Pitt hopes to reverse sour history with North Carolina

Nothing comes easy for Pitt football. Not this season, and certainly not in past seasons.

But coach Pat Narduzzi needs to change that reality and beat North Carolina (4-5, 3-3) on Thursday night at Heinz Field. It would be a first for Pitt since joining the ACC in 2013.

Pitt goes into the game backed into a corner. The Panthers (6-3, 3-2) must win, or they will be eliminated from the race for the ACC Coastal championship.

When asked, an ACC official said the conference worked out 42 possible scenarios in which Pitt would share the Coastal title if it loses to North Carolina. Pitt would lose tiebreakers every time.

Pitt needs help, anyway. To earn a repeat trip to the ACC championship game and a rematch with Clemson, the Panthers must win all of their remaining games (UNC, at Virginia Tech and Boston College) and hope Virginia loses to Virginia Tech at home Nov. 29.

A local oddsmaker said a $100 bet on the money line would pay $957 if all four contests turned out in Pitt’s favor.

Sorry, coach. We know the rules: No betting, and one game at a time.

Here are three thoughts to take into Thursday’s 8 p.m. ESPN telecast:

1. So close

These Pitt/UNC games are always close, so why not just start 0-0 in the fourth quarter and save everyone some time?

Narduzzi laughed when a reporter jokingly suggested that scenario.

“Yeah, let’s do it,” he said. “You want to call the ACC office and see if we can get that done and save everybody’s time, and you guys can go watch the Steelers game, too. Great deal. Go listen to Billy (Hillgrove).”

The past eight North Carolina victories against Pitt have been decided by a total of 31 points. Even last year, when North Carolina was 2-9, Pitt was the only Power 5 team to lose to the Tar Heels, 38-35.

Why are they always close? Perhaps it’s because the teams are less than special, but that’s not Narduzzi’s take.

“You know, you try to win football games the smart way,” he said, referencing the Pittsburgh Steelers again. “They run it three times and punt it and rely on the defense, which is what smart coaches do.

“You can sling it around, try to score another seven points, but in the end, all we want to do is win the football game, and if it takes the last five minutes, last minute, doesn’t matter. Just get the ‘W.’ ”

But W’s have been hard for Pitt to get against North Carolina. All-time, Pitt trails the Tar Heels, 10-3.

Since Pitt joined the ACC, North Carolina is the only Coastal team the Panthers haven’t defeated (0-6). In fact, Pitt has beaten most Atlantic teams, too, with the exceptions of Florida State and N.C. State.

2. Narduzzi vs. Brown

In his long coaching career, Narduzzi said he never has met a team coached by Mack Brown, 68, who is in the first season of his second North Carolina tenure.

“But he’s a heck of a guy,” the Pitt coach said. “Very, very likable guy. You can see why he’s had so much success. I’m looking forward to a match-up with Mack Brown.”

Brown leads all active FBS coaches with 248 victories in 31 seasons, eight more victories than Nick Saban and 10 more than Brian Kelly. Brown won a national championship at Texas.

“He’s a legend,” Narduzzi said.

3. Fresh meat?

Sam Howell, ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 4 high school quarterback in the nation and the second overall prospect in North Carolina last season, stayed home to help in the hopeful rebirth of Tar Heels football.

He leads the ACC in touchdown passes (26) and is second in passing yards per game (274.7) on a team that has allowed an average of more than three sacks (fifth worst in the ACC).

Pitt is second in the nation and first in the conference with an average of more than four sacks per game. The guess here is Narduzzi will use pressure to try to rattle Howell, who turned 19 in September.

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