Pitt notebook: Panthers ‘solid,’ but still seeking their best performance
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When he met with reporters Thursday afternoon, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi agreed with what many have remarked about his team:
The Panthers haven’t played their best game.
“I think it’s coming. I don’t know when,” he said after completing the last practice before the trip to Louisville for the game Saturday night.
“I think we’ve played solidly, but I don’t think we’ve put it all together like I like. But that happens. Played good enough to win four, should have won six.”
When it was suggested that injuries might have hampered his quest for perfection, Narduzzi’s answer was an emphatic, “No.”
Then he asked, rhetorically: “Could you say it was part of the Tennessee game (a 34-27 overtime loss)? Yeah. If Kedon (Slovis) plays the whole game, I think we win that one. If Nick Patti stays healthy, I think we have a much better chance.”
Slovis was concussed late in the first half and didn’t play until two games later. Patti, the backup quarterback, also suffered a leg injury, finished the game, but was far from his best. He was unavailable for a few weeks.
On a positive note …
Despite the loss to a team that has climbed to No. 3 in the Associated Press rankings, Narduzzi did take something positive from the Tennessee game.
“They didn’t put 52 up on us, I can tell you that,” he said, referring to Tennessee’s 52-49 victory last Saturday against Alabama. “I think we played pretty good, but we just didn’t get it done.”
Bumps and bruises
Narduzzi didn’t count up all the injuries for reporters, but there have been 17 players from the two-deep depth chart — nine on offense, eight on defense — who have missed at least one game. He said his team has suffered more injuries this season than in any of his previous seven at Pitt.
“I jinxed myself in the spring. I told you we had one soft-tissue injury,” he said, adding it’s been a problem for teams across the country. “I don’t know what it is. Nothing you can do about it.”
Getting better?
In a departure from his usual stance on injuries, Narduzzi got specific about injured wide receiver Konata Mumpfield and running back Rodney Hammond Jr.
Mumpfield might play Saturday, but Narduzzi said he won’t know until game time. He leads the team with 24 receptions, none longer than 20 yards.
“If he is available, we’ll see if we can get him involved a little bit early and see if we can get him going,” the coach said. “But he’s a talented player. We just have to get the ball in his hands and we have to get him on the field. That’s the first thing.” Hammond, who has missed five consecutive games, remains less than 100%, Narduzzi said.
“We wish he was (100%).”
A new man
Pitt faced Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham two years ago in a 23-20 victory, but he’s a different player now, Narduzzi said.
“He’s more confident. He can run. He’s athletic. I’m sure he knows what he’s doing more than he did in 2020 during covid and the lack of practices we had that year,” he said. “I’m sure he has more talent around him.”
In the 2020 game, Cunningham completed only 9 of 21 passes for 107 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. He was sacked seven times.
“They have more designated runs with him now than they did in the past,” Narduzzi said. “We are going to really have to know where he is.”
Cunningham has completed 62.2% of his passes, but his real gift is running. He’s third in the ACC and first among quarterbacks with an average of 91.4 rushing yards per game. Only Pitt’s Izzy Abanikanda (138.3) and Syracuse’s Sean Tucker (107.3) are ahead of him.
The game will be Cunningham’s first since he missed Louisville’s 34-17 victory at Virginia on Oct. 8 with a concussion.
Narduzzi doesn’t expect the concussion to change the Cardinals’ strategy. “They’re going to do what Malik likes to do, run the football.”
Pat Narduzzi, on trying to deal with the Louisville pass rush, which might be the best in the ACC. pic.twitter.com/otAFu2vzmx
— Jerry DiPaola (@JDiPaola_Trib) October 20, 2022
Keep the light on
The game will be Pitt’s second of three road night games, including Western Michigan last month and North Carolina next week.
“Who doesn’t love night games?” Narduzzi said.
But he doesn’t like getting home at 3 a.m., which is when he pulled into his driveway after Pitt’s plane landed from Kalamazoo, Mich.
“Noon kick, I get to get home and maybe play some bocci and see the family,” he said. “Selfishly, for someone who has four kids and likes to see his kids and his wife, that’s why I like it.
“Otherwise, I’ll play anytime. Getting home at 3 o’clock in the morning? I’m not going to get to Mass on Sunday morning. Usually, I go to 7:30 Mass. I ain’t getting there.”
Lenient officials?
There have been a total of 822 plays by both teams in Pitt’s six games, but only eight offensive holding calls, according to Rivals.com.
“They let you hold nowadays,” Narduzzi said. “If you let go, they don’t call it. I don’t know how to coach that. To me, it’s either holding or not holding.
“When I look at our defense, they’re not calling it as much. But I don’t think we hold a lot on offense.”