Turnovers Determine Success and Failure for Pitt Defense
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers know how important creating turnovers is. In the ACC opener against Georgia Tech, the Panthers let multiple interceptions fly through their hands and it haunted them following an ugly loss.
"First play on defense, it’s played perfectly," Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said. "Everybody is perfect and we got an interception for a touchdown. That’s starting fast, right? ... It’s probably a totally different outcome."
Against Virginia Tech it wasn't an early turnover but a late one that gave the Panthers a necessary momentum swing.
Pitt went three and out on their first drive of the fourth quarter and the Hokies had just blocked a punt and recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown. The Panthers' nine-point lead had been cut to two and after another three-and-out, Virginia Tech had the ball back and was threatening to take a late lead.
That's where redshirt senior defensive end John Morgan came in. After quarterback Grant Wells completed a first down pass over midfield, Morgan raced from his spot on the line to hit Hokie receiver Kaleb Smith and force a fumble. Pitt linebacker Shayne Simon recovered the ball and two plays later, the Panthers were back in firm control at 38-29 with less than 11 minutes left to play.
"But John Morgan, that was a great play by him. You don't usually see a 270-pounder hitting a receiver down the field," Narduzzi said. "That turnover was big-time."
"Big-time" is an accurate description and it felt even bigger-time given the Panthers hadn't forced one since Week 3 against Western Michigan. Pitt is 3-0 when the win the turnover battle, 1-1 when they tie it and 0-1 when they lose it.
Pick-sixes against West Virginia and the Broncos standout as game-changing plays but for safety Erick Hallett, Pitt doesn't need to score on defense to win. He evaluates their performance based on how they can halt an opponent's momentum or create their own.
"I think a lot of times when we go out there, we're trying to change the momentum," Hallett said. "We're not necessarily the people that are looked at to score or put points on the board necessarily, but we're out there to change the momentum and obviously stop them from scoring. But a play like that obviously swings the momentum."
Hallett said the Panthers are improving and building chemistry week by week. They understand what each other needs and where each other can help and that's allowed them to play faster when opportunities are in front of them.
"I think it's a steady improvement from Week 1 to Week 6 I think you see guys coming along whether it's the young guys or the vets, just helping everyone else come along - I just think we've improved a lot, a whole bunch."
He wants more of that. Hallett believes the Panthers can afford to think less and free themselves of some pressure if they quit pressing for splash plays and play within themselves.
"I think more than anything, just be where you're at," Hallett said. "Don't think about last week, don't think about the week before that, don't think about anything else - just be where you're at. Let the plays come to you. You don't have to get outside of yourself to make a play."
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