Most notably, Narduzzi hired Cory Sanders as his safeties coach, filling his 10th assistant spot. Sanders brings 11 years of coaching experience to Pitt and most recently served as Western Michigan’s defensive backs coach in 2017. Prior to that, he spent four years as the head coach of St. Joseph’s and two as the defensive coordinator at West Florida, both Division II programs.

”Cory Sanders really impressed us during the interview process,” Narduzzi said in a statement. “We will be adding a young, up-and-coming coach who has outstanding football knowledge and really excels at teaching the fundamentals. Cory is also a relentless recruiter with a great eye for evaluation. He is a great addition to our staff and now gives us two coaches — along with Archie Collins — who will focus on the secondary.”

In addition to Sanders, Narduzzi hired Paris Johnson as Pitt’s assistant director of player personnel. Johnson previously served under Narduzzi as a graduate assistant at Michigan State, eventually going on to work in the Spartans recruiting department in 2015 and 2016 before joining FCS program Savannah State as a safeties coach last year.

Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge was also promoted to assistant head coach after he recently interviewed with Alabama. Partridge has been vital to Pitt’s recruiting efforts in his home state of Florida, and Narduzzi described his impact on the program as “tremendous,” despite his brief tenure in Pittsburgh, which began in 2017.

But while Pitt fans might not have thought Watson has done a good job, head coach Pat Narduzzi feels differently. And according to him, Watson will be back next season.

From the Post-Gazette:

“He’s done a really good job, in my opinion. … And Shawn’s not going anywhere, so I don’t have to worry about losing him,” Narduzzi said. “In the offseason, in December, that’s something I know I don’t have to go find an offensive coordinator because he’s a loyal guy, and we’ve talked, so I think that’s gonna make it better for the future.”

I’ve basically had three main thoughts on Watson this year. In no particular order, here they are.

Personnel Matters

I know a lot of folks aren’t happy with Watson but the reality is that he’s working with a completely different offense than Canada had last season. Canada had an NFL quarterback, NFL running back, and two NFL linemen at his disposal. Pitt’s offense could eventually send some guys to the NFL but aside from Brian O’Neill on the offensive line, I don’t know how many more there are. Pitt’s offense is completely retooled this year.

It always comes down to the players. Look at a guy like Jim Chaney, for example. Chaney left here and bombed in Georgia last season. Fans were calling for his head, too, and it looked like he didn’t know what he was doing. They kept him and this year, the Bulldogs have had five 40-point games. In a four-game stretch, they hung an average of more than 45 points on Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, and Vanderbilt. Looks kind of silly now to want him gone, right?

Coaches don’t simply forget how to coach. Some guys, of course, aren’t good coaches. but coaches that have had some success don’t just usually stop being a good coach. I’ve always been convinced that 90% of it is all in the players you have and my guess is that if you give Watson Pitt’s roster last year (or even a healthy Max Browne), more points would be scored. Give any coach a backup quarterback to work with and trouble follows quite a bit.

Continuity Doesn’t Always Matter

One of the things Narduzzi mentioned in that article was that continuity would be a good thing for the team. While I agree that it’s helpful, I think it’s less important in Pitt’s case. Pitt could have a third different starting quarterback to begin the season for the third year in a row next season and I’m not sure the continuity is as important when you’re replacing the primary part in the offense that often.

I do think it always helps when you can have the continuity so I’m not downplaying its value entirely. But unless a coordinator and quarterback are working together for a few years, it’s hard to know how much it matters if those positions are constantly changing as they have been. I think there could be value in it if Ben DiNucci remains the starter at quarterback next season but we all know that’s a big ‘if’ right now. At this point, I definitely wouldn’t be holding onto Watson primarily for the sake of continuity because it’s less valuable if the quarterback continues to change.

Playcalling

The playcalling under Watson has been, at times, baffling. It’s not always that way but there have certainly been times when I simply didn’t get the play call - especially if it didn’t work, obviously.

