Pitt was off over the weekend, so the Panthers were able to watch as another undefeated team fell from the ranks of the unbeaten.
Pitt is one of 10 FBS programs that remains unbeaten through Week 8. And the Panthers are one of six Power Four programs and two ACC programs.
The undefeated teams include Army, BYU, Indiana, Iowa State, Liberty, Miami, Navy, Oregon, Penn State and Pitt — with No. 1 Texas dropping out following a loss to Georgia.
Pitt is 6-0 for the first time since 1982, one of the two undefeated schools in the ACC, and the Panthers are riding a high that hasn’t been felt since the ACC title-winning season in 2021.
Pat Narduzzi was happy with the most recent win against Cal, and the way his squad found a way to win with a lackluster performance from the typically high-scoring offense, but he’s well aware it wasn’t a complete game. He doesn’t think Pitt has played a complete game all season.
“I don’t know if there ever has been a complete game,” Narduzzi said Saturday night. “I wish — we strive for perfection and we’ll take excellence. It’s never going to be perfect. There’s too many guys on scholarship out there, and it’s never going to be perfect. That’s why you’ve just got to play one play at a time, not look at the scoreboard and just try to win every play. Every play matters.”
Pitt mustered just 17 points and 277 yards of offense against the Golden Bears. Eli Holstein wasn’t sharp, looking like a freshman quarterback for the first time in his brief career, but Pitt found a way to win.
Desmond Reid racked up 139 all-purpose yards and both touchdowns, and the defense clamped down on Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza and the Bears in the second half — racking up six sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
“So, it didn’t happen today for us offensively, it just — sometimes when it rains, it pours,” Narduzzi said. “But we’ll learn from our mistakes on offense today, and again, it’s just great to maybe not play well on offense and find a way to get a win. Defense played lights out.”
Pitt is back in action this week, hosting Syracuse Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium. It’s a quick start to the second half of the season.
