10-5-15

The Pitt News T h e in de p e n d e n t st ude nt ne w spap e r of t he University of Pittsburgh

See online for Fall Fest video coverage October 5, 2015 | Issue 35 | Volume 106

Narduzzi’s punishing defense leads way

Dan Sostek Sports Editor

BLACKSBURG, Virginia — While Pitt quarterback Nathan Peterman spends most of his time studying and reading opposing defenses, after Saturday’s win, he gave a quick analysis of his own team’s unit.

“Our defense is really a championshiplevel defense. It’s great to have them,” Peterman said.

It is still unclear whether overconfidence clouded Peterman’s statement or the unit will fulfill his lofty expectations. Regardless, the early returns of first-year head coach Pat Narduzzi’s defense have sparked optimism — particularly after the dominant display on Saturday, when Pitt beat Virginia Tech on the road, 17-13.

The Panthers racked up seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss and three interceptions in the win. They held the Hokies to 100 total yards, the lowest total for Virginia Tech in a single game since 1987. That defensive performance marked the second time this season Pitt has held an opponent to 110 total yards See Football on page 12

Fall Fest 2015 Walk the Moon brings radio hits to Bigelow Boulevard Walk the Moon lead singer Nicholas Petricca jams out Sunday. Meghan Sunners SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jessica Iacullo Staff Writer

Pitt students shut up and danced Sunday outside the William Pitt Union during. Pitt Program Council’s annual

Fall Fest. Along with the drums and keyboard,the smells of cotton candy and popcorn filled Bigelow Boulevard Sunday afternoon as students and parents gathered in front of Fall Fest’s stage for

the outside concert. Walk the Moon, an American indie rock band also known for its 2011 hit “Anna Sun,” headlined the event.

See Fall Fest on page 4

News

Baby boomer study makes sense of health research Shumeng Yang For The Pitt News

As the baby boomer’s years increase, so will their medical demands.

The “boomers,” people born in the United States between 1946 and 1964, outnumber Generation X 77 million to 65 million, according to the Pew Research Center. With the large population of boomers entering retirement, Pitt researchers have published a literature review condensing existing healthcare practices and policies into one place, hoping to make a plan for treating an aging population.

The newly founded Stern Center for Evidence-Based Policy, part of Pitt’s Health Policy Institute, released its first report, “Addressing the Health Needs of an Aging America,” on Sept. 24. The study is one of the first in the country to not only address the changing needs of the aging American population, but also use this information to influence policy related to older citizens. Lawrence Stern, the president of the Lawrence and Rebecca Stern Family Foundation, a philanthropic nonprofit, helped fund the new center with a $3 million grant.

“Our primary motivation was to look at the growth of the aging population, look at health care quality and provide the same or increased level of quality at a reasonable cost,” William Dunn, a professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, said. “We want to provide a link between research and action, between knowledge and policy.”

Twenty researchers representing six Pitt schools as well as the Health Sciences Library System, a database for health literature, conducted the study. Sally Morton, chair of the department of biostatistics and a professor at the Graduate School of Public Health, led the systematic study portion of the report, which consisted of bringing together collections of all evidence on the topic of aging and health policy, and a comprehensive assessment of

pittnews.com

Pitt researchers are condensing healthcare practices to advocate for new policies. Photo courtesy of TNS multiple sources. The number and complexthe evidence. Morton and Dunn made policyity of research studies published makes it difrelevant evidence in unpublished studies availficult for policymakers to able, which othersift through this wealth of wise would have information and draw out been overlooked, to suggest policy Health policy managers policy lessons. In addition innovations to imwant to use and are in- to the flood of research, prove health care. terested in acquiring re- policy has become more complex. The federal code The probsearch-based evidence for of legislation doubled in lem isn’t a lack of policy. size between 1975 and evidence or uninWilliam Dunn 2012, as has the number of formed politicians, GSPIA professor stakeholder organizations. according to the “Health policy managstudy, but rather an ers want to use and are interested in acquiring overwhelming overload of information from

“

October 5, 2015

research-based evidence for policy,” Dunn said. “The Stern Center hopes to link these aspects of evidence and policy to provide targeted dissemination of research findings to policymakers.”

With the study, the researchers hoped to condense the mass of information on health care for the aging into one comprehensive report.

Dunn directed the Policy Scanning Team by designing ways to investigate health policies and cross-match them with selected literature.

To finalize the study, the team related policy to results of evidence-based research on health policy.

