Rodney Hammond Jr. Showed Exactly What Pitt Has Been Missing

Pitt led 17-16 late in the fourth quarter, facing a 2nd-and-1 from inside the Pitt 35, and Hammond felt like the game was a little too close for his liking. So, when he was given a chance to change that, he didn’t hesitate. Nate Yarnell, it appears, made a check at that line that led to Johnson blowing up his defender, Hammond hit the hole and made a couple of Eagles’ defenders miss before outracing the entire defense.

“Rodney had a great game and obviously sealed it at the end with the long run, I was really excited watching him run that in,” Yarnell said Thursday night following the win. “… they’re calling me MVP, but I definitely relied upon them a lot.”

Hammond took that fourth quarter carry, hit the hole and made a man miss. And that was it. “That was cheetah speed right there, wasn’t nobody catching me,” Hammond said. “I knew that.”

He averaged just about 10 yards per carry throughout the contest — 91 yards after contact (6.5 yards after contact per rush), three runs of 10 yards, two of 15 and seven missed tackles. The vision and the ability to force defenders to miss is unlike anything offered by another Pitt running back. And the performance was exactly what Pitt needed but also what Hammond himself needed.

“After a season like this, I definitely needed a night like this,” Hammond said. “Boost the team up, I like to bring energy to the offense and we’re gonna end the season well.

“I knew the game was tight, I had to make a play, so as you see, I was trying to make a play every time I touched the ball and I just knew I had to make a play. And I knew aint nobody was catching me.”

Hammond was very good against Boston College, making more than a couple of plays in a win, but he’s been good — in limited — reps all season.

In 11 games this season, he’s racked up 106 carries for 526 yards (5 yards per carry) with four touchdowns. He hasn’t made much of an impact in the passing game, but, well, the passing game as a whole hasn’t been great either. And that’s been part of the reason Pitt has had to abandon the run early in games.

Pitt QB Phil Jurkovec hands off to Rodney Hammond Jr. against Virginia Tech on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Mitchell Northam / Pittsburgh Sports Now.)

Hammond, after missing time last season to a lower-body injury, still hasn’t hit his carries total from last season, but there’s further context needed there, too. He was playing behind an All-American in Abanikanda, yes, but he still held a feature role in multiple games.

Hammond eclipsed his 2023 season-high (15) carries total in three of his eight games last season, and he racked up 292 yards and five touchdowns in those opportunities — all wins. And even in 2021, as a true freshman, he at least matched his 2023 season-high in carries four times.

And, what should be unsurprisingly at this point, he recorded 298 yards and five touchdowns in those opportunities. If Hammond has proven anything in his nearly three years at Pitt, it’s that he gets better and better with more carries.

“If I get an opportunity, I’m gonna make something of it,” Hammond said. “And I got an opportunity tonight, so I made something of it.”

Narduzzi wants to run the football. He’s made that abundantly clear. Frank Cignetti Jr. made the most of Abanikanda and Hammond last season, saving the season with the combined rushing attack, but for whatever reason, Hammond hasn’t been given the same opportunity this season. The offense has been an abject disaster.

There will very likely be major changes made at the conclusion of the 2023 season, even if Pitt is able to string together its first sustained dose of offensive success, and it’s needed. There’s too much talent on the offense to score so few points. But even so, Hammond is excited for what’s to come next season.

“This year is like a learning experience, you can’t always expect the highest level, it’s gonna be ups and downs, there’s always ups and downs,” Hammond said. “This is the down year and next year is gonna be the up year, so we staying focused and we’re ready to come back next year and handle business.”

Hammond will be back. Carter (very likely) and Derrick Davis Jr., too. And Montravius Lloyd, TJ Harvison, Juelz Goff and Yasin Willis form a very talented young corp. But Hammond should — and will — lead the room forward.

And there’s one more chance for Hammond this season in the form of Duke.