Pitt football preview: That pretty ACC championship trophy from 2021 means nothing in 2022

When Pat Narduzzi appeared on the ACC Network last week — somewhat of a celebrity after winning the conference championship nine months ago — Pitt’s coach said he planned to put a blanket over the 2021 conference championship trophy.

“We’ll just focus on what we’re going to do this year,” he said.

Of course, he was kidding. Narduzzi, his staff and players invested too much time into winning that shiny piece of hardware to have it collect dust and fail to be a constant reminder of a job well done.

But his point was clear: Resting upon laurels, no matter how resplendent they may be, doesn’t bode well for the future.

And the future has arrived. Nothing Kenny Pickett did in 2021 will help Pitt win a game in 2022. The current team needs to set its own course.

While many teams become the prey in the season after winning a title, Narduzzi has other ideas.

“We’re not the hunted. We’re going hunting,” he said on ACC Network.

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With some new weaponry.

Kedon Slovis has replaced Pickett at quarterback, and two of the top three pass catchers from a year ago — wide receiver Jordan Addison and tight end Lucas Krull — are gone. That’s 138 receptions for 2,044 yards and 23 of Pitt’s 44 touchdown receptions. Likewise, offensive coordinator Mark Whipple left for Nebraska and a bigger payday and was replaced by veteran play-caller Frank Cignetti Jr.

Narduzzi said it will be a “totally different football team.”

Slovis can throw the football — his accuracy was a tick under 72% as a freshman three years ago — but the five returning offensive linemen want to prove they can run-block, too.

Someone, perhaps junior running back Izzy Abanikanda, might surpass 1,000 yards this season.

Narduzzi still wants an explosive offense — quick scores early in the game put pressure on the opponent — but he also craves toughness.

“That’s kind of who we’ve been since 2015. Whether we win one game or 13, we’re going to be tough,” he said.

“I like to be tough and talented at the same time. I think we have a talented football team. We’ll find out how talented (Thursday against West Virginia) and the weekend after that (against Tennessee).”

Most of the preseason optimism has stemmed from the experience on both lines. Yet, Pitt has a secondary that can claim as much credit for the victory against Wake Forest in the 2021 title game as anything Pickett did. And three of those players return.

Safety Erick Hallett intercepted two passes, and cornerbacks A.J. Woods and Marquis Williams one each against quarterback Sam Hartman. In the previous 12 games, Hartman was picked off only 10 times.

Pitt opens against two Power 5 teams for the first time in 36 years. No Youngstown State or Delaware. The tests come early for the Panthers, who are ranked 17th according to the Associated Press preseason poll. The FCS opponent — Narduzzi’s alma mater Rhode Island — doesn’t show up until the fourth week.

“Whenever you’re playing another Power 5 team, I don’t care who it is or what conference it’s from, it’s a big game,” Narduzzi said. “That second one will be just as big against Tennessee.

“I think anytime you open up with one of these type games — whether we open up with North Carolina, Louisville or Tennessee or West Virginia — it’s going to be a brawl one way or another.”

Narduzzi said he has a mature football team with seven returning starters on each side of the ball, but it doesn’t hurt to strengthen the schedule to keep everyone interested.

“The schedule helps keep them a little more focused,” he said. “They know what needs to be done.”

Which hasn’t always been the case at Pitt, something that’s evident just by leafing back through history both before and after Narduzzi arrived in 2015.

“I’ve seen teams, even here in our first few years, that weren’t locked in like you want,” he said.

This one seems to have what it takes mentally and physically. But not even Narduzzi can know for sure. And this is a man who at certain times of the year spends more time with his players than with his family.

“You could talk about it all you want,” he said. “They have to go out and do it.”