Burdened by injuries, 2-game losing streak, Pitt's Pat Narduzzi running out of options

Pat Narduzzi has juggled his offensive line. He’s turned to a backup quarterback. He had seven different pass catchers targeted at least three times Saturday.

Injuries have been among the reasons for Pitt’s coach turning to so many options, but he’s running out of players and running out of time. Pushing players — and players pushing themselves — beyond the norm might be the most practical answer.

“You can’t go get a free agent,” he said Monday in his weekly news conference. “You deal with what you have to deal with. You try to juggle and put the best 11 players on the field, offensively and defensively and special teams.

“That’s our job. It’s not easy sometimes.”

Making things more difficult, there are only 19 days and three games left to figure out what went wrong.

Sure, he’d like to return quarterback Eli Holstein to the starting lineup, but the redshirt freshman has left two of the past three games with a head injury.

“I anticipate everybody playing Saturday (against Clemson at Acrisure Stadium), except Branson Taylor (offensive left