PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi clarified, or just admitted a mistake to something he said early in the week. Yes, Saturday is a huge game for Pitt, even though it doesn’t impact the ACC standings.
“Just trying to take the stress off our team,” Narduzzi said of his statement during his news conference Monday. “I don’t like pressure and I misspoke.”
Hosting Notre Dame with ESPN’s College Gameday at Acrisure Stadium is something that doesn’t happen all the time for the Panthers program and Narduzzi said his team has been ‘cranked up’ all week.
“I think that’s why we’ve had an outstanding week of practice, because they are excited,” Narduzzi said Thursday. “Kyle Louis played out of his mind on Tuesday. I’m like ‘it ain’t game day today, slow down’. It’s the best practice he had all year. Guys are excited.”
What Narduzzi has found himself doing all week is embracing that energy, but trying to keep it as steady as possible. He doesn’t want his team burned out before the game, but also doesn’t want to take again from a Top 25 matchup with Notre Dame in the middle of November.
“They are going to play up,” Narduzzi said. “We got to be smart. As Coach Junko always says, you got to saw that wood. Don’t get too high or too low, stay right in the middle and saw some wood. To me, that’s how you have to approach these games and I’ll have to calm them down a little bit because I know they will be excited.”
Narduzzi said every game is big. He said every game is a ‘must win’. But again, it’s ok to get excited about a non-conference game with two more ACC games following. Pitt has won five straight games and in a four-way tie for first place in the ACC, Narduzzi thinks this group is special.
“I’ve been impressed with this football team,” Narduzzi said. “We are different. We are not the 2020 or 2021 team, this is the 2025 team. We have found different ways to win. I think NC State win was one of the more impressive wins we’ve had based on who was on the field.”
“The one thing about our football team, that attitude have never changed. It doesn’t matter what happens. You wake up on a Thursday morning and so-and-so isn’t playing it’s like ‘ok, let’s go’. They don’t blink. There is no hanging. This team is different. They believe and they are a fun group to coach.”
Even with both teams 7-2 on the season, Notre Dame is a 12.5-point favorite at Pitt’s home field. The Panthers are on a big stage Saturday with the best freshman quarterback in the nation. They are not only excited, they think they can win.
“It will be a team effort, all three phases,” Narduzzi said. “They are excellent in all three phases, I think we got a darn good football team in three phases. It’s going to be a battle.”
“This is the best football team we have had against Notre Dame, kind of excited about it.”