PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi is not going to give out injury news, with very few exceptions. He’s not required to. It’s a competitive disadvantage. So, we don’t know if quarterback Eli Holstein will play Saturday against Clemson.
Holstein left the game in the third quarter against Virginia after being targeted while sliding with his head bouncing off the turf. It’s safe to assume he was dealing with concussion symptoms, but we don’t know for sure.
If it’s not Eli, Narduzzi said what you’ve seen in limited, second-half work from junior quarterback Nate Yarnell is not what they’ve seen in practice. He said Yarnell doesn’t get the reps in practice, so when you put a player in a position to come into a game, trailing, its tough.
“I don’t think that’s a fair exam on who Nate Yarnell is, and if he’s ever to get a start again, I think if he was able to get starting reps, that you’d see a different guy,” Narduzzi said Monday.
Narduzzi wasn’t thrilled with the pair of Yarnell interceptions against the Cavaliers, but he feels there is a better quarterback there if needed against a Top 20 team Saturday.
If it is Eli, Narduzzi said he’s seen some better decisions recently. He just hasn’t been as accurate. There is also a bigger picture issue with the offense. It’s been a group shooting themselves in the foot. It was a group in September and October that found a way to win. Now they are making the mistakes losing teams do.
· Penalties, and not just the physical ones, but the 100% avoidable mental ones
· Dropped passes-Narduzzi said there were seven or eight on Saturday night.
· Inconsistency with the offensive line, injuries played into it and they’ve juggled over the last several games
· Coaching, preparation not what it needed to be and lacking adjustments
It’s led to the lack of results:
· vs. SMU 3.2 yards-per-rush, six fumbles (one lost), interception, 5 of 17 on third down, 1 touchdown—for the first team
· vs. Virginia 4.9 yards-per-rush, 2 interceptions, 170 total passing yards, 4 of 14 on third down, 2 touchdowns
A 7-0 start has turned to 7-2, the offense is a big reason. There will be challenges against Clemson, especially if Holstein is unable to go. There is an opportunity to turn it around, can Pitt find those answers again?
Pregame on 93.7 The Fan begins at 9a Saturday morning with kickoff between the Panthers and Tigers at noon.