From its review, the team found pressing needs of policy reform amongst the prevention and wellness, work force and coordinated care areas, as well as the topics of patient self-care and end-of-life care. By 2050, the study said, 27 million Americans will need long-term support and services, increasing the strain on both private nursing home and health aid services, but also on taxpayer-funded services.

Recently, elected officials are turning from ideology and toward evidence-based policy.

For some politicians, evidence-based policy means a reevaluation of the programs funded by tax payers dollars.

In April, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI) introduced the Evidence-Based Policymaking Commission Act of 2015. This bill would expand the use of data in evaluating federal programs, a move the study recommended. The bill passed the House in July, and must pass the Senate and the president before going into full effect.

The Stern Center’s objective, according to Morton, was to fill in the gap between the information he had and the policies he wants to See Study on page 7

2

pittnews.com

October 5, 2015

3

Program Council helped choose who would perform at Fall Fest when they hosted Battle of the Bands on Sept. 18.

Along with the lineup of music, Pitt The winner and runner-up of the comProgram Council provided students and petition, The Naughties and Indigo Zoo, parents with popcorn, cotton candy and respectively, earned the opportunity to caramel apples. The snacks were available perform at Fall Fest. for free on the patio of the William Pitt “We like playing live music, and Pitt Union. Concertgoers played cornhole on Program Council gave us the stage to do the Union lawn, enjoying a clear view of so today,” Will Epsom, guitarist and singthe stage. er for Indigo Zoo, Walk the Moon, said. native to Ohio, enIndigo Zoo covthusiastically ran on ered a Kings of Leon stage to “Circle of song and performed Life” from “The Lion original songs durKing.” ing its set.

“College forces “Even though you to meet a lot Will Epsom we came in second of different people Indigo Zoo, guitarist place, it feels like we from yourself,” came in first,” said Nicholas Petricca, Epsom, who is a sophomore studying lead singer of Walk the Moon, said to the chemical engineering. “It’s exciting, but crowd before playing “Different Colors.” nerve-wracking.”

Coin, a self-titled “product of the ’90s” The Naughties were up next, playing band, according to its website, opened for to a growing crowd. An original song Walk the Moon. Before them, two Pitt titled, “Pittsburgh Makes Me Drunk” had student bands broke in the stage. Pitt

Fall Fest, pg. 1

“

We like playing live music and PPC gave us the stage to do so today.

pittnews.com

Enjoying family weekend, crowds gathered on Bigelow Boulevard to watch Walk The Moon. Meghan Sunners SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER the crowd jumping. As the band shouted “Philadelphia is full of jerks” several times, the audience erupted in cheers.

The band performed a John Mayer cover

October 5, 2015

and Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up,” effectively Rickrolling Pitt’s student See Fall Fest on page 6

4

pittnews.com

October 5, 2015

5

Fall Fest, pg. 4 body.

The third opening act, Coin, from Nashville, released its first album three months ago and expressed love for Pitt and Pittsburgh between its songs “Holy Ghost” and “Run.” “You guys go to a really great school, do you know that?” Coin’s lead singer, Chase Lawrence, said to the crowd with the sun shining on the Cathedral of Learning in the background.

Like Liza Howland, who saw the band perform in New York, numerous spectators had seen Walk the Moon perform before and came back for more. Howland, a junior studying nursing, has been a fan of Walk the Moon since 2012 when ‘Anna Sun’ became an iTunes featured single.

Even for first-timers, like Marielle Seybert, the show was a hit.

“Walk the Moon was a really good concert. The band was super energetic See Fall Fest on page 7

pittnews.com

Students scream for Walk the Moon at Fall Fest on Sunday. Meghan Sunners SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

October 5, 2015

6

Fall Fest, pg. 6

Study, pg. 2

and got the crowd hyped,” Seybert, a junior natural science major, said.

Alice Snook, Pitt Program Council’s public relations director, said this Fall Fest was one of the biggest they’ve put on since she’s been at Pitt..

Pitt Police officer Alex Modne, who was on duty during the show, estimated there were about 2,000 people coming and going throughout the event. Pitt Program Council said there were 6,000 people attended the event throughout the day. “[Pitt Program Council] wants this to be a fun fall concert where students can enjoy the nice weather, before it gets too cold, with good music,” Snook, a junior studying political science and Italian, said.

Snook said Pitt Program Council booked Walk the Moon in April.

“We knew Fall Fest would fall on the same weekend as Parents Weekend, and we did that on purpose,” Snook said. “We wanted parents to see this event and possibly stay for the food, games and music.”

