Week 1 Recap: Pitt Defeats Wofford 45-7 in Season Opener

Pitt did what they were supposed to do, namely, blowout an overmatched FCS opponent. In the 2023 season opener, the Pitt Panthers defeated the Wofford Terriers 45-7. Overall, the defense dominated, basically having their way with the Wofford offensive line. Dayon Hayes got a sack on the opening defensive play, and Pitt used its defense to set the tone, and impose their will on Wofford. Offensively, however, there were early struggles. Senior Quarterback Phil Jurkovec looked slow, heavy footed, and uncomfortable for much of the game. The first series was highly concerning. Quite frankly, the quarterback play looked a lot like last year. Jurkovec settled down a bit and made a few plays but there were very few high-level throws against a subpar opponent.

Of course, there could be several legitimate reasons for Jurkovec’s underwhelming performance. First, It was his first game at Acrisure Stadium in front of his friends and family. Second, it was his first start with a new team that included several freshman wide receivers. Third, as Head Coach Pat Narduzzi stated in his press conference, Wofford played safe coverages and played off receivers, which took away Jurkovec’s strength: the deep ball. Finally, Pitt did not have much familiarity with their opponent.

Hopefully, Jurkovec improves next week against the Cincinnati Bearcats. There were some encouraging signs against Wofford. He did not commit a turnover, he ran the ball well, and he seemed to gain confidence throughout the game. College football players improve throughout the season.

Aside from the obvious reaction to Phil Jurkovec’s first start as a Panther, here are some other observations from yesterday’s win over Wofford.

The Pitt Identity in 2023 Should Be: Run the Football and Play Great Defense

We do live in Pittsburgh after all….but the Pitt Panthers formula for winning in 2023 will need to start with an effective running game and a defense that dominates the line of scrimmage and creates turnovers. On Saturday, Pitt ran the ball well and used their top three backs to gain large chunks of yards on the ground. Daniel Carter looks to be a bigger part of the running game than in years past. Rodney Hammond picked up where he left off last season, and C’Bo Flemister added some punch to the ground game. On the other side of the ball, Pitt looks like a typical Pat Narduzzi defense. Aggressive front that looks to dominate the point of attack, and corners that are physical at the line of scrimmage. One added bonus this year appears to be the talent in the linebacking corps. Bangally Kamara was flying around the ball and will be highly disruptive throughout the year.

The Pitt Passing Game Is Not Built for Two-Minute Situations

Phil Jurkovec does not seem to operate smoothly in a shotgun, spread 2-minute type of situation. Rather, he is more of a slow, plodding quarterback that functions better with a deep drop and wide pocket. The Pitt Offensive Line will need to hold their blocks in pass protection to allow Jurkovec to take deep shots down the field. Jurkovec nearly hit Bub Means on a deep shot but overthrew him by 5 yards. Those deep shots will connect later in the season, but they will only connect if the Offensive Line protects well. Pitt better not trail by more than a touchdown in many games this year because the passing game is not built to score quickly, or in 2-minute situations. Rather, Pitt will need to control the line of scrimmage, gain positive yardage on first and second downs to keep them in third and manageable.

Final Thoughts:



Pitt hosts the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium. Cincinnati is coming off of a big 66-13 win over Eastern Kentucky. We will find out more about Pitt after Saturday's game. The best way to help a quarterback succeed is by running the ball. I suspect Pitt will run the ball early and often against the Bearcats. When I was watching the Pitt offense early in the game, and most of last year, I kept thinking to myself: Kenny Pickett elevated the Pitt program and I am glad the Steelers drafted him. As a Pitt fan, he is sorely missed.