Published Sep 1, 2019
Notebook: Personnel and more from the loss to Virginia
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Chris Peak  •  Pitt Sports News
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Player debuts, first-time starters, new alignments and more in the notebook from Pitt’s 30-14 loss to Virginia Saturday night.

- Pitt’s offense was held largely in check Saturday night, gaining a net total of 263 yards and scoring two touchdowns. That total yardage is less than all but three games from last season, and the team’s rushing total - 78 yards - would have been second-to-last in 2018.

- Kenny Pickett made his 16th career start on Saturday night and completed 21-of-41 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. That was the first time in Pickett’s career that he has thrown two picks in a single game, and it was also the most passes he has ever thrown in a game. The touchdown pass to Tre Tipton was Pickett’s first scoring throw since he had three in the win at Wake Forest last season.

- Tipton’s touchdown catch in the second quarter was his first since Pitt’s win over Marshall in the 2016 season.

- Similarly, junior AJ Davis’ rushing touchdown in the second quarter against Virginia was his first since the 2017 season opener against Youngstown State. He finished Saturday’s game with 25 rushing yards on seven attempts and 65 receiving yards on two catches; that total of 90 yards from scrimmage were a career high for Davis.

- Redshirt sophomore Todd Sibley ran seven times for 23 yards against Virginia, setting career highs in both rushing yards and attempts.

- Pitt unveiled a new version of its “Delta” defensive sub-package on Saturday night. The Delta has been Pitt’s primary third-down package since Pat Narduzzi arrived in 2015, and for the past four seasons, it has featured three defensive linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and three safeties.

Against Virginia, Pitt used that package, but instead of three safeties, the coaches lined up three cornerbacks. That made sense, since Narduzzi and company have given a lot of praise to the Panthers’ top three corners: Dane Jackson, Jason Pinnock and Damarri Mathis.

- The other personnel in the Delta package included Patrick Jones, Deslin Alexandre and Keyshon Camp playing end in rotation, Jaylen Twyman at tackle, Kylan Johnson, Elias Reynolds and Cam Bright at linebacker and Damar Hamlin and Jazzee Stocker at safety.

- Speaking of safety, Hamlin had a team-high seven tackles - all solo - while Paris Ford made his first career start and recorded a career-high six tackles. He also forced a fumble.

- While Pinnock and Jackson were expected to be the starters at cornerback, Mathis got the nod ahead of Pinnock and led Pitt with two pass breakups. He also recorded two tackles, including one for loss.

- Kylan Johnson made his Pitt debut after enrolling this summer as a graduate transfer from Florida. He started at Money linebacker and played the bulk of the game, making four tackles - all solo - in the process.

- All told, nine players made their Pitt debuts on Saturday night:

Nolan Ulizio
Nick Patti
Vincent Davis
Erick Hallett
Kylan Johnson
Jack Hansberry
Nakia Griffin-Stewart
Tyler Bentley
David Green

Of those nine, Vincent Davis is the only true freshman. He played the final two snaps of the game and ran twice for six yards.

- 10 players made their first career starts for Pitt on Saturday night:

AJ Davis
Rashad Wheeler
Will Gragg
Carter Warren
Nolan Ulizio
Patrick Jones
Deslin Alexandre
Cam Bright
Kylan Johnson
Paris Ford

- Wheeler wore No. 37 and lined up at fullback. He was recruited to Pitt as a defensive tackle and played in all 26 games over the last two seasons as a reserve defensive lineman, but he moved to the offensive line this offseason and then switched to fullback this summer.

- In his first career start, Alexandre had six tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and one sack - all were career highs.