Behind Enemy Lines: Five Questions for Inside The Panthers' Stephen Thompson
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - After heading into their bye week with momentum on their side, the Louisville football program returns to action this weekend, kicking off a three-game home stand against Pitt.
Ahead of the matchup, Louisville Report sat down with Stephen Thompson of Sports Illustrated's Inside The Panthers to find out more about the Panthers:
1. Pitt had preseason aspirations of potentially repeating as ACC champions, but it seems that this season hasn’t gone as well as many expected. What’s the overall mood of the fanbase and vibe around the program midway through the year?
I think last season did a lot to make this fanbase feel more comfortable with where they are at in the greater landscape of college football from a 30,000-foot view. An ACC Championship, New Year’s Six Bowl berth and top-15 finish in last year’s polls did wonders for the outside perception of Pitt, but it’s a double-edged sword because it created expectations for this year that I’m not sure they were ready to meet. Injuries to key starters and shortcomings from different units staffed with transfers has made the early portions of the season a slog, particularly on offense. There’s a lot of doubt that this team can make it back to Charlotte, let alone win the whole thing, but life in the Coastal means you’re never out of the race and I expect fans to lighten up as the team gets more healthy and solidifies its identity.
2. RB Israel Abanikanda had an insane first half of the season, leading the ACC in both rushing yards and rushing scores. What makes Izzy such a prolific weapon as both a running back and kick returner, and how has new OC Frank Cignetti’s scheme helped him?
Speed, speed and more speed. Abanikanda’s has wonderful vision and strength but his game-breaking speed has been Pitt’s best weapon on offense this season. If you watch his touchdown runs this year - particularly the handful of 50 or 60-plus yard scores - he’s running untouched from handoff to goal line really frequently. A lot of that has to do with great play from the offensive line but the other side of it is that once Izzy sees daylight, there’s no one stopping him unless they’re right in front of him and in perfect position to make a tackle. I have yet to see anyone chase him down. As far as what Cignetti has done for him, it’s pretty simple. He transitioned Pitt from a team that threw 70% of the time to one that runs more than 60% of the time and those extra touches are really all that Abanikanda needed to get hot.
3. What’s the biggest difference in the passing game post-Kenny Pickett? The Panthers still have solid weapons at WR even after Jordan Addison’s departure, but QB Kedon Slovis seems to be hit-or-miss when healthy.
As I mentioned before, the Panthers are throwing a lot less than they did a year ago, which plays to their strengths. Abanikanda’s been their best player so the passing game has been complimentary to his running. That said, the explosiveness that the Pickett-Addison connection brought is not there, even though Slovis is a capable deep-ball thrower. They are both not taking as many shots down field and not hitting much when they do. Some of that’s on Slovis, but I think more of it has to do with how much less refined the receiver play has been across the board so far. Through six games, they’ve preferred to throw short and rely on their playmakers to run after the catch for long gains. It’s worked with varying levels of success but I think Pitt is waiting until they see more from Bub Means and Konata Mumpfield - a pair of transfer receivers who earned starting jobs out of camp - before they’re comfortable chucking the ball again.
4. Pitt’s defense is bordering on being in the top 25 nationally in terms of yards allowed, but is in the bottom third of the ACC in terms of points allowed. How is this the case?
This is just a product of how the Panthers play. Pat Narduzzi loves to play his defensive backs on islands while the front seven engages in relentless pass rushing and run stopping. They’ve been prone to big throws and runs but once in the redzone, where their aggressive style of play is more palatable given the room the offense has to work with, they’ve been pretty good. Opponents are scoring a lot on those opportunities, but it’s been more field goals than touchdowns.
5. Defensive guys like Calijah Kancey, SirVocea Dennis and Erick Hallett II are known talents, but who is an X-Factor on that side of the ball?
Watch out for John Morgan, a co-starter at defensive end alongside Deslin Alexandre. When Alexandre went down for a few weeks with a wrist injury at the start of the season, Morgan was called upon to be a full-time starter and he has thrived. He’s a productive player but his best moments come when the tension is the highest. He is passionate, confident and a hard hitter. Every time the Panthers make a clutch play on defense, you can usually find Morgan in the middle of it.
(Photo of Malik Cunningham, Rashad Weaver: Charles LeClaire - USA TODAY Sports)
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