Pitt Looking to Put an End to Winless Record in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Under head coach Pat Narduzzi, Pitt football has amassed 43 ACC victories – second most since he took over, trailing only Clemson’s Dabo Swinney (64).

Saturday provides a new opportunity to add to that win total with the Panthers’ first conference matchup of the 2024 season.

However, it comes in a place in which Pitt has never won, not just under Narduzzi, but in seven all-time trips to Chapel Hill, N.C. The Panthers have come up on the short end all seven times.

In ACC play, Pitt has found ways to win at Virginia Tech, Florida State, Miami and even in Death Valley against No. 2 Clemson, yet, in three attempts with Narduzzi at the helm of the program, Pitt has failed to win a game in Chapel Hill.

Most recently, in 2022, Pitt led 24-14 early in the third quarter against the Tar Heels but fell by two scores.

It was a game that saw All-American defensive lineman Calijah Kancey get ejected for targeting late in the first half, which ultimately became a pivotal turning point defensively for the Panthers.

In the second half, Drake Maye and the Tar Heels scored 28 points and amassed 297 yards of offense to defeat Pitt, 42-24.

Despite the lack of success at Kenan Memorial Stadium, Narduzzi is not letting that impact his team’s approach heading into Saturday’s matchup.

“It’s a one-game season. We’re going on the road. The field’s no different. They got different colors, different logo but what’s happened in the past has no effect on what will happen Saturday. Got to go out and play. It’s won between the lines, not anything that happened in the past,” Narduzzi said on Monday.

Since joining the ACC, Pitt has played in some tight matchups with North Carolina, including eight one-score games:

• 2021: Pitt W 30-23 (OT) at Heinz Field
• 2019: Pitt W 34-27 (OT) at Heinz Field
• 2018: UNC W 38-35 at Kenan Stadium
• 2017: UNC W 34-31 at Heinz Field
• 2016: UNC W 37-36 at Kenan Stadium
• 2015: UNC W 26-19 at Heinz Field
• 2014: UNC W 40-35 at Kenan Stadium
• 2013: UNC W 34-27 at Heinz Field

When facing North Carolina over the years, Pitt has dealt with top-end quarterbacks and explosive offenses. In the last two meetings, UNC has averaged 41.5 points.

Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Konata Mumpfield (9) September 23, 2023 David Hague/Pittsburgh Sports Now

“They went from [Mitchell] Trubisky. Then you had Sam Howell in ’19, ’20, ’21. Then you had Drake Maye. You see three draft pick quarterbacks right there. Then they’ve had a plethora of receivers throughout the years. I think five or six receivers drafted as well in the last five cycles,” Pitt assistant head coach and safeties coach Cory Sanders said on Tuesday.

The Tar Heels have gone from Maye under center last season to Jacolby Criswell, who started one game before this season. In four games this year, the graduate senior has completed 57.7% of his passes (64-for-111), while tossing for 889 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions.

“They’re talented on offense,” Narduzzi said. “Jacolby — let me get out right here — Criswell, No. 12, is talented. He’s been to North Carolina, transferred to Arkansas, came back again. He’s got a cannon arm. We’re going to have to change things up on him. He can put it in small windows. I think he’s really, really good. He does a nice job.”

After starting 3-0, UNC is coming off back-to-back tough losses in games that were certainly winnable. Against Sun Belt James Madison, the Tar Heels surrendered 611 yards of offense from the Dukes in a 70-50 loss.

“Everybody wants to talk about two weeks ago and their loss, but I think everybody forgets they put 50 up on them, too. James Madison is a talented football team, as we all know. It’s not like it was the Little Sisters of the Poor that they were playing against,” Narduzzi said.

A week later, the Tar Heels climbed to a 20-0 lead over rival Duke late in the third quarter. However, the Blue Devils overcame that deficit for a 21-20 victory.

North Carolina will have a chip on its shoulder as it looks to forget about the last two games and continue its winning ways at home against Pitt.

However, if there’s a Pitt team to snap the winless streak in North Carolina, it’s this Panthers group as they have shown their resiliency multiple times this season with fourth-quarter comebacks against Cincinnati and West Virginia.

“Now we’re going into conference play with North Carolina, who we’ve faced for many years,” Sanders said. “We got a tough challenge as we go down to Chapel Hill. We got some challenges to overcome next from this standpoint. I think as a program, we’ve faced adversity well through the first few weeks.”