After ending its set, Walk the Moon returned to the stage for an encore performance of “Anna Sun.” Heather Ruble, a junior studying nursing, discovered Walk the Moon last year when a friend introduced her to the new album. This was her first time seeing the band live.

“I really love Walk the Moon — they’re super weird, and I love that,” Ruble said.

help create.

“We often mistakenly assumed that policymakers don’t have evidence,” Rocco said. “Instead there is actually an overload of information that makes it difficult to draw out relevant policy lessons.”

Maqui Ortiz, a senior policy advisor with the Health Policy Institute, linked the systematic review and policy scan sides to develop the methods for this linkage.

Morton was surprised there was not a stron-

ger connection between the evidence about America’s aging population and the existing policy proposals to target that population.

“It was evident,” Morton explained, “that there is a lot of evidence about aging in America, and it was also clear that policies were being put forward without much evidence.”

The Center is focusing on four types of research, according to Rocco: helping policymakers and policy researchers prioritize attention, using systematic review to identify policy interventions, conducting pilot studies to produce concrete evidence on effective policies and

developing a computer model to stimulate the economic and health effects of policy proposals.

Stern, who’s organization helped fund the study, said this report addresses the agreement between evidence and policy, the desired policy changes that lack evidence and the desired policy changes that have evidence but lack support.

Stern said he was confident the center will “pull together policies that are methodologically sound, that will help inform the policy making process with scientific evidence, which will enable politicians to cut through the fog and generate evidence-based policy.”

WANT MORE CONTENT? GO ONLINE TO

pittnews.com pittnews.com

October 5, 2015

7

Opinions

Column

from the editorial board

Cultures of violence: it’s time to re-evaluate our love of guns

State Police’s self-audit lacks transparency The Pennsylvania State Police ruled all but 1 percent of its shootings justifiable.

How did the department arrive at those results? It evaluated and audited itself.

Of the at least 120 intentional shootings that State Police fired in the line of duty since 2008, the department determined only one was “improper,” according to data obtained by PublicSource, a nonprofit investigative news organization serving western Pennsylvania.

Most of the data the force provides is similarly self-evaluated, self-reported and — potentially — biased.

It’s great that Pennsylvania State Police set out to review its action, but for the audit to reach its full potential to restore community relationships, the organization should have used a thirdparty agent. If there is truly nothing to hide, an outside investigator wouldn’t find anything, and we would all feel safer.

While the force does follow a set of procedures to prevent biased evaluation, the process remains internal. The department requires State Police outside the chain of command of anyone involved in the shooting — State Police that are still part of the force — to handle and monitor internal investigations. This still leaves room for bias.

When the state force self-evaluates its performance, it relinquishes the opportunity to reassure the community.

Two-thirds of Americans don’t believe

pittnews.com

police departments nationwide did a good job holding officers accountable for misconduct, equal treatment of racial groups and use of the right amount of force, according to a USA TODAY and Pew Research Center poll conducted in August 2014.

In Pennsylvania’s case, the obtained data not only relinquishes community investment, but also stands in stark, questionable disparity to a review of Philadelphia’s police force performance.

In late March, the U.S. Justice Department released a report on the use of force by the Philadelphia Police Department, concluding that the department had “serious deficiencies” in its use of force policies and insufficient oversight of investigations.

In light of this report, Pennsylvania State Police Department should have also turned to outside examination to highlight issues difficult to discover through internal evaluation. For the Pennsylvania Police Department to consider a shooting “improper,” it must fail to meet guidelines set by the force or the law. It is dangerous to self-evaluate performance based on self-ascribed guidelines. How strictly the guidelines are set, enforced and evaluated will determine the agency’s performance — a process rife with bias.

We are all too old to be afraid of the dark, but that doesn’t mean we like to reside in it. The more information we have about police force in our state, the safer we will feel.

Courtney Linder Senior Columnist

The Hot Tea: A Pitt student’s ramblings and amblings abroad When you pack up everything you’ve known for the past two decades and trade it for four months “across the pond,” you quickly discover that life’s not all tea and crumpets.

Everything you encounter in a foreign country presents a new set of challenges, from classic public transportation woes and language barriers to the more modern-day struggles of meeting natives on Tinder and becoming acquainted with local politics.

“The Hot Tea” is a weekly column dedicated to these discoveries — unearthing the intricacies of London’s social, political and millennial issues in context of Pittsburgh’s own complex culture.

Follow me on my journey as a Pittsburgh native striving to become an authentic Londoner. ** LONDON – Mourn the losses, share a few posts, argue a bit over gun reform, forget about the murders after a few weeks — repeat.

