Pitt notebook: Narduzzi says Miami matters in final game of regular season
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Pat Narduzzi sounded almost offended when it was suggested a team’s focus could be disrupted by such things as:
• Last regular-season game.
• No championship at stake.
• Bowl eligibility secured.
• Thanksgiving.
All those things surround Pitt’s players and coaches this week while they prepare for a Saturday visit to Miami, a place where Narduzzi is 0-3. Those are the only three games Pitt has played in Miami since 2014 when the Panthers needed a victory to attain bowl eligibility and got it for former coach Paul Chryst, who was gone before the bowl game, anyway.
Narduzzi said Pitt’s 2022 team is mentally strong enough to avoid or ignore distractions. It’s just another work week, he said.
The holiday won’t affect practice, he said. The third of three consecutive practices will conclude Thursday morning, as usual, and players will scatter, as usual, to enjoy Thanksgiving with family, friends and teammates.
Pitt is 3-4 in games one or two days after Thanksgiving, but two of the victories are among the most impressive of Narduzzi’s seven full seasons.
In 2016, with Matt Canada coordinating the offense, Pitt scored its most points in 40 years in a 76-61 victory against Syracuse. But the defense wasn’t at its best, surrendering 668 yards and nine touchdowns.
In 2017, freshman Kenny Pickett engineered a 24-14 upset of Miami, ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time.
A year later, Pitt visited Miami with its ACC Coastal championship and berth in the title game secured and lost 24-3 to snap a four-game winning streak.
This season, Pitt has turned a 4-4 record into 7-4 by defeating Syracuse, Virginia and Duke in succession. Focus or players hanging their heads hasn’t been an issue.
“Have you ever seen them quit? Have you ever seen them kind of go, ‘Oh, no’? It tells you a lot about our character,” Narduzzi said. “I think we talked about it (previously), just about like who we are as a football team.
Narduzzi said he still has plenty to learn about this team, and with only two games available to him, the urgency to learn it will be heightened.
“You constantly find out about your team,” he said.
He hopes the information that surfaced last Saturday in a 28-26 victory against Duke won’t linger.
“The great thing is you go through the tape, there were a lot of things we did that weren’t good,” he said. “But the nice thing is you played well enough to win a football game.”
Turn up the heat
Pitt will practice in the indoor facility this week, with the heat cranked up, in anticipation of the Miami temperature reaching the low 80s. Kickoff is 8 p.m., the sixth game of 12 that will start after 7 p.m.
“We will turn the heat up to 70 degrees in there, try to get it heated up,” Narduzzi said.
Hayes returned vs. Duke
Defensive end Dayon Hayes, who is charged with simple assault in connection with a domestic incident Nov. 6, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday in front of Magisterial Judge Kim Berkeley Clark.
Hayes didn’t play Nov. 12 at Virginia but returned to the field Saturday.
“Like I said … you’re always innocent until you’re proven guilty,” Narduzzi said. “But we kind of made him guilty until he’s innocent. So he’s paid a price with the team. He’s paid a price on the field.
“He was out for a week. Again, spent some time down in what we call the Pit down there doing some stuff with strength coach (Michael Stacchiotti). So we’ll wait to see where that whole thing goes. And then, you know, move on from there.”
ACC honors
Running back Izzy Abanikanda, linebacker SirVocea Dennis, safety Brandon Hill and kicker Ben Sauls were named ACC Players of the Week at their positions.
Abanikanda ran for 113 yards and a touchdown, Dennis recorded 14 tackles, Hill returned a fumble for a touchdown and Sauls kicked 47- and 51-yard field goals.