Pat Narduzzi met with his players on Sunday night, as he usually does. And, as always, the longtime head coach of Pittsburgh focused on what lies ahead. Not looking back. Not to the side. Just forward.
This is especially true since the 22nd-ranked Panthers are having their best start since 1991, following a 34-24 victory over North Carolina that put them at 5-0.
They were also picked to finish 13th in the newly formed Atlantic Coast Conference and have returned to the polls for the first time in two years. Plus, first-year offensive coordinator Kade Bell’s plans are proving to be as exciting as promised when he was hired last December.
“Right now, midseason, if you get too caught up, ‘Look at us, we’re ranked,’ good luck to you,” Narduzzi said on Monday.
So far, luck hasn’t been necessary for the Panthers. They have Alabama transfer Eli Holstein, who is putting up impressive numbers not seen since Dan Marino played at Pitt more than 40 years ago. Also, 5-foot-8 Desmond Reid is emerging as one of the best dual threats in the country.
Pitt has won big and has also come back from being down by double digits in the fourth quarter. They’ve shown a lot of determination, especially against the Tar Heels last weekend when they managed to shut down North Carolina in the second half to win in Chapel Hill for the first time.
When asked what he has learned about a team that started the season with low expectations—especially after a 3-9 record in 2023—Narduzzi highlighted four key words on the back wall of the team meeting room: attitude, effort, toughness, and knowledge.
And one more: attitude. “I like the selflessness that they’ve shown,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who catches the ball, who has the big game as a receiver, or who makes a sack. They’re celebrating together.”
There has been plenty to celebrate with an offense that ranks fourth in total yards (522) and sixth in points (45.6). This is a huge improvement for a program that struggled with a stagnant offense last year, leading to changes that included hiring the 31-year-old Bell.
The highly energetic Bell has energized the Panthers. Another boost has come from one of his players from Western Carolina. The dynamic Reid has become the key player for Pitt’s offense.
He ranks second in the nation and first in the ACC in all-purpose yards (193.5), making all the FBS programs that overlooked him when he was coming out of high school—including the Panthers—look a bit silly.
Narduzzi acknowledged that size bias affected their initial thoughts on Reid. “If you’ve got a choice between a 5-8 guy and a 6-foot guy, you’ll take the 6-foot guy,” Narduzzi said.
However, few players in the country can change the outcome of a game as quickly as Reid can, regardless of whether Narduzzi can see them from a podium, as he joked on Monday.
He is the first running back in Pitt history to have more than one 100-yard receiving game, a feat achieved by Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett and Curtis Martin. Reid had 155 yards receiving against the Tar Heels, which included a 2-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.
The return of running back Rodney Hammond, who was reinstated last week after being ruled ineligible, means the Panthers may not need to depend on Reid as much. This could help keep him healthy as Pitt gets deeper into conference play with a game against Cal on Saturday.
A season that started with many questions has given a few promising answers over the first five weeks. Narduzzi is optimistic but still not completely satisfied.
“I don’t care (about) the preseason ranking,” he said. “The only ranking we’ll brag about is what our postseason ranking is and trying to win a championship. Those are the rankings you worry about.”