October 5, 2015

Though we may move on to other topics of concern, the issue of gun violence never fades. That’s why I’m not dumbfounded by the Oregon campus massacre last week, where Nine people died at Umpqua Community College.

It’s hard to keep track of massacres when we discuss mass shootings in America.

But when they talk about massacres in the United Kingdom, there is only one. The Dunblane school massacre in 1996, when gunman Thomas Hamilton killed 16 children and one teacher, was the United Kingdom’s first school shooting — and the last, because legislators banned handguns were banned following the Scottish tragedy.

After the massacre, Conservative Prime Minister John Major set up a public inquiry to look into the best ways to protect the public from further gun-related tragedies. His successor, Tony Blair, then went on to introduce The Firearms (Amendment) (No.2) Act of 1997 that made all handguns illegal.

Meanwhile, the United States’ burgeoning trigger-

happy culture continues to devastate the masses — whether it’s in the form of mass school shootings or police brutality. If we look to the United Kingdom as an example of a developed country without firearms, we can critique starkly opposing cultures of violence and see what we need to change in America.

Living in London has put America’s culture of violence into perspective for me. Despite identifying as left leaning, I used to support the Second Amendment and those who wanted to avoid regulation. Mostly, it was because I was so numbed to the number of homicides committed with firearms that I didn’t see the necessity. I wanted to go to law school, so I considered the preservation of rights to be of utmost importance.

Outside of the U.S., I’ve had a better line of vision into our gun problem. I was genuinely sick when I found out there’s a higher proportion of murders in Pittsburgh than in London — one of the busiest cities in the world. Pittsburgh’s population is under 306,000, and 66 murders

8

Linder, pg. 8 took place last year, according to World Population Review. London is home to 8.6 million people, and there were less than 100 homicides last year, according to the BBC. Keep in mind that Pittsburgh is a “safe” city — it ranked 18th on a 2009 list of safest cities compiled by Forbes Magazine.

What does that say about the U.S.?

A few days ago, my supervisor at work even asked me about what was happening back home after reading an article about the Oregon shooting.

“Explain your country to me,” she said.

I can’t explain my country’s steadfast preservation of the Second Amendment, so I settled for the truth. “We’re a wreck.”

My co-workers have the right to criticize my home country when it comes to gun violence — theirs isn’t privy to the same issues.

The United Kingdom’s ban on handguns greatly contributes to how much safer I feel here. For the first time since I first started going out with friends at 14, I don’t carry my mace. Even if it were legal to carry it —

pittnews.com

mace is considered a firearm here — I still wouldn’t feel like I needed it. I can also hop on the Tube and doze off. There isn’t a pressing need to always be alert and equipped.

Notwithstanding my own subjective feelings about London’s safety, the numbers speak for themselves. From 2012 to 2013, firearm related offenses made up just 0.2 percent of all police-recorded crimes, according to the Office for National Statistics.

But naturally, Second Amendment preservers in the United States always want to tango with the topic of knife crime in Britain and the rest of the United Kingdom.

I hate to disappoint them, but knife crime is still relatively insignificant in the scheme of Britain’s dark side. Of all police offenses between 2012 and 2013, wrongs committed with knives and sharp instruments made up 6 percent of crimes, according to the Office for National Statistics. And out of these stabbings, most were confined to gang activity.

It wasn’t only what I learned about gun violence in the U.K. that amazed me — what I saw played a big part in my awe.

It’s the police force — or police service, as Commissioner Sir Peter Imbert renamed it

to convey a kinder connotation — that took me aback. The “bobbies” don’t regularly carry guns while on duty, quite the shock for an American who’s all too accustomed to a culture of police violence and brutality.

When they do carry guns, they rarely fire any shots. Between 2011 and 2012, police officers in England and Wales opened fire just five times, according to the Home Office Public Order Unit.

In America, there’s no dearth of gun shots on our shores.

A mass shooting has occurred every calendar week since 2012, according to The Washington Post. With a shooting of some form every 15 minutes, it’s actually more likely that you’ll be killed at the mercy of a firearm than in a car, according to the Center for Disease Control.

You’re also much more likely to get shot by the police in America than you are in the U.K. According to the Guardian’s new database, The Counted, police have shot and killed 55 people in England and Wales in the last 24 years. In America, police shot and killed 59 people in the first 24 days of 2015.

Yet, we’re still more concerned about

October 5, 2015

whether or not we can sleep with a handgun under our pillow than whether or not our loved ones will come home that day.