Here’s the thing, though. Tell me the last time a coordinator hasn’t been questioned. Pitt fans all herald Matt Canada as some kind of genius but take a look back at past game threads and you can see that playcalling is almost always questioned. Even against Penn State where Pitt put 42 points on the board, there were still some calls that had fans upset.

It’s the nature of the beast. No matter who the coordinator is, there are always going to be complaints about some play calls.

Overall, I’m mixed on this. I generally only think you should replace a coach if you’re ending up with a better one so I’d need to know who would be available. But do I place all of the blame for the offense on Canada? Nah. And it looks like Narduzzi isn’t, either.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

But after the game, Narduzzi acknowledged Browne was still the starter. On Monday in his weekly press conference, he elaborated and seemed even more secure with his selection of Browne.

"Obviously he's not perfect," Narduzzi conceded, "but there wasn't one guy, coach, player, SID that was on Saturday. He had some -- you look at it, and we look at accuracy as far as him throwing the ball, not a burn, which Coach Watson says throw away incomplete passes, but I think he had six incomplete passes that he was accurate.

"But I was pretty happy after watching the tape with him more than I was maybe after the game."

Narduzzi, though, acknowledged there was room for improvement.

"You know, so does he have room for improvement? Yes. And so do I. So I don't see it any different."

Even though Browne is the starter, there seemed to be some conflict if Narduzzi would try to find playing time for DiNucci. When asked if he would look to get DiNucci into the game, he initially sounded like it would happen.

"No, we were looking for opportunities in the opener," he initially responded when asked if they would look for ways to get him into the game. "Ben is a good football player. We've told you that, and he did some nice things in there. Ball security is still an issue." But when pressed, Narduzzi seemed to change his mind a little.

"I would like to look for opportunities," he said. "It's easier said than done when you get in the game. It's a hard call."

So what did we learn here? Not too much. Browne is still the starter. For how long? That's anybody's guess. Now, if Pitt gets into a situation where they need some mobility at quarterback, I could still see Narduzzi giving DiNucci a look on some packages. But until Browne struggles, it sounds as if he's the guy on a full-time basis.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

James Franklin said when Pitt beat Penn State last year it was like they won the Super Bowl

"For us this year it was like beating Akron" pic.twitter.com/TiC362Ax4q

— John Clark CSN/NBC (@JClarkCSN) September 9, 2017

Kind of ironic, of course, considering that Franklin recently stated that every game for Penn State was the Super Bowl. But I digress.

It's worth pointing out that, while some Penn State fans incredulously insist that wasn't the case, the quote was seen as not only a low blow by Pitt fans but also by some national media, who have absolutely no skin in the game.

John Feinstein called it arrogant. USA Today had an article, calling it a shot. Famed basketball writer Dick Weiss called it a shot. A writer for the Tennessean says Franklin is full of it. Surely, there were more.

Beyond those folks, a gaggle of other outlets, including SportsCenter, didn't entirely print that it was a shot but noted the quote on Twitter and elsewhere, virtually acknowledging it as a shot. And while Rich Eisen took a poll on his Twitter account and about 2/3 of the nearly 10,000 respondents looked unfavorably on Franklin's comments.  Eisen also didn't crush Franklin directly but did acknowledge that Pitt's 'Super Bowl,' if there was one, was against Clemson and not Penn State last season.

Either most of us are wrong here and Penn State fans are correct in their assertion that it wasn't a cheap shot or vice versa. I'll let you make that call.

On Monday, it was Pat Narduzzi's turn to weigh in. His reaction?

Pat Narduzzi was asked about his reaction to James Franklin's Akron comment: "You'd have to ask him. They went low, we went high."

— Craig Meyer (@CraigMeyerPG) September 11, 2017

My general reaction is that I honestly don't care if Franklin said that. Did I think it was tasteless? Sure. But he's allowed to say whatever the heck he wants and, by the way, Pat Narduzzi has rubbed some folks the wrong way, too, in the past. But the idea of Franklin and Penn State fans to essentially play dumb here and act like this wasn't a shot is kind of amusing. It all sort of reverberates back to the idea of many Nittany Lions fans that often have this strange notion that their team is above the fray and is the standard-bearer for justice and purity when quotes like this sort of show that nothing is further from the truth.

