Pat Narduzzi called what Virginia Tech’s offense did to his team a “slow bleed.”

He was describing how the Hokies controlled the pace of the game with an effective ground game, hitting only the occasional big play, while maintaining possession of the football for nearly 38 minutes.

You know, domination.

Narduzzi’s words painted an accurate visual of not only the 38-21 loss to Virginia Tech but the first five games of the season. It has taken the Panthers (1-4, 0-2 ACC) a month to get to this point, but one unpleasant truth is starting to surface:

Perhaps Pitt doesn’t have sufficient talent to change some bad tendencies. Irreversible? Narduzzi better hope not.

• Phil Jurkovec misses open receivers on the easiest throws and looks more uncomfortable in the pocket than you would expect from a sixth-year senior.

• Offensive linemen all but invite pass rushers into the backfield.

• Those missed tackles Narduzzi mentioned after the game suggest players struggle with the basic functions of the game.

• Finally, Ben Sauls missed his third field-goal try of the season (after missing four in 13 games last season), and a punt off the foot of Caleb Junko traveled 10 yards.

No one is immune. Everyone is culpable.

Narduzzi repeats that same thought every week, trying to deflect some of the blame from his quarterback. But it merely indicates that poor play is pervasive throughout the team, an even more troubling situation. Problems erupt like all the pipes in your house leaking at the same time.

Pitt has lost four in a row for only the third time this century, and the next game is against undefeated Louisville. Pitt must finish 5-2 just to qualify for a bowl game.

What did Bill Parcells say? “You are what your record says you are.”

Running back C’Bo Flemister was one of a few Pitt players whose efforts produced tangible results. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry and scored on a 61-yard screen pass.

Yet he said, “I know I left things out there on the field.”

Who could argue with the social media post late Saturday night that contended Pitt has its worst team in 30 years? Pitt was 3-8 in 1993, the start of Johnny Majors’ second, ill-fated tenure as coach and one of the lowest points in program history. Didn’t the ACC championship only two years ago lift Pitt fans free of those memories?

— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) October 1, 2023

Narduzzi needs to find a way to inject life into his team. Injuries have taken a toll, but mental lapses leave gaping holes in the defense and have led to a troubling amount of penalties (an average of more than eight per game).

Most fans want change at quarterback, but benching Jurkovec won’t necessarily solve all of Pitt’s problems. He doesn’t play defense or take crushing, unnecessary roughness penalties.

For Narduzzi and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. to make a change at quarterback, they must be convinced that the next starter — Christian Veilleux or Nate Yarnell — will be significantly better than Jurkovec. More of the same isn’t good enough.

Fans like to say the next guy can’t do any worse. What if he is worse? Remember, Veilleux threw two interceptions in one half against North Carolina. Yarnell, a fan favorite after throwing 14 passes a year ago, is just as inexperienced as Veilleux.

Jurkovec has had his moments, such as the first half against North Carolina, the 75-yard touchdown pass to Bub Means on Saturday and the repeated solid efforts during training camp that endeared him to the coaching staff.

That said, Narduzzi’s patience could be running thin. Maybe he’s closer to making a change during the upcoming bye week than he indicates. He did say, “A lot of things need changing.”

Narduzzi would be justified in turning to one of the younger quarterbacks. If he does, it won’t be because he wants to provide a window into the 2024 season. Narduzzi has no interest in what might happen next year when 2023 is becoming a disaster.

His job is to win and keep the program relevant, not to provide on-the-job training.

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