Analysis: Long list of issues leads to Pitt's 2-5 record

Over his nine years at Pitt, Pat Narduzzi has run through a variety of emotions, from frustration and anger to happiness and pride.

After his latest defeat — 21-17 on Saturday night to a Wake Forest team that had lost three in a row and was employing a third-string quarterback — he came up with a new one, sounding forlorn when he said, “We found another way to lose a football game.”

He probably got over the disappointment the minute he met with his coaches Sunday morning to identify what went wrong. There is too much work to do to feel sorry for yourself for too long.

But if he got mad at anyone, that was the time to do it.

Pitt’s offense has been the biggest problem this season, working only in short spurts under the direction of two quarterbacks. Pitt (2-5, 1-3) has averaged fewer than 18 points per game in its five losses.

Yes, the Louisville upset was nice, and Christian Veilleux and C’Bo Flemister had some productive moments against Wake Forest. But the Panthers couldn’t shake the Demon Deacons for a variety of reasons, many of which have defined the season.

Related:

• Mistakes cost Pitt in heartbreaking loss to Wake Forest
• Pitt's 5 worst losses of the Pat Narduzzi era

• You can start with the penalties: 13 for a loss of 101 yards. Wake Forest was flagged for only four for 35, which might have prompted Narduzzi to refer to a “one-sided deal” and suggest the Demon Deacons got away with offensive holding late in the game. But Pitt was called for five false starts and a delay of game, penalties you might not expect seven games into the season.

• There was one embarrassing moment when a center snap hit the backside of a player in motion. Veilleux prevented disaster by falling on the ball.

• Pitt failed on 13 of 22 third and fourth downs, and five third-down plays resulted in a loss of 9 yards. On the other side of the ball, Wake Forest quarterback Santino Marucci (six career snaps before Saturday) converted a fourth-and-1 on the final touchdown drive with a 24-yard completion to Ke’Shawn Williams.

• Pitt’s defense picked off two passes, won the turnover battle 2-0 and lost the game. “It’s hard to lose a game when you’re plus-2, but we found a way,” Narduzzi said.

• Pitt allowed Wake Forest to rush for 172 yards and two touchdowns, the fourth time this season the opponent has reached at least 151 on the ground. The Panthers played without linebackers Solomon DeShields, who was hurt on the opening kickoff and did not return, and freshman Braylan Lovelace, who didn’t make the trip.

“It really hurt to not have DeShields out there,” Narduzzi said, noting freshman linebacker Jordan Bass “ran up the field too far” on Demond Clairborne’s 41-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. “Don’t care if you have a freshman linebacker, you have to make plays,” he said.

Of course, Pitt still could have won the game if quarterback Christian Veilleux had taken a few more steps before sliding just short of a first down. Was it the right call? Should the officials have allowed a rule to decide the outcome when it is actually designed to protect players from injury?

Interesting thought: Did Kenny Pickett’s fake slide two years ago impact the officials’ thinking? It shouldn’t have because the game situations were clearly opposite.

It all depends on your rooting interest. But officials followed the rulebook. The play ends the moment the quarterback starts to go down, no matter where he ends up on the field. It was close, but maybe not as close as you thought watching it in real time.

Where you start a slide is something of an “eye of the beholder” thing. But you can argue he’s shifted his body into slide position here, clearly short of the line. On the other hand, why call it that way when it clearly goes against the intent of the rule? pic.twitter.com/HRxRbITaHO

— ????????️♈️???? (@ADavidHaleJoint) October 21, 2023

Veilleux should have kept running, but Pitt’s greatest sin was playing poorly on offense for most of the game and allowing Wake Forest to maintain hope in a close game.

Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson, who had several people over to his house after the game, understood that good fortune played a part in his team’s victory. (Not that he cared how his team ended its losing streak.)

“If (Veilleux) ran another yard, I’d be up in my bedroom by myself, feeling sorry for myself,” he said. “Now, I’ll actually be a little social.”

While Clawson had a good night’s sleep, Narduzzi and his staff went to bed thinking about how to confront Notre Dame (6-2) next Saturday in South Bend, Ind.

More importantly, coaches must guard against the possibility that the tough loss to Wake Forest will break the players’ spirit.