Analysis: Pitt’s victory against Boston College doesn’t mask offseason problems Pat Narduzzi must confront
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After Pitt finally did what it’s supposed to do — defeat one of the series of mediocre (or worse) teams on its schedule — Donovan McMillon talked about being “terribly sad the season’s ending.”
Will he feel the same way after the Duke game Nov. 25 if Pitt’s victory against Boston College was an outlier and the Blue Devils hand the Panthers their ninth loss of the season in the finale?
Or will his sadness grow if Pitt (3-8, 2-5 ACC) wins for the second week in a row, securing its first and only winning streak of the season? All dressed up with nowhere to go.
Either way, the upcoming months promise to be another test of Pat Narduzzi’s ability to keep his best players, add better ones to the roster and improve on his talent evaluation process.
The question marks start at quarterback. While speaking to reporters late Thursday night, Nate Yarnell expressed his love for Pitt and gratitude for the opportunity to start the Boston College game. There’s every reason to believe he’ll be back in 2024.
Is the sophomore piano player from Austin, Texas, the long-term answer at the game’s most important position? He looked comfortable and confident in the pocket, displayed a strong arm without fear of throwing down the middle of the field and seemed to have — by all accounts — the trust of his teammates.
“Nate was very confident. He knew he was going to go out and win this game for us,” running back Rodney Hammond said.
Yet it’s only one game, and Hammond’s 145 rushing yards surely helped Yarnell’s cause. A strong running game and an offensive line that protected him — Boston College recorded no sacks — were luxuries quarterbacks Phil Jurkovec and Christian Veilleux rarely enjoyed this season.
“You can’t worry about me and him at the same time,” Hammond said of Yarnell. “It’s impossible.”
The victory was encouraging and proved the players were mature enough to maintain their focus. Narduzzi didn’t lose the locker room in the midst of the eight losses in the first 10 games.
“We’re a brotherhood,” Hammond said. “We’re not like a lot of other teams. Some teams fold, not going to come out there wanting to play.”
“Focus is one thing, from coaches down to players, they talk about every day,” McMillon said.
That explains how Pitt was able to defeat Boston College. It’s notable that Pitt’s quarterbacks were 3-0 in their season debuts this year, but Jurkovec and Veilleux could not build on their modest success and were 0-8 in all the other games.
Narduzzi has many decisions to make as soon as the season ends.
• Will he restructure the coaching staff?
• Will he look for veteran offensive and defensive linemen in the portal, positions that need big offseason boosts?
• Will he risk another plunge into the quarterback transfer portal after Kedon Slovis, Jurkovec and Veilleux did not live up to expectations?
To be fair, if Veilleux decides to return, he has the tools to succeed and could very well be the starter on opening day 2024. On the other hand, the portal will have several talented quarterbacks who will tempt Narduzzi.
Hammond, defensive end Dayon Hayes and McMillon — probably the three most valuable players Thursday night — talked of reversing Pitt’s fortunes next season. If they return, that’s a good start toward a better ’24 season.
“I ain’t leaving yet,” said Hayes, a senior who is eligible to use his bonus covid year next season.
McMillon, a junior, said he values “every day, every game that I get to be a part (of the team).”
“We’re ready to come back next year and handle business,” said Hammond, who is averaging 4.6 yards per carry over his three seasons at Pitt. “Once you get those carries and you get those good yards and you get hot, ain’t no stopping you.”
Usually, victory can do wonders for a team’s confidence. But if Pitt loses to Duke, this will be the first season since 1998 the Panthers have not won at least two games in a row.
Yes, the final game matters, even if it will be long forgotten not long into the new year. The luster from that dramatic Sun Bowl victory quickly faded, didn’t it?