University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Narduzzi Notebook: Pitt Turns the Page to Syracuse
9/14/2026 2:02:00 PM | Football
Pitt's second game of the season came with a forecast nobody drew up on the whiteboard.
A weather delay pushed the start back, rain never let up and a UCF team that had been shut out for three quarters suddenly found the end zone and made things interesting in the fourth.
For a Pitt team looking for a clean two-game start, it was anything but simple.
Narduzzi didn't shy away from the chaos afterward, framing it as more proof that his team can handle whatever gets thrown at it. The weather, the delay, the tight fourth quarter — all of it, in his eyes, was just another test passed.
"I never felt like the game was out of hand," Narduzzi said. "Three quarters of a shutout felt like we could stop them... but then all of a sudden they score and there's adversity right there. Having that adversity, them going out with two minutes and having to produce, and going four-and-out and not letting them get the drive started — that was big time."
A Sprint to Thursday
There was no time to savor the win. The Panthers didn't wrap up its Saturday game against UCF until 7:45 p.m., and the Panthers turned right back around for a Thursday night matchup with Syracuse.
The staff shuffled the practice calendar to squeeze in what they needed. Sunday doubled as Tuesday. Shells replaced full pads on the second look. By Thursday, the plan calls for a normal gameday buildup, just compressed into half the usual runway.
"We got our Tuesday practice in on a Sunday," Narduzzi said. "Less than 24 hours after we finished that game, we're back out... They've handled it great."
Syracuse's Deep Ball Threat
If there's one matchup Narduzzi is circling, it's what happens when Syracuse quarterback Steve Angeli starts pushing the ball downfield.
Angeli, who Narduzzi called special, has two big targets in Umari Hatcher and Justus Ross-Simmons. Both are over six-foot-three, both built to win contested catches on fades and back-shoulder throws. Add a rotation of four tailbacks and an offensive line averaging 340 pounds, and the Orange present a physical, multi-layered puzzle.
Narduzzi pointed to the RPO game as the connective tissue holding it all together. Syracuse will pack the box to sell the run, then hunt one-on-one shots on the perimeter no matter what coverage Pitt shows.
"They're going to get their touches out there," Narduzzi said. "They attack the ball. They're going to go down the field... our corners have got to play really good on Thursday to win this football game."
A Run Defense Built for This
While the passing game gets the headlines, Pitt's run defense has quietly been one of the best in the country, ranking third nationally at just 23.5 yards allowed per game — trailing only LSU and Houston. Narduzzi wasn't surprised by the number, pointing to a linebacker corps and defensive front that have made stopping the run a program staple.
Cruce Brookins and Josh Guerrier both drew praise for physical tackling that Narduzzi said has visibly sharpened from week one to week two.
"That's kind of what we do, and so that doesn't surprise me at all, especially with the linebacker core," Narduzzi said. "I told you we had that D-line up front. If you look historically, we're going to stop the run. Cruce Brookins had a great game, and Josh Guerrier, same thing."
A Milestone Without the Moment
Thursday's game against Syracuse will also mark a piece of program history: Narduzzi's 144th on the Pitt sideline, more than any coach in school history.
True to form, he brushed past the number in the moment, saving any real reflection for a future version of himself.
"It's just another game," Narduzzi said. "We could count how many practices I've been here. I've probably had more practices than anybody too. Spent a lot of hours in the office and working. If we can count the minutes, the hours in the office, in 12 years... but to me, it's like 12 years. I mean, that's what it comes down to. I'm gonna go back someday when I'm old and crusty and watch a lot of those games."
