Pitt heads into Saturday’s matchup with Bucknell carrying a backfield problem most coaches would gladly take.
The Panthers have already shown they can roll on the ground, and now the group could get even deeper. Pat Narduzzi said Ja'Kyrian Turner, last season’s leading rusher, could return against the Bison, adding another option to a rushing attack that was already humming in last week’s 27-13 win over Syracuse.
Damon Ferguson Jr. and La'Vell Wright did the heavy lifting against the Orange. Ferguson piled up 102 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, while Wright added 81 yards and a score on 14 attempts. Together, they powered Pitt to 245 rushing yards, and Ferguson’s performance earned him Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week honors.
"It's a good problem to have when you've got three dudes back there that can run the ball," Narduzzi said. "We felt like our backfield had been deep, and hopefully we get a peek at (Turner) on Saturday as well."
That depth has helped Pitt reach 3-0, and quarterback Mason Heintschel has done his part too. He has completed 59 of 93 passes for 788 yards, seven touchdowns and one interception.
Pitt also picked up another ACC weekly award on the defensive side. Alex Sanford Jr. was named Linebacker of the Week after matching his career high with 11 tackles and setting a personal best with 2 1/2 tackles for loss.
Now the Panthers turn their attention to a Bucknell team still searching for consistency at 1-3. The Bison lost 20-7 at home to Penn last Saturday, with Nate Olson providing their only touchdown by returning an interception 77 yards.
The rest of the offense never got going. Bucknell finished with just 124 total yards, including 84 through the air and 40 on the ground. Chris Dietrich went 3 of 9 for 8 yards in the first half, and Emmett Dowling took over after halftime but managed only 76 passing yards and an interception.
Jeff Behrman said effort hasn’t been the issue for his team.
"We're playing really hard," Behrman said. "We just have to play with better fundamentals."
Saturday is Pitt’s final nonconference game of the season, and Narduzzi said he wants to see his team handle it the right way.
"We're gonna find out how mature we are for sure," Narduzzi said. "I've got a lot of respect for them and the toughness that they show."