PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pat Narduzzi is concerned his team doesn’t understand what a big-time rivalry like the Backyard Brawl is. So, he’s bringing in outside help.
“It comes down to educating them,” Narduzzi said Monday. “It doesn’t matter how you are educating them. We are going to teach them what a rivalry game is.”
“You learn real quick what a rivalry game is, some of our guys don’t know. I didn’t know before I got to Michigan State what a big rivalry was. I think our rivalry at Rhode Island was Brown. That was your big rivalry, really?”
To get them up to speed on playing West Virginia he brought in 13-9 hero LeSean McCoy to speak to the seniors at the kickoff luncheon on Friday. He has the quarterback of that game available at any time, Pat Bostick. Before the game Thursday, he’s bringing in a Panthers national champion along with the coach of the most impactful upset in Backyard Brawl history.
“Our honorary captain, I couldn’t be more excited, is Dave Wannstedt,” Narduzzi announced at his weekly news conference.
As a head coach Wannstedt set up a flawlessly designed and executed game plan in beating number two West Virginia 13-9 in Morgantown in 2007. He also started his coaching career under Johnny Majors and was on staff in 1976 as the undefeated Panthers won the national title.
“How do you educate them?” Narduzzi said. “Dave Wannstedt is coming back. I’m excited, he’s one of my idols and I’m not talking because I’m the Pitt head coach. He’s a guy I’ve always, always looked up to. To have him here, have our kids experience who Dave Wannstedt is-former player, former great coach, now with Fox. He’s the ultimate captain for our football team.”
“They need to know what they are getting into. They are playing for their families. Their families will be up there in the stands, to me you have to make it personal. It will be personal.”
A credit as well to Wannstedt as his love for the university is bigger than the bitter feelings after he was fired as head coach following six seasons with an overall winning record.
“He’s a Pitt man, a busy man,” Narduzzi said. “For him to take time out of his schedule, it means everything really.”
There are a few of the seniors that played in the Pitt-Penn State reboot from 2016-19. Narduzzi admits he takes a couple of things from that matchup that he will apply to playing the Mountaineers on Thursday.
“You learn from every rivalry game you play in,” Narduzzi said. “We won that first one against Penn State, I guess I did a crappy job in the other two. I should have gone for it on 4th and 1.”
“I know you guys all had the right answer, someday I will tell you the truth.”
I look forward to someday, but more so, I look forward to Thursday night at 7 on 93.7 The Fan.