That's what irkes me more about this. I didn't like Franklin's comments but they didn't throw me into a complete tizzy, either. But the suggestion that this is nothing more than Pitt fans taking his comments the wrong way is beyond laughable.

As I said in one of the comment threads, if he intended to not make it a cheap shot, he would have simply left Pitt's reaction to winning the year before completely out of it. If he wants to take the approach the game is no different than any other, that's a view taken by most college coaches around the country. However, he chose to say that the game was Pitt's Super Bowl last year and that was the key to it.

Take the cheap shot all you want - just admit as such. Penn State won the game and a year of hearing 42-39 surely provided some amount of frustration for them, including Franklin, whether he wants to particularly admit it or not. Some would even suggest they were entitled to such a low blow because a rivalry includes some hatred and some back and forth barbs. But to take a cheap shot and then pretend as if it wasn't one is just kind of silly.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

Pitt lands a highly coveted local lineman

Pat Narduzzi tweeted earlier that Pitt received a new commitment. That commitment kept everyone guessing for the past few hours, until recently. Jake Kradel confirmed he was the newest member of Pitt’s 2018 recruiting class with that tweet just moments ago.

Jake Kradel is a 6’4” 290 pound offensive lineman from Butler, PA. He is graded as a three-star recruit by all four of the major recruiting services. ESPN goes as far as to call him the 15th ranked recruit in the state of Pennsylvania. Kradel chose Pitt over offers from Ohio State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin most notably. In all, Kradel had 25 division one offers, with most of them coming from power five schools.

Here is a better look at Kradel’s 2016 season for Butler High School.

Kradel now becomes Pitt’s fourth recruit in the 2018 class. He joins defensive end Noah Palmer as the second prospect from the WPIAL in the class. He is the third offensive recruit, joining quarterback Nick Patti and tight end Jay Symonds.

Pitt’s recruiting efforts typically pick up in late May and June under Pat Narduzzi, and it appears that trend may continue this season. Pitt’s class was off to a very slow start, but things look like they can snowball a bit in the coming weeks with visits and prospect camps on the horizon.

Landing Kradel is a pretty big deal for this staff. Not only is he a quality player, they were able to beat out national power Ohio State for his services. Pitt is always able to land some local prospects, but Notre Dame and Penn State made some serious in-roads last season on Pitt’s home turf. Landing a player of Kradel’s caliber is a strong win for Pat Narduzzi and his staff.

Before coming back for a 37-34 Homecoming win against Georgia Tech on Saturday, Pitt got off to a great start offensively. Their first drive was capped by a trick play that went for a touchdown by offensive lineman Brian O'Neill.

O'Neill isn't new to catching passes since he was formerly a tight end. But obviously, it was a shock to just about everyone to see him get the ball. He found out early in the week that they'd be calling his number and he wasn't expecting to hear that.

"They told me about it Tuesday morning and I was kind of surprised, kind of caught off-guard," O'Neill said. "The O-line had a big joke that we weren't going to run it."

Head coach Pat Narduzzi completely believed Georgia Tech would be caught off guard by his tackle running out for a catch. In fact, the coach expected O'Neill to score.

"He [Coach Narduzzi] told me before the game that, ‘if we get down there, anywhere between the 20- or 25-yard line on the left hash, we're running it," O'Neill added, recounting the words of his coach. "Be ready. Don't do anything stupid when you score a touchdown, because you're going to score a touchdown.'"

Despite Narduzzi's confidence in the play, O'Neill talked about being surprised at being so wide open. His immediate thoughts after he caught the ball?

"Don't fumble."

O'Neill's play call there from coordinator Matt Canada was just another great trick play we've seen this year. The Pitt offense has had some problems but is incredibly exciting to watch and, as O'Neill's play demonstrated, you never know what they'll run.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

So, I freely admit to nearly having a panic attack when I saw the email from Pitt's medial relations with a statement for the press from head football coach Pat Narduzzi.

