Tag: Pitt Panthers

Legendary College Football Player/Coach Johnny Majors Dies at 85

College football hall of fame player and national champion coach Johnny Majors has died at 85 years old. Learn more about Majors here.

College Football Hall of Famer Johnny Majors has died at the age of 85.  Majors was a legendary tailback at Tennessee before a coaching career that led him to Iowa State and Pitt before eventually ending up coaching at Tennessee.

Majors was a Tennessee football legend, twice winning the SEC Player of the Year Award and finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting to Paul Hornung of Notre Dame in 1956.

After a brief stint in the Canadian Football League, Majors got into coaching as a graduate assistant at Tennessee before stops as an assistant at Mississippi State and Arkansas.

In 1968 he earned his first head coaching job at Iowa State where he went 24-30-1 in five seasons, earning bowl berths in his last two years there.

He took the Pitt job in 1973 and led them to three bowl games in four years, culminating in a national championship after a 12-0 season in 1976.

Majors then returned to Tennessee where he coached the Volunteers from 1977 to 1992, going 116-62-8 along the way and winning three SEC Championships as well as a pair of Sugar Bowl wins and a Cotton Bowl victory as well.  After being forced to step down in 1992, Majors

Majors returned to Pitt from 1993 through 1996 but failed to find the same success, going just 12-32 in his second stint with the Panthers.

In terms of a Notre Dame connection, Majors wasn’t just the first runner-up in Hornung’s Heisman season but also coached against the Irish nine different times, going 2-3 in his two stints with Pitt and 2-2 during his time at Tennessee.

Majors is said to have spent his final hours doing something he very much enjoyed, looking out over the Tennessee River.

For more information on Johnny Majors check out our friends at VolsWire who will have coverage throughout the coming days.

Meet Dane Jackson, Pitt’s stud of a CB prospect

Check out Draft Wire’s exclusive interview with Pittsburgh cornerback Dane Jackson

Today’s NFL requires cornerbacks that possess unshakable confidence, a short memory, and the ball skills to take full advantage when opposing quarterbacks make the mistake of challenging them.

One player who checks all of those boxes in the 2020 NFL draft class? Pitt’s Dane Jackson.

Jackson recently spoke exclusively with Draft Wire about his experience at the Senior Bowl, which receivers were the toughest to face throughout his college career, and what kind of impact he’s going to make at the next level.

JM: What was your experience like at the Senior Bowl?

DJ: It was a great experience. It was fun to be around some of the best players in all of college football. This a very strong senior class in my opinion. I enjoyed competing against them all week long. I can’t complain about the experience. It was great.

JM: I imagine that you went out there with the thought of achieving something or proving something. Do you feel like you were successful?

DJ: I just wanted to prove that I could play at the highest level. I went out there and competed against the man across from me. We had some of the best receivers in college football out there. That’s what playing cornerback is all about. You have to go out there on a snap-by-snap basis and compete with the guy across from you. I went out there and laid it all on the line. I never let up.

Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

JM: You had 12 pass break-ups during the 2019 season. What is it about your game that allows you to be around the ball so often?

DJ: It’s all about me being aggressive. I just have a good feel for when the ball is in the air. I’m able to get my hands in there and break up the pass. As a cornerback, my job is to not allow the receiver to catch the ball. It’s that simple.

JM: Do you have a preference regarding what coverage scheme you’re mainly utilized in at the next level?

DJ: The primary coverage I played in throughout my entire five years at Pittsburgh was press man. That’s what I’m most accustomed to. I’m not necessarily saying that I prefer that, but that’s probably what I’m most comfortable in.

JM: If you’re headed into the NFL with most of your experience at one form of coverage, press man is the one. You can’t survive in this league if you can’t play man.

DJ: Right, I fully agree with that (laughs). I think my experience in press man is going to serve me well going forward.

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

JM: Who are some of the best receivers you’ve ever covered throughout your time at Pittsburgh?

