Pitt's defense tries to adjust to the 'ton of crazy stuff' offense throws its way

Fans and, especially, coaches should know enough not to put excessive trust in what happens in training camp. Former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett can confirm that after he went last year from strong outings with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the summer to being traded before the first day of spring.

But all is well at Pitt’s August training camp while the team prepares for its first scrimmage of camp — closed to the general public — Saturday at the Beano Cook Fields on the South Side.

The offense is humming at high rates of speed. The defense is trying to adjust. The hope around the practice facility is that the potential for confusion will befuddle opposing defenses when the 12-game season commences Aug. 31 against Kent State at Acrisure Stadium.

Senior tight end Gavin Bartholomew, who appears to have his finger on the pulse of the locker room, was asked after the morning practice Friday how he’s doing.

“Amazing,” he said.

“What’s so amazing?”

“We got another great practice in,” Bartholomew said. “Feeling good, ready for lunch.”

As an example, he pointed to Thursday’s practice that included a two-minute drill.

“It was the best we’ve looked (in that drill) in quite a while,” he said.

Bartholomew admitted there was an initial period of adjustment before players became accustomed to the fast pace demanded by offensive coordinator Kade Bell. He said that is no longer an issue.

“Everything’s running smooth. Everyone knows what they’re doing,” he said. “We’re moving everyone (before the snap), trying to throw the defense off. They have to make all these different calls. It allows us to get open in space. It’s definitely to our advantage.”

Bartholomew related a recent conversation he had with middle linebacker Brandon George, a 23-year-old senior who’s been lining up in Pitt’s defense since 2019.

“He was telling us this is pretty hard, making all these calls,” he said.

“They do a ton of crazy stuff that works for them a lot of the time,” defensive end Nate Matlack said. “Get people in the wrong coverage because they don’t get the signal. Get the wrong call, and then you have a guy wide open down the field. That’s happened a couple times (in practice).”

Matlack, a transfer from Kansas State, said Pitt’s offense reminds him of Texas Tech when the Red Raiders averaged 461.4 yards per game in 2022.

“Even when they’re not trying to go fast, it’s still fast,” Matlack said. “I’ve been on teams in the past where it’s a pro-style offense and it’s slow. And then you go play a tempo team and you’re nowhere close to being ready for it.

“I feel like now we’re going to be ahead of the game a little bit, especially when we go against slow-paced teams. We’re going to (say), ‘We’re going to be ready for this. This isn’t going to be hard at all.’ And the fast-paced teams, I really don’t think too many other teams in the country will go faster than our offense.”

Bell’s message apparently has struck a chord with his players.

“He’s very to the point. He doesn’t sugarcoat things,” Bartholomew said. “He tells you how it is and what he expects from this offense. We’re going to do our best to hold the expectations. That’s what we were missing. We needed a wakeup call, almost. This is the standard, and anything below we aren’t going to tolerate it.”

Added wide receiver Kenny Johnson: “It’s hard. But who doesn’t want to be coached hard? If you want to be great, you need a great teacher.”

And quarterback Nate Yarnell? “He’s the same as coach Bell,” Bartholomew said. “Everything needs to be perfect. That’s how you win on game days.

“This year, we’re hungry. We got a lot of vets, a lot of guys who have experience who know what to do in tough situations. We’ve been through the highs and lows together.”

Bartholomew had another reason to be upbeat Friday. He was named to the watch list for the Mackey Award given to the nation’s best tight end.

That’s nice, he said, but awards are only a by-product of a bigger prize.

“It comes down to if you win, good things will happen and good things will come with that,” he said. “We have to win.”