Pitt has three games left, and I don’t know if it will be enough time to truly answer the most important question that Pitt faces next season: Who’s the quarterback?
Christian Veilleux has shown flashes as he’s started a handful of games, but if we’re going by the actual on-field production and results, it hasn’t been good. It has been two tough games against Notre Dame and Florida State, so there’s something to be said for the difficulty, but Veilleux has worse production than Phil Jurkovec.
Pitt does have Nate Yarnell — who made his first appearance of the season with a 25-yard touchdown in garbage time against the Fighting Irish — waiting on the bench, but it appears that Veilleux will be the guy — for now.
“Right now (Yarnell) is,” Pat Narduzzi said following the loss to Florida State. “Again, Christian made some plays. He got pressure. He got sacked three times. All those things. We can continue to talk, but Christian, he threw one pick today, and it was not a good one, but…”
But when it comes to Yarnell, who has made one career start during his time at Pitt, Narduzzi doesn’t know if he will get any time on the field going forward.
“I haven’t thought about it,” Narduzzi said Monday at his weekly news conference. “Good question for coach (Frank) Cignetti.”
Yarnell did his job in a win against Western Michigan last season, completing 9-of-12 pass attempts for 179 yards and a touchdown, and he completed 1-of-2 pass attempts for a 16-yard dart against UCLA in the Sun Bowl. But he has just 17 pass attempts over two-and-a-half collegiate seasons.
Veilleux has started four games this season, and it’s been a tale of two halves. He completed 40-of-71 pass attempts (56%) for 502 yards with four touchdowns against Louisville and Wake Forest. He completed 29-of-64 pass attempts (45%) for 371 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions against Notre Dame and Florida State.
And in the midst of back-to-back losses to Notre Dame and Florida State, Pitt has converted just 1-of-22 third down attempts over the last two weeks. And Narduzzi himself has no answers there.
“I don’t know which one you want me to tell you,” Narduzzi said. “You wish he would throw great under pressure, but he’s a young guy, he’s got to figure it out. He’s got to read the progression — he’s got to get through his progression and make the throw.
“But I would say 3rd down was probably no different than 1st or 2nd down. We’ve just got to get the ball to the right guy and look to the right side and know where you’re going, and I think it’s just being young.”
But even when Veilleux was successfully converting third down opportunities against Wake Forest three games ago, completing all nine of the Panthers’ opportunities, the coaching staff moved away from its success through the air. And there were a number of misfires on the ground in the midst of success through the air.
So, maybe there’s something to be said for the coaching staff putting its players into the very best position to succeed.
Regardless, there are three games left on the schedule. The coaching staff has to determine whether or not it has the quarterback of the future on its roster. That comes down to Veilleux and Yarnell.
Veilleux has made four starts now, Yarnell just one, and with a “winnable” slate ahead, Pitt has to win out and finish the season strong to move forward into a new season — regardless of what Veilleux does.
Pitt brought Jurkovec and Veilleux in as its quarterbacks of the present and the future. That, obviously, didn’t work. But it’s not because of Veilleux. He’s made four starts, to varying degrees of success. Cignetti has brought up the benefit of continuity, but what is the point of continuity if it doesn’t go anywhere after two seasons?
There are legitimate questions when it comes to the Panthers’ offense. Veilleux hasn’t succeeded, but who’s to say Yarnell would?
It’s the same thing over and over again. It’s a terrible offensive scheme Made worse by terrible play calling. And poor execution.
Yarnell deserves an honest chance. He has produced every time they play him and this is looking more like the way that Nick Patti was always overlooked. This season is a done deal. Nothing to lose by finding out how deep your QB room is and being fair to the players.
The funniest was Cig trying to keep his buddy Phil involved and gave him a handoff? What a joke.
If a bad OC still has power this late in the season, it’s a bad omen for him still being around next year.
Can we bring back Brennan Marion as OC? I thought he did a great job as WR coach here
better get ready to overpay….team will be worse next year, what OC will come here?
Better get ready to get slaughtered by Michigan
Two thoughts: 1) I feel better now, knowing that Cignetti will make the decision. Hahaha.
2) Bill Hillgrove could play QB the rest of the year and the game scores really don’t matter. This season is over. (The Pitt Basketball Team looks promising, though!) OK, I suppose that was 3 thoughts.
The head-coach to OC income disparity is substantial at the College level. Delegating this starting QB decision making to the OC is poor leadership. The same goes with not actually firing Cignetti at this point. The starting WRs and QB do not look to be in synch on hot routes the last two games. Is that QB play or poor planning by the OC? Situational awareness is about as bad as execution of recent.
How can the commentator on NBC two weeks ago and ESPN last week see things and comment on them and these Coaches not do the same?
FSU and Notre Dame obliterated our Defense with screen play and crossing routes. They both run a Defense quite similar to ours and countering with the same was non-existent. Each time we have attempted to run a screen play the last two years has been a terrible outcome.
Totally agree that the absence of a competent screen play is baffling. FSU used it often with success, but to Pitt’s credit, it was just about the only play that was working for them…defense did a nice job of containing a possible Heisman candidate at QB. Definitely looked like belonged on the field with the #4 ranked team in the country.
The guy who insisted that Jurkovec was the right man for the job is now going to make the decision on whether to give Yarnell an opportunity to show what he can do?
Yeh that should work out just fine.
I am starting to wonder what decisions Narduzzi actually makes?? Maybe where to order takeout from?
Cignetti should not be allowed to make football decisions of any kind here at Pitt. He has proven again that he is incapable of it. In fact, let him make decisions and then do the opposite. It will likely work out better that way.
I can see the value in giving him some good reps in that the season has been lost. That way, maybe there is some competition with Villeiux next season. More concerning to me, assuming the coaching staff doesn’t change, I’ve got to believe that they hit the portal for a starter, unless they really, truly, absolutely believe in CV or NY. If they don’t, I could see Nate leave.
Transfer where, PITT and UVA are the poorest ranked P5 Schools. He’d be better off staying at PITT and hoping Veilleux tripped on gravy from his poutine and roughed up his throwing arm.
How stupid can you be? NARDUZZI should make that decision. Cignetti won’t be here next year and if Yarnell doesn’t get a fair shake, he won’t be here either… My God…
Absolutely correct!!
How many times have we heard from Narduzzi that it all starts with me, well………
Is Yarnell 30 years old?
Narduzzi is the long lost fourth brother of the 3 witt brothers, denny, dim and nit.