DJ: I would have to say Gabriel Davis from UCF. He’s in this draft class as well. I’d have to point to my former teammate at Pittsburgh, Tyler Boyd. He’s with the Cincinnati Bengals now and he’s been very successful. I was just a freshmen but he was super tough to go up against in practice. Dyami Brown from North Carolina was tough.

JM: The NFL Scouting Combine is fast approaching. Are you looking forward to any drills in particular?

DJ: I wouldn’t point out anything in particular. I’m trying to go out there and be the best version of myself in every drill I compete in. I plan on going out there and leaving it all out there. I’m trying to compete.

JM: What are three traits a successful cornerback must possess in your opinion?

DJ: You need to have a short memory if you’re gonna play this position at a high level. A receiver is gonna make a play from time-to-time. You do everything in your power to stop that from happening but that’s how the game goes. There’s a lot of great receivers out there and you’re gonna have to play against them. I also feel that you have to be aggressive and you have to be a ball-hawk. Those traits would be number two and three for me.

Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

JM: What’s the best lesson any coach ever taught you?

DJ: I think the best lesson I was ever taught at Pittsburgh was that it’s never about what you’ve done in the past. You have to live and play in the present. That’s what’s gonna get you where you need to go.

JM: How do you cover a bigger receiver differently than you would a smaller, shiftier guy?

DJ: You have to get your hands on them as quickly as possible. Some of those bigger guys like to push off and be physical with you. You need to get your hands on them and control their movements.

JM: What kind of impact is Dane Jackson gonna make at the next level?

DJ: I’m an aggressive corner. I’m a winner and I’m not afraid to tackle. I love coming up in the run game and making a tackle. I don’t shy away from contact. Whichever team drafts me is adding a very hard worker to their franchise.

[vertical-gallery id=612871]

Notre Dame: Women’s Basketball Nears .500 Mark With Victory at Pitt

Notre Dame flew out of the gate to start the second half, going on a 7-0 run, with five points coming from Destinee Walker.  An 8-0 run by Pitt later in the quarter kept things closer than anyone associated with the Irish would have liked, but ultimately they still took a 46-36 lead into the final frame.

The Notre Dame women’s basketball team (6-8, 1-1) kicked off 2020 with a 60-52 over now 3-10, Pitt. Destinee Walker helped lead the way with with sixteen points, five of which proved to be huge in the stretch run.

Mikki Vaughn tied her career high of 17 points and nearly earned a double-double with nine boards while Anaya Peoples earned her third double-double in the last four games with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

How It Happened

The opening quarter saw the teams play to an 8-8 draw before the Irish got off to a much quicker start in the second. Midway through the period, the Notre Dame offense found a little rhythm, recording a stretch in which they made 5-of-6 from the field to take a 24-18 lead before Peoples drained a jumper at the buzzer, to give the Irish a 30-22 halftime lead, in large part due to the 17 turnovers they forced in the first half.

Notre Dame flew out of the gate to start the second half, going on a 7-0 run, with five points coming from Walker.  An 8-0 run by Pitt later in the quarter kept things closer than anyone associated with the Irish would have liked, but ultimately they still took a 46-36 lead into the final frame.

A quick fourth quarter start for Pitt saw them cut the Irish lead to three before the Notre Dame weathered the storm and closed things out.  Leading by five with 23 seconds left, Walker came up big again with a crucial steal which translated to two Irish free-throws from Walker, as the grad transfer helped seal the victory.

The women return to the court Sunday afternoon when they’ll take on 7-6 Syracuse.

WATCH: Eastern Michigan QB Mike Glass III ejected after hitting official

Eastern Michigan QB Mike Glass III was ejected late in the Quick Lane Bowl for throwing punches, one that hit an official.

What looked like a thrilling end to the Quick Lane Bowl Thursday turned ugly when Eastern Michigan quarterback Mike Glass III was ejected from the game in the final seconds after throwing a couple punches, one clipping an official.

The incident happened moments after Pitt scored a touchdown to take a 34-30 lead.

There was an incomplete pass and Glass got into it with a Pitt player. He threw a punch at Cam Bright, then another one at Paris Ford, which hit the center judge who fell to the turf.

