ACC Coastal race may be wide open, but Pitt's Pat Narduzzi has more immediate concerns on his mind

Bill Cowher used to say perception is reality. But the only reality that matters to Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi is what sits immediately ahead of him.

There is a perception around college football that anyone can win the ACC Coastal Division this season because there doesn’t appear to be a great team.

But it’s barely October, and Narduzzi isn’t thinking about a Coastal championship when a good Georgia Tech team awaits in Atlanta on Saturday.

“You look ahead, you’re going to get punched in the mouth. And I don’t like getting punched,” he said. “I’d like to throw the swing first. You ain’t getting a shot on me.”

Here are five things of note for Saturday’s game:

1. Bring on the ‘boos’

Much like the Tennessee game, Pitt will walk into a hostile atmosphere in Bobby Dodd Stadium, albeit in front of a much smaller crowd (capacity, 55,000). After Georgia Tech’s surprisingly easy victory against North Carolina, its fans will be hungry for more.

Narduzzi’s teams have been good and bad on the road. Pitt won five of seven (including a bowl loss) in 2015, but then lost 13 of the next 18 away from Heinz Field. Since 2019, the Panthers are 7-5 in away games, including beating Tennessee.

“We don’t care where we’re playing,” Narduzzi said. “You’re looking for guys who like to go into a different atmosphere, different stadium and like to get booed. I don’t think there are any athletes that don’t like that. It’s kind of a fun atmosphere to go into somebody else’s house and disrupt things.”

2. If you were wondering

Pitt will play its third game in a row at Georgia Tech, but players and coaches have been careful not to complain. After all, Pitt won the first two.

The quirk occurred because 2019 was a scheduled game in Atlanta. Then, when the 2020 season was reconfigured in deference to covid, the ACC sent Pitt to Bobby Dodd again. Returning to the normal, every-other-year rotation, Pitt heads south this year.

It’s the first time in 41 years Pitt has played the same opponent on the road in three consecutive seasons, author and Pitt historian Sam Sciullo Jr. reported. Pitt played at Penn State in 1978, ’79 and ’80, winning the last two.

It was set up that way because Penn State agreed to move the 1976 game from Beaver Stadium, which had no lights at the time, to Three Rivers Stadium so ABC could televise the game in prime time. The ‘74 and ‘75 games, originally scheduled for Pitt Stadium, also were played at Three Rivers for the same reason.

As a result, Johnny Majors and Tony Dorsett never played Penn State at Pitt Stadium. All’s fair, though. From 1956-66, all but one Pitt/Penn State game was played at Pitt Stadium.

And that’s today’s history lesson.

3. Gee, thanks, coach

Intentional or not, Narduzzi actually answered a personnel question without being asked.

During his Thursday chat with reporters, Narduzzi was discussing Georgia Tech’s unique three-down defensive front. Typically loathe to let the opposing team know what he’s thinking, Narduzzi said, “Owen Drexel is going to get things operating the right way.”

Drexel, the center who makes the protection calls, didn’t play against New Hampshire, although there never was any mention of an injury.

Surprised by Narduzzi’s transparency on a personnel issue, a reporter said, “Does that mean Drexel is playing?”

“Yes, it does mean Drexel is playing,” the coach responded.

In all likelihood, that would shift Jake Kradel back to right guard and Gabe Houy to right tackle, with tackle Matt Goncalves in reserve.

4. Call on Kenny

If the running game isn’t working in a traditional sense, Pitt has an alternative.

Kenny Pickett holds the school record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (17), breaking a record set by Rick Trocano in 1980.

But he isn’t just a quarterback-sneak guy, with a lineman getting behind him and shoving him across the goal line. Nine of his rushing touchdowns were on runs of between 2 and 30 yards. He has eight 1-yard sneaks — all in 2020 and 2021.

Need more evidence of Pickett’s running ability?

Pitt records players’ speeduring every game, and Pickett was the eighth-fastest against New Hampshire (19.91 mph). On offense, only Jordan Addison (21.85 mph) and Izzy Abanikanda (20.02 mph) were faster. Safety Brandon Hill topped them all at 22.93 mph.

Also, Pickett leads all Pitt ball carriers in terms of positive yards gained (175), but he falls to fourth if 50 yards worth of yardage on seven sacks is subtracted.

When Pickett was asked if coaches get nervous when their meal ticket makes himself a target in the open field, he laughed.

“Who hasn’t talked to me about that?” he said. “Everybody wants me to get down. I have to be smart and make sure I get the first down, and then I’ll take care of myself.”

5. Ground game matters

Narduzzi wants to use all three of is top running backs — Vincent Davis, Abanikanda and Rodney Hammond Jr. — but it won’t be easy if Pitt is playing from behind.

Davis and Abanikanda will get the first carries, but the coach said Hammond will get opportunities.

”There’s a place for Rodney Hammond, for sure,” Narduzzi said.

Considering Pitt’s success through the air, it’s tempting to keep throwing, especially if the ground game is failing.

“It would be a waste to keep running it up in there when you trust your passing game,” Narduzzi said. “But sooner or later, that runs out. If something goes bad, you have to be able to run it.”

Narduzzi admits a ground game sometimes needs nurturing.

“You’re going to take 1-yard gain, 1-yard gain, 1-yard gain, 2-yard gain, 1-yard TFL to get that 40-yard run,” he said. “Having some patience, but not too much patience. I don’t have a whole lot of patience.”