Ollison, 26, was with the Jacksonville Jaguars this preseason, but was waived on Tuesday. The 6-foot-1, 232-pound back is known as a big, physical runner and could help the Steelers by providing a backup that is similar in stature to starter Najee Harris. He could also help provide a scout team look for bigger backs on the schedule.

A fifth-round pick by the Falcons in the 2019 NFL Draft, Ollison spent three seasons in Atlanta from 2019-21. His most productive season was in 2021, when he rushed 21 times for 105 yards and a touchdown and caught four of six targets for 12 yards.

Ollison was waived by the Falcons last August and signed to the Dallas Cowboys practice squad. He was elevated for three games, but played almost exclusively on special teams, getting just two snaps of offense. Ollison has been a regular special teams’ performer throughout his career.

The Steelers other backups to Harris, Jaylen Warren and Anthony McFarland on the active roster and Greg Bell on the practice squad, are much smaller backs. The team also is reportedly adding former Los Angeles Chargers fullback Zander Horvath to their practice squad, which will give them a full 16 players on that unit.

Ollison spent four years at Pitt. He was expected to redshirt in 2015 until James Conner went down with an injury. He stepped up, running 212 times for 1,121 yards and 11 touchdowns. He then went back to a backup role until he matched that production in 2018, rushing 194 times for 1,213 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The post Steelers to Sign former Pitt RB to Practice Squad appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

For most of the 2022-23 season, the consensus of those that use math to evaluate college basketball were significantly more bearish on Pitt than the conventional wisdom, as the Panthers raced out to a 21-8 start and a 14-4 mark in ACC play.

Despite their best record in years, the Panthers were not appreciated by the sport’s computational rankings, with the likes of KenPom.com, EvanMiya.com and the NCAA’s NET ratings suggesting that Pitt was a team that belonged more in the 50-70 tier of college basketball teams than one that would normally be assigned to a team that most of late February and early March no more than a game out of first place in the ACC.

The cries were loud that the NET and KenPom rankings were nonsensical or somehow unfair to the Panthers, and that not only should Pitt not be an NCAA Tournament bubble team, but that the Panthers should have been ranked in the AP Top 25 college basketball poll.

On Feb. 27, the Panthers were ranked in that poll, for the first time since 2016. Since then, Pitt has lost three of its last four games, including a dropping a game at 14th-place Notre Dame and a 27-point loss to Duke — which finished with an identical 14-6 ACC record — in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro on Thursday.

The end of the season slide has certainly lessened the level of enthusiasm about the Panthers headed into the NCAA Tournament, and there will now be at least some drama on Sunday about whether or not Jeff Capel’s team will be in the field of 68, let alone where they will be seeded.

But it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that the run the Panthers were on when they lost just four games from before Thanksgiving to after Valentine’s Day was not likely to continue.

What KenPom’s efficiency rating — and the NET that is based on a similar model — is trying to tell us is the true playing ability of a team, regardless of its record. A big part of Pitt’s record was a lot of close wins, many against lower-level competition, interspersed with more than handful of really bad losses, both in terms of the opponents and the margin of victory.

The signature of Pitt’s 2022-23 season is its ability to win those close games. But the fact that Pitt was in so many close games, while also holding some big losses and also losing some major upsets meant that pattern was unlikely to continue.

It hasn’t. Pitt lost to Notre Dame in a seven-point game, Miami in a two-point game and then got blown out by Duke. It doesn’t always turn out this way. Sometimes improbable things just keep on happening. But KenPom has become an industry standard for a reason, and not because it’s bad at making predictions.

If you follow that line of thinking, maybe a slide is the wrong way to characterize the end of Pitt’s season. The Panthers didn’t fall off a cliff (at least until the second half against Duke), but instead this has been more of a case of water finding its level.

While Pitt’s record and one-time top 25 ranking got hopes of a better finish in the heads of many, what Capel and the Panthers have accomplished this season remains no less significant.

For the first time in a long time, the Pitt fanbase fell back in love with its basketball team, and one way or another, the Panthers are going to keep playing into mid-March. Bringing back that feeling means more than the number that is or isn’t beside Pitt’s name and how good, bad or average the computers think they are. 

The post Saunders: The Metrics Were Right About Pitt Basketball appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Dennis was injured late in Thursday’s practice session. He returned to the field and finished the day, but was held out of Saturday’s game.

The National Team beat Dennis’ American Team, 27-10.

Dennis declared for the draft in December, forgoing his final season of eligibility at Pitt. He also chose to skip the Panthers’ appearance in the Sun Bowl.

