense is all on the same page, you’ve got a chance to win every play. It only really gets ugly when you start to bust coverages, and you don’t know what to anticipate.”

Here’s our full interview with Hamlin and Jackson:

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How to buy No. 15 Notre Dame vs. Pitt women’s college basketball tickets

See the No. 15 Fighting Irish at home on Sunday against Pitt. Tickets still remain for as little as $22.

The No. 15 Notre Dame women’s basketball team looks to get a victory in ACC play Saturday night as they’re at home to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers.

Pittsburgh has struggled this year going just 7-15 overall and just 1-8 to date in ACC play. That lone victory came on January 25 at Virginia.

Notre Dame is 16-4 overall this season and is looking for a third-straight victory.  Last Saturday night the Irish won in primetime at Connecticut and dominated Georgia Tech on Thursday.  Freshman sensation Hannah Hidalgo looks to stay red-hot as she’s coming off a 35 point performance on Thursday.

Notre Dame hosts Pittsburgh on Sunday, February 4.  Can Pitt perhaps upset the 16th ranked Irish or will Notre Dame continue their winning streak?

The cheapest ticket to get into Sunday’s Fighting Irish game is $22.

If you’re looking for a more luxurious experience, the most expensive ticket would only cost you $98.

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Coach who ripped Jordan Addison for transferring to USC is now in huge trouble

Pat Narduzzi criticized Jordan Addison when the receiver left Pitt and went to USC. Now, Pitt is at the bottom of the ACC. What a shame.

Remember when Jordan Addison transferred from Pitt to USC? Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi didn’t have to like his receiver’s choice, but then he chose to speak publicly about Addison instead of staying quiet. It wasn’t a good look.

As we noted in our coverage of this story, Narduzzi said that “We (Pitt) helped him win a Biletnikoff and be the player he is. He had one of the best quarterbacks in the country throwing the ball every day. I think sometimes people forget how they got where they are.”

Narduzzi also brought up the issue of tampering, clearly not liking the way that transfer went down with USC.

When talking negatively about Addison, Narduzzi also had uncharitable things to say about former Pitt offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who guided the Panthers to the 2021 ACC championship by using Addison so well in the Panthers’ offense:

“Our old offensive coordinator had no desire to run the ball,” Narduzzi said about Whipple. “Everybody knew it. He was stubborn. Wake Forest was 118th in run defense and we threw the ball every down. When we ran it, we ran it for 10 yards but that wasn’t good enough.”

Narduzzi wanted to run more and throw less.

Well, he got his wish.

As a result, Pitt — the 2021 ACC champion — is now at the bottom of the ACC. The Panthers lost to Virginia Tech on Saturday to fall to 0-2 in the ACC. Only Virginia is also 0-2 in the conference. Pitt is 1-4 overall. Only Virginia, at 0-5, is worse. Pitt might not win three games this season.

It’s a real shame, isn’t it? Jordan Addison is certainly chuckling as he watches Pitt fans lose their minds about Narduzzi, as you can see below:

Former USC tight end hopes to shine at Pitt in 2023

Malcolm Epps transferred to Pitt, which is where another former Trojan, Kedon Slovis, transferred one year ago.

Former USC and Texas tight end Malcolm Epps, who appeared last year on the John Mackey Award watch list, decided to transfer to Pittsburgh after not getting much playing time last season in L.A as a Trojan.

Epps (6-foot-6, 250 pounds) has 37 receptions for 483 yards and seven touchdowns through five seasons, the past two at USC.

He wasn’t featured in the USC passing game last season but recorded a touchdown catch and interception in the end zone against Fresno State when he was inserted to defend a Hail Mary.

As a redshirt freshman at Texas in 2019, he caught 20 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns.

Epps will most likely be No. 2 or No. 3 on the depth chart behind Gavin Bartholomhew and Karter Johnson, but he fits this pro-style Pitt offense more than he fit a given offensive system in his previous stops. The Panthers will get great use out of the tight end position.

Epps’ size and athleticism give Pitt a weapon the program hasn’t had in a long time. He is someone a quarterback can throw a jump ball to in one-on-one coverage. He should be a trusted target for former Boston College and Notre Dame quarterback Phil Jurkovec, who will start at quarterback for Pitt. Be on the lookout for Epps to have an impactful year in the ACC.

