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Aston's return could boost numbers

Forget about folk tales and Chuck Norris jokes. Even set aside the absurd strength numbers and the quiet intimidation that forms the basis of his leadership.

All the clichés about George Aston are secondary to something very tangible he can provide to the 2018 Pitt football team. Because the last time Aston was on the field for a full season, he excelled at reaching the end zone, and Pitt could use a little - or maybe a lot - more of that in 2018.

Consider that in 2016, Aston was part of a multi-headed beast at the tight end and H-back positions that produced a ton of the Panthers’ points in a record-setting season. Aston had five rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns; tight end Scott Orndoff added five more receiving scores.

Pitt’s offense that season scored 64 touchdowns; Orndoff and Aston, operating from positions that aren’t necessarily known for their flashiness, accounted for nearly a quarter of those.

But last season, with Aston missing virtually the entire season due to injury and Orndoff gone to graduation, the production at tight end and H-back - the two positions overlap enough in personnel to consider their stats collectively - fell off dramatically.

Manned by a combination of Matt Flanagan, Chris Clark and Tyler Sear, the tight ends and H-backs produced just one touchdown. There were plenty of factors that went into Pitt’s offensive drop-off from 2016 to 2017 - the team averaged 17 points per game less in the latter season - but the nosedive at tight end and H-back is hard to ignore.

As such, it’s hard to ignore the impact Aston can make upon his return - a return he is greatly anticipating.

“I love playing football, so having a year off was really terrible. It really sucked. I’m really happy to be back,” Aston said this week.

His teammates and coaches are likely to echo that sentiment. Shortly after he was hired last spring, Pitt offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said he “[didn’t] know if there’s a better player at what he does in the country than George.” Head coach Pat Narduzzi has said that Aston “can do anything.”

And that’s not just hyperbole. Aston’s combination of five rushing touchdowns and five receiving touchdowns was fairly unique nationally; only five other FBS players had at least five of each in 2016, including second-round picks Curtis Samuel and Joe Mixon and N.C. State standout Jaylen Samuels, who is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers

None of those five players was as efficient as Aston, though. Mixon needed 224 touches to score his touchdowns. Samuel needed 171.

Aston scored 10 touchdowns on just 44 touches - that’s one touchdown roughly every four times he got the ball. Only Samuels from N.C. State came close to that average, scoring once every 6.8 touches.

Aston and Samuels have something else in common: they both developed as H-backs/fullbacks/tight ends in Matt Canada’s offense (he went from N.C. State to Pitt prior to the 2016 season). That system took advantage of defenses who failed to account for Aston, as he often scored on quick sweeps and shovel passes.

The redshirt senior hasn’t played a season in Watson’s offense yet, but given Pitt’s need for offensive production, he should get his opportunities.

“He’s going to use me the best way he sees possible,” Aston said of Watson. “I think I’m going to help out a lot this year.”

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