Pitt notebook: Pat Narduzzi won't let that extra hour go to waste

Any politician trying to eliminate the November practice of setting clocks back one hour won’t get any support from Pat Narduzzi.

Not this week.

Narduzzi believes his Pitt players and coaches need as many hours as possible to prepare for Thursday night’s nationally televised game against North Carolina at Heinz Field. Don’t expect Narduzzi to waste that extra hour. He was watching video Saturday night on the flight home from Durham, N.C.

Kenny Pickett joked that the ACC might be trying to start a tradition, scheduling Pitt and North Carolina on a Thursday night. This year’s game will be the second in a row — and fourth in Pitt’s nine seasons in the ACC — to receive the ESPN spotlight treatment. The teams didn’t play in 2020 because of a reconfigured schedule.

Narduzzi is a coach. He automatically becomes a creature of habit. With several injured players in the trainer’s room, he doesn’t like the short week. Recuperation is just as important as preparation.

Senior linebacker John Petrishen knows it won’t be easy.

“Growing up, I always heard NFL guys complaining about Thursday night games,” he said. “Now, I see why. They even have one fewer day because they play Sunday.”

The short work week forces Pitt to practice Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, compared to the normal Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday routine.

But it’s the same problem for both teams, perhaps more difficult for the Tar Heels, who must travel to Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

Student-athletes keep hectic schedules, but they like it when they can sleep in their own beds.

What about the defense?

Pitt allowed 29 points, which is more than its critics might have expected considering Duke had scored a total of 41 in its previous four ACC games.

But Pitt supporters can rationalize away the criticism by noting Duke scored nine points on a kickoff return and safety, the latter of which was set up by Pitt’s goal-line stand. And Duke’s final touchdown occurred in the fourth quarter after Pitt had built a comfortable 44-22 lead.

But as Jeff Goldblum famously stated in “The Big Chill,” don’t knock rationalizations.

The truth is Duke running back Mataeo Durant needed 24 carries to get to 89 yards (under 4 yards per try). Pitt’s defense recorded six sacks and allowed only 10 points in the final 42 minutes after Jaylen Stinson’s kickoff return.

“Coaches made the right calls and players executed,” linebacker Phil Campbell III said.

Petrishen isn’t offering any apologies, either.

“The offense had some miscues in the first quarter, and it was our time to pick them up,” he said. “Last week, we felt like we let them down. It was our time to step it up, and I think we did that.”

Narduzzi wasn’t especially effusive in his praise for the defense, but he’ll take it.

“A lot of good plays out there on the field. A lot of ones we have to clean up for Thursday night,” he said. “Defense played pretty good.”

The 1,000-yard club

Durant became the first Duke back since 2003 to crack 1,000 yards (1,062).

In that time, six Pitt backs — LeSean McCoy, Dion Lewis, James Conner, Qadree Ollison (twice each), Ray Graham and Darrin Hall — have done it 10 times.

What’s interesting about the current Pitt offense is it has needed its three top backs to collectively gain more than 1,000 yards (1,150). Izzy Abanikanda leads with 498, while Rodney Hammond Jr. has 338 and Vincent Davis 314.

It’s the price you pay when your quarterback throws for 3,171.

Speaking of the quarterback, Pickett raised his school-record total offense mark to 11,965 with a 473-yard day that included 57 on the ground, including a 22-yard touchdown. Pickett and Alex Van Pelt are the only Panthers to reach five figures.

Keep your feet

Petrishen collected his third interception, but the most recent two have netted a total of 2 yards in returns.

“If I could just stay on my feet, it would be a little better,” he said. “That will be the next step.”

Perhaps he was too busy praising cornerback Marquis Williams to remember his 33-yard pick-6 against Georgia Tech.

“(Williams) broke on the pass and it felt right in my lap,” he said.

Campbell not wasting any time

Campbell needs to be careful he doesn’t get his phone wet while preparing for North Carolina.

“I’m going to get in the cold tub and take care of my body and start on the film already,” he said.

New polls

Pitt slipped back into the Associated Press Top 25 at No. 25 and jumped to No. 22 from No. 25 in the AFCA Coaches Poll. The College Football Playoff committee speaks Tuesday.