But fighting fire with fire doesn’t always make sense. After the mass shooting in Scotland, the United Kingdom banned firearms, and no school shootings have happened since. Since the Sandy Hook murders in 2012, we’ve had 994 more mass shootings in America, according to ShootingTracker, a website that records events in which four or more people are shot as mass shootings.

It’s unlikely guns will ever be completely eradicated from our culture. However, the United States should at least consider funding an inquiry, similar to the United Kingdom’s, that would determine the best course of action in reducing firearm homicides.

To those who claim guns don’t kill people, but people kill people — I agree. But, having a candy store-like spread of weapons to choose from sure doesn’t help.

Courtney Linder is a senior columnist at The Pitt News, primarily focusing on social issues and technology. Write to her at CNL13@pitt.edu.

9

Sports

The Pitt News

Miller finds encouragement in 6-0 loss to FSU

Editor-in-Chief DANIELLE FOX

Managing Editor HARRISON KAMINSKY

editor@pittnews.com

manager@pittnews.com

News Editor DALE SHOEMAKER

Opinions Editor BETHEL HABTE

newsdesk.tpn@gmail.com

tpnopinions@pittnews.com

Sports Editor DAN SOSTEK

Culture Editor JACK TRAINOR

tpnsports@gmail.com

aeeditors@gmail.com

Visual Editor NIKKI MORIELLO

Layout Editor EMILY HOWER

pittnewsphoto@gmail.com

tpnlayout@gmail.com

Online Editor STEVEN ROOMBERG

Copy Chief MICHELLE REAGLE

tpnonline@gmail.com

tpncopydesk@gmail.com

Elizabeth Lepro | Assistant News Editor Lauren Rosenblatt | Assistant News Editor Nick Voutsinos | Assistant Opinions Editor Chris Puzia | Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Ahearn | Assistant Visual Editor Danah Bialoruski | Assistant Layout Editor Sydney Harper | Multimedia Editor Jenna Stearns | Social Media Editor

Katie Kramer | Assistant Copy Chief Copy Staff Bridget Montgomery Anjuli Das Sierra Smith Sydney Mengel Sarah Choflet Kelsey Hunter

Matthew Maelli Kyleen Pickaring Casey Talay Corey Forman Alex Stryker Maria Castello

Editorial Policies

Taylor Pryce recorded one of Pitt’s two shots on goal. Wenhao Wu STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeff Carpenter Staff Writer

It’s hard to find the positive in a 6-0 loss, but Pitt head women’s soccer coach Greg Miller managed to Saturday after losing at Florida State .

“To be honest, I am generally pleased with how we played the game — especially in the first half,” Miller said.

Despite Pitt’s strong record (9-2-1, 3-1-0 ACC) heading into the game, it has not fared well against No. 2 FSU. The last two times Pitt and Florida State met on the pitch, the Panthers couldn’t register

pittnews.com

a shot, and the Seminoles forced junior goalkeeper Taylor Francis to make a career-high 16 saves on 31 shots in a 3-0 loss last year. Despite the loss, the Panthers fared better against Florida State this weekend.

“It’s the first game we’ve had some offense against them in three years. This year, we were able to get some shots, and not only did we get shots, but we had legitimate chances to score.” Miller said.

“There was a five-minute lapse where we gave up three similar goals, but we

Single copies of The Pitt News are free and available at newsstands around campus. Additional copies can be purchased with permission of the editor in chief for $.50 each.

Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the students, faculty or University administration.

Opinions expressed in columns, cartoons and letters are not necessarily those of The Pitt News. Any letter in tended for publication must be addressed to the editor, be no more than 250 words and include the writer’s name, phone number and University affiliation, if any.

Letters may be sent via e-mail to letters@pittnews.com.

The Pitt News reserves the right to edit any and all letters. In the event of multiple replies to an issue, The Pitt News may print one letter that represents the majority of responses. Unsigned editorials are a majority opinion of the Editorial Board, listed to the left.

The Pitt News is an independent, student-written and

See Women’s Soccer on page 13

October 5, 2015

student-managed newspaper for the Oakland campus of the University of Pittsburgh. It is pub lished Monday through Friday during the regular school year and Wednesdays during the summer.

Complaints concerning coverage by The Pitt News, after first being brought to the editors, may be referred to the Community Relations Com mittee, Pitt News Advisory Board, c/o student media adviser, 435 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

The editor in chief has the final authority on editorial matters and cannot be censored, according to state and federal law. The editor in chief is selected by the Pitt News Advisory Board, which includes University staff, fac ulty and students, as well as journalism professionals. The business and edito rial offices of The Pitt News are located at 434 William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15260.