I immediately assumed it to be regarding the status of safety Jordan Whitehead, which has been a hot topic since he sat out last weekend's game against Marshall. I had that part right but fortunately, it wasn't the bombshell announcement you might expect when a coach issues a full-out press release based on one player missing a single game:

"As head football coach, I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility for the well-being of our players. That includes protecting their privacy when appropriate. Jordan Whitehead did not play in last week's game for reasons that are personal in nature. I won't comment further on the topic other than to say I fully anticipate that Jordan will be available to play this coming Saturday against Georgia Tech."

Obviously this still sheds little light on why Whitehead missed the game and still doesn't even address if it was related to an injury or not, if we're being technical. By stating that it was personal, I guess we're supposed to glean that it is not injury related, but the statement is still incredibly vague.

Ironically, the statement by Narduzzi today seems to be him trying to clear the air with the media here since so much has been made of the entire situation. But a statement wouldn't have even been necessary if Narduzzi simply mentioned if it was injury-related or not. Sure, media would have wanted to dig a little further perhaps since that's their job. But I think much of this could have blown over rather quickly with Narduzzi simply addressing if it was injury-related or not after the Marshall game. By not doing that, it, unfairly or not, raised all sorts of raised flags.

I'm all for protecting players and applaud Narduzzi for seemingly wanting to do that here. But the injury/no injury thing is such a harmless question that it seems like it should have been addressed from the get go.

The further this goes, the more attention it continues to draw. Now we know that it's some kind of personal issue and while I don't think the media and fans need to know every detail about every player, the whole way this entire thing has been handled remains incredibly odd. If Whitehead suits up this week, I expect it will blow over in relatively short order. But if not, then what?

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

Last week while filling out my best and worst case scenario for Central Michigan, I made a mistake. I forgot to account for the events that transpired last Saturday. That literally was the worst case scenario. I’ll try not to let it happen again.

However, I’ve moved on and that’s the last time I’m bringing up Central Michigan. It’s time to stripe the stadium for a solid Pittsburgh team that comes in undefeated at 2-0, fresh off a win over Penn State. James Conner is the real deal on and off the field, and the Cowboys offensive line will need to be ready for a defensive line that leads the NCAA in sacks.

So without further ado, let’s try to predict the best and worst case scenario for week three.

Best Case:

I’ve seen some interesting optimistic comparisons on social media to the 2013 team, who rebounded from a disappointing loss to West Virginia early in the season, and competed for a Big 12 championship while winning 10 games. That would be nice, but the key thing that sparked the 2013 was a change in quarterback. That’s not the answer here, but in a best-case scenario, Rudolph bounces back like the quarterback we know he is. Rudolph looks a lot more comfortable and confident in the pocket, while receivers do a better job of getting open. The offensive line is going up against one of the best defensive lines in the country, so there’s plenty of reason to be worried about the run game. But if Rudolph can get the ball out quick and efficiently and set up the passing game, theoretically that should set up the run game. Right? I think that’s how it works in other offenses, but it’s been a few years since I’ve watched a good run game so my memory is a little clouded.

Defensively, James Conner is a stud. He beat cancer, and he’s more than capable of beating the Oklahoma State run defense. But if Villanova can hold him to 53 yards on 17 carries like they did in week one, Oklahoma State should be able to put up an equal, or better, performance on the Heisman candidate. Whether or not the defense can stop Conner in the rushing and passing game will be one of the key factors of this game. If they do, the Cowboys win this game. Maybe even comfortably.

Worst Case:

Oklahoma State is still hungover from last week, and Pitt jumps out early and never lets up. For the record, I don’t think Oklahoma State will come out flat, but I’m definitely not saying it won’t happen. Nobody is sure where the maturity of this team is at, but we will know by around 6 p.m. tonight. How Oklahoma State responds today will tell us all we know about this team moving forward. And if they came out like a lot of us are fearing they will, it might be a long game/season. Conner rushes for 200 yards and two scores on the ground, while also scoring another touchdown as a receiver. Last week, Penn State couldn’t contain Conner as he rushed for 117 yards and score. He also caught a touchdown pass in the Panthers 42-39 win. We could be in for a similar result if Conner gets his way.