Earlier this week, Dennis officially measured in at 6-foot 3/8, 218 pounds with a 33-inch armspan, 78-inch wingspan and 10 1/2-inch hands.

He had an interception returned for a touchdown in Tuesday’s practice, but in general had an up-and-down week in pass coverage. He was solid against the run.

Dennis had been the only Pitt player scheduled to play in the game. He was the 13th Pitt player over the last seven seasons to accept an invite to the top college football All-Star Game.

2023 SirVocea Dennis
2022 Cal Adomitis, Damarri Mathis, Kenny Pickett
2021 Damar Hamlin, Patrick Jones II, Jimmy Morrissey, Rashad Weaver
2020 Dane Jackson
2019 Darrin Hall
2018 Brian O’Neill
2017 Adam Bisnowaty, Nathan Peterman

The post SirVocea Dennis Held Out of Senior Bowl with Injury appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The Dukes didn’t show up until a few minutes later.

St. Bonaventure started the game on a 20-3 opening run and withstood one late charge to beat Duquesne, 65-56 at Reilly Center.

The Dukes missed almost every shot they looked at in the game’s opening period. Of Duquesne’s first 14 field goals, 13 went wide of the mark, in a combination between good shots that just wouldn’t fall and then some frustrating shot selection.

Meanwhile, the Bonnies hit everything in sight. They started 8 of 10 from the floor while building the big lead.

The rest of the game remained remarkably even. The final rebounds were 36-34, St. Bonaventure. Duquesne had fewer turnovers, 10 to 13.  But for the most part, it was that early run of hot-and-cold shooting that decided things.

The deficit remained 15 at the half and it wasn’t until late the game that Duquesne cut the lead to under 10 points. Jimmy Clark III (12 points, 5 of 14) and R.J. Gunn Jr. (10 points, 4 of 14) were volume scorers for Duquesne. Gunn added 10 boards for a double-double.

Tre Williams made his return after missing two games with an injury. He was a strong 5 of 8 for 11 points while playing 19 minutes off the bench.

Guard Daryl Banks was a tough matchup for the Duquesne guards. He hit 3 of 10 from 3-point range and added four assists and four steals to his 15 points.

St. Bonaventure has won six in a row in the rivalry and nine of the last 10. Keith Dambrot fell to 1-11 against the Bonnies. The Dukes will get another shot at the Bonnies later this season back in Pittsburgh on Feb. 11.

The Dukes fell to 3-3 in A-10 play, while the Bonnies moved to 4-2 and into a tie with Richmond for fourth place. 

Duquesne (13-6) finished its three-game road swing 1-2 and will now return home to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse for home games against Fordham Saturday and Loyola Chicago next Wednesday.

The post Disastrous Start Sinks Duquesne at St. Bonaventure, 65-56 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

The building wasn’t near full, with a paid attendance of just over 10,000. A solid quarter of those in attendance were cheering for the other Gold and Blue, as members of an invading West Virginia Mountaineers nation. But it was loud. 

At least since before the pandemic, and probably for a little while before that, the Pitt basketball team played a game worth getting excited about.

The Oakland Zoo arrived early, with some students camping out hours before the game to get a good seat. The gold-clad cadre of undergrads wasn’t as rowdy as it was in its heyday, but the students showed up and made their presence felt.

“They have been outstanding so far,” head coach Jeff Capel said. “They were here early. They were in the lobby. They were standing in the rain, all of those things. We’re incredibly grateful for it.”

.@OaklandZoo pic.twitter.com/tB4CmgEklv

— Pitt Basketball (@Pitt_MBB) November 11, 2022

During the frenetic start to the game, when both teams made basket after basket, the decibels climbed in a building that has sat far too dormant for far too long.

I’ve had the unique perspective of covering more bad basketball games at Petersen Events Center than just about anyone. The early days of my time on the Pitt beat coincided with the end of the Jamie Dixon era, when Pitt would play the lightest possible home schedule year-in and year-out.

Big games, if there were any, in the non-conference schedule, were played in New York or Hawaii or even an aircraft carrier in Japan, but rarely at the home of Pitt Basketball.

Since then, things have gotten worse. There have been some bigger games scheduled at the Pete. But the Pitt basketball team has not inspired much confidence against even middling teams in that time.

To say that things have not gone well for Jeff Capel would be a massive understatement, but he has put together a team that appears to be worthy of some excitement. Blake Hinson showed what he can do in the opener. Nelly Cummings is a Pittsburgh-tough guard that probably played it a little too tough against the Mountaineers and got himself into foul trouble as a result. John Hugley, whenever he gets back into the lineup, could be a star.

