Pitt Take 5: Pat Narduzzi says his flavor of the week is not vanilla

With no preseason games to test their training wheels, college football teams march right into the action with a real game that counts.

Sometimes, it’s against an obviously weaker opponent. Sometimes, it’s a Power 5 team that generates buzz.

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi is 5-1 in season openers, but the victories were against Youngstown State (twice, including one in overtime), Villanova, Albany and Austin Peay. Pitt lost to Virginia, 30-14, at Heinz Field to open the 2019 season.

Paul Chryst’s first Pitt team lost to Youngstown State, 31-17, to open the 2012 season and Florida State, 41-13, in Pitt’s first ACC game in 2013. The Panthers beat Delaware, 62-0, in 2014, but the team finished an ugly 6-7.

Pitt has what looks like a cupcake in UMass on Saturday at Heinz Field. But remember: Pitt fans thought the same thing in 2012.

1. Not so fast, my friend

An opinion exists that Pitt won’t show too much of its playbook against UMass, a 38-point underdog.

Why give Tennessee (next on the schedule) or any future opponent a clue of what they might see from the Panthers?

Narduzzi was asked this week if Pitt’s offerings against the Minutemen will be vanilla. In other words, simple and basic.

Narduzzi, as he does on occasion, had some fun with the question and said, “It’s not going to be vanilla. We are going to play and see what we got and if you ever get bored, bring me a little cup of butter pecan. That would be good.”

He went on to explain, “When you go just to vanilla ice cream, you don’t get too much flavor. Your kids aren’t getting better at it, either. We’ll have a little bit of different flavors. We need to work at if we’re going to put something new in, and we’re going to spring it in the opener.”

That may or may not turn out to be true (I lost my copy of this week’s playbook), but two former Pitt players agreed with Narduzzi when we discussed the topic this week on the weekly BLEAV In Pitt Football Podcast.

The podcast features All-Americans Dorin Dickerson and Scott McKillop and All-Big East quarterback Bill Stull, all of whom played for the most recent Pitt teams that won nine (2008) and 10 (2009) games.

“He might show it,” Stull said of some exotic formation or play. “Because if you show it, that D coordinator is going to have to take some time out of the defensive team meeting to discuss how (he’s) going to defend it — just because they showed it against a UMass team that Pitt is going to blow out.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if they show it just to give Tennessee something to work on so they don’t have the allotted time to game plan for your standard type offense.”

McKillop, who went to Kiski Area and was a graduate assistant under Narduzzi in 2015 and 2016, agreed with Stull.

“If you get a unique formation or a play you’re not familiar with, it’s going to put all the pressure on that GA or quality control coach to go back and re-watch every game and try to see if that play has come up.

“You always want to be a what-if. It’s just going to provide less time to focus on the meat and potatoes of the offense.”

2. Lots of hands, only one ball

Narduzzi listed six wide receivers on his depth chart — two at each position. Last season, Jordan Addison, Shocky Jacques-Louis, Taysir Mack, Jared Wayne, Tre Tipton and Jaylon Barden totaled 148 receptions for 1,868 yards and eight touchdowns. That’s not bad, but those numbers need to improve. Especially the last one.

3. Focusing on focusing

You’ll never find a player more appreciative of his opportunities at Pitt than defensive end Habukkuk Baldonado. He’s happy there will be fans Saturday at Heinz Field for the first time since 2019, but while he’s on the field, he barely will notice.

“I don’t care about the fans,” he said. “It may sound weird, but when I’m in the stadium, I’m focused on what I’m doing 100%. Even when my family is there, I don’t focus on them. I focus on what I’m doing, where my feet are.

“It’s going to be beautiful. I love the atmosphere. I love the students. But once I step on the field, it’s just football for me.”

4. Keep me in, coach

Defensive line coach Charlie Partridge plans to rotate at least 10 players among the four positions, and Baldonado, a starter, likes the system and cringes a little at the same time.

“It keeps everybody fresh throughout the whole season. There’s not a single play where we’re tired,” he said.

But no one likes coming out of the game.

“You get in your rhythm, and you get pulled back for one reason or another,” he said. “In those moments, I’m a little hesitant. I don’t love it, but you understand it’s for the best.”

5. 3 generations of Junkos

Bob Junko, who has worked many jobs at Pitt for the past 25 years and even going back into the 1980s, said he feels especially blessed for this year’s opener.

He is joined on the team by two of his grandsons: Caleb, a punter and holder, and Josh, a wide receiver. How many across college football can make that claim?

“I’m blessed to be here and to be able to enjoy them,” he said.

But having family around him is nothing new. When Junko was coaching Pitt defensive tackles for Walt Harris from 1997-2005, his son, Jay, was on the team. When he was defensive coordinator at Akron from 1988-94, sons Jeff and Mike were Zips. Mike is the head coach at Upper St. Clair, by the way.

Junko has been Pitt’s director of player development and high school relations since 2013, but he has devoted the past 57 years of his life to the game. A native of Washington, Pa., he started at Tulsa in 1964 where he became an All-American linebacker.

He coached under six head coaches at Pitt (who does that anymore?) and has been a defensive coordinator at Tulsa, TCU, Northwestern, Akron, Kent State. He served as Foge Fazio’s DC at Pitt from 1982-85.

Also, he was Dave Wannstedt’s assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator in 2006 and later director of football relations and program enhancement from 2007-12.

“Bob is a true legend,” Narduzzi said. “You know, for me, primarily not as a football coach but as a person in this office, he has got the greatest personality. Recruits love him. The kids love him. He’s exactly what you need.”