Thursday Pitt Football QB Notebook: Biggest Test of Camp Approaches
PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi was excited on Thursday morning and for good reason. His team is going to scrimmage on the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex turf this Saturday and give the coaching staff a real measuring stick to compare them against.
It will be as close to a real gameday as Narduzzi can make it, given that Acrisure Stadium will be preoccupied by a Steelers preseason game while the Panthers are relegated to their own practice fields on the South Side.
"[It's important] because it's a scrimmage," Narduzzi said. "I feel like we've been in camp forever. We haven't had a scrimmage yet because of the way the days lie. I like to do it on Saturday like a gameday, make it like a gameday. It's important because it's a chance to do it live and really get it going."
Pitt's quarterbacks will be the first to notice the change of pace. Against game situations, they will face a pass rush, have to make checks at the line of scrimmage and really command the offense while coaches take a back seat to the flow of football.
Thursday's practice featured some familiar sights. Kedon Slovis's arm talent is evident to the point that pitch-and-catches look like hand-offs and Nick Patti, while not as refined or traditional with his mechanics, was just as effective. His few incompletions were almost due to a miscommunication or drop.
They haven't meaningfully separated themselves through two weeks of practice and neither has shown anything that deviates from the general scouting report. But Saturday is the first meaningful landmark on the road to a named starter.
Slovis' arm cuts cleanly through air but whether it behaves the same way when pressured by a real defense - and a good one at that - remains to be seen. Patti's spent years in the program but it's an open question as to if that experience will show up in real game action, something he's relatively unfamiliar with.
No one will win the job on Saturday, but it still provides some hard data to compare and might yield a leader in the position battle as the midway point of camp nears.
Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage and so much more!
Pitt Football Preparing for First Training Camp Scrimmage
Tylar Wiltz Thriving in Early Stages of FCS-FBS Jump with Pitt Football
Years-Long Relationship With Tiquan Underwood Brought Bub Means to Pitt Football
Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi Addresses Media Before Training Camp Practice No. 8
Karter Johnson - Older, Slimmer - Adding Depth to Pitt Football
Pitt Football Practice Takeaways: One RB Separating From Crowded Room
Wednesday Pitt Football QB Notebook: Slovis Showcasing Live Arm vs. Air
Pitt Football Launches Steel City NIL Club
Pitt Football Commit Kenny Minchey Lands at No. 80 in SI99
- Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt
