University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Narduzzi Notebook: Hitting The Road for Virginia Tech
9/28/2026 2:46:00 PM | Football
Pitt (4-0) hits the road for the first time this season Friday night, traveling to Blacksburg to face a Virginia Tech team that's also 4-0.
They're playing under the lights in what's expected to be one of the loudest environments the Panthers see all year. Pat Narduzzi touched on the road trip, Virginia Tech's attack and a handful of players who've caught his eye this week. Here's what he had to say.
Playing on the Road
This is Pitt's first true road test of the season, and Narduzzi is leaning on history rather than film to gauge how his team will handle it.
"We haven't had a road game this year, so I guess we'll find out Friday night," Narduzzi said. "But what have I seen from our teams in the past? I think we do okay. We're going to go compete."
He pointed to Georgia Tech as the closest recent comp for the kind of atmosphere waiting in Blacksburg and said his team has fared well in those settings before, dating back to a trip to Clemson in 2016.
"The noise component in Blacksburg kind of forces some adjustments in terms of the communication on both sides of the field," Narduzzi said.
It won't affect play-calling, he noted, but it will demand extra focus on snap counts and clean execution.
"It'll be one of the louder games we play," Narduzzi said.
The Freshmen Stepping Up
Demetrice McCray and Damon Ferguson Jr. have combined for four touchdowns this season, trailing only CJ Lee's four. They'd both jumped in to play bigger roles with injuries harming the players ahead of them in the depth chart.
It's not the first time Pitt has had freshmen step up in key moments as Narduzzi points to Mason Heintschel and Ja'Kyrian Turner doing the same thing last season.
"I think we've done a nice job of recruiting talent and giving those guys an opportunity to know what they're doing and get on the field," Narduzzi said, noting Ferguson wasn't even on campus in the spring while McCray was.
He also gave a nod to a few other young players making strides behind the scenes — Dylan Wester and Bryan Hamilton among them.
"It's good to see some of those young guys go out and have some success," Narduzzi said, "because you're going to need them as the year goes on."
Scouting Virginia Tech's Attack
Narduzzi doesn't need much convincing on the respect front when it comes to James Franklin — the two have crossed paths plenty even before Franklin joined the ACC.
He said the entire Hokies staff is one he considers to be well-rounded from coordinators down to position coaches, including defensive coordinator Chris Pry, who Narduzzi said knows how to fit his scheme to his personnel.
He also flagged Virginia Tech's tempo as something Pitt has to be ready to defend, noting the Hokies will change speeds throughout the game rather than stick to one gear.
The bigger challenge on tape might be Virginia Tech's personnel. Tight end James Reynolds, a Penn State transfer, is used all over the formation — screens, pop passes, shots down the field.
"It's like finding Waldo. He's all over the place," Narduzzi said. "He's big, he's athletic, and he's a great blocker too."
Running back Jeffrey Overton has also come on strong of late, racking up more than 200 yards against Boston College last week, and Narduzzi credited Virginia Tech's offensive line and coaching staff for setting up the ground attack.
"It'll be a chess match as far as what they do offensively, what we do defensively with the run game," Narduzzi said.
Shawn Lee Jr.'s Leap
Few developments this season have stood out to Narduzzi more than the growth of Shawn Lee Jr. — not just as a player, but as a voice in the locker room.
"He's really become a leader. I wouldn't have said that in spring ball," Narduzzi said. "He's going to speak up in the back end and get guys revved up. I've been impressed with Shawn and his development on and off the field."
Narduzzi also pointed to Lee's football IQ which was shaped in part by his father's coaching background, as something that shows up clearly on film.
"You don't see many DBs just making checks and playing coverage like a college team does," Narduzzi said. "Shawn's a smart football player. He's been raised that way."
