After championship season, Pitt needs to keep evolving, improving

The loss to Michigan State in the Peach Bowl stung more than most, but Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi should be ready to turn the page, put 2021 to bed and prepare for one of the most challenging periods in his seven-year tenure.

The Panthers will attempt to defend a conference championship, something no Pitt football team has been asked to do. It won’t be easy.

Miami and Wake Forest have key components returning next season, with proven quarterbacks Tyler Van Dyke for the Hurricanes and Sam Hartman for the Demon Deacons. Pitt should challenge for the ACC Coastal championship, and might even be the preseason favorite, especially if USC transfer quarterback Kedon Slovis comes close to duplicating his 3,500-yard, 30-touchdown effort as a freshman in 2019.

But Narduzzi needs to get to work immediately on several fronts.

Slovis will enroll in time for the next academic term and will participate in spring drills. The other question will be the identity of the quarterbacks who will challenge Slovis for the starting job. How will Nick Patti’s recovery from surgery to repair a broken collarbone affect his future? Will he want to stick around and give Pitt good depth at the game’s most important position, or does he want to transfer to a place with a better opportunity for playing time?

Also, who will be Pitt’s next offensive coordinator to replace Mark Whipple? This is Narduzzi’s greatest offseason challenge after Whipple helped Kenny Pickett become a Heisman contender while building Pitt’s offense into one of the best in the nation.

Does Narduzzi have any interest in bringing back Chris Beatty, who was Pitt’s wide receivers coach in 2019 and ‘20 and has strong ties to the high schools in Virginia? Does Beatty, now coaching receivers for the Los Angeles Chargers, have any interest in leaving the NFL and returning to college?

Then, there’s the matter of replacing wide receivers coach and Greensburg Salem graduate Brennan Marion, who acccepted the same job at Texas, with the additional duties of passing game coordinator.

After the Peach Bowl on Thursday night, Narduzzi suggested he won’t stand in Marion’s way. Texas will be Marion’s 12th job – high school and college – since 2010. He’s stayed at a place for more than one season only once when he was offensive coordinator at Howard from 2017-18.

The New Year brings an exciting new addition to @CoachSark’s staff.

Welcome to the Longhorn family, Coach @BrennanMarion4! #HookEm ???? pic.twitter.com/Yd7QT6ZWS9

— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) December 31, 2021

When Narduzzi needed an interim offensive coordinator and a play-caller for the Peach Bowl, he chose veteran tight ends coach Tim Salem over the 34-year-old Marion.

When he was asked if he had heard the reports of Marion going to Texas, Narduzzi said, “No, I haven’t. No, I haven’t. I was focused on this football team, the guys that want to be with us. When you have a good coach, people are going to come after them. Guys have decisions to make. Whatever he wants to do, I’m good. We’ll be fine.”

The roster makeup also is an interesting question. The top seven offensive linemen are returning, an unusual and welcome development these days in college football. But there’s room for improvement after you consider Davis Beville was sacked five times by Michigan State’s pass rush.

“We didn’t do a great job protecting in the third quarter, I don’t think,” Narduzzi said. “We’ll go back and look at what happened there. Wasn’t happy obviously with the protection, what our O-line did.”

Another instructive statistic: Pitt had only four first downs in the second half – one before the final possession that ended with a pick-6.

Running backs Izzy Abanikanda, Vincent Davis and Rodney Hammond Jr. are eligible to return, unless the NCAA transfer portal intervenes. Biletnikoff winner Jordan Addison leads a strong receiver group that includes Jared Wayne, Jaylon Barden and Jaden Bradley. Expect big things from freshman tight end Gavin Bartholomew, who probably would have caught more than one pass for 9 yards Thursday if Pickett or Patti was throwing the football.

The defense received a boost Friday when former Michigan State safety Mike Dowell completed his transfer to Pitt. Dowell (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) played in 32 games for the Spartans – but not the Peach Bowl – with six starts, 82 tackles and five pass breakups.

Humble, Grateful, and Ready to Work. #H2P pic.twitter.com/qqvXi3mLwD

— Michael J Dowell (@10MDowell) December 31, 2021

Pitt’s loss to Michigan State was uncharacteristic of how the season evolved for many reasons. The defense failed to make a late stop, the running game was unable to maintain possession with a lead in the fourth quarter and a sideline incident erupted late involving linebacker Cam Bright, a co-captain, and backup defensive back Rashad Battle.

None of it overshadows what really matters, and that was an 11-victory effort for the first time in 40 years and an ACC championship after so many seasons of mediocrity.

The loss hurt mainly because it ended Pitt’s two-month stretch of nothing but victories and positive energy. Before the season started, every man, woman and child wearing the Pitt colors in the Atlanta airport this week would have gleefully accepted 11-3.

“It’s heart-breaking that we lost,” said senior linebacker John Petrishen, who was one of the team’s the most consistent performers. “But I can’t be more appreciative of the opportunity and the season we had this year. I’m really proud to say that I helped put this team back on the map.”