Unaware of Rolling Stones concert, Pat Narduzzi pushes Pitt players to maintain focus during off week

Pitt doesn’t play this week, but Pat Narduzzi afforded himself little time to relax.

He spent Monday and Tuesday recruiting and meeting with coordinators Mark Whipple and Randy Bates. He said Wednesday on the ACC Network show “Packer and Durham” that he was so busy he didn’t even know the Rolling Stones were in town.

Had he known, Narduzzi could have pulled some strings and gone to the concert. But that’s not the look he is seeking.

“What would it look like if I’m at the Stones concert, and we’re not getting any work done?” he said.

“July is our time to relax,” he said, pointing out that’s when he spends time with his family at their vacation home in Rhode Island. “Other than that, it’s a grind, and we enjoy it.”

Pitt reached its off week with seven games to play and the second-best ESPN Football Power Index rating among 14 ACC teams (15.7 to Clemson’s 16.9).

If Narduzzi ignored the Stones, he’ll do the same to FPI rankings that can fluctuate greatly from week to week.

“Who?” he said, apparently unaware of the FPI. “Wasn’t there a UPI a long time ago?”

For the record, FPI gives Pitt the best chance (71.9%) to win the ACC Coastal. Virginia Tech, the Panthers’ next opponent Oct. 16, is at 12%. Pitt (4-1, 1-0) also has the best chance to win the conference (43.9% to Clemson’s 23.8%).

Plus, FPI projects Pitt’s record at the end of the regular season to be 9.8-2.9, with no explanation on how a team can win eight-tenths of a game.

Pragmatic to a fault, Narduzzi said, “We have a chance to win every week, and we have a chance to lose every week.”

To that end, Narduzzi scheduled practices for Wednesday and Thursday, almost like a regular week.

“I don’t know if we’re going to slow down,” Narduzzi said. “We’re going to stay on them just like we have a game this week.”

The players will have the weekend off, with a chance to see their families (an opportunity that was largely impossible last year because of pandemic concerns).

“Perfect time to have a little bit of a break. Our guys need it,” the coach said.

“Gives them a chance to take a deep breath (before) we get back to work, and we’re in full swing for Virginia Tech next Saturday.”

Meanwhile, there were six NFL scouts at practice Wednesday to watch potential 2022 draft choices, including quarterback Kenny Pickett, who bypassed the 2021 draft to return for a fifth season.

“(Scouts) are saying all the time, ‘Holy cow. What a great decision. He’s made a lot of money,’ ” Narduzzi said.

Then, the coach quickly changed the subject.

“That’s for the future,” he said. “I know Kenny right now is worried about Virginia Tech and looking at that secondary, looking at that pass rush and finding out what he can do to exploit that defense.”

Pitt will take the nation’s most prolific offense into Blacksburg, Va., next week, leading the nation in points (52.4) and standing second in yards (554.4) per game.

“Kenny is another year smarter and smoother in the pocket,” the coach said. “The other thing you notice is how much more timing he has with the deep ball.”

As a result, Pitt’s pass catchers are averaging 14.2 yards per reception (second in the ACC).

“Taysir Mack (19.0) is playing out of his mind,” the coach said.

“We just have to handle success,” he said. “Kids nowadays handle failure better than they do success. When they get punched in the face and there’s blood running down their face, they know how to pick it up. Dealing with success is something our kids have to do a better job at. I think that’s around the country. All kids need to deal with it.

“They read about themselves on social media. They think about, ‘Look at me. Look at me.’ We’re dealing with a lot of 17-, 18-, 19-, 22-year olds that have a lot more going on in their life than we do. I come to work at 6 o’clock every morning and I leave whenever, but it’s all football. I don’t have anything on the side. … Our student-athletes have more than just football. They have tests. They have a lot of people leaning on them from home. They can get distracted a heckuva lot faster than a coach can.”