Pat Narduzzi Wanted to Make Statement Against YSU, Panthers Delivered

PITTSBURGH — Pat Narduzzi made a choice when he woke up Saturday morning and pulled out the short-sleeve button-up shirt and blue tie.

Narduzzi wanted to make a statement. But not with the unique outfit combination, well, not entirely. He wanted to make a statement on the football field against Youngstown State, the final non-conference opponent of the season and the program where he fell in love with football.

So, what does a short-sleeve button-up shirt have to do with it? Well, that’s what the late Bill Narduzzi used to wear on game days.

Narduzzi is confident that his father, the former head coach at Youngstown State in the 1970s and 80s, would be fired up with the way that Narduzzi — in a short-sleeve button-up shirt and blue tie — made a statement, cruising to a 73-17 win against the Penguins Saturday afternoon at Acrisure Stadium.

“That’s the way we scripted that win today,” Narduzzi said Saturday night after the win. “Talked to our guys just about the attitude we take and making a statement in regards to who we played. We wanted to put the foot to the pedal and show who we are. You look back at 2012 and Paul Chryst’s first year and you think about how far we’ve come as a program.

“They got beat by that team coming in here in ’12. Then in ’15, my first game, we beat them barely. ’17, we go to overtime with them. Again, wins are wins, but this third one is the way it was supposed to be.”

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) September 21. 2024 Photo by David Hague/PSN

Pitt was never in doubt against Youngstown State. The Panthers won the opening coin toss, elected to take the first offensive possession and drove 75 yards (rather easily) in 11 plays to take an early 7-0 lead via a 6-yard touchdown toss to a wide-open Poppi Williams.

Pitt scored again, and again, and again, and again, and again… The Panthers scored six touchdowns in six first half possessions. Pitt hit the halftime break with a 42-10 lead, went three-and-out on its first possession of the second half and proceeded to rattle off four straight scoring drives to end the game.

An ever-critical Eli Holstein still wasn’t entirely happy after the game.

“I think I still left two or three touchdowns out there, to be honest with you,” Holstein said Saturday after the game. “That first drive coming out of the half, made some mental errors. Trying to do too much, not just doing the little things, getting the ball in the right spot. That three-and-out coming out, that’s on me. Another drive we should’ve scored a touchdown.”

Holstein completed 16-of-24 pass attempts (67%) for 247 yards and three touchdowns, adding 93 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, in three quarters of work. Nate Yarnell took over in the fourth quarter, leading two touchdown drives of his own, and it seemed no matter who was in the game, the Panthers continued to rack up yards at a historic pace.

Pitt ran 61 plays against Youngstown State, racking up 664 yards (the fifth-most in program history) and 73 points (the most since a 76-point outburst against Syracuse in 2016). That’s over a point per play. What does that mean?

“That we finally executed,” Holstein said. “Like I said, we still left some points out there, but that’s an awesome feeling.”

Holstein felt like it was the first time this season that Pitt put in a full four quarter performance this season. It certainly showed on the scoreboard. But there were still two drives that didn’t end in a touchdown — and Holstein doesn’t want Ben Sauls to get too comfortable.

“Ben Sauls likes to kick those long field goals,” Holstein said. “He told me he appreciates it. I tell him, ‘You’re not supposed to be kicking field goals, you’re supposed to be kicking PATs every chance you get.’”

Pitt made a statement against Youngstown State, from the 82-yard touchdown strike to Censere Lee to end the second half, to the ferocity of Kyle Louis and Rasheem Biles out of the linebacking corps. The starting trio combined for 21 tackles, three tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception. It wasn’t a perfect game, even with 73 points on the board, but it was a statement. A Kade Bell-led offense can score against anyone.

Pitt is 4-0 for the first time since 2000, largely on the strength of the Bell and Holstein connection and an electric offense that is now averaging 48.5 points per game, and it doesn’t really matter to Narduzzi. It isn’t a successful season unless the Panthers continue to make statements.

“You think about it, it’s 4-0, one at a time,” Narduzzi said. “North Carolina is the only thing on my mind right now is where we are there. I guess first time in history of Pitt football that we’re undefeated in (non-conference), and preseason is over now.

“We’re moving to ACC play, and North Carolina, they’re on the clock for us, and we’ve got two weeks to prepare and get fresh and get ready to roll.”