The offense also has its fair share of question marks, starting with Mason Rudolph. Rudolph has shown more confidence on the road in Norman, than he did at home against Central Michigan. Worst case scenario is that trend carries over to today. The offensive line probably won’t give Rudolph much time anyway, resulting in three, yes three, interceptions. Five sacks isn’t even a stretch at this point, which would pretty much guarantee a loss.

I personally think Oklahoma State is going to win this game. I am also partial towards Oklahoma State. Regardless, we’re going to know a lot about where this team stands, heading into Big 12 play.

The Panthers and Nittany Lions could be playing in front of the largest crowd in Pittsburgh history

The biggest update on new stuff heading into this year can be found here in an article I wrote back in June. There's a lot of info there, so check it out if you haven't already.

Now, in case you haven't seen it yet, Pitt has a new Gameday App, which they announced publicly today. This was something that the committee brought to the athletics department as a way to better share game day information with fans attending the games. Pitt previously had an app, but significantly upgraded it and had a media blitz of sorts to really promote it. Here's a full rundown of what's included, how to download it, etc.

The idea with the app from the committee's perspective is that there had to be a better way to share more information with people coming to games, etc. The app was important because it's something that can be accessed at the last minute on game day for information, etc. It's really intended to be sort of a one-stop-shop for fans needing information about the game, about Heinz Field, etc.

Merchandise has been a big focal point. In our last meeting, they actually had an internal merchandising director, which answered questions and went into a good amount of detail about what they've been doing on that front. I'll try to summarize that here.

One thing the athletics department has heard numerous complaints on is the lack of in-stadium Pitt gear for sale. While I can't speak to specifics, there should be a noticeable difference this year. Script gear will be there obviously and they really tried to address things like having more options, including enough different sizes, etc. If you're looking to buy merchandise at the stadium, the selection will be better. This wasn't only about getting more gear there in terms of quantity. It was also about improving the selection and range of items/sizes available to meet demand.

Outside of the stadium, Pitt has also been putting in a ton of marketing efforts to make getting apparel and other items easier. They have been working hard with retail partners to get Pitt gear into more stores and in the cases of the stores that already had items, getting them to carry even more. I don't have all of the numbers in front of me, but Pitt made great strides in this area in terms of the number of stores carrying items. You should start seeing Pitt gear pop up in places that didn't previously have it.

One way they did this was to strategically target areas with high populations of Pitt fans from their mailing lists, databases, etc. Obviously, it makes the most sense to hit up the stores where the fanbase is likely to go so that's what they did.

In line with that, one complaint has been that they needed to have more women's and kids' apparel at those locations that already carried items. That is something they've been working hard on as well and selection at places where you can find Pitt apparel should improve. In addition to apparel, they've also been working hard to get more unique items in stores like tailgating supplies, etc.

And while I don't want to make this all about merchandise, Pitt sent out this merchandise catalog over the summer via email and on their website. If you hover over the items, it actually tells you where you can find them - whether it's the campus store or at other retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods. Again, not all about merchandise but as you can see, it's a big point of emphasis they've focused on over the summer. Fans have had lots of complaints about it and they really tried to address those.

Okay, jumping off of merchandise, so branding inside the stadium has been an issue. Unfortunately, I'm not here to tell you that you're going to show up to a blue and gold stadium with only Pitt stuff. That would be unrealistic and some things that they'd like to change simply cannot be done due to sharing the stadium with a pro team in the Steelers. But I will also say that Pitt is striving to make inroads here as well. You should see some things like some new signage and a bit more of a Pitt presence.

Now, I'm only the messenger, folks. And the athletics department specifically didn't/couldn't share everything that is changing for this year, so even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn't. But the point is that they are working to make things a little more Pitt-centric. We won't find out exactly how much until Saturday, but again, just know that through things like the Experience Committee and the survey, they are aware that fans see it as a problem.