The college basketball season is a long one, probably too long. For the teams like those Dixon-era Panthers that figure to play deep into March, a sleepy November might not be a big deal.

But for Pitt, with no certainty of playing meaningful games late into a daunting ACC slate, the opportunity to connect with the fanbase is hugely important. They need moments like the first five minutes of Friday’s game.

“The atmosphere was crazy,” guard Greg Elliott said. “It was a great crowd to play in front of.”

Pitt didn’t take advantage of that crowd on Friday night, getting run out of the building in the second half after a competitive first 20 minutes. But it was a strong sign that if they can get the program back to where it needs to be on the court — and continue scheduling meaningful games at the Pete throughout the calendar — that the fans will come back to the team.

“(I’m) just disappointed that our performance wasn’t deserving of the energy they gave,” Capel said. “Grateful for that and hopeful, that’s something that continues.”

There’s too much history in this program — this building — to let the memory of what Pitt basketball has been and can be fade. Friday was a good reminder. The pressure will be on Capel to prove that his team can perform up to the level of his crowd going forward.

The post Saunders: Brawl a Reminder of How Fun Good Basketball at the Pete Can Be, How Far Pitt Has to Go appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

CLASS-6A

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

No. 4 Canon-McMillan at No. 1 North Allegheny
No. 3 Central Catholic at No. 2 Mt. Lebanon

CHAMPIONSHIP, Saturday, Nov. 19, 6 p.m.

Semifinal winners, at Norwin High School

CLASS-5A

QUARTERFINALS, Friday Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 1 Bethel Park 19, No. 8 North Hills 17
No. 5 Upper St. Clair 24, No. 4 Gateway 21
No. 2 Pine-Richland 31, No. 7 Penn-Trafford 17
No. 6 Woodland Hills 21, No. 3 Franklin Regional 0

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

Bethel Park vs. Upper St. Clair, TBD
Pine-Richland vs. Woodland Hills, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Saturday, Nov. 19, noon

Semifinal winners, at Norwin High School

CLASS-4A

FIRST ROUND, Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 8 Montour 34, No. 9 Hampton 33
No. 4 Armstrong 39, No. 13 Blackhawk 7
No. 5 McKeesport 43, No. 12 Mars 0
No. 7 Laurel Highlands 44, No. 10 West Allegheny 15
No. 11 Latrobe 28, No. 6 Highlands 21

QUARTERFINALS, Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

Montour vs. No. 1 Aliquippa, TBD
Armstrong vs. McKeesport, TBD
Laurel Highland at No. 2 Central Valley
Latrobe at No. 3 Thomas Jefferson

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

Aliquippa/Montour winner vs. Armstrong/McKeesport winner, TBD
Central Valley/LH winner vs. TJ/Latrobe winner, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Friday, Nov. 25, 8 p.m.

Semifinal winners, at Acrisure Stadium

CLASS-3A

FIRST ROUND, Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 9 East Allegheny 42, No. 8 Mt. Pleasant 39
No. 5 West Mifflin 54, No. 12 Southmoreland 28
No. 7 Beaver 17, No. 10 Deer Lakes 3
No. 6 Shady Side Academy 35, No. 11 South Park 14

QUARTERFINALS, Friday Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

East Allegheny at No. 1 Belle Vernon
West Mifflin at No. 4 Freeport
Beaver at No. 2 Avonworth
Shady Side Academy at No. 3 Elizabeth Forward

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

BVA/East Allegheny winner vs. Freeport/WM winner, TBD
Avonworth/Beaver winner vs. EF/Shady Side winner, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Friday, Nov. 25, 5 p.m.

Semifinal winners, at Acrisure Stadium

CLASS-2A

FIRST ROUND, Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 8 McGuffey 34, No. 9 Mohawk 29
No. 4 Neshannock 48, No. 13 Burrell 6
No. 12 Washington 49, No. 5 Serra Catholic 21
No. 7 Ligonier Valley 27, No. 10 Western Beaver 20
No. 3 Sto-Rox 29, No. 14 Riverside 0
No. 6 Keystone Oaks 21, No. 11 Apollo-Ridge 14

QUARTERFINALS, Friday Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

McGuffey at No. 1 Steel Valley
Neshannock vs. Washington, TBD
Ligonier Valley vs. No. 2 Beaver Falls at Geneva College
Sto-Rox vs. Keystone Oaks, TBD

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

SV/McGuffey winner vs. Neshannock/Washington winner, TBD
BF/Ligonier Valley winner vs. Sto-Rox/KO winner, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Friday, Nov. 25, 2 p.m.

