Pitt Offensive Tackles Taking Lead on Alleviating Mental Mistakes

Branson Taylor could not put a finger on the exact number of false start penalties Pitt’s offense had during the first scrimmage of fall camp, but there were more than they cared for.

“The first scrimmage, we did not focus in, especially on the offensive line. We had I think nine false starts or five. Whatever it was, it wasn’t good enough,” the redshirt senior said.

Feedback surrounding the offensive side of the ball from the first scrimmage dealt with penalties and snap infractions. In just one week, those mental mistakes have been alleviated to an extent following Pitt’s second scrimmage.

“We focused. I think we only had one [false start penalty] last scrimmage, so it was really good,” Taylor said.

As Pitt’s offense looks to go fast, Pitt’s offensive line is attempting to keep up, not only by moving up the field but also by staying mentally sharp and avoiding errors.

“We’re really just trying to focus,” Taylor said. “When we’re out there, we really just got to focus on our quarterback’s voice. The defense is going to be moving, trying to get us to false start, so we’re really trying to hone in on the quarterback’s voice.”

With an entirely new offensive staff, including offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau, Pitt is trying to overcome its past downfalls, and for the men up front, that’s moving before the ball does.

Offensive line coach Jeremy Darveau teaching during spring practice. April 2, 2024. PSN.

“Last year, on the o-line, we had a big false start problem,” redshirt sophomore Ryan Bear said. “When coach Darveau came in the spring, that’s one of the first things he told us, which is that’s not going to be a part of our identity anymore.”

Among the 94 penalties Pitt took last year, 28 (30 percent) of them were flagged as false starts with Baer and Taylor committing a combined seven of them.

Securing the perimeter, with Bear at right tackle and Taylor at left, their priority is to communicate effectively on the line to eliminate those mistakes.

“We really focused on communication. That was something – like I said, we started off slow in the scrimmage and we had a couple of communication errors, and we nipped that in the bud right away,” Baer said.

As the offense continues to mold together, those procedure penalties are starting to dwindle.

“We are making less rookie mistakes,” Baer said. “It doesn’t matter how old you are or what year you’re in, we all came into this offense, and we were learning it new. Going into fall camp, we had a basis of it, some things changed a little bit. Once you learn it then mistakes go down, you quit making some of the lesser mistakes.”

Last season, Pitt’s line wavered with some inconsistency due to injury. Baer was thrust into a starting role, making nine starts, eight of which were at right tackle after Ryan Jacoby went down with an injury. With ample amount of experience, he is ready to take that next step.

“This year, I had a whole spring, summer and fall camp to focus on training at right tackle, so I think that’s helped me out a lot to clean up some technical issues. I’ve felt pretty good,” he said.

On the other end, Taylor started eight games at left tackle. As a senior, he is now looked at as a leader of the line.

“People ahead of me like Carter Warren, Gave Houy, Matt Goncalves, Jake Kradel, they were all the leaders, and I always looked up to them, so I’m just following in their footsteps,” Taylor said.

“Just communicate,” Taylor added about his leadership. “Trying to bring the energy every single day and that’s what I’m trying to bring to my game and be a leader.”

As Pitt’s offensive line hopes to become a steady unit, it starts with the trust and leadership from the outside with Baer and Taylor.