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Vikings 2023 NFL draft scouting report: Pitt DT Calijah Kancey

The Pitt DT is excellent at rushing the passer with quickness, but how does the entire profile of Calijah Kancey look?

Welcome to SKOL Search!

This series will be your guide to the 2023 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.

The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major needs at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and both interior and edge pass rusher.

The Vikings are slated to have five picks going into the NFL draft and they need to make the most out of them.

Pittsburgh RB Israel Abanikanda lights it up at the Panthers’ pro day

Pittsburgh RB Israel Abanikanda lights it up at the Panthers’ pro day in front of all 32 NFL teams

This year’s class of running backs has a sizeable cluster in the range between the second through fourth rounds. It’s a talented group but also one that is difficult to sort out.

Thanks to a superb athletic display at his pro day on Wednesday, Pittsburgh’s Israel Abanikanda helped move himself closer to the top of that RB cluster. Abanikanda put on quite a show for the 32 NFL teams in attendance. Scouts on the scene clocked the 5-foot-11, 218-pound runner with a sub-4.4 40-yard dash, a 41.5″ vertical and a broad jump of nearly 11 feet.

Abanikanda showed during his on-field time at Pitt that he can plant and go out of a cut extremely well, and he’s capable of lowering his pads and dishing out as much punishment as he takes.

2023 NFL draft big board: Running backs

Abanikanda wasn’t the only Panthers prospect to show out at the pro day. The vertical jumps from three different Pitt players would have been the best at their positions at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine — Abanikanda at RB, linebacker SirVocea Dennis and wideout Jared Wayne all topping 41 inches.

The Athletic’s latest NFL mock draft brings the Saints a mold-breaking defensive tackle

The Athletic’s latest NFL mock draft brings the Saints a mold-breaking defensive tackle in Pitt Panthers standout Calijah Kancey:

How many mock draft writers does it take to figure out what the New Orleans Saints are going to do in April’s 2023 NFL draft? The Athletic’s Diante Lee and Nate Tice collaborated on a first-round mock draft, which brought an unconventional (if wise) pick to the Saints in Pitt Panthers defensive tackle Calijah Kancey. Tice wrote of the match:

The Saints could go in several directions with this pick. But with several interior defensive linemen leaving in free agency, they need reinforcements. Enter the undersized but disruptive Kancey. Kancey is a different type of player than what the Saints have trotted out up front in recent years, but his gap-shooting style will fit perfectly in Dennis Allen’s preferred four-down fronts.

Kancey is a heck of player — he bagged 34.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks for Pitt, with Pro Football Focus charting crediting him with 111 pressures over three years and 33 games. He’s very disruptive up front and beats opponents with a lightning-fast first step much like Sheldon Rankins once did in New Orleans.

But he’s undersized by the Saints’ strict standards at 6-foot-1 and just 281 pounds, with 30.625-inch arms. Here’s how that compares to some other Saints defensive tackles (past and present) coming out of college:

  • Khalen Saunders: 6-foot-0, 324 pounds, 32.25-inch arms
  • Nathan Shepherd: 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, 32.375-inch arms
  • Albert Huggins: 6-foot-2, 305 pounds, 33.5-inch arms
  • David Onyemata: 6-foot-3, 300 pounds, 33.25-inch arms
  • Malcolm Roach: 6-foot-2, 297 pounds, 31.875-inch arms
  • Prince Emili: 6-foot-0, 295 pounds, 32.625-inch arms
  • Shy Tuttle: 6-foot-2, 290 pounds, 33.375-inch arms
  • Kentavius Street: 6-foot-2, 280 pounds, 32.875-inch arms

That’s an average size of 6-foot-1.75 and 300.75 pounds, with arms of 32.75 inches — none of which are standards Kancey makes. The Saints have shown us that they’ll make exceptions for players in the right situation, as with Street, but he played on a veteran’s minimum salary last year. Committing a first round draft pick to Kancey might not be a risk that Dennis Allen is willing to take.

The Saints head coach has spoken often about a desire to want to “play a big man’s game” in the trenches by emphasizing size and length, which aren’t qualities Kancey brings to the table. He might reach the threshold for height or weight, but his comparatively-short arms could be a deal-breaker when taken with those other physical shortcomings.