Semifinal winners, at Acrisure Stadium’

CLASS-A

FIRST ROUND, Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 1 Bishop Canevin 63, No. 16 Jeannette 14
No. 9 Clairton 45, No. 8 OLSH 19
No. 4 Mapletown 41, No. 13 Leechburg 28
No. 5 South Side 34, No. 12 California 3
No. 2 Laurel 53, No. 15 Carmichaels 8
No. 10 Union 32, No. 7 Burgettstown 7
No. 14 Rochester 36, No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic 15
No. 6 Fort Cherry 56, No. 11 Monessen 42

QUARTERFINALS, Friday Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

Bishop Canevin vs. Clairton, TBD
Mapletown vs. South Side, TBD
Laurel vs. Union, TBD
Rochester vs. Fort Cherry, TBD

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

BC/Clairton vs. Mapletown/SSB, TBD
Laurel/Union vs. Rochester/Monessen, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Friday, Nov. 25, 11 a.m.

Semifinal winners, at Acrisure Stadium

The post WPIAL 2022 Football Playoff Brackets after First Round appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Here’s how the WPIAL postseason will play out this year:

CLASS-6A

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

No. 1 No. 4 Canon-McMillan at No. 1 North Allegheny
No. 2 No. 3 Central Catholic at No. 2 Mt. Lebanon

CHAMPIONSHIP, Saturday, Nov. 19, 6 p.m.

Semifinal winners, at Norwin High School

CLASS-5A

QUARTERFINALS, Friday Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 8 North Hills at No. 1 Bethel Park
No. 5 Upper St. Clair at No. 4 Gateway
No. 7 Penn-Trafford at No. 2 Pine-Richland
No. 6 Woodland Hills at No. 3 Franklin Regional

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

Bethel Park/North Hills winner vs. Gateway/USC winner, TBD
P-T/P-R winner vs. Woodland Hills/Franklin winner, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Saturday, Nov. 19, noon

Semifinal winners, at Norwin High School

CLASS-4A

FIRST ROUND, Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 9 Hampton at No. 8 Montour
No. 13 Blackhawk at No. 4 Armstrong
No. 12 Mars at No. 5 McKeesport
No. 10 West Allegheny at No. 7 Laurel Highlands
No. 11 Latrobe at No. 6 Highlands

QUARTERFINALS, Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

Montour/Hampton winner vs. No. 1 Aliquippa, TBD
Armstrong/Blackhawk winner vs. McKeesport/Mars winner, TBD
LH/WA winner at No. 2 Central Valley
Highlands/Latrobe winner vs No. 3 Thomas Jefferson, TBD

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

Aliquippa/Montour/Hampton vs. Armstrong/Blackhawk/McKeesport/Mars, TBD
Central Valley/LH/WA vs. TJ/Highlands/Latrobe, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Friday, Nov. 25, 8 p.m.

Semifinal winners, at Acrisure Stadium

CLASS-3A

FIRST ROUND, Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 9 East Allegheny at No. 8 Mt. Pleasant
No. 12 Southmoreland at No. 5 West Mifflin
No. 10 Deer Lakes at No. 7 Beaver
No. 11 South Park at No. 6 Shady Side Academy

QUARTERFINALS, Friday Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant/East Allegheny at No. 1 Belle Vernon
West Mifflin/Southmoreland at No. 4 Freeport
Beaver/Deer Lakes at No. 2 Avonworth
SSA/South Park at No. 3 Elizabeth Forward

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

BVA/Mt. Pleasant/East Allegheny vs. Freeport/WM/Southmoreland, TBD
Avonworth/Beaver/DL vs. EF/SSA/South Park, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Friday, Nov. 25, 5 p.m.

Semifinal winners, at Acrisure Stadium

CLASS-2A

FIRST ROUND, Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 9 Mohawk at No. 8 McGuffey
No. 13 Burrell at No. 4 Neshannock
No. 5 Serra Catholic vs. No. 12 Washington at Norwin
No. 7 Ligonier Valley vs. No. 10 Western Beaver at Offut Field, Greeburg
No. 14 Riverside at No. 3 Sto-Rox
No. 11 Apollo-Ridge at No. 6 Keystone Oaks

QUARTERFINALS, Friday Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

McGuffey/Mohawk at No. 1 Steel Valley
Neshannock/Burrell vs. Serra/Washington, TBD
LV/Western Beaver vs. No. 2 Beaver Falls at Geneva College
Sto-Rox/Riverside vs. KO/Apollo-Ridge, TBD

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

SV/McGuffey/Mohawk vs. Neshannock/Burrell/Serra/Wash, TBD
BF/LV/Western Beaver vs. Sto-Rox/Riverside/KO/Apollo-Ridge, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Friday, Nov. 25, 2 p.m.

