Phil Jurkovec entered the 2023 season with 24 starts under his belt as a three-year starter at Boston College, and Christian Veilleux entered the 2023 season with no starts under his belt.
Veilleux, who spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Penn State as a sparingly used backup, played the majority of the Nittany Lions’ win over Rutgers in 2021, but he didn’t start. Nor did he start when inserted late in the first half of Pitt’s loss to North Carolina last month.
It will be Veilleux’s first career start when he lines up under center against No. 14 Louisville Saturday night.
And while he’s served as the clear No. 2 over the first half of the season, Frank Cignetti Jr. will not run his offense any differently with Veilleux under center than he did with either Jurkovec or Kedon Slovis calling plays.
“If Christian was on the scout field for the last three weeks, maybe,” Pat Narduzzi said Thursday at his weekly press conference. “We did a little bit of that with Nate (Yarnell) at Western (Michigan last season) because he was on the scout field reading off cards. I think going into Tuesday’s practice that week, he was the third-string quarterback.
“I think it was Derek (Kyler), who else was there? It felt like there was a three-man race at that time, and on Tuesday before practice even started, I was like, ‘Nate Yarnell is gonna be the guy,’ I just knew it. So, maybe we simplified it a little bit. But there’s no reason to simplify it. We can do just as much or more with Christian. He’s really smart and understands football.”
Narduzzi referenced Yarnell — who is either the No. 2 or 3 quarterback on the roster right now, I can’t say for certain — starting against Western Michigan last season when Slovis and Nick Patti were unable to go.
Yarnell made his first collegiate start, starting his first football game in nearly three years, and it was clear he ran a very simplified Pitt offense. But he did his job, completing 9-of-12 passing attempts for 179 yards and a touchdown in a win. He also was working with the scout team in the weeks prior, far from the action.
Veilleux took over for Jurkovec during the bye week, stepping into those first-team reps in practice, but he’s also worked more closely with the offense over the first month and a half of the season. He played the fourth quarter against Wofford, the second half against UNC and will get the whole game against Louisville.
He’s still wet behind the ears when it comes to leading the Pitt offense, but Veilleux himself isn’t looking at this opportunity as anything other than the chance for him to show what he can do. Narduzzi certainly sees a young quarterback who just needs to be himself.
“I think a young quarterback is still learning,” Narduzzi said. “He needs to just not worry about leading. He just needs to worry about doing his job to the best of his ability. I think that’s kind of what he’s done this week.
“I think it would be a lot to say, ‘You’re in charge of the offense, you better lead them, it’s all on your shoulders,’ And I haven’t said that to him, but that’s what I would say if he asked me. He just needs to go and play his game and play like he’s practiced, and he’s had a really good week of practice. I’m excited to watch it.”
He’s completed 12-of-27 pass attempts (44.4%) this season, for 145 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, but the bulk of that work came in a tough situation against UNC last month. Narduzzi — and many around the Pitt facility — are excited to see what he can do in a better situation.
And Veilleux, who said that his best attribute is being able to get the ball out of his hand quickly, has worked diligently in the film room to be able to truly understand both the Pitt offense and its opponents.
“I take notes on my iPad, so right now I have a big folder of about 24 pages just listing coverage percentages, every coverage look, every statistical coverage based off formation, third down and distances, red zone, yardage so I have screenshots of formations and coverages and I tie that into watching film,” Veilleux said. “And I take our ready kist and I just read that off and I just match it based on my notes.”
Veilleux — aside from the rough second half against UNC — has said and done all the right things. He’s competed in the quarterbacks room, he’s built relationships across the roster and now he’s getting his chance to run the show. It’s a nerve-wracking experience, starting a college football game, but Narduzzi hasn’t any nerves — not yet.
“But it’s not Saturday yet, right? He will be nervous,” Narduzzi said. “We talk about pressure and all of those things and anxiety and all of that, but when you’re prepared — you’re always going to have nerves, but it’s good nerves if you’re prepared. And he’s prepared right now. So, I think he feels good with the game plan. He needs to go out and play his game.”
It won’t be easy against a Louisville defense that ranks toward the top of the ACC in points and total yards allowed per game, but Veilleux and Pitt have a lot to prove against the Cardinals. It remains to be seen whether or not Veilleux has what it takes to be the next multi-season starter in Pittsburgh, but it starts Saturday night.
We may Win more games with mobile QBs if we depended less on the the edge rush and keep them in the pocket. 22′ GaTech, 22′ Louisville, 22′ UNC, losses were with mobile dudes. Same can be said at times for WVa and VaTech this year. Focus less on the leading the NCAA in sacks in games where the QB can hurt you with the collapsed pocket or break of contain.