Business Manager MATT REILLY

advertising@pittnews.com

Sales Manager DAVE BARR

Inside Sales Manager KELSEY MCCONVILLE

Marketing Manager KRISTINE APRILE

University Account Executive ALEX KANNER

Graphic Designers

Account Executives

Inside Sales Executive

Matt Hyre Jillian Miller Maya Puskaric

Dave Barrone Antonio Blundo Rob Capone Calvin Reif Allison Soenksen Frany Tish

Marissa Altemus Victoria Hetrick Annie Seagers

10

Road woes continue in two weekend losses David Leftwich Staff Writer

Pitt’s volleyball team can’t handle its homesickness this season.

After dropping two matches over the weekend at Virginia Tech and Virginia, the Panthers have sunk to 1-4 in road matches this season despite an otherwise solid 12-4 record.

The Panthers (12-4, 2-2 ACC) traveled to Virginia this week to face a 10-4 Virginia Tech team on Wednesday and a 9-4 Virginia squad on Friday night to finish up their road trip.

Both matches resulted in the same outcome, a 3-1 Panthers loss.

To start the week, Pitt came out of the gates firing in front of a crowd of more than 1,000 at Virginia Tech. The Panthers hit a solid .481 as a team in the first set, making accurate and effective hits. But the Hokies nearly matched their offensive firepower and hit .469 as a team and

pittnews.com

maintained a steady lead, winning the set 25-19.

The second set was sloppy with both teams’ offensive efficiency faltering. Pitt capitalized on Virginia Tech’s mistakes and stretched the lead as far as 22-14. The Pan- Amanda Orchard had eight kills in Pitt’s loss to Virginia. Heather Tennant STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER thers eventually took This disparity was evident in the third set as Tech to a combined eight kills in the set. the second set 25-19. the Panthers never tied or held a lead. Virginia Virginia Tech rejuvenated its off ense as it Senior middle hitter Amanda Orchard Tech started out the set with a 5-0 advantage hit .378 in the third set and .316 in the fourth. said the team “really tried to get at them and and held tight, winning the set 25-22.

The Panthers could not match its offensive effiblock [Virginia Tech’s two outside hitters]” to Pitt put up a tough fight in the fourth set, ciency, hitting at least .100 less than the Hokies slow the Hokies down in the second set. This in each set. strategy paid off, as the team held Virginia See Volleyball on page 14

October 5, 2015

11

Football, pg. 1 or fewer — a feat it had accomplished only twice in its previous 18 seasons.

According to the players, Narduzzi’s scheme of blitzing and pressuring the quarterback has produced the success.

“One word — great,” sophomore cornerback Avonte Maddox said. “It’s just easy. It’s a playmaking defense. If you do your key, anybody can make a play.”

An orchestra of different players stepped up for the Panthers’ defense, as seven different Panthers recorded or assisted on one of the team’s seven sacks. The three interceptions came via three different players.

Narduzzi said his team can recreate this type of performance every week.

“We feel we can get after a quarterback,” Narduzzi said. “I don’t care who it is.”

Maddox said the improved pass rush has made play for defensive backs easier. “[The pass rush] helps the whole defense out,” Maddox said. “Getting pressure on the quarterback, it makes them rush the throws, and it’s not gonna be a good throw, it’s gonna be a bad throw.

And that sets us up for picks.”

pittnews.com

Narduzzi’s emphasis on simplifying the game through fewer formation changes and more man-to-man coverage for his players has helped bring an improved tenacity to the unit — a gameplan he repeated on Saturday after the win.

“It’s just focusing on the fundamentals,” Narduzzi said. “It’s not that hard of a game if you just do the little things right. Don’t panic at the end of the game. It’s not just giving effort. You’ve got to be smart.”

While Saturday’s performance was the crown jewel of the season so far for the unit, the Panthers’ defense has shined all season, as it ranks highly nationally in numerous categories — including fourth in average total yards per game and ninth in sacks.

With that continued success has come a sense of momentum for Pitt.

“They’ve got confidence right now,” Narduzzi said of his defense. “I think they understand the defense is not going to change a whole bunch in eight weeks. It’s going to stay the same. We’ve just got to continue to adjust it for the different offense we see weekly.”

This confidence has created a new sense of enjoyment in games for the defense, which ranked 28th in yards per game and 103rd in sacks

Avonte Maddox had one of Pitt’s three interceptions Saturday. Meghan Sunners SENIOR STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER just one year ago, under the direction of former defensive coordinator Matt House.