Semifinal winners, at Acrisure Stadium’

CLASS-A

FIRST ROUND, Friday, Nov. 4, 7 p.m.

No. 1 Bishop Canevin vs. No. 16 Jeannette at Peters Township
No. 8 OLSH vs. No. 9 Clairton at Moon
No. 13 Mapletown at No. 13 Leechburg
No. 12 California at No. 5 South Side
No. 15 Carmichaels at No. 2 Laurel
No. 10 Union at No. 7 Burgettstown
No. 3 Greensburg Central Catholic vs. No. 14 Rochester at Hempfield
No. 11 Monessen at No. 6 Fort Cherry

QUARTERFINALS, Friday Nov. 11, 7 p.m.

BC/Jeannette vs. OLSH/Clairton, TBD
Mapletown/Leechburg vs. SS/California, TBD
Laurel/Carmichaels vs. Burgettstown/Union, TBD
GCC/Rochester vs. Fort Cherry/Monessen, TBD

SEMIFINALS, Friday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m.

BC/Jeannette/OLSH/Clairton vs. Mapletown/Leechburg/SS/California, TBD
Laurel/Carmichaels/Burgettstown/Union vs. GCC/Rochester/FC/Monessen, TBD

CHAMPIONSHIP, Friday, Nov. 25, 11 a.m.

Semifinal winners, at Acrisure Stadium

The post WPIAL 2022 Football Playoff Brackets Announced appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Pine-Richland (6-3, 2-1 conference) scored first on a one-yard touchdown run by Ethan Pillar. The Rams were gifted a short field with a low snap on an attempted punt and Jacob Mroz of Woodland Hills (4-4, 1-1 conference) had to fall on the ball.

After a Woodland Hills punt, Pine Richland scored again on their next drive with Pillar scoring his second one-yard touchdown of the game. The drive featured quarterback Ryan Palmieri using his legs and his arms to make plays.
Pine-Richland led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter.

At the beginning of the second quarter, Woodland Hills got on the board when Brandon Jones scored on a 31-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 14-7.

On Pine-Richland’s next possession Woodland Hills defensive back DeVaughn McClinton intercepted a pass from Palmieri. The turnover set up a five-yard touchdown run by Cameron Walter to tie the game. The drive was aided by a pass interference penalty on Pine-Richland.

Woodland Hills took the lead right before the half when the Wolverines drove down the field methodically with two strong runs by Jones, and the drive was capped off by a one yard run by Frank Keyes to Putt Woodland Hills up 21-14, and that was the halftime score

In the third quarter, Pine-Richland tied up the score when Palmieri scored a one-yard touchdown run on a drive that featured Palmieri and Pillar running left and running right over and over again. The drive was aided by a taunting penalty by McClinton on a Bradford Gelly catch.

After a three-and-out by Woodland Hills, the Rams took back the lead when Palmieri scored on an 11-yard touchdown run. Pine-Richland did not run a single pass play on the drive.

The Rams put the game out of reach when Pillar scored his third rushing touchdown of the game on an 18-yard run to Put Pine Richland up 35-21 with 3:30 left to play.

With the win Pine-Richland, controls its own destiny going into the final week of the season

Woodland Hills finishes off its regular season next Friday when they face Penn Hills, while Pine Richland will host North Hills next Friday in their final regular season game.

The post Ethan Pillar’s 3 TDs Lead Pine-Richland Past Woodland Hills 35-21 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Sweeney played three seasons for the Steelers from 1996-99 at the end of his career. He started his NFL tenure as a third-round draft pick out of Pitt in 1984 and played 11 seasons in the green and white. Sweeney also played one season with the Seattle Seahawks.

During his playing career, Sweeney played tackle, center and guard and was noted for his versatility. At one point, he started 158 straight games for the Jets.

“Jim was a typical Pittsburgh guy. He was tough,” Jets radio analyst and former teammate Marty Lyons told NewYorkJets.com. “He was tough to practice against every day. You could count on him every single Sunday. He had a different personality as soon as he crossed over the lines, though. Hard-nosed, tough-football player, a loving caring friend off the field.”

