Here’s What Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi Talked About This Week

Pat Narduzzi meets with the media every Monday right at noon, giving a greeting on the way to the stand before the podium in the team meeting room of the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, and this Monday was no different.

There was perhaps an air of expectation this Monday, after Narduzzi’s postgame comments following the massive loss to Notre Dame blew up nationally, and he certainly addressed those comments and how he handled it in-house, but he touched upon a few topics ahead of a week of preparation for No. 4 Florida State.

So, let’s dive in.

Not Worried About a Bowl Game

Pitt has to beat Florida State, Syracuse, Boston College and Duke to get back to 6-6 and bowl eligibility this season.

Narduzzi has won fewer than six games just once in his Pitt tenure (2017), and that’s the only season in which Pitt has not competed in an end-of-season bowl game — barring the 2020 COVID-19 season when the Panthers declined any bowl opportunities.

But when it comes to looking ahead toward any potential bowl games, Narduzzi is just focused on going 1-0 each week.

“You know, hey, we played a great team last week,” Narduzzi said. “We’re playing a greater team this week. Our focus is on Florida State. We get them at home. I hope it’s 32 degrees out and the field — I think we’re going to let the grass grow because it’s a fast football team. And, you know, we’re playing one at a time. And I’m not worried about bowl eligibility. I care about winning a football game. And I care about coaching our football team and getting them prepared to play that game physically, mentally, and emotionally.”

I wouldn’t expect Pitt to beat the Seminoles, and I certainly wouldn’t expect a drastic turnaround over the final month of the season. Although, it’s not exactly the toughest stretch after Florida State either.

TALLAHASSEE, FL – NOVEMBER 7: Quarterback Jordan Travis #13 of the Florida State Seminoles on a pass play during the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on November 7, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Character Lines)

What Does Narduzzi See in Florida State?

Florida State checked in at No. 4 in the first College Football Playoff Poll of the 2023 season, currently holding down that final playoff spot in the final season of a four-team system.

If the Seminoles win out, they’re in. So, Pitt has the chance to — potentially — play spoiler once again against an ACC foe. And, oddly enough, the last time that happened was back in the bowl-less 2017 season.

“We’ve got probably the best team we’re going to play of the year,” Narduzzi said. “I think they’re ranked fourth in the country. On my USA Today coaches poll, I’ve had them at 2 for a long time. And I watched them earlier in the year. I’ve had a chance to peek at them. Mike Norvell has done an outstanding job there in his time there. And he’s an excellent coach. He’s also the offensive coordinator. I think Jordan Travis is playing about as high level as any quarterback in the country. We’ve got a great football team (to play) and that’s kind of where our focus is going, right to them. We focused on that last night after our team meeting.”

The Seminoles have been nearly impossible to stop this season, leading the ACC in scoring offense on the back of star quarterback Jordan Travis — completing 164-of-207 pass attempts (79.2%) for 2,109 yards with 18 touchdowns and two interceptions and adding 57 carries for 205 yards and six more scores.

Florida State is 8-0, and it’s been fueled by a high-flying offense (41.5 points per game) that features elite playmakers in wide receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson and running back Trey Benson.

But a stifling defense (18.3 points per game) features one of the most impactful edge rushers in college football in the form of Jared Verse.

Loyal to a Fault, Maybe?

I don’t think anyone needs the post-Notre Dame game comments rehashed at this point. Narduzzi opened Sunday’s team meeting with an apology, and it all appears to be water under the bridge.

But I thought Narduzzi said something interesting when it came to how his entire body of work should account for more than a quick soundbite.

“I think, again, you’re graded over what you’ve done for nine years, okay?” Narduzzi said. “And you can go back to Phil Jurkovec for five weeks or whatever week it was where it’s loyalty. I always have loyalty to our football team, period. And you can look at that and then you can look at one six-second snippet, and which one are you going to go with? So that’s up to you.”

Jurkovec started, when healthy, all the way up until the bye week, And suffice to say, it was an unsuccessful campaign for the new not-officially-but-kind-of-official tight end. That loyalty to Jurkovec may have cost Pitt a few games.

And also, Narduzzi said that it was Cignetti who ultimately made the decision to bench Jurkovec for Veilleux. So.

Better Coaching Needed

Narduzzi made a point of pointing out how Veilleux will start just his fourth game this season against Florida State, which is the number of games Kenny Pickett played during his freshman season in 2017 — lots of callbacks to 2017 here.

“We have to have patience as coaches,” Narduzzi said. “And that’s just one position I’m talking about. But every position’s the same way. I’ve got to do a better job making sure they’re ready to go. Our coaches have got to do a better job of making sure we get it, whether we’ve got to keep it simpler and cut back on offense and defense just to make sure we execute better. Because it comes down to execution. And if they’re not executing, it’s half on us and half on them. It’s a team win and a team loss whenever we stand in here. So, we’ve got to do a better job. And, again, the big thing is you learn from them, and you hope you don’t make the same mistakes twice.

I don’t really have too much of a complaint defensively. The defense, while it has its problems, sure, hasn’t been the reason why Pitt has lost six games this season. In fact, it’s a unit that has been more than good enough to win games.

It’s the offensive playcalling, personnel decisions and a general lack of offensive identity that has truly held Pitt back this season — and I think that would’ve been even more egregious if not for a home run hitter in the backfield last season.

Pittsburgh Panthers running back Israel Abanikanda (2) November 19, 2022 David Hague/PSN

Where Are the Splash Plays?

Jurkovec hit Bub Means for a 75-yard touchdown pass against Virginia Tech, his first real splash play in his final start, and Veilleux has connected on a couple of deep ball touchdowns.

Pitt needs more. If the passing attack is inconsistent, trending toward greater success with Veilleux’s continued comfortability, the run game can’t be non-existent.

Israel Abanikanda was a threat to break a touchdown run every time he touched the ball last season, and Pitt leaned upon him — heavily — to close out wins against Rhode Island, Virginia Tech, Virginia and Duke.

Rodney Hammond Jr. and C’Bo Flemister haven’t been able to find any sort of success in breaking off big runs. Hammond hasn’t even been able to garner consistent touches on the ground.

“Just got to hit them,” Narduzzi said. “Got to see them, got to hit them, got to protect him. Again, it’s a team game. Takes 11 guys, whether it’s pressure one time or not seeing a crossing route, whatever it may be, or the receiver’s not running fast enough across the field to get in the quarterback’s vision. There’s little details.

“They’re trying to sometimes sit in holes and, you know, depending on the coverage — but we’ve got to get in front of the quarterback. We’ve got to make throws. And we’ve got to make catches. And we’ve got to protect. It’s 11 guys. We, as coaches, have got to put them in a better position to make plays. All the time, not just sometimes.”

It’s no surprise that Pitt has one of the worst offenses in college football this season.