Pitt's problems with pass defense will be Pat Narduzzi's top priority before ACC Championship Game

During his postgame gathering with media members, Pat Narduzzi was asked in two different ways by two different reporters how the 2021 ACC Coastal championship differs from Pitt’s first in 2018.

Without amplification, he allowed that this season’s team is an “older group.” No doubt, the group’s maturity and loyalty strengthen Narduzzi’s bond with the players. In this NCAA age of easy transfers, it’s worth noting that so many players have decided to remain with Pitt’s program.

He also was pleased to clinch at Heinz Field on Saturday. “In front of our Panther fans. They deserved it,” he said. As opposed to Winston-Salem, N.C., after the ‘18 victory against Wake Forest.

Then, he was asked about the state of the program three years later. For that one, he pulled out his favorite cliché: “Just 1-0 today.”

Then, he continued.

“The state of the program is good. We’re in good position. But you’re only as good as your last outing,” he said.

He’s right on both counts. After a streak from 2013-2019 when each of seven ACC Coastal members won the division championship, Pitt is the first to claim a second.

More to the point, Pitt is 9-2 for the first time since 2009. This is clearly Narduzzi’s best team among his seven.

Pitt has a chance Saturday at Syracuse (5-6, 2-5) to win a 10th game before a bowl for the first time since 1981. How long ago was that? Gasoline was $1.31 a gallon, Dan Marino, who recently celebrated his 60th birthday, was a junior and Pitt finished 11-1 for the last of three consecutive seasons with an iconic, 24-20 Sugar Bowl victory against Georgia.

None of that matters to the single-minded Narduzzi, who claims he doesn’t know what’s happening in the ACC’s Atlantic Division. For the record, Wake Forest (9-2, 6-1) will win it with a victory at Boston College (6-5, 2-5) on Saturday. Clemson (8-3, 6-2) and N.C. State (8-3, 5-2) are still alive.

If he sat down to think about – and he probably started no sooner than dinner with his family Saturday night – he doesn’t want the burden of needing to defeat Clemson twice in the same season.

The immediate matter is finding a way to fix Pitt’s pass defense. Narduzzi was speaking generally, but he admitted, “We’ve got a lot of things to fix.”

Virginia quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw for 487 yards and three touchdowns, and the Cavaliers scored 38 points. Pitt sacked Armstrong five times and made enough stops to win the game, but no Pitt fan felt secure until the game’s final two minutes.

If Jordan Addison hadn’t saved the game with his spectacular 62-yard catch-and-run, Virginia could have sent the game into overtime with a field goal. The Cavaliers moved all the way to the Pitt 14 before the defense finally ended the suspense by forcing two incomplete passes.

Of course, it didn’t help that Pitt lost starting middle linebacker SirVocea Dennis on the game’s third play when he was ejected for targeting. Safety Brandon Hill met the same fate on Virgina’s last drive, and he must sit out the first half of the Syracuse game.

“That was a game-changer,” Narduzzi said of the Dennis play. “That was critical on some of the coverages we were doing. We knew he could match up with those guys athletically. We needed him in there. He’s become the leader of our defense and he runs the show.”

What did Narduzzi think of the call?

“I’ve got my opinions, but I’ll keep them to myself,” he said.

Dennis’ absence is worth noting, but for the season Pitt is 110th of 130 teams (12th in the ACC) in pass defense (265.1 yards per game). Narduzzi’s insistence on having cornerbacks play press man coverage without enough safety help has led to opponent point totals of 34, 44, 38 and 38 in four games, including Pitt’s only two losses.

It’s true that it’s more difficult to play defense these days with player safety an appropriate priority, so many offenses running up-tempo systems and quarterback play improving across the nation. The ACC has six quarterbacks averaging at least 270 yards passing per game.

But that’s not an excuse for poor defense. Pitt is allowing an average of 32 points the past four games. Tennessee and Western Michigan totaled 78 in back-to-back weeks.

If that’s merely the state of college football in 2021, Narduzzi needs to find a way to be better. It remained 20th in the AP poll released Sunday. It needs to play like it in all areas of the game. High stakes demand it.

Narduzzi must be worried about the possibility that Wake Forest’s Sam Hartman, N.C. State’s Devin Leary or Clemson’s D.J. Uiagalelei will repeat Armstrong’s success through the air in the ACC Championship Game.

It’s the one problem that can derail what has been a memorable season.

NOTES: Kenny Pickett is the first ACC quarterback in 15 years to throw for 300-plus yards, with three-plus touchdowns, seven times in the same season. … With 11,841 career passing yards, he needs 64 to move past Clemson’s Tajh Boyd and into second place on the all-time ACC list. … He also set the Pitt record for touchdown responsibility in a season (40), moving one past Marino (1981) and Rod Rutherford (2003). … Addison is third in touchdown receptions in a season (15), passing Terry Murphy (1997) and Antonio Bryant (2000). … He moved into fourth place in single-season yardage with 1,272, passing Tyler Boyd (1,261 in 2014). Addison’s seven games with at least 100 yards lead the Power 5. … The Syracuse game Saturday at the Carrier Dome will start at 7:30 p.m. and will be carried by the ACC Network.