Tag: Pat Narduzzi

Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi becomes unlikely ally of Penn State’s James Franklin on Iowa fans debate

Penn State head coach James Franklin found an unlikely ally in Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi on the Iowa fans booing injuries debate

As much as we tried putting to rest this whole ongoing conversation about Iowa fans booing Penn State injuries last weekend, we were thrown one more curveball in this whole story. Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi became a surprise ally of Penn State’s James Franklin when the Panthers head coach took Franklin’s side on the whole situation.

In answering a question about one of his players who was banged up in a recent game, Narduzzi went on a slight tangent and brought up the idea of players cramping up in games. Then, out of almost nowhere, Narduzzi decided to stick up for Franklin following Franklin’s passionate comments defending his players being injured and being serenaded with a chorus of boos from Iowa fans all game long.

“A lot of talk about cramps and tempo this week,” Narduzzi said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I don’t agree with James Franklin on a whole bunch. But James, I’ve got your back. When you’re not playing a fast tempo offense, a team that huddles, nobody goes down with a cramp. That’s a bunch of baloney.”

Of course, Narduzzi has some personal beef on a related issue with Iowa dating back to his time as defensive coordinator at Michigan State. Per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette;

Before he accepted the job at Pitt, Narduzzi was Michigan State’s defensive coordinator from 2007-14. In 2011, several Spartan players went down with injuries late in a 37-21 win over the Hawkeyes at Kinnick. According to a story in The Daily Iowan, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio called them “legitimate injuries” — while some Hawkeye fans questioned the validity of those injuries.

Perhaps it was his own personal stake in the war on Iowa that caused Narduzzi to come to the defense of Franklin. You have to wonder how much Narduzzi wrestled with that one.

Franklin explained to the media following Penn State’s loss to Iowa that players faking injuries is not a strategy that was deployed by Penn State and suggested that doing so didn’t make sense against a team that runs the style of offense Iowa typically does.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz defended Iowa fans by suggesting they “smelled a rat.” Franklin got his final word in on this manner earlier this week.

Maybe now we can officially turn the page on this whole storyline.

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Pat Narduzzi discusses how Johnny Majors ‘would have been happy with what he saw’

Pat Narduzzi discusses how Johnny Majors would have been happy with what he saw.

Pittsburgh (2-0) defeated Tennessee (1-1), 41-34, in the Johnny Majors Classic at Neyland Stadium.

Majors served as head coach at Pittsburgh and Tennessee. He guided the Panthers to the 1976 national championship before winning three Southeastern Conference championships at Tennessee (1985, 1989, 1990).

Following the Week 2 contest, Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi discussed Majors and the game that honored him.

“One other thing I want to mention, I wish Johnny Majors was here to see what happened today,” Narduzzi said. “I know he was wearing the Blue and Gold up in the press box up above, and he would have been happy with what he saw today.”

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Josh Heupel discusses Vols’ offense against Pittsburgh’s defense

Josh Heupel discusses Vols’ offense against Pittsburgh’s defense.

Tennessee will host Pittsburgh in the Johnny Majors Classic Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

The matchup is between Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and Pittsburgh’s Pat Narduzzi.

Heupel met with media on Monday and discussed the challenge of his offense going against Narduzzi’s defense.

“You’re going to see a bunch of man-press based out of quarters, but they’ll play multiple coverages out of it,” Heupel said of Pittsburgh’s defense. “They’re a well-coached team in all three phases of the game. They’re going to be tough and physical – that’s out on the perimeter and that’s inside the core, too.

“You got to be tough, you got to have strain, you got to play with a physical presence. That’s going to be important for us out on the perimeter, it’ll be true for the guys in the core, too.”

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Pat Narduzzi discusses Josh Heupel’s offense resembling prior two meetings at UCF

Pat Narduzzi discusses Josh Heupel’s offense resembling prior two meetings at UCF.

Tennessee (1-0) will host Pittsburgh (1-0) on Saturday in the Johnny Majors Classic at Neyland Stadium (noon EDT, ESPN).

The matchup will be the third between head coaches Josh Heupel and Pat Narduzzi.

Heupel came to Tennessee after serving as UCF’s head coach from 2018-20. UCF defeated Pittsburgh in 2018 and the Panthers were victorious the following season.

Ahead of Saturday’s contest, Narduzzi discussed if Tennessee’s offense resembles what he competed against during the 2018 and 2019 seasons.