Also at the stadium, you'll see some new food options this year. Pitt has been working with Aramark on that front for some new stuff and that will be there this fall. Not being super secretive here, but I honestly don't even remember what they were to tell you the truth. Just another updated item for this season.

Regarding students and working to keep them in their seats for the full games, Pitt is again going to be doing the snack/drink thing as an incentive for those who stay. It seemed to work well last year so it was welcome news that they are keeping it. They're also doing a better job in trying to spread the word out to students as far as options to get to and from the games. In addition to this page on the website with transportation info for students, they sent out a mass email about it this week with the different options available, including getting a single-game parking pass for those want to drive.

Again, nothing earth-shattering here. But (and trying to remove my bias here) the school is definitely making some progress in trying to make the fan experience a little more enjoyable. From things like adding alcohol, improving merchandise options, making parking more accessible, etc., the athletics department is doing its best to listen to some of the complaints that have been out there.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

Overall, head coach Pat Narduzzi says he enjoys changing the depth charts every day in practice to give players something to aspire to:

“There’s been a lot of depth chart decisions made, but then again there is still another week of camp and a scrimmage on Friday. We try to make depth chart changes every day they are in pads. We want them to go out there with the attitude that ‘I’m getting better today and I’m going to beat somebody out.’ I like when our kids have to see that up-and-down variation. That will continue this week.”

On the surface, that sounds a little silly. After all, are teams changing depth charts after every practice during the season? But I don't really have a problem with that way of doing business and I get that the coaches want to push the players as much as possible. I would only question how much the depth chart is really changing in the minds of coaches. Are players really a starter one day, then not the next, the again on the third?

But hey, again, if it's keeping players motivated then it shouldn't necessarily bother anyone.

One spot where there's a vacancy is linebacker with one of the spots on the outside unsettled. Don't ask coach Rob Harley to name a starter there anytime soon, though. He isn't likely to even begin discussing it until the end of camp:

“We’re not close yet—not anywhere close yet. It’s a credit to these guys who are making it really hard on me. We’re going to roll guys. That’s the nature of the spread offense. We’re going to have to roll guys in constantly to keep them fresh. Guys are on the edges; the ball is on the edge; the ball is on the perimeter; guys are running fast. We’re going to be playing six guys, and it’s going to change weekly. Those guys know it, and they’re working. Again, it’s a credit to their effort that I can’t set the depth chart yet.”

Now last week, Pitt managed to name the top receivers. Harley, though, will not even provide a top six:

“That’s also in flux. There are two weeks left. I won’t get anywhere near set until [next] Monday. We’re rolling guys in, and we’re changing guys around to see what works. It’s kind of like line changes in hockey. You’re trying to see who works well together. Who makes the most plays together? Who’s productive together? Who communicates well together? We’re doing that right now. We’ve still got two weeks left. It’s close, but we’re just not there quite yet.”

Another open spot is at quarterback. Even though Narduzzi said after the team's recent closed scrimmage this weekend that he expected to find a backup to Nathan Peterman soon, that time isn't yet here:

“Everybody did some good things. From Nathan [Peterman] all the way down to [Thomas] MacVittie and Bo Schneider. We saw some good things. We still have two more weeks for clarity. There was good and bad out of everybody. Nathan was really sound. We’re still searching.”

And while star safety Jordan Whitehead said the secondary is coming together, there isn't any announcement there as to the cornerback spot opposite Avonte Maddox or the safety spot opposite himself.

My guess is that the coaches are getting close on these things despite what's out there publicly. The team is in its final week of camp and you really want to nail down starters before the week of the first game just so those players have a chance to gel with the first team units. I would guess things are a little closer than what it might appear right now simply because time is running out and coaches have had these guys in practice for two weeks now, in addition to any time they saw them in the spring and last year.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

That was the general consensus from Pitt fans when the school released its throwback uniforms for this season. They're real and they're spectacular.

