PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Nate Yarnell made his college football debut in what turned out to be a 34-13 win for the Panthers at Western Michigan. He started even though starter Kedon Slovis was cleared to play.
“I didn’t want to play Kedon,” said Pitt Head Coach Pat Narduzzi on Pitt ‘LiveWire’ at pittsburghpanthers.com. “He was cleared to play. We needed to go on the road and find a way.”
“I didn’t know if he (Slovis) was 100% right. If he takes one hit, and then we lose him for the next two weeks. Maybe he was 98%, but I didn’t want to take any chances. I wanted to go find out what our football team had on the road.”
Yarnell finished 9 of 12 for 179 yards and a touchdown. Narduzzi said he was comfortable enough to throw more Saturday night but they were running the ball well and wanted to burn clock.
“Does it surprise me, no,” Narduzzi said. “I saw him on scout team for a year-and-a-half. You look at a guy that hasn’t been through Spring ball. Was the fourth-string quarterback coming into this game and he’s cool as a cucumber. You talk about relaxed. He’s in the hotel playing Beethoven or something. He’s just relaxed like he’s been there before.”
Narduzzi said he learned from a past experience coaching at the University of Cincinnati and just assumed Slovis wouldn’t be able to play due to an alleged concussion. Slovis practiced during the week, but the decision was made on Thursday.
“He had to battle Derek (Kyler-graduate transfer from Dartmouth) to get the start,” Narduzzi said. “Tuesday, who is better, Derek is better. On Wednesday, Yarnell was better. By Thursday, Yarnell is the guy.”
“He did it in practice. He’s was so calm in the huddle. He looked comfortable the whole time. I don’t think he was nervous one time, not even close. Which was shocking, because I was damn nervous.”
Until this past week, Yarnell didn’t take any snaps with the offense. He was over helping the defense as the scout team quarterback. Narduzzi said part of the reason he had confidence in Yarnell was the fits he gives his own defense.
“Awful proud of our entire football team,” Narduzzi said. “We talk about next man up and our team played next man up football.”
“We needed to go on the road and find a way. We got a little revenge. My dad said a long time ago, ‘payback is a bitch’.”
“Payback is a bitch.”
Rude reception
Narduzzi led off his postgame saying he was disappointed in the police escort to the stadium. He also said Western Michigan fans threw bottles at his players.
“Felt like I was down in Morgantown,” Narduzzi said. “That’s what we thought only happened in Morgantown in a rivalry game. Throwing stuff at our kids was a classless move.”