Panthers observations: After summer's 1st scrimmage, Pitt defense moves ahead of offense

No one should read too much into the first scrimmage — and you can bet fans will do so, anyway — but Pitt entered the second half of training camp with the defense ahead of the offense.

Coach Pat Narduzzi said Tuesday morning that the defense won the scrimmage Saturday, which means they earned the right to wear the blue jerseys at practice. “I’d say pretty handily,” he said. “They got after it. They were locked in.

“I always say the key is emotion and energy coming into that first scrimmage. You better have it. The defense had it. The offense didn’t have as much, didn’t do as good a job executing as we would like.”

Scrimmage report from Pat Narduzzi … pic.twitter.com/AjPdZR6Mue

— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) August 13, 2024

The coaches’ cliche is that the defense is always ahead of the offense at the start of camp.

“It’s natural. It happens that way,” Narduzzi said.

Full disclosure: The offense redeemed itself Sunday, the coach said, coming out to practice with “focus and energy.”

When you talk offense, you talk quarterbacks, and starter Nate Yarnell and backup Eli Holstein are at the top of the list of those most scrutinized.

“To win the scrimmage, the quarterback has to play really good. I don’t think they played really good,” Narduzzi said. “They did some good things. I think they played solid. When the defense has energy, you better match the energy. They had too many unforced errors, just put themselves behind the sticks too many times.”

He also pointed to snap infractions “because we’re trying to go fast.”

“We’ll fix that stuff up. It comes with time.”

Remember (and Narduzzi mentioned this): The defensive coaching staff is largely intact, with three members entering their seventh season at Pitt. Add up the combined years of Pitt experience on the offensive staff and you get five.

“Sometimes, when you’re in a competition — whether it’s in the quarterback position or somewhere else — you start to press,” the coach said. “You start to think I have to make good plays, instead of taking what the defense is giving you. You start to make something that’s not there. That’s when you get in trouble.”

Some other details from the scrimmage that was closed to the general public:

• The fast pace allowed for 141 offensive/defensive snaps, plus 26 on special teams.

• Safeties Cruce Brookins and P.J. O’Brien recorded interceptions while Narduzzi identified others who caught his eye, including linebackers Brandon George and Kyle Louis, defensive end Nate Matlack and defensive tackle Isaiah Neal. Of Neal, nicknamed “Ghost,” Narduzzi said, “He’s a twitchy dude.”

• Cornerbacks Ryland Gandy, Tamon Lynum and Rashad Battle also were singled out by the coach.

Narduzzi said the linebacker group might be as deep as it’s been in his 10 seasons.

“You want to have six,” said Narduzzi, who mentioned seven. They include George and Keye Thompson in the middle, with Louis, Braylan Lovelace, Rasheem Biles, Jordan Bass and Nick Lapi looking to fill two outside slots.

“There’s some good competition and some good players you want to put on the field and rotate,” he said. “Four years ago, I remember going out in the middle of summer and looking out there and (saying), ‘Oh, my gosh. This is all we got.’ “

That hasn’t been the case this summer.