2022 Pittsburgh Panthers football team

2022 Pittsburgh Panthers football
2022 Pittsburgh Panthers football
Conference	Atlantic Coast Conference
	Coastal Division
Record	8–4 (5–3 ACC)
Head coach	Pat Narduzzi (8th season);
Offensive coordinator	Frank Cignetti Jr. (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Randy Bates (5th season)
Home stadium	Acrisure Stadium; (capacity: 68,400)
Uniform
	Seasons ← 2021 2023 →

2022 Atlantic Coast Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
Atlantic Division
No. 13 Clemson xy$	8	–	0	11	–	3
No. 11 Florida State	5	–	3	10	–	3
Syracuse	4	–	4	7	–	6
Louisville	4	–	4	8	–	5
NC State	4	–	4	8	–	5
Wake Forest	3	–	5	8	–	5
Boston College	2	–	6	3	–	9
Coastal Division
North Carolina xy	6	–	2	9	–	5
No. 22 Pittsburgh	5	–	3	9	–	4
Duke	5	–	3	9	–	4
Georgia Tech	4	–	4	5	–	7
Miami (FL)	3	–	5	5	–	7
Virginia	1	–	6	3	–	7
Virginia Tech	1	–	6	3	–	8
Championship: Clemson 39, North Carolina 10
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2022 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represents the University of Pittsburgh as a member of the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers are led by eighth-year head coach Pat Narduzzi and play their home games at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. This is Pitt's tenth season as a member of the ACC.

Previous season

The Panthers finished the 2021 season with an 11–3 record, and a 7–1 conference record. Pitt won the Coastal Division of the ACC. The Panthers won their first ever ACC Championship with a win over Wake Forest, 45–21. Pitt lost their bowl game, the Peach Bowl, against Michigan State 31–21 to end the season.

Offseason

2022 NFL Draft

Pitt players drafted into the NFL

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
1	20	Kenny Pickett	QB	Pittsburgh Steelers
4	115	Damarri Mathis	CB	Denver Broncos

Undrafted NFL free agents

Player	Position	NFL Club
Cal Adomitis	LS	Cincinnati Bengals
Lucas Krull	TE	New Orleans Saints
Taysir Mack	WR	San Francisco 49ers

Recruiting class

The Panthers have signed a total of 12 student-athletes on Early National Signing Day (December 2021)

Recruits

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Ryan Baer OT	Eastlake, OH	North High School	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	320 lb (150 kg)	Aug 5, 2021
Ryan Baer OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80
Samuel Okunlola DE	Brockton, MA	Thayer Academy	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	Dec 15, 2021
Samuel Okunlola DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77
Jimmy Scott DE	Athol Springs, NY	Saint Francis High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	Jun 14, 2021
Jimmy Scott DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 74
Jordaan Bailey RB	Tampa, FL	Hillsborough High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Dec 15, 2021
Jordaan Bailey RB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77
Ryland Gandy CB	Buford, GA	Buford High School	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	Jun 16, 2021
Ryland Gandy CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80
Che Nwabuko ATH	Manor, TX	Manor High School	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Jun 27, 2020
Che Nwabuko ATH	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78
Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 62 247Sports: 64
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Pittsburgh Football Commitment List". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 4, 2021. "2022 Player Commitments – Pittsburgh". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 4, 2021. "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 4, 2021. "2022 Pittsburgh Panthers football team". 247sports.com. Retrieved January 4, 2021.

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Position key

Back	B	Center	C	Cornerback	CB	Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE	Defensive lineman	DL	Defensive tackle	DT	End	E
Fullback	FB	Place Kicker	PK	Guard	G	Halfback	HB	Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR	Offensive tackle	OT	Offensive lineman	OL	Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS	Split end	SE	Punter	P	Punt returner	PR	Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB	Safety	S	Tight end	TE	Wide receiver	WR

Transfers

Incoming

Name	No.	Pos.	Height	Weight	Year	Hometown	Prev. school
Konta Mumpfield	#14	WR	6'0	174	Freshman	Dacula, GA	Akron
Kedon Slovis	#9	QB	6'2	200	Junior	Scottsdale, AZ	USC
Ryan Jacoby	#61	OT	6'5	270	Sophomore	Mentor, OH	Ohio State