“I believe we’re having fun,” Maddox said about the difference a year has made. “Every time we come out there, we’re having fun. At practice we’re having fun. In a game it’s even more fun.”

That fun, he said, stems from the simplicity.

October 5, 2015

“Coach Narduzzi’s defense, it’s not complicated,” Maddox said. “Just got to do our jobs, play our keys, read our keys and it’s easy to get it done.”

Pitt’s next game is Saturday, when the Panthers face the Virginia Cavaliers at Heinz Field for their annual homecoming game. Kickoff is at 12:30 p.m.

12

Women’s Soccer, pg. 10 should have probably scored one or two goals in the first half.”

The team might have started to feel a repeat of last year’s game near halftime, as Florida State began an offensive onslaught.

Freshman midfielder Natalia Kuikka began that stretch when she notched her fourth goal of the year in the 35th minute to make it 2-0 FSU. Freshman midfielder Dallas Dorosy followed by finishing on a cross four minutes later. It only took 55 seconds for the Seminoles to bury their fourth goal, courtesy of redshirt junior forward Berglind Thorvaldsdottir. Tillman assisted on the third and fourth goals, finishing with three helpers on the day.

That brief but potent stretch from the No. 2 team in the country put a swift end to Pitt’s program-record eight-game winning streak, its best since at least 2000.

The game was Pittsburgh’s first loss since it travelled to Northern Colorado on Aug. 27, and lost 1-0.

Sophomore forward Taylor Pryce and

pittnews.com

the Panthers knew the challenge they faced coming into Saturday’s tilt.

“We need to stay focused and not get ahead of ourselves because it only gets tougher from here.” Pryce said entering the game.

For Florida State (10-1-1, 3-0-1 ACC), the dominating win is nothing new. The Seminoles came into this season with high expectat i ons , as they won the national championship in 2014 over Virginia, and were the runners-up the year prior.

“FSU is a really good team. Credit them for breaking us down and finding success,” Miller said.

Francis finished with two saves, as did

Florida State redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Cassie Miller, who registered her fourth shutout of the season.

That shutout did not come without at least some Panther resistance.

“The way we’ve been getting scoring chances on every team is exactly what happened today. From that standpoint, I was really pleased.” Miller said.

Although Pitt tallied three of its four shots in the first half, Miller said he thought the team improved over the course of the game.

“Despite the score at halftime, I felt good about where we were. We addressed the issues, and I thought we did a much better job in the second half — until we stopped playing soccer,” Miller said.

To be honest, I am generally pleased with how we played.

-Greg Miller

October 5, 2015

The Seminoles notched an early second half goal on a header from Kuikka off a free kick from freshman midfielder Megan Connolly. The Seminoles’ final goal came with just eight seconds remaining on the clock, when Thorvaldsdottir headed home her second goal of the night for her fifth of the season.

Though its match with the No. 2-ranked team is now behind them, Pitt’s ACC schedule doesn’t let up any time soon.

The Panthers still face off against No. 3 Virginia, No. 7 Clemson, No. 9 Virginia Tech and No. 22 Duke. The first of those games, at Clemson, comes on Oct. 16. With those ranked matchups coming up, Pitt’s next two games against Syracuse and Boston College are even more important so Pitt does not fall behind in the ACC race.

The Panthers hope to rebound on Thursday when they take on Boston College (8-4-1, 2-1-1 ACC) at Ambrose Urbanic Field at 7 p.m. The Eagles lost 2-0 on Friday to No. 1 North Carolina. The game will air on ESPN3.

13

Volleyball, pg. 11 jumping out to a 14-7 lead. From that point, Virginia Tech responded and eventually pushed the match to 24 apiece. Two Pitt errors ended the set in a 26-24 Hokie win and a 3-1 match victory.

Virginia Tech’s relentless hitting and accuracy simply overwhelmed the Panthers in the match.

Graduate transfer outside hitter Kadi Kullerkann had a team-high 14 kills in the set, but she said the team’s defense in blocking could have been stronger.

“I think we just struggled with the blocks

pittnews.com

October 5, 2015

and getting the blocker to the right spot,” she said. This was evident in junior outside hitter Lindsey Owens, who had a whopping 20 kills for the Hokies.

Still, Pitt had to move on from this tough loss in its Friday night matchup against Virginia, as it had another road match two days later. This second match against Virginia was neck and neck, with no team winning a set by more than four points.

Pitt came out to an early advantage in the first set, but the Cavaliers responded to take a 23-15 lead. From this point, the Panthers surged, winning 12 of the next 14 points to take the back-and-forth first set 27-25.

This momentum carried over to the next frame with Pitt taking an early 14-5 lead — but Virginia quickly made up its deficit, winning the next nine points to tie the match at 14. A late push from the Cavaliers put them over the top, earning a 25-21 second set win.

In a tight third set, the Panthers outhit the Cavaliers .216 to .189. Still, it remained a very close set and an eventual Virginia victory at 2725. Two out of Virginia’s final three points to win the match were on Pitt errors.

“Truthfully, I think they got a few breaks,” head coach Dan Fisher said. “They had one player [Kayla Sears] who went on a really long jump serving run that really ended up hurting us.”

The Panthers responded well in the fourth and final set. They went back and forth with Virginia and held a 26-25 lead with an opportunity to win the set, but gave away the chance late with sloppy play. The Cavaliers, as they did earlier, won the next three points, two of which were on Panther errors. They won the set 28-26 and the match 3-1. “[The third set] was tough to swallow, because we hit for a higher percentage, had more blocks and more digs than them,” Fisher said.

“It’s always hard to lose game like that, but I was just extremely proud of the effort we put in, and I don’t think we left anything on the table.”

Orchard said the team is not far off from turning these losses into victories.

“We’ve just got to come together as a team,” Orchard said. “If each individual can get 1 percent better, I think we’ll be right there.”

Pitt will put these improvements to the test in future away matches, the next coming against Syracuse on Friday at 7 p.m. and against Boston College on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

14

I Rentals & Sublet N D E X -NORTH OAKLAND -SOUTH OAKLAND -SHADYSIDE -SQUIRREL HILL -SOUTHSIDE -NORTHSIDE -BLOOMFIELD -ROOMMATES -OTHER

August & May 2016 1,2,3,5,6, & 8 bedroom houses. Please call 412-287-5712 Efficiency, quiet building, no partying.

Short-term or longterm lease. Laundry, all utilities included.

Share bath. $350 includes utilities. Available immediately.

412-683-0363 Large sleeping room.

Available Nov 1st. $320. Utilities included. Call 412-877-6555.

ATTENTION OCCASIONAL SMOKERS! UPMC seeks healthy adults ages 18-65 who occasionally smoke cigarettes.

This research is examining how smokers respond to cigarettes that are low in nicotine.

There are up to seven sessions lasting about three hours each. Research participants completing the study will be compensated up to $60 per session, or $20 per hour. For more information, call 412-246-5393 or visit www.SmokingStudies.pitt.edu

pittnews.com

Employment

-CHILDCARE -FOOD SERVICES -UNIVERSITY -INTERNSHIPS -RESEARCH STUDIES -VOLUNTEERING -OTHER

Classifieds

For Sale

-AUTO -BIKES -BOOKS -MERCHANDISE -FURNITURE -REAL ESTATE -TICKETS

Services

-EDUCATIONAL -TRAVEL -HEALTH -PARKING -INSURANCE

Announcements -ADOPTION -EVENTS -LOST AND FOUND -STUDENT GROUPS -WANTED -OTHER

R INSERTIONS 1X 2X 3X 4X 5X 6X ADDITIONAL A 1-15 WORDS $6.30 $11.90 $17.30 $22.00 $27.00 $30.20 $5.00 T 16-30 WORDS $7.50 $14.20 $20.00 $25.00 $29.10 $32.30 $5.40 E S DEADLINE: TWO BUSINESS DAYS PRIOR BY 3 PM | EMAIL: ADVERTISING@PITTNEWS.COM | PHONE: 412.648.7978 (EACH ADDITIONAL WORD: $0.10)

Bigham Tavern is now hiring!

Servers, Barbacks, Hosts, Cooks Voted “Best Bar” in Pittsburgh by Pittsburgh Magazine.

Today’s difficulty level: Medium | Puzzles by Dailysudoku.com

Apply in person or send resume to info@bighamtavern.com 321 Bigham Street, Mt. Washington Counter help wanted.

Perfect summer job.

Part time or full time.

Flexible for students.

Openings starting now. Apply to The Original Hot Dog Shop, 3901 Forbes Avenue.

Little’s Shoe Store

looking for Cashier, part-time/full-time.

Must be profes-

sional, customer oriented and available days, nights and

weekends. Ask for

Gina 412-521-3530.

The Pittsburgh Athletic Association is

looking for part-time waitstaff and bus

help. Must be avail-

able to work on weekends and holidays.

Send your resume to

ed.hollenberger@paaclub.org to apply.

October 5, 2015

15

pittnews.com

October 5, 2015

16