Pitt put together one of its best blocking efforts against No. 14 Louisville over the weekend, giving up just one sack to the Cardinals’ pass rush, and it came with a very young offensive line combination.
Ryan Baer and Branson Taylor played — just about — every snap at right and left tackle, respectively, and the interior of BJ Williams, Terrence Moore and Jason Collier Jr. played every snap at their respective positions. The young line allowed just five pressures and four hurries against the Cards.
“Overall, pretty good,” Pat Narduzzi said Monday at his weekly news conference. “That front was a nasty front really. I think coming in — they did a good job neutralizing up front. Again, there are still fundamental things, a couple of ID issues as far as where we’re blocking to and the run game, but you give up one sack, you’re getting a little bit better, I’d say, based on what they — I don’t know what their sack total is on the year, how many they’re averaging a game, but I would imagine one is underneath their total. I don’t know how many times they got Hartman the week before, but it was quite a few times.”
The young offensive line had featured Blake Zubovic for much of the season, but he missed the game against the Cardinals Saturday.
But Zubovic didn’t miss the game due to performance.
“He didn’t get beat out; I’ll put it that way,” Narduzzi said. “Blake is still our starter. If he’s available, we’ll find out.”
Zubovic has taken 289 offensive snaps (160 pass block, 129 run block) this season, and he’s played mainly on the left side — but he has plenty of experience on the right side. And he’s allowed five pressures, one quarterback hurry, three quarterback hits and one sack this season.
It’s been a difficult season for a Pitt offensive line that has lost Matt Goncalves and Ryan Jacoby for the season, and Zubovic and Jake Kradel for stretches this season, but Saturday’s performance was perhaps its best of the season. And it came with four underclassmen leading the way. But there’s a chance the veterans return this weekend, too.
“I don’t know, maybe Blake will be ready to go or Kradel will be ready to go,” Narduzzi said. “Maybe Blake will be ready to go, I don’t know. If I didn’t tell you, then you wouldn’t know.”
Way to go Duzz, played a highly ranked team with a young OL and got the job done as an under dog, now go back to your seniority list for the next game and get your azz kicked, sometimes coaches are just plain stupid and can’t stand to believe their eyes or the game film.