Glass was called for two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and ejected. Gipson was flagged for one unsportsmanlike. The penalties offset and Eastern Michigan’s next play went for an incompletion that doused their hopes for victory.

Week 12 CFP Implications: Static at the top, chaos at the bottom

Looking at the national College Football Playoff picture after Week 12, a few things are becoming very clear. Let’s start at the top.

This past week, all 25 teams ranked by the CFP selection committee were in action. With so many games, a trend that has been slowly developing over the year came to full fruition.

We haven’t seen many upsets at the top of the game this year. And while we have seen some matchups of Top 15 teams–mostly involving Auburn or Michigan–we have yet to really see top teams get upset, or matchups between serious contenders. (Yes, we have had a few, most notably Alabama-LSU, but there have been far fewer than in most years.) That will change over the final few weeks of the season, whether due to scheduled matchups or conference championship games.

While there haven’t been many upsets at the top of the rankings. We’ve had plenty at this bottom. This past week, three of the committee’s teams ranked 19-25 lost, plus a pretty weak display from Cincinnati, for the second time in three weeks. Don’t be surprised if the committee drops the Bearcats a little after this performance.

What that leaves us with is essentially a two-tier ranking system. And while we can subdivide each tier further, the breakdown of the tiers will be very important.

The Top 17 teams are basically locked into those spots. LSU, Ohio State, Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, Utah, Minnesota, Penn State, Oklahoma, Florida, Auburn, Baylor, Wisconsin, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Iowa will be the Top 17 teams from here on out. A shocking upset could knock one of these teams out, sure, and Baylor could fall out on its own by losing two of its final three games (to Texas and then again in the Big 12 Championship Game). Other than that Baylor case, though (and assuming no one does something crazy like lose to Northwestern or an FCS team), these 17 teams will be ranked the rest of the way, no matter what, and will like be the Top 17 the rest of the way.

From 18 on down, though, is anybody’s guess. We could see AAC teams stay in, though they’ve been less impressive as the season has gone on. Also, Cincinnati and Memphis still have to face each other. Appalachian State and Boise State can stay ranked by winning out, but one more loss will end any rankings the rest of the way. Maybe SMU slides back in this week.

After that, though, what’s left? What teams are we looking at to be ranked in the back section of the Top 25? Pitt, Virginia, and/or Virginia Tech could slide in, though Pitt plays Virginia Tech this week, and Virginia faces Virginia Tech next week, so only one of those three, at most, will likely be ranked by season’s end. Are we looking at Iowa State, with as impressive a four-loss resume as we’ve seen in a while?

17 teams have basically locked up their year-end rankings, with two weeks left in the regular season. The other eight spots in the Top 25, though, are entirely up for grabs. Who does this help most? Quite clearly, the Pac 12.

Next… How this helps the Pac 12

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3

Ohio State wrestling downs No. 15 Pitt on the road

The Ohio State wrestling team went on the road and took care of business against No. 15 Pitt Friday night, winning 23-12.

The No. 3 ranked Ohio State wrestling team traveled to No. 15 Pitt Friday night and came away with a 23-12 team victory to improve to 2-0 on the season in dual meets.

The Buckeyes won six of the ten bouts, with three of them scoring bonus points. No. 1 ranked Kolin Moore (197 lbs.), No. 1 ranked Luke Pletcher (141 lbs.) got major decisions, and No. 6 Sammy Sasso (149 lbs.) pinned his opponent.

Heavyweight Chase Singletary also impressed in his season debut, defeating the higher ranked No. 9 Demetrius Thomas of Pitt 8-3. Malik Heinselman at 125 lbs. and Kaleb Romero at 174 lbs. also scored decisions to give Ohio State the win.

The outcome was never really in doubt, with Ohio State winning five of the first six matches, but the Panthers did battle back to take four of the matches to keep things respectable and showed plenty of grit.

In the end it was a nice victory for the Buckeyes and they next take on No. 11 Virginia Tech (2-0) on Sunday back at home in the Covelli Center.