Born in Pittsburgh in 1962, Sweeney attended Seton-La Salle in the South Hills before moving on to Pitt, where he played all along the offensive line and also at tight end as a two-year starter. He earned second-team All-American honors as senior in 1983.

Sweeney was a member of the 1984 NFL All-Rookie team. He played a total of 228 games in his 16-year career, 46 with the Steelers. He spent three seasons with the Steelers, mostly as a backup towards the end of his career.

“Jim was just a great guy, man,” former Steelers linebacker Levon Kirkland said during alumni weekend. “I love that he was big, and I mean strong. He had hands and I was like ‘wow’! I was always fascinated by Jim. I remember him at Pitt and all of that. And to have him on the team, we would talk a lot. He was one of my favorite people.”

After his retirement, Sweeney got into coaching, working as offensive line coach under Greg Gattuso at Duquesne from 2000-02. He coached at Peters Township and South Fayette at the high school level and worked with the Pittsburgh Power in 2013 before he re-joined Gattuso at Albany in 2014, where he coached served as offensive line coach and in 2020 added assistant head coach to his duties in 2021, before his contract was not renewed.

The post Former Steelers, Pitt Offensive Lineman Jim Sweeney Dies at 60 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

Cignetti’s son Curt Cigentti has been the head coach at JMU since 2019. His younger son Frank Cignetti, Jr. is Pitt’s offensive coordinator.

A native of the Apollo, Pa. in the Kiski Valley northeast of Pittsburgh, Frank Cignetti Sr. was a 1960 Indiana State Teachers College (now IUP) alum, and was a three-year letterman for the Indians at end. He was a 1959 NAIA All-American, the first such honor in IUP history.

He moved quickly into coaching after his college career, leading Leechburg High School to an undefeated season and WPIAL title in 1965 before moving to Pitt, where he served as quarterbacks and receivers coach from 1966-68. 

After a one-year stop at Princeton, Cignetti became an assistant coach at West Virginia under Bobby Bowden. He was promoted to head in 1976 and led the Mountaineers for four seasons, finishing his time at a Division I coach with a 17-27 record.

Cignetti really made his mark back at his alma mater, where he turned IUP into a Division II powerhouse. He won nine games in his first season in 1986 and led the Indians to the NCAA playoffs in 13 of his first 17 seasons. Twice, he took IUP all the way to the national championship game, falling just short of a title in 1990 and 1993. 

He retired from coaching after the 2005 season, finishing his time at IUP with a 182-50-1 record and 14 division or conference championship seasons. He won the Lambert Cup 10 times as the top D-II team in the east. He was named Division II Coach of the Year in 1991 and PSAC Coach of the Year five times.

Cignetti was inducted into the IUP Hall of Fame in 2006. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, the Division II Hall of Fame and had the playing surface at IUP’s George P. Miller Stadium named for him in 2013.

His sons have carried on his football and coaching legacy. Curt was a quarterback at West Virginia before moving into coaching with stops as an assistant at Pitt, Davidson, Rice, Temple, NC State and Alabama. He took the IUP head coaching job in 2011, moved to Elon in 2017 and to JMU in 2019, where he will lead the Dukes in their transition to Division I FBS football.

I was blessed to have a great Dad! He inspired me and so many others. Love you Dad! Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/J4XtmYC0Ck

— Curt Cignetti (@JMUCurtCignetti) September 10, 2022

Frank Cignetti Jr. went to IUP and coached with his father from 1990-98. He has since worked for 12 NFL or Division I teams, serving as the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams in 2015 and quarterbacks coach for three other NFL teams before returning to the college ranks with Boston College in 2020 and returning to Pitt in 2022.

So Proud to be your son, player & assistant. You are my Hero, Love You So Much pic.twitter.com/RUXB5l9beu

— Frank Cignetti Jr. (@FrankCignetti) September 10, 2022

Frank Cignetti Jr. talked about his family history and ties to Pittsburgh ahead of the Backyard Brawl last week, a game linked the family’s history with Curt playing for and Frank Sr. coaching for West Virginia and all three coaching for Pitt.

“Hey, we’re Pitt Panther fans, let’s make no mistake,” Frank Cignetti Jr. said. “Our family heritage is from Western Pennsylvania, we had a little stop in Morgantown that didn’t end very well and make no mistake — we are Pitt Panthers.”

Both of Frank Cignetti Sr.’s sons are scheduled to coach on Saturday, with Pitt hosting Tennessee at 3:30 p.m. and James Madison hosting Norfolk State at 4 p.m. It’s unclear if either will coach. IUP is visiting East Stroudsburg at 6 p.m.

