Entering Pitt’s week five game against Delaware, the Pitt defense is towards the top of the ACC and NCAA in a few statistical categories, keyed by the defensive line. The Panthers are fourth in the country with 18 sacks and are ranked 10th nationally with 34 tackles for loss as a team.

Heading into the 2019 season, those numbers did not seem too unfathomable, as there was some optimism surrounding this group in the offseason. Those expectations did change a bit, however. Rashad Weaver and Keyshon Camp went down with season-ending ACL injuries, thus leaving Pitt without some talented and experienced players up front.

So despite those losses, what does it say about the Pitt defensive line through four weeks?

“It says that we got pretty good depth,” Pitt junior defensive end Patrick Jones said. “Of course losing both of them is a pretty huge loss, but at the same time we got guys that have got to step up and that’s what I feel like we’re doing. I feel like we still need to continue to step up a little bit more.”

During Saturday’s 35-34 win over UCF, Pitt notched six sacks. Previously, the Knights had only allowed one sack all year prior to that. The Pitt defensive linemen were relentless then as they have been all year and they say it starts with their preparation.

“Still wished we had Keyshon Camp and Rashad Weaver, I keep saying that,” Pat Narduzzi said on Monday. “I look at it all the time, man, what if we had those two guys? Because they're difference-makers, but Coach (Randy) Bates and Charlie Partridge together have done a great job with the D-line. And again credit goes to those guys. It goes to our football players that are continuing learning. If you walk by the D-line room over there they're always in there watching tape trying to figure out what that team's doing and how can I get better.”

Jaylen Twyman is tied for fourth nationally with 5.5 sacks on the season already. He had an empathetic sack during UCF’s final drive to help seal the victory. He credits the work ethic he and his fellow defensive linemen go through on a day-to-day basis.

“Just treating practice like the game,” the sophomore said. “We try to prepare like it’s a game, like most of our D-Linemen are the first people out to practice and we always work on stuff we need to work on as far as like pass rush and our fundamentals and we’re just always working.”

Twyman himself has developed the reputation of being a hard worker, and perhaps that rubs off on other people. He said he did not change a thing when Camp and Weaver went down, and went about his business as usual.

“I always try to work hard,” Twyman said. “I prepare, personally, as if I make a lot of plays we win, if I don’t we lose. That’s just how I prepare within myself.”

Narduzzi appreciates that approach as he does not want the stats to go to his head just yet.

“So nobody cares what we did last week or what we did the week before,” the Pitt coach said. “Everybody cares about what we're going to do this Saturday at 12:30. And I want to see him get another sack.”

Twyman knows how he’s playing, but at the same time he’s trying to maintain a level head about the fast start.

“I see it, but then again I don’t,” Tywman said of his lofty stats to this point. "So like I just try to keep moving on like Narduzzi is always saying like, ‘forget what happened last week, it’s what are you going to do this week’ so I have zero sacks this week as far as I see it, so I’m not really looking at that.”

When asked if he was surprised that Twyman was doing what he was doing, Jones had a reverse answer.

“I’m not surprised, I’m not surprised at all,” he said. “Jaylen works his butt off everyday, I would be surprised if he wasn’t.”

It’s not just Twyman and Jones, either. Pitt is getting production from all over. Weaver’s replacement, Deslin Alexandre, already has 3.5 sacks on the season.

“Des did a great job taking on that responsibility,” Jones said. “He surprises me everyday, he gets better everyday like Des is one of those guys that keeps climbing, and I really respect him a lot for that.”

Redshirt freshmen Habakkuk Baldonado and John Morgan have been making plays as well, and even guys like Devin Danielson and Tyler Bentley have been seeing more and more snaps on the inside. It’s been a team effort trying to replace the two injured guys.

“Just everybody stepping up and filling in for the guys that’s down like Keyshon and Rashad, just making up for their absence is really what we’ve been preaching,” Twyman said.

So while the injuries are not ideal for Pitt, they did bring out some extra juice from the rest of the group.

“Of course, you should always play with a chip on your shoulder - not matter what the situation is,” Jones said. “But I feel like that gave us even more fuel to add to the fire.”