Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi speaks of personal regret in game of inches that turned into another loss
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Pat Narduzzi desperately was seeking positive news Monday when he met with reporters two days after Pitt’s seventh loss in its past eight games.
Here’s one: Players are still running fast.
The GPS tracker that measures running velocity during the game identified 32 players who clocked more than 18 mph during the Florida State game Saturday, he said. That’s up from 28 players during the Notre Dame game the previous week.
And, as Narduzzi said, “28 was pretty good.”
He added, however, “Not that speed will tell you what was going on in the game.”
The other bit of good news is that effort was still evident among players when coaches reviewed video Sunday, a day described by the head coach as “not a fun day at the office.”
“They played with a lot of passion, a lot of effort,” he said. “There was not one loaf on special teams.”
Coaches actually have a gauge for measuring effort, and Narduzzi pegged it at 97.9% on offense and defense.
“Kids are playing their tails off.”
What does it mean? Nothing, except players are doing what their scholarships demand they do, but results on the scoreboard aren’t measuring up.
“Did we do everything right? Not as coaches or players,” he said.
“It starts with me, as I tell you every week. You’re probably sick of hearing it, but it does.”
Narduzzi shouldered blame for Florida State’s first of two touchdowns in the third quarter that turned a close game in favor of the Seminoles.
“I should have called timeout there,” he said, calling it “one of the critical errors I made.” Tight end Markeston Douglas, who was lined up as an eligible receiver at offensive tackle, scored on a 22-yard reception.
Narduzzi was reluctant to call a timeout, hoping to save it for the fourth quarter.
“(Pitt’s players) had asked me (to call a timeout) kind of late. They knew what it was, and they didn’t see our guys covering it properly because it was a trick play.”
Narduzzi called it a “fight song play,” a traditional label for a play that ends up with the band playing the school’s fight song in celebration.
“I didn’t know why they wanted a timeout, but I was, like, ‘We can’t just use timeouts for defense to get lined up.’ Then, it ends up being a touchdown. So, regret. There are things all over the place, coaching-wise.”
Narduzzi credited Florida State for a “great job with some of their unbalanced stuff and the motions to get what they wanted.”
“Our defensive coach did a good job adjusting as the game went on, but it’s just like you’re one step behind, some of it is doing something you’ve never seen them do before on tape.”
He also lamented a “game of inches,” citing two plays that could have changed momentum.
• He said freshman linebacker Rasheem Biles got his hands on a punt — something of a specialty of his this season — just not enough of it.
“He gets a little bit more than an inch on that ball, it’s a block in the end zone. Maybe seven points,” Narduzzi said.
• Florida State muffed a punt after a big hit from Pitt cornerback Ryland Gandy, who’s been effective on special teams.
“The ball comes out, but the ball just happens to roll out of bounds. Can’t the ball bounce into the middle of the field so we can get it?” Narduzzi said.
One problem over the past few weeks that has nothing to do with luck is Pitt’s inability to convert third downs on offense. In the past two games, Pitt is 1 for 22 on third down after a 3-for-13 rate in the victory against Louisville. For the season, Pitt is 121st of 130 teams nationally (36 of 115, 31.3%).
“It’s a little bit of everything,” he said of Pitt’s general troubles on offense. “We spent three hours watching tape Sunday with the offense. Looking at little detailed things. There are things we can do better coaching-wise and some things we can do better, as far as just fundamentally and structurally.
“Sometimes, (the defense has) a good call. Sometimes, we don’t execute. We have to get the ball to the right guy at the right time. There is always something you can do better.
“Obviously, if we’re not converting on third down, we’re not putting (players) in position. It’s coaches and players, just like everything is.”
On the subject of quarterbacks, Narduzzi was asked if he might try to use sophomore backup Nate Yarnell at any time during the next three weeks.
“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it,” he said. “Good question for coach (Frank) Cignetti (offensive coordinator).”