3 Pitt Panthers Stand Out for Raiders
There were standouts across the board on offense and defense for the Las Vegas Raiders in their dominating preseason-opening victory over the Seattle Seahawks, but three of them have something in common.
Quarterback Nathan Peterman, wide receiver DJ Turner, and center Jimmy Morrissey all played college ball for the Pitt Panthers.
The 6-2, 225-pound Peterman, selected in the fifth round (No. 171 overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and signed by the Raiders as a free agent a year later, did more than simply complete 29-of-38 passes for 246 yards and rush for 32 yards against the Seahawks.
The 27-year-old Peterman ran the show, playing all but the final play as the Raiders controlled the ball for 40.37 minutes and gained 385 total yards in their 20-7 victory at Allegiant Stadium before some 65,000 fans.
“Nate Peterman is a true professional, he takes his job very seriously, he loves the game of football, he loves to compete at a high level and he cares for his teammates,” said wide receiver Zay Jones, who caught three passes for 57 yards.
“When he’s in the huddle, when he’s out there on the field, he’s gonna do the best that he possibly can.”
One of the Raiders’ goals this season was to be better in the Red Zone, and Peterman took them on four drives that resulted in points, two touchdowns, and two field goals.
The Silver and Black were four-for-four when getting into scoring position.
“We want to be four out of four, we’ll hopefully get better and better as the season goes on,” Raiders coach Jon Gruden said. … (Peterman) has really shown some development on the practice field, and he carried it over today. I like Nate Peterman.”
Said Peterman: “That was fun after what really feels like almost two years of not playing. … Every time you go out there—whether it’s preseason, practice, whatever it is—I’ve always got something to prove I feel like. That’s what it was today, and I’m just happy to go out there and have some fun and get a win.”
Peterman’s favorite receiver was Turner, who was targeted eight times and caught seven of those passes for 43 yards, in addition to returning a punt for 13 yards and a short kickoff for 13 more yards. The versatile Turner also carried the ball twice for seven yards, including a six-yarder.
The 5-9, 206-pound Turner was at Maryland for four years before playing as a fifth-year senior at Pitt in 2020. He recorded 68 career receptions for 928 yards and four touchdowns, including 44 catches for 634 yards and three touchdowns for the Panthers.
In addition, Turner led Pitt with 15 punt returns for 125 yards (an 8.3-yard average) and 14 kickoff returns for 311 yards (a 22.2-yard average), and was selected to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference team as a kick returner.
“I think people get caught up with him being five-foot-nine, but the guy is a real talent,” one scout said of Turner. “Versatility is king in this game you know? The more you can do, the better, and Turner can do a lot on offense. He is a real weapon with great hands, and he is quick and fast.”
The 6-3, 305-pound Morrissey almost seemed like an afterthought when the Raiders selected him in the seventh round (No. 230 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Pitt, where he was named winner of the 2020 Burlsworth Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in college football who began his career as a walk-on.
Morrissey surprised many from where he began, starting 47 games in his college career and being named to the All-ACC team three consecutive seasons.
Against Seattle, Morrissey replaced starting center Andre James and the Raiders offensive line didn’t miss a beat in a game in which they rushed for 158 yards and 12 first downs, controlling the ball and the clock.
Free-agent running backs Trey Ragas and B.J. Emmons combined for 107 yards and each scored a touchdown, with Emmons going straight up the middle behind Morrissey and the rest of the interior line from two yards out for the clinching touchdown with 7:37 left in the game.
Peterman, Turner, and Morrissey are all fighting for roster spots and strengthened their chances in round one.
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