Pitt head football coach Paul Chryst was impressed with the Panther Pitt student section when the Panthers played Florida State Sept. 2. When the team emerged for pregame warm-ups hours before kickoff, the seats of Heinz Field were barren, save for one corner. 

That corner, in stark contrast to a scene predominantly colored yellow by roughly 60,000 empty seats just two hours before kickoff, was filled with Pitt fans clothed and painted in blue — the first of many fans to arrive for Pitt’s sold-out inaugural game as a member of the ACC. The Panther Pitt was there in full force and made a strong first impression on Chryst and the Panthers.

In his Monday media address and in an exclusive interview with The Pitt News, Chryst offered his thoughts on the Panther Pitt’s first showing of 2013. 

On what the team saw from the Panther Pitt against Florida State.

Paul Chryst: “I thought there was a great atmosphere, it’s our job to make sure guys get excited, but we’re going to need all those students. All the players were talking about that: the student section, the Panther Pitt, the energy they felt from that. And we’ve got to pay them back for what they did. We’ve gotta give them a good product.”

The Pitt News: “What were your first impressions of the Panther Pitt?”

PC: “It was noticeably different, and we appreciate it. It’s our job now, we’ve got to keep them energized and give them more reason. It was pretty cool. … That’s what stuck out, this is the group that’s in it. … The energy of it was what guys talked about and what guys felt.”

On what Chryst expected before the game. 

PC: “I wasn’t surprised, you kind of envision that and knew it, and certainly understood all of the build-up to the game. Like anything, maybe it’s kind of like when you have a young player and you see what can be, you saw that and I think that we don’t want people to give up on this team. It can be really, really good, and that was energizing.”

TPN: “Did you have a chance to catch up with any of the recruits at the game, and what were their impressions of the Panther Pitt?”

PC: “I’m going more off of the guys on this team right now. I know there was a good feel from the guys that came, and I’m sure the Panther Pitt had a lot to do with that. It was good for me, I said, ‘Do you guys like that? We’ve gotta hold up our end.’”

TPN: “If you could give a message to the students who leave after ‘Sweet Caroline,’ what would that be?”

PC: “I’d tell our players to play better. Put it on us. It’s a two-way street. Obviously, if you’re to target one group, that’s the one thing we felt the most, their energy. It’s our job to give them energy, our job to keep the energy going and play off each other.”