Here are the scrimmage stats from yesterday.

Bertke was 3-3 for 52 yards but Stocker seems to be holding onto the #2 QB slot.

The Trib has a few pieces today.

The team and staff had a scrimmage yesterday which apparently the defense won:

The scrimmage was closed to the media, but Pitt officials released statistics. Among them:

The defense recorded 13 tackles for a loss while not allowing a run of more than 12 yards (by quarterback Nathan Peterman).

Senior linebacker Mike Caprara recorded the only turnover (a 12-yard interception return).

Safety Jordan Whitehead, who is not injured, played sparingly, probably in deference to the weather conditions. “(Whitehead) played a little bit, and then we slipped him out of there,” Narduzzi said.

Peterman completed 6 of 10 passes for 129 yards, including a 47-yard play to running back Qadree Ollison.

Moss said he was the second running back to line up with the first team after Darrin Hall started. Hall carried six times for 12 yards and Ollison six for 31. “I would have liked to have seen us rush the ball more,” Narduzzi said.

Senior walk-on quarterback Manny Stocker continued to hold onto the No. 1 backup job, completing 3 of 6 passes for 16 yards. He said his brother, Jay, a redshirt freshman safety who led the team with six tackles, hit him once when he was scrambling. “He hasn’t picked me off this spring yet, but he keeps saying, ‘I’m going to get you.’ ”

Defensive tackle Shakir Soto, who said he has gained about 30 pounds to get up to 278 pounds after moving from end, said he remained on the first unit, lining up next to nose tackle Tyrique Jarrett.

Here is DiPaola on Nate Peterman adjusting to Matt Canada’s offensive ideas… and as we spoke about on here more deep throws:

Peterman is the unquestioned leader of a passing game that is undergoing an overhaul after the loss of receiver Tyler Boyd. New targets must emerge, but the most experienced wide receivers, Dontez Ford and Zach Challingsworth, are injured and have missed most of spring drills, including a live scrimmage Saturday at Heinz Field.

Both are expected to return this summer. Meanwhile, several players with minimal or no experience are trying to fill the void.  “Everybody thinks they are the guy who can go make the next play,” Peterman said. “That’s great to have at quarterback.”

Peterman is encouraged by the ideas flowing from Canada’s iPad.

“He’s very creative,” he said. “He has a lot of new and different things with formations and personnel to confuse the defense.”

One idea might be running backs, the deepest position group on the team, lining up wide with an empty backfield or tailback. Narduzzi also hinted at inserting more deep pass plays after Peterman finished 10th in the ACC in yards per completion (11.8) last season.

BTW – The scrimmage will be done much as like last season – the two co-captains will ‘draft’ the players until the roster names are emptied. I’ll drive up early to attend the media part for that draft then I’ll go meet people at a tailgate or two – more on that later.

Also on that page is a 17 minute interview with the graduated TE J. P. Holtz who we may miss more than we though at first.

The Post-Gazette Redshirt Diaries has three nice interviews done after the scrimmage:

QB Manny Stocker:

…and K Chris Blewitt: