Pitt’s offense has different feel in year 2 under Frank Cignetti Jr.

PITTSBURGH — Frank Cignetti Jr. likes to think he’s been around a lot of great coaches during his decades in the collegiate and professional coaching ranks, and if there’s one thing that each one of them has in common, it’s their willingness to play to the strengths of their personnel.

When he looked back at last season’s roster, he saw an elite running back and an offensive line that he thought was would be able to run block with the best of ‘em. It wasn’t difficult to come to the conclusion that Pitt’s best bet was to run the football. And it worked pretty well for much of the season.

Izzy Abanikanda was one of the best running backs in college football, carrying the offensive load on his shoulders at points last season — see Virginia Tech.