Check out the full uniforms.
New #Pitt alternate jerseys.
Debut: Homecoming, 10.8.16.#H2P #PittScript #ThePursuit pic.twitter.com/t915IXP5t9

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) August 16, 2016

and ...

Uniform of the Day: @Pitt_FB announces it will wear throwbacks from its glory days this year pic.twitter.com/ujzBqPIYvQ

— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) August 16, 2016

If that's not enough, Pitt has an Adobe Spark page, which gives you a closer look. There's also this hype video released by the school today.

I have to admit, these are pretty great. I know the thought process is that people would love to see these on an every game basis and I actually wouldn't mind that. One thing I've said before is that the great thing about those colors or even the older mustard color is that they are much more uniquely tied to Pitt than the current colors. If nothing else, part of the reason fans love these so much is that they're just different.

Now, if you're holding your breath for these to be back on a full-time basis, you probably shouldn't. These are a one-time deal that will be worn for Homecoming against Georgia Tech and as we know, Pitt just revealed new uniforms earlier this year.

I'm sure a lot of people would have loved to see these for the Penn State contest. I know I would. But the fact is that there's already plenty of hype around that game. Pitt wanted to use this to attract attention for another game and while Homecoming is already a big deal, keep in mind that there will be plenty of folks back in town and at the stadium that may only get to Pittsburgh once a year, if that. The university wants to make a very conscious effort to reach out and attract new donors. Using the throwbacks for that game will generate even more excitement around alums that maybe aren't diehard fans.

While many fans would love to see this iteration return on a regular basis to serve as the main uniforms, there's also a contingent of the fanbase that prefers the more 'modern' navy/gold currently used by the team. I'm not sure we'll ever see a return to these colors but even if we do, it's definitely not happening right now.

Your thoughts? Vote in the poll below and weigh in using the comments section.

Still, enjoy while you can ... hopefully we'll see a lot more of these going forward.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

Mathews was once a Penn State commit, but flipped to the Panthers last year before National Signing Day. Despite being a true freshman, he's already making an impact, according to head coach Pat Narduzzi.

When you look at Aaron Mathews, he’s a big, tall guy that can run. He goes up and gets the ball. He has been impressive. Maurice Ffrench has been impressive. Ruben Flowers III has done some good things. I would say Aaron Mathews has probably shown the most as far as being a deep ball threat. Maurice Ffrench is catching the ball out of the backfield well. Everyone matures at different levels, so I’m impressed with all of them. You look at [Tre] Tipton and Rafael Araujo-Lopes, those guys are just puppies; they’ve redshirted. They have a little bit further to go.”

...

“Go take a picture of him (Mathews). Just go and look at what he looks like down there. He’s a specimen, and we’re excited to work with him.”

So far, Tipton and Araujo-Lopes, are being beaten out by a trio of true freshmen, it seems, with Mathews leading the pack.

One thing to keep in mind here is that Narduzzi was speaking specifically to the newer guys that didn't play last year. This doesn't mean that Mathews is in line to beat out Henderson or Weah right now, but among the new guys, he is standing out and based on this, appears to be in for playing time right away.

Another thing worth pointing out is that wide receivers coach Kevin Sherman didn't really mention Mathews as a leader in the clubhouse among those guys; instead, saying that he, Flowers, and Ffrench are all making plays.

“I think they are working very hard right now. We are working with all three of them. Aaron Mathews, Ruben Flowers III, and Maurice Ffrench are making plays. They are doing it at different times, which is a good thing to see. They are stepping up and making plays that count when we need to make plays. They are all willing and able. Ruben [Flowers] made a big-time catch today. Aaron [Mathews] has made some plays and is a physical presence on the football field. Maurice is a guy that is very explosive and stepping up as well.”

In other words, even assuming Mathews does hold some sort of a lead between these guys, it's still very early in the process with the first week of camp just wrapping up. Still, if you take the comments of Narduzzi, it sounds as if he is in good shape to play this year as a true freshman.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter@PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.