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	7:00 p.m.	West Virginia*	No. 17	Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, PA (Backyard Brawl/College GameDay)	ESPN	W 38–31	70,622
September 10	3:30 p.m.	No. 24 Tennessee*	No. 17	Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, PA	ABC	L 27–34 ^OT	59,785
September 17	7:30 p.m.	at Western Michigan*	No. 23	Waldo Stadium Kalamazoo, MI	ESPNU	W 34–13	22,875
September 24	12:00 p.m.	No. 20 (FCS) Rhode Island*	No. 24	Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, PA	ACCN	W 45–24	54,667
October 1	8:00 p.m.	Georgia Tech	No. 24	Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, PA	ACCN	L 21–26	46,972
October 8	3:30 p.m.	Virginia Tech		Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, PA	ACCN	W 45–29	54,677
October 22	8:00 p.m.	at Louisville		Cardinal Stadium Louisville, KY	ACCN	L 10–24	41,840
October 29	8:00 p.m.	at No. 21 North Carolina		Kenan Memorial Stadium Chapel Hill, NC	ACCN	L 24–42	50,500
November 5	3:30 p.m.	No. 20 Syracuse		Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)	ACCN	W 19–9	50,888
November 12	12:00 p.m.	at Virginia		Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	ACCN	W 37–7	36,529
November 19	12:00 p.m.	Duke		Acrisure Stadium Pittsburgh, PA	ACCN	W 28–26	45,362
November 26	8:00 p.m.	at Miami (FL)		Hard Rock Stadium Miami, FL	ACCN	W 42–16	46,428
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

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Game summaries

vs. West Virginia

West Virginia Mountaineers (0-0) vs No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers (0-0) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Mountaineers	0	10	7	14	31
No. 17 Panthers	3	7	14	14	38

at Acrisure Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA

Date: September 1
Game time: 7:00 P.M EST/ 4:00 P.M. PST
Game attendance: 70,622
Referee: David Alvarez
TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Louis Riddick (analyst), Harry Lyles Jr. (Field Reporter)

Game information

First Quarter

(0:37) PITT – Ben Sauls 42 yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 73 yards, 6:48; PITT 3–0)

Second Quarter

(12:45) WVU – Bryce Ford-Wheaton 10 yard pass from JT Daniels, Casey Legg kick (Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:52; WVU 7–3)
(3:23) PITT – Rodney Hammond Jr. 4 yard run, Ben Sauls kick (Drive: 6 plays, 35 yards, 2:52; PITT 10–7)
(0:00) WVU – Casey Legg 24 yard field goal (Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 3:17; Tied 10–10)

Third Quarter

(13:08) WVU – C.J. Donaldson 5 yard run, Casey Legg kick (Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:08; WVU 17–10)
(5:54) PITT – Daniel Carter 1 yard run, Ben Sauls kick (Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:32; Tied 17–17)
(3:42) PITT – Rodney Hammond Jr. 11 yard run, Ben Sauls kick (Drive: 3 plays, 62 yards, 1:26; PITT 24–17)

Fourth Quarter

(14:52) WVU – Bryce Ford-Wheaton 16 yard pass from JT Daniels, Casey Legg kick (Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:50; Tied 24–24)
(10:37) WVU – JT Daniels 1 yard run, Casey Legg kick (Drive: 6 play, 72 yards, 1:14; WVU 31–24)
(3:41) PITT – Israel Abanikanda 24 yard pass from Kedon Slovis, Ben Sauls kick (Drive: 7 plays, 92 yards, 2:29; Tied 31–31)
(2:58) PITT – M.J. Devonshire 56 interception return, Ben Sauls kick (Drive: 1 play, 56 yards, 0:13; PITT 38–31)

Statistics	WVU	PITT
First downs	22	20
Total yards	404	384
Rushes/yards	34–190	39–76
Passing yards	214	308
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	23–40–1	16–24–0
Time of possession	27:29	32:31

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Virginia	Passing	JT Daniels	23–40, 214 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	C.J. Donaldson	7 carries, 125 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Bryce Ford-Wheaton	9 receptions, 97 yards, 2 TD
Pittsburgh	Passing	Kedon Slovis	16–24, 308 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Rodney Hammond Jr.	16 carries, 74 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Jared Wayne	3 receptions, 89 yards

vs. No. 24 Tennessee

No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers (1-0) vs No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers (1-0) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 24 Volunteers	7	17	0	3	7	34
No. 17 Panthers	10	7	0	10	0	27

at Acrisure Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA

Date: September 10
Game time: 3:30 P.M EST/ 12:30 P.M. PST
Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C)
Game attendance: 59,785
Referee: Jason Autrey
TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Molly McGrath (Field Reporter)