The post Frank Cignetti Sr., former IUP, WVU Head Coach, Dies at 84 appeared first on Pittsburgh Sports Now.

M.J. Devonshire took a long road — some of them country — to be waiting just over the 50-yard line for J.T. Daniels’ pass to deflect off the hands of receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton and float directly into his path.

His heroics, which sealed a 38-31 victory for Pitt in the renewal of the Backyard Brawl after an 11-year hiatus, were improbable for many reasons, and will become a fabric of the rivalry that is one of the best in college sports.

Pitt and West Virginia are close neighbors. By car, it’s just over 70 miles from Pittsburgh to Morgantown. They are the closest Power Five opponents that do not reside in the same state, and only a handful of in-state schools are closer to one another.

But that’s proximity alone is not what makes the Backyard Brawl between the teams special.

The reason that it’s a Backyard Brawl is that the schools are so closely intertwined. They recruit the same players, they hire the same coaches and their fanbases overlap across much of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Former WVU kicker Pat McAfee, now a podcast host and WWE commentator, grew up in Plum, Pa. Current WVU linebacker Exree Loe is from Johnstown and was first committed to Pitt before changing paths and heading to Morgantown. Bethel Park native James Gmiter started on the West Virginia offensive line. Tackle Ja’Quay Hubbard is from Hermitage.

Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. grew up in Morgantown. His father coached the Mountaineers. His brother played quarterback at West Virginia.

Just about every high school in Western Pennsylvania that regularly produces Division I talent has sent players to both Pitt and West Virginia.

For the last decade, calling it the Living Room Brawl might be more apt, as the teams not meeting on the field did not at all deter them from competing for many of the same recruits, here and elsewhere.

Aliquippa is perhaps the most notable of those schools. Some of the school’s greatest alumni went to Pitt, starting with the great Mike Ditka and continuing with players like Sean Gilbert, Darrelle Revis and Jonathan Baldwin.
But in the last few years, West Virginia made some recruiting inroads with the Quips. Dravon Askew-Henry, Jaleel Fields and Kwantel Raines all joined the Mountaineers.

When cornerback M.J. Devonshire was being recruited, he had three former high school teammates at WVU, compared to just two at Pitt, and little-used walk-ons at that.

Devonshire forged his own path, first choosing to go to Kentucky out of high school, picking the Wildcats over the Panthers and Mountaineers in a last-minute decision. It was a decision that didn’t go over well in Oakland. Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi announced that his recruiting class was complete an hour before Devonshire committed, ruining the surprise on the announcement at Aliquippa High School. It seemed like an intentional dig.

But after two seasons in Lexington, Devonshire set his sights on home, returning to Pittsburgh to play for the Panthers. Why did Devonshire come to Pitt after that first messy breakup?

The pull of the family, history and drama that surrounds games like that Backyard Brawl that just can’t be replicated playing somewhere other than close to home.

On Thursday, Devonshire made one of the most impactful plays in the 100-year history of the Backyard Brawl, intercepting a pass and returning it 56 yards for a touchdown into the raucous Pitt student section.

THIS. IS. THE. BACKYARD. BRAWL.

PITT SIX @Mjdevonshirejr

@ESPN #H2P » #BeatWVU pic.twitter.com/zy0EA8H4EG

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) September 2, 2022

“A hundred percent, this is why I came back to Pitt, this type of game,” Devonshire said. “It’s the greatest rivalry in college football and I just did something crazy. I can’t wait to tell my kids.”

“We wanted MJ out of high school, and he went to Kentucky and then we were able to get him back,” Narduzzi said. “I really think we take care of our Pittsburgh guys. Our Pittsburgh guys are successful. Dayon Hayes had a nice day today as well. Our Pittsburgh guys that stay home and stay here, they are going to make a lot of plays.”

Devonshire had inspiration for his winding interception return down the right sideline from another Pittsburgh kid that stayed home. Revis, his fellow Aliquippa alum, had an incredible punt return touchdown for Pitt against West Virginia in 2006.

Devonshire was thinking about that play a lot this week in the hopes that he, too could do something special.

“All summer I’ve been thinking about it,” Devonshire said. “I watched Darrelle’s punt return. I was like, man, how crazy would it be? I told (Aliquippa alum and Pitt backup quarterback) Eli (Kosanovich), if I could run up the same sideline, do the same spin move, score a touchdown, like a crazy play?”

Devonshire was one of the best punt returners in WPIAL history when he was at Aliquippa, but Konata Mumpfield won that role for Pitt this season. Devonshire said he’s fine with that. He just needed to find another way to make an impact.