But, hey: he’s a special talent with rare athletic gifts, able to knife past blockers before they can react and chase down runners in the open field. Maybe Kancey shows the Saints enough in the weeks ahead to convince Allen to make a mold-breaking selection in the first round while addressing his team’s top draft need. Stranger things have happened, right?

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Vikings select rising ACC defensive tackle in recent NFL.com mock draft

The latest mock draft from Eric Edholm has the Vikings taking DT Calijah Kancey.

Although the Minnesota Vikings signed edge rusher Marcus Davenport during free agency, many still believe that the Vikings could pursue additional help along their defensive line.

Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is known to rotate defensive linemen in particular situations, which means having more options is beneficial to the overall health of the defense. The Vikings may draft another defensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft, especially if the value was there.

In Eric Edholm’s recent mock draft for NFL.com, the Vikings selected Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey in the first round, giving the Vikings an additional pass rusher.

The Vikings are badly in need of interior pressure, and Kancey can provide that. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if Will Levis lands here should he still be available.

Kancey is an intriguing NFL Draft prospect, especially with his undersized frame. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Kancey measured in at 6-foot-1 and 281 pounds, which makes him a tweener in the NFL. His frame is cause for concern, though, because it will limit his overall fit at the next level because he’ll likely get out strengthed by most interior offensive linemen.

In the case of the Vikings, it’s hard to see an immediate fit for Kancey. Flores has historically operated in odd fronts, meaning the Vikings will likely see three defensive linemen on most plays. Davenport will likely see some snaps as a down lineman, and the Vikings also signed defensive end Dean Lowry in free agency. With Kancey’s weight, it’s impossible to expect him to play as a 0-tech, which means he’ll have to play as an outside defensive lineman.

As for the Will Levis mention from Edholm, it’s certainly something to keep an eye on. The Vikings have not committed their future to Kirk Cousins, which opens the door for a long-term option at quarterback.

Nevada the last team in, Oklahoma State the first team out in 2023 NCAA men’s bracket

The last four teams in and the first four teams out being announced always means heartbreak for some teams.

Every year, there’s a robust discussion around the bubble for the men’s NCAA tournament, and 2023 was no different. While the bubble felt a little less tenuous this year — there were not a lot of teams that had a huge argument to get into the field and very few bid-stealers from conference tournaments — there are still those that will question or praise the committee’s choices.

After announcing the entire bracket for March Madness, CBS shared the committee’s eight teams that made up the last four in and the first four out. Three ACC teams landed in that octet, the only conference with more than one representative in that grouping.

Pitt fell on the good side of the line, despite having a net ranking lower than three of the four teams left out. Preseason No. 1 North Carolina is the first to go from that expectation before any games are played to not making the tournament, and Clemson’s bad losses (South Carolina, Louisville and Loyola Chicago) kept the Tigers out.

Oklahoma State was the first team left out of the Big Dance, with Nevada being the last to sneak in.

Two of the last four in — Mississippi State and Pitt — play Tuesday evening in the First Four in Dayton for a chance to face off against 6-seed Iowa State in the Midwest.

Vikings draft prospects: DT Calijah Kancey runs blazing 40 yard dash

An impressive performance from the former Pitt Panther on Thursday afternoon

The Minnesota Vikings are in the process of looking for the next rookie class to wear purple and gold and one of them just had a huge performance.

In the first group of the 2023 NFL scouting combine, Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey ran a blazing 4.67 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Per Mockdraftable, that time is tied for the best-ever by a defensive lineman and puts him in the 100th percentile. The only other player to run that fast was Milton Williams from Louisiana Tech in 2021.

Along with an elite 40-yard dash, Kancey also posted an elite 10-yard split at 1.64. That time is good enough to be in the 95th percentile. That fits with what general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah prioritizes: quickness.

Kancey is viewed as an undersized 3-technique defensive tackle and those issues weren’t put to rest after measuring in at 6’1″ and 281 lbs. He is a very similar height and weight to former Pitt alum Aaron Donald, but they aren’t the same player.

With the defense that Brian Flores likes to run, it will be interesting if Kancey is on the Vikings’ radar because he doesn’t appear to be a system fit on paper.

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