Game information

First Quarter

(10:27) PITT – Ben Sauls 30 yard field goal (Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 3:58; PITT 3–0)
(9:00) PITT – Israel Abanikanda 76 yard rush, Ben Sauls kick (Drive: 1 play, 76 yards, 0:13; PITT 10–0)
(1:02) TEN – Jabari Small 1 yard rush, Chase McGrath kick (Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 3:14; PITT 10–7)

Second Quarter

(13:25) PITT – Gavin Bartholomew 57 yard pass from Kedon Slovis, Ben Sauls kick (Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 2:32; PITT 17–7)
(10:04) TEN – Bru McCoy 32 yard pass from Hendon Hooker, Chase McGrath kick (Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 3:13; PITT 17–14)
(4:56) TEN – Jabari Small 1 yard rush, Chase McGrath kick (Drive: 3 plays, 66 yards, 0:35; TEN 21–17)
(0:00) TEN – Chase McGrath 37 yard field goal (Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 0:10; TEN 24–17)

Fourth Quarter

(14:07) PITT – Ben Sauls 35 yard field goal (Drive: 12 plays, 27 yards, 5:13; TEN 24–20)
(8:57) TEN – Chase McGrath 51 yard field goal (Drive: 15 plays, 41 yards, 5:10; TEN 27–20)
(2:23) PITT – Jared Wayne 4 yard pass from Nick Patti, Ben Sauls kick (Drive: 10 plays, 35 yards, 5:05; Tie 27–27)

Overtime

(0:00) TEN – Cedric Tillman 28 yard pass from Hendon Hooker, Chase McGrath kick (Drive: 2 plays, 25 yards, 0:00; TEN 34–27)

Statistics	TEN	PITT
First downs	20	21
Total yards	416	415
Rushes/yards	33–91	39–141
Passing yards	325	274
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	27–42–0	23–44–1
Time of possession	25:05	34:55

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Tennessee	Passing	Hendon Hooker	27–42, 325 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Jaylen Wright	9 carries, 47 yards
	Receiving	Cedric Tillman	9 receptions, 162 yards, 1 TD
Pittsburgh	Passing	Kedon Slovis	14–24, 195 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Israel Abanikanda	25 carries, 154 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Gavin Bartholomew	5 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD

at Western Michigan

No. 23 Pittsburgh Panthers (1-1) vs Western Michigan Broncos (1-1) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 23 Panthers	10	3	7	14	34
Broncos	3	3	7	0	13

at Waldo Stadium • Kalamazoo, MI

Date: September 17th
Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST/4:30 p.m. PST
Game weather: Temperature: 80 °F (27 °C) • Wind: SW at 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 22,875
Referee: Jerry Magallanes
TV announcers (ESPNU): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Rocky Boiman (analyst), Dawn Davenport (field reporter)

vs. No. 20 (FCS) Rhode Island

No. 20 Rhode Island Rams (2-1) vs No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers (2-1) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No 20 Rams	7	7	3	7	24
No. 24 Panthers	14	10	7	14	45

at Acrisure Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA

Date: Saturday 24th
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST/9:00 a.m. PST
Game weather: Temperature: 64 °F (18 °C) • Wind: S at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 54,667
Referee: Stuart Mullins
TV: ACCN

vs. Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-3) vs No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers (3-1) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Yellow Jackets	3	3	3	17	26
No. 24 Panthers	0	7	0	14	21

at Acrisure Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA

Date: October 1
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Wind: N at 9 miles per hour (14 km/h) • Weather: Rain
Game attendance: 46,972
Referee: Gary Patterson
TV: ACCN

vs. Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech Hokies (2-3) vs Pittsburgh Panthers (3-2) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Hokies	6	10	7	6	29
Panthers	7	10	14	14	45

at Acrisure Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA

Date: October 8
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST/12:30 p.m. PST
Game weather: Temperature:54 °F (12 °C) • Wind: W at 9 miles per hour (14 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
Game attendance: 54,677
Referee: Riley Johnson
TV: ACCN

at Louisville

Pittsburgh Panthers (4-2) vs Louisville Cardinals (3-3) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	0	3	0	10
Cardinals	0	7	0	17	24