“I kind of just wanted to do what those guys did,” Devonshire said. “I think I did something.”

Coach Dave Wannstedt, architect of the most famous win in the history of the rivalry, Pitt’s improbable 13-9 victory in Morgantown in 2007, was Pitt’s honorary captain for the week, and in his speech to the team, told the team that someone would make history on Thursday night.

He was right, and it being a Western Pennsylvania player, back at Pitt playing for his hometown, makes it an even sweeter chapter in the annals of the history of the Backyard Brawl for the Panthers.

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Hear from Devonshire, Pitt defensive end John Morgan, quarterback Kedon Slovis, linebacker Sir’Vocea Dennis and running back Rodney Hammond from outside the Pitt locker room after the big rivalry win,

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It won’t be easy, as the Panthers have a schedule full of pitfalls, starting with a rivalry game against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Pitt will also face a Tennessee team that probably feels like it should have beaten Pitt in 2021. The Panthers will go on the road to face two teams that did beat them last year in Western Michigan and Miami and have a challenging Atlantic Division crossover game at Louisville.

The only game on the schedule where Pitt is at a clear disadvantage on paper is at Miami, where the Hurricanes have quarterback Tyler Van Dyke back along with a strong defense and a new coaching staff under Mario Christobal that has won a lot of games.

Other than that, Pitt should be favored unless they start losing. That’s a different position for the Panthers to be in. Pat Narduzzi and company have embraced a “nobody believes in us” mentality over the years at Pitt. It’s hard to continue that mindset when you’re favored in nearly every game. 

More so than the challenges of replacing Pickett, Jordan Addison and the other departures, being able to have success in the face of greater expectations is probably the biggest challenge for the program in 2022.

Pitt has been notorious for stumbling in games that it should win over the years, including last season against Western Michigan. What happens in a schedule chock full of those games? Really, it’s anyone’s guess.

If Narduzzi can keep these Panthers on the finely honed edge they developed in 2021 all season, it’s very reasonable that Pitt could be entering Hard Rock Stadium to face Miami with a zero in the loss column.

History, though, tells us that is unlikely. Tennessee probably would have beaten Pitt if Josh Heupel had chosen the right quarterback to play last fall. He won’t make that mistake again, and with a talented quarterback, his scheme can unravel Pitt’s defense with the best of them. Remember the UCF game in Orlando?

Pitt slugged its way to a three-point win the last time the Panthers faced Malik Cunningham and Louisville in 2020, but the Cardinals passer is older and wiser now, and Scott Satterfield seems a lot more comfortable in his surroundings with that offense.

There is also a trip to North Carolina — always a potential stumbling block — and another to Virginia as Pitt’s three most dangerous Coastal Division games and four toughest ACC tests all come on the road.

If Pitt gets just average quarterback play, the Panthers probably lose a couple of those games. They aren’t likely to get worse than that, as both starter Kedon Slovis and backup Nick Patti should be capable of clearing that bar.

But Pitt isn’t going to be so sharp as a team to win all of those games. If they’re going to, Slovis is probably going to have to go above and beyond and will the team to a victory or two.

Slovis was one of the top quarterbacks available in the transfer portal this offseason, and Pitt did all it could to put the team in a good place to replace Pickett. But players aren’t in the portal because they just had a ton of success at their last stop. Can Slovis be that player that wills Pitt to victory? Absolutely. We’ve seen it. But it’s probably expecting too much to think he definitely will be that at this step in the game. 

The stumbles could come at any of the points I mentioned — or even elsewhere. After all, no one predicted a loss to Western Michigan last year. The saving grace for the Panthers is that Miami has been just as notorious if not more so when it comes to stubbing its toe on less-successful opponents down the stretch. 

So, I’ll predict that Pitt starts 9-2, with a loss to Tennessee and one of their ACC road games, and that the game in Miami will be for the Coastal crown. Pitt can beat Miami, but hasn’t happened often recently, and Van Dyke is as good of a quarterback as the Hurricanes have had in a long time. So, I’ll predict a loss in the de facto Coastal title game. 

That would leave Pitt with solid season, but a disappointing finish to cap a 9-3 year, with the upshot of what should be a decent bowl game and a chance to hit 10 wins in consecutive seasons for the first time since before I was born. 

That might not be the prediction Pitt fans are looking for, but that should be enough to keep the success that Pickett and company had last from being a one-hit wonder and continue the positive momentum of the program. That’s the big job for Narduzzi in 2022, and I’d call this prediction a success if it comes to pass.

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