Pitt football notebook: Pat Narduzzi hopes Panthers have learned from early-season loss

A Week 12 loss to Louisville was a particularly unpleasant experience for Pitt’s football team in a latter half of a 2024 season that did not lack disappointment.

Not only did the Panthers suffer their most lopsided defeat of the season, 37-9 to the Cardinals, but quarterback Eli Holstein, after battling back from a multitude of concussions in preceding weeks, saw his campaign come to an end with another ailment after being tackled awkwardly.

Pitt (2-1) and Louisville (3-0) prepare to meet again Saturday at Acrisure Stadium, but, for coach Pat Narduzzi, everything that transpired last year between the foes is out of sight and out of mind.

“Last year is last year,” Narduzzi said. “This year is this year. We’ve got to keep our quarterback on his feet, he’s got to get the ball out and not get tackled from behind and get rolled up — which is what happened a year ago — and we’ve got to make plays. No revenge. It’s about just playing football and executing.”

Narduzzi is expecting the same mentality for receiver Blue Hicks, who transferred to Pitt after two seasons at Louisville.

Hicks played in 14 games for the Cardinals from 2023-24, totaling 13 catches for 160 yards.

But since joining the Panthers, Hicks has carved out a more prominent role, recording his first collegiate touchdowns while posting seven catches for 84 yards through three games.

Narduzzi isn’t viewing this upcoming matchup as anything other than Pitt’s current task at hand, Hicks’ own personal storyline included.

“I hope his mind is on what he’s got to do,” Narduzzi said. “Where you play in the past doesn’t matter. I’m sure it’ll be an emotional game, but you don’t want to get too emotional. I think we’ve got to stay in our lane, and Blue’s just got to worry about what Blue’s got to do. You can have fun after the game.”

Learning from losses

Before the Backyard Brawl, Narduzzi was adamant that he expected nothing but the best from West Virginia despite the Mountaineers’ deflating loss to Ohio the prior week.

Rich Rodriguez would get his players amped up and ready to redeem themselves, Narduzzi predicted.

Judging by WVU’s 31-24 overtime triumph over Pitt — aided by more than a few Panthers mishaps and miscues — Narduzzi turned out to be right.

But now it’s his team that comes off a rough loss and is seeking redemption.

Last year, Pitt won its first seven games. Now, it’s on the Panthers to learn from an early-season loss.

“I think you get on that high of a seven-game win streak, and you think you’re invincible,” Narduzzi said. “Then you don’t get it back, even though we played some really good football, like we did (vs. West Virginia). Besides the lack of execution, it was a ballgame.

“I think it’s good to get hit in the mouth early. Nonconference games are huge, but, obviously, getting into ACC play, we know that those are the ones that count.”

Inaugural injury reports

As Pitt and Louisville prepare to begin ACC league play, both programs are required to submit three player availability reports ahead of kickoff at noon Saturday.

Narduzzi said the Panthers will upload theirs at 8 p.m. Thursday, followed by additional releases Friday and two hours before game time Saturday.

When meeting with reporters Thursday afternoon at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Narduzzi declined to offer a sneak peek at the soon-to-be-released report.

Injuries could play a major role Saturday for Pitt as the Panthers might be without star tailback Desmond Reid, starting cornerbacks Rashad Battle and Tamon Lynum, plus tight end Jake Overman.

If Reid is out after missing the final three quarters and overtime of the Backyard Brawl on Sept. 13, it’ll be Juelz Goff getting the bulk of the carries.

Shadarian Harrison and freshman Shawn Lee are next on the depth chart at cornerback. Lee, in particular, has been singled out by Narduzzi for strong play, having started and played the entirety of the Backyard Brawl.

“He’s a football player,” Narduzzi said. “He had 93 plays on defense, (and) I think he had eight on special teams. As a true freshman to come in and play over 100 snaps in a football game and be on it the whole time, talk about executing. He played at a high level.

“I see him as a starter right now. … Shawn Lee is a football player. We said it through camp, and he’s just going to continue to get more reps, because you put him out there and you trust him. The game doesn’t get too big for him. In a big atmosphere, in a Power Four game, he didn’t play like a freshman.”