at Cardinal Stadium • Louisville, KY

Date: October 22
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: Temperature:71 °F (22 °C) • Wind: SE at 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
Game attendance: 41,840
Referee: Adam Savoia
TV: ACCN

at No. 21 North Carolina

Pittsburgh Panthers (4-3) vs No. 21 North Carolina Tar Heels (6-1) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	7	10	7	0	24
No. 21 Tar Heels	7	7	7	21	42

at Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC

Date: October 29
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST/5:00 p.m. PST
Game weather: Temperature:60 °F (16 °C) • Wind: NE at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
Game attendance: 50,500
Referee: Jeff Heaser
TV: ACCN

vs. No. 20 Syracuse

No. 22 Syracuse Orange (6-2) vs Pittsburgh Panthers (4-4) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Syracuse	3	3	0	3	9
Panthers	0	10	7	2	19

at Acrisure Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA

Date: November 5
Game time: 3:30 P.M. EST/12:30 P.M. PST
Game weather: Temperature:79 °F (26 °C) • Wind: S at 14 miles per hour (23 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
Game attendance: 50,888
Referee: Riley Johnson
TV: ACCN

at Virginia

Pittsburgh Panthers (5-4) vs Virginia Cavaliers (3-6) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	28	0	3	6	37
Cavaliers	0	0	7	0	7

at Scott Stadium • Charlottesville, VA

Date: November 12
Game time: 12:00 P.M. EST/9:00 A.M. PST
Game weather: Sunny
Game attendance: 36,529
Referee: Mullins Stuart
TV: ACCN

vs. Duke

Duke Blue Devils (7-3) vs Pittsburgh Panthers (6-4) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	10	10	0	8	28
Blue Devils	7	7	0	12	26

at Acrisure Stadium • Pittsburgh, PA

Date: November 19
Game time: 12:00 P.M. EST/9:00 A.M. PST
Game weather: Temperature:29 °F (−2 °C) • Wind: SW at 14 miles per hour (23 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
Game attendance: 45,362
Referee: Mike Roche
TV: ACCN

at Miami (FL)

Pittsburgh Panthers (7-4) vs Miami (FL) Hurricanes (5-6) – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Panthers	-	-	-	-	0
Hurricanes	-	-	-	-	0

at Hard Rock Stadium • Miami, FL

Date: November 26
Game time: 8:00 P.M. EST/5:00 P.M. PST
TV announcers (ACCN): Dave O'Brien, Tim Hasselbeck, Kelsey Riggs

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	17	17	23	24	24	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	RV
Coaches	16	14	25	RV	24	RV	RV	RV	RV	—	—	RV	RV	RV	RV
CFP	Not released									—	—	—	—	—	—	Not released

Coaching staff

2022 Pittsburgh Panthers football staff

Coaching Staff Pat Narduzzi – Head Coach Charlie Partridge – Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line Frank Cignetti Jr. – Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Randy Bates – Defensive Coordinator Andre Powell – Running Backs/Special Teams Dave Borbely – Offensive Line Archie Collins – Secondary Ryan Manalac – Linebackers Tiquan Underwood – Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator Tim Salem – Tight Ends Cory Sanders – Safeties

References

^ "Panther-lair". pittsburgh.rivals.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
^ "College Football Recruiting Classes – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
^ "2022 Team Rankings". n.rivals.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.
^ "2022 Pitt Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.

[1] "Panther-lair". pittsburgh.rivals.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.

[2] "College Football Recruiting Classes – ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.

[3] "2022 Team Rankings". n.rivals.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.

[4] "2022 Pitt Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved 2022-01-04.

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v t e Pittsburgh Panthers football
Venues	Recreation Park (1898–1899) Exposition Park (1900) Schenley Park (1901) Coliseum (1902–1903) Exposition Park (1904–1908) Forbes Field (1909–1924) Pitt Stadium (1925–1999) Three Rivers Stadium (2000) Acrisure Stadium (2001–present) UPMC Rooney Sports Complex (practice)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Duquesne: City Game Notre Dame Old Ironsides Penn State Syracuse West Virginia: Backyard Brawl
Culture & lore	Panthers "Hail to Pitt" "Pitt Victory Song" Marching band 1921 Backyard Brawl 2007 Backyard Brawl Highest-scoring game
People	Head coaches All-Americans NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold