Narduzzi Opens Duquesne Week with Tribute, Continuity, and Confidence
8/25/2025 3:11:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH — Before any talk of schemes or depth charts, Pat Narduzzi began his first press conference of the regular season with perspective. Now in his 11th year leading the Panthers, he said the team will celebrate the life of Mason Alexander at Saturday's season opener. Alexander's mother will participate in the coin toss, and his family will be in attendance.
"It's an opportunity to go out and play for his family," Narduzzi said. "Just to show Mason and the family what we've done since he's left us."
On offense, Narduzzi praised the tight end room, with Jake Overman atop a three-man rotation that also features Justin Holmesand Malachi Thomas, as well as a deeper offensive line that has been strengthened by newcomers and emerging talent. Defensively, he highlighted a front seven he believes can be disruptive every week.
He also touched on keeping guys fresh, with Narduzzi noting that snap counts up front will be shared based on practice performance and game flow. Special teams also remain competitive, with Trey Butkowski handling placekicking duties and Sam Carpenter in the mix on kickoffs.
Scouting Duquesne
Narduzzi expects a Pittsburgh-tough Duquesne team, led by head coach Jerry Schmitt, to arrive fired up for the intra-city matchup.
· Quarterback: A veteran "gunslinger" in Tyler Riddell, who has made big throws in his career.
· Playmakers: Wide receiver Joey Isabella and tailback Taj Butts drew specific mention.
· Offensive Line: Experience and age are strengths with five seniors up front.
· Defense: Structurally like Pitt, with two-high looks and zone pressures.
"It'll be a battle in Pittsburgh on Saturday at noon," Narduzzi said. "There's no doubt about it. They'll play their best game. They'll be cranked up. They get to play in that stadium—whether they played there in high school in the WPIAL championships or they're getting their chance now. This is their championship game. It's their opportunity to show who they are and prove some people wrong."
Other Big-Picture Notes
· Narduzzi reiterated his confidence in the team's depth across positions.
· He lauded the team's leadership, specifically citing the steady presence and growth of Eli Holstein and Desmond Reid.
· On managing Reid's workload: "We're going to let him go play football… He's tough, he loves to play, and he's going to go out and play his best game."
Pitt hosts Duquesne on Saturday at noon at Acrisure Stadium.
Players Mentioned
