Pat Narduzzi stands behind quarterback Kedon Slovis while looking to `clean up' problems

Before launching into a discussion about why Pitt’s passing game has fallen into mediocrity, let’s get one issue out of the way.

Kedon Slovis remains the unquestioned starter at quarterback. Nothing in Slovis’ 3 ½ games has indicated it’s time for a change.

That’s more fact than opinion, and coach Pat Narduzzi will be the first to defend his quarterback. When asked Monday if he considered a change at quarterback Saturday night — remember, Slovis completed only six of 16 pass attempts in the first half and Pitt was scoreless until almost halftime — Narduzzi was quick and definitive with his answer.

“Not at all. Not at all,” he said, repeating the words for emphasis. “Not even close. He’s the best quarterback we’ve got at this point without a question.”

Some of the numbers support Narduzzi’s contention.

Slovis, who has thrown only two interceptions in 120 attempts, is third in the ACC in passing yards per game (249.3, behind North Carolina’s Drake Maye and Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman).

Throughout his career, Slovis has displayed impressive accuracy — 71.9% as a freshman at USC, 68.4% for his three seasons there. At Pitt, he’s completed 63.3% of his passes, good for eighth among ACC quarterbacks.

When Pitt failed to get into a rhythm — Narduzzi’s word — in the first quarter of the Georgia Tech loss, seven of the nine plays were intended passes. Four were incomplete, and two were good for 8 yards. There was one sack and no first downs.

“I’m telling you,” Narduzzi said, “it’s hard as a play-caller to get in rhythm when you run nine plays in the first quarter.”

Narduzzi said there was a pass catcher “wide, wide open” on the first play of the first series.

“Kedon can’t see him because there’s a protection issue, then takes a hit. Second play is a drop (Jaden Bradley, who caught two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter). Completions aren’t all on the quarterback.”

Of course, the game was played in rainfall of varying intensity, and Narduzzi admitted his team had trouble with conditions.

“The second half, the weather got a little bit better,” he said.

And Slovis got a lot better, completing 20 of 29 attempts for 244 yards and two touchdowns.

Although there has been plenty of talk about Pitt’s experienced roster, injuries have forced some players into unaccustomed roles, especially among those protecting the quarterback. Pitt hasn’t played one game all season with all five of its expected starters on the offensive line.

Plus, senior running back Vincent Davis, who ran for 80 yards and lost two fumbles, probably wouldn’t have been as active if two others — Izzy Abanikanda and Rodney Hammond Jr. — had been available. Hammond has missed four games, and Abanikanda was hurt in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Both positions affect how well the quarterback can operate.

“You want them all together,” Narduzzi said of his linemen. “There’s the cohesion and a comfort level when you have them all in there. We had some missed IDs, which we haven’t had a lot. (Center Owen Drexel) doesn’t have very many of those because he’s a veteran. (Jake) Kradel has done an unbelievable job (at center while Drexel has missed three games), but he gave up some pressures, misidentifications as far as the linebackers, where we’re targeting, where we’re going.

“That doesn’t help the quarterback any. It doesn’t help the offense any. But we’ll get it cleaned up.”

Narduzzi said repeatedly — after the game and Monday — that there is plenty of blame to share.

“It starts with me and the coaches.”

Yet, so much newness may have had an effect.

“You’ve still got new guys out there, whether it’s at the linebacker position; we’ve had new defensive ends out there, a new quarterback, new wideouts,” he said. “You’ve got a new offensive coordinator (Frank Cignetti Jr.), as well.

“There (are) growing pains that go with that. There’s not been a whole lot of consistency as far as who is out there.”

Slovis, however, believes there’s one way to fix most of Pitt’s problems.

“I have to play better for us to win,” he said.