“It looks very similar,” Nardizzi said of Heupel’s offense. “I’m sure they’ll have some tweaks for us, maybe that they didn’t show in the first game, but very similar.

“I think they’re snapping the ball faster. Probably an average of 11 seconds, they’re snapping the ball on offense.”

‘Josh Heupel’s Offense’ e-book now available

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Josh Heupel, Pat Narduzzi discuss Johnny Majors Classic

Josh Heupel, Pat Narduzzi discuss the Johnny Majors Classic.

Tennessee (1-0) will host Pittsburgh on Saturday in the Johnny Majors Classic at Neyland Stadium (noon EDT, ESPN).

Former Tennessee player Johnny Majors served as Pittsburgh’s head coach from 1973-76 and 1993-96, winning the 1976 national championship.

Majors won three Southeastern Conference championships while serving as Tennessee’s head coach from 1977-92.

Ahead of Saturday’s contest, Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel discussed the impact Majors had on both programs.

“I think it’s fitting that we get an opportunity to honor Coach Majors, just what he’s meant to both programs as well,” Heupel said.

“It’s unique that Coach Majors had such a huge impact on both programs. As a player and a coach, his legacy lives on here at Tennessee. He’s a part of the foundation of who we are. He’s a cornerstone of it. I think it’s a fitting opportunity to pay tribute to him from both programs. It’s unique that you have a coach that is that instrumental in two different programs, and very few opportunities that you get a chance to recognize that with both teams playing.”

In this Jan. 3, 1977, file photo, University of Pittsburgh coach Johnny Majors carries the Sugar Bowl trophy after Pittsburgh beat Georgia 27-3 to win the NCAA college football national championship, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/File)

Pittsburgh (1-0) head coach Pat Narduzzi also discussed Majors and honoring him Saturday.

“I love it,” Narduzzi said of the Johnny Majors Classic. “I like it the best because I’ve had a relationship with Coach Majors from his time spent here at Pitt, the days he’s been here to visit the university he loved here. Spent a couple flights with him. Spent a lot of time with him at some of the Nike clinics he was heavily involved in through his retirement years, I guess.

“I think it’s a great thing in honor of the Majors family. We’re excited about that.”

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ACC HC says gap hasn’t been closed with Clemson

Wednesday provided an opportunity for the ACC’s Coastal Division to participate in the conference’s media kickoff. And while Clemson will have to wait until Thursday to partake in the festivities, the Tigers were obviously a hot topic of discussion. …

Wednesday provided an opportunity for the ACC’s Coastal Division to participate in the conference’s media kickoff.

And while Clemson will have to wait until Thursday to partake in the festivities, the Tigers were obviously a hot topic of discussion.

Pitt hasn’t closed the gap between itself and Clemson and no one is more aware of that than Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi.

With a Clemson matchup on the horizon come Oct. 23, Narduzzi is preparing for his fourth matchup against the Tigers in what will be his seventh season in Pittsburgh.

The Panthers haven’t fared too well against Clemson across a previous six-year span. The Tigers are 2-1 and coming off a 52-17 rout in which they scored 31 points in the first quarter.

“The only time we’re going to close the gap is when we play them to win,” Narduzzi said. “The gap has not been closed from last year to this year.”

“Dabo does an incredible job, he added. “He’s an incredible coach. He’s built that program from the bottom up. They’re the measuring stick in the ACC and that’s what we got to get to.”

The Panthers are excited about the opportunity to host Clemson and potentially even the playing field.

“We have a chance to balance that off and we’ll do that at Heinz Field in front of our crowd,” Narduzzi said.

Pitt’s head coach isn’t the only Panther that’s excited about October’s showdown between the cross-divisional opponents. Pitt sophomore wide receiver Jordan Addison is looking forward to facing off against the Tigers. 

He’s coming off a performance, where he hauled in five receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown, even though it came in a losing fashion.

“I’m really looking forward to going up against Clemson because they’re coming with a lot of attention,” Addison said. “That’s a really big game for me to get my name out there more. That’s a game that I definitely got circled on my schedule.”

Addison acknowledged that in Pitt’s 35-point defeat, it was difficult for the Panthers to go up against the Tigers. They didn’t have fans at any of their previous homes games, only to head down to Death Valley and have difficulty hearing calls.

The talented wideout did tip his hat towards Clemson cornerbacks Andrew Booth, Jr. and Malcolm Greene. Addison acknowledged that they were both tough matchups for him to go up against.

Addison’s quarterback echoed his sentiments.

Kenny Pickett, who returned to Pitt for a fifth season, knows just how meaningful this game will be to the Panthers’ 2021 season.

“Obviously it’s going to be a big game,” Pickett said. “We’ll see where we’re at headed into it. They run a lot on different, a lot of different schemes. It’ll be another tall task, a tall order for us. We just have to make sure we’re prepared as we can be going into that one.”

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LOOK: Former Michigan State coaches Mark Dantonio, Pat Narduzzi reconnect at Pitt

Mark Dantonio and Pat Narduzzi spent a few days together at Pitt, where Narduzzi is now the head coach.

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I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to say that the best years of the Mark Dantonio era at Michigan State came with Pat Narduzzi at defensive coordinator. Narduzzi left in 2014 to become the head coach at Pitt, and it looks like Mark Dantonio came to visit him and his team this week. The two were photographed together on Thursday.

From 2007-14, helped lead the Spartans to two Big Ten Conference Championships, six wins over Michigan, a Rose Bowl victory and a win over Baylor in the Cotton Bowl.

You can see the picture of the two prolific coaches together below:

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Pat Narduzzi and Geoff Collins had a very terse handshake after Pitt beat Georgia Tech

Pat Narduzzi didn’t seem super happy about this exchange with Geoff Collins.

Pitt topped Georgia Tech on Thursday night, 34-20, in a heated game where the Yellow Jackets played catch-up most of the time. Things got even more intense afterward, specifically between the two head coaches.

Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi and Georgia Tech’s Geoff Collins met each other on the field for a postgame handshake — a tradition that should be postponed indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic — and it appeared to be a more fleeting exchange than Narduzzi expected.

The handshake barely lasted a second because as quickly as Collins extended his hand to the Panthers coach, he forcefully ripped it away and began walking in the opposite direction. Seemingly irritated, Narduzzi took off his face shield — why wasn’t he wearing a mask? — and pointed and said something in Collins’ direction as the Georgia Tech coach kept on walking.

What exactly happened here isn’t entirely clear and not really that big of a deal, but, on the surface, it’s not a great show of sportsmanship from Collins.

More from the Associated Press reporting in Atlanta:

“I told him, ‘Hey, you’ve got a great team,'” Narduzzi said. “He said, ‘Baloney,’ or some other nice words, and walked off. I don’t know. I thought it was a good game.”

Collins insisted that he didn’t intend to get into it with Narduzzi.

“I was just focused on getting our guys over to the band to celebrate,” Collins said. “I don’t even remember what I said, to be honest with you.”

Regardless, if college football is somehow still carrying on during a pandemic that’s killed nearly 300,000 people in the U.S., maybe it’s time we put postgame handshakes between coaches on ice for a bit.

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Notre Dame football: Staff predictions vs. Pitt

Does Notre Dame move to 5-0 this week against a team that has traditionally given them fits? Our team makes ND/Pitt predictions here.

Undefeated Notre Dame goes on the road for the first time this season as they take on a struggling Pitt team that has lost it’s last three contests.

Under Brian Kelly the Irish have gone 5-5 in their first road games of the year, something we looked at yesterday.

Pitt has been a regular pain for Notre Dame to deal with as the Irish have won five of the six meetings since Brian Kelly was hired, but of those wins only the 2015 game was decided by more than one score.

So what happens when Notre Dame hits the road on Saturday?  Here is what the Fighting Irish Wire staff is thinking, starting with Geoffrey Clark.

Geoffrey Clark prediction…

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Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Ian Book vs. Joey Yellen

Whether Ian Book is the better quarterback going into Notre Dame’s matchup with Pittsburgh remains to be seen.

Whether Ian Book is the better quarterback going into Notre Dame’s matchup with Pittsburgh remains to be seen. What we know is that time to prove that his mainly unremarkable numbers through his first four games were an anomaly could be running out. While Book has proven capable of carrying the ball himself, planned or otherwise, the gap in his running and throwing abilities appears to be shrinking. Irish fans keep waiting for him to tear up a defense through the air, which he hasn’t done yet.Though Kenny Pickett could be available after missing their last game against Florida State, the Panthers are expected to start Joey Yellen, a redshirt freshman who transferred from Arizona State. Yellen still is feeling his way into his new surroundings, and it shows. There’s really nothing to write home about with him, which is unfair given the situation he and the Panthers are in, but it’s the reality. The question is whether Pat Narduzzi will pull the plug on Yellen early and decide to summon Davis Beville or a partially healthy Pickett.