Already through the season’s first month, Pitt has had to dig down its depth chart to plug holes caused by injuries to starters.
Juelz Goff and Ja’Kyrian Turner have filled in for All-American tailback Desmond Reid, whereas Shawn Lee and Shadarian Harrison have seen heavy snaps at cornerback with Tamon Lynum and Rashad Battle missing time.
On the offensive line, redshirt sophomore Ryan Carretta has begun that same baptism of fire, as it’ll be his show at left guard after Keith Gouveia was lost to a season-ending leg injury versus Louisville on Saturday.
“Anytime one of your brothers goes down, a guy who’s super close to you, I feel like everyone has to band together, come together and support each other even more,” Carretta said. “Especially (Gouveia). We all love him, so I feel like it definitely brings us more together as a group.”
Carretta joins a Pitt offensive line that’d been consistent for about a month, with Jeff Persi (left tackle), Gouveia, Lyndon Cooper (center), BJ Williams (right guard) and Ryan Baer (right tackle) making four starts together.
But Gouveia’s serious injury in the third quarter of Pitt’s 34-27 defeat to the Cardinals saw Carretta pressed into action.
That coach Pat Narduzzi turned to him mid-game was somewhat surprising, seeing as the Panthers’ depth chart had listed Jackson Brown as next in line at left guard.
On Monday, Narduzzi expanded on his decision to turn to Carretta, a player who’s repped more at center than guard this summer and fall.
“I just think he’s the best guy,” Narduzzi said. “He’s one of the five best guys to put in there. … (Carretta played) pretty solid, especially for a guy coming in there in relief. In a position he doesn’t — he gets 80% of his snaps at center, and he gets about 20% (at guard) during the week. This week obviously he’ll get 100% at that left guard spot.”
Caretta, a Galena, Ohio, native, redshirted as a freshman in 2023 before making 13 appearances last year, primarily on special teams.
Over that span, he was playing guard before shifting to center, where he backed up Cooper.
So when Narduzzi inserted him at guard, the 6-foot-5, 305-pound Carretta had a foundation of playing the position.
“I felt confident,” Carretta said. “In practice sometimes I”ll switch up stances and practice everything, so wherever they need me, I can be there. But me knowing center definitely helped me at left and right guard, because I know all the plays even better with whatever I’m supposed to do.”
Carretta was charged with allowing a sack of quarterback Eli Holstein on Saturday as Louisville’s Rene Konga penetrated past him before collapsing the pocket with 10 minutes, 43 seconds left in the game.
A play later, Holstein was picked off for the second time, leading to a Cardinals touchdown.
“Technique went a little rough on that play,” Carretta said of the sack. “Learn from it, get better from it and try not to have that happen again.”
Carretta joins the starting lineup at a time of concern for Pitt’s offense, with shaky quarterback play, a lackluster run game and poor play on third down (among other things) contributing to an ongoing two-game skid.
Up next for Pitt is Boston College (1-3, 0-2 ACC), which visits Acrisure Stadium on Saturday.
Pending any unforeseen developments, Carretta will make his first collegiate start against the Eagles.
Pitt turning things around hinges on far more than Carretta’s play. But the third-year Panther hopes he can be part of the solution.
“There’s definitely things I can improve on all-around, but I feel like getting those snaps in (vs. Louisville) made me feel even more confident than I already was in myself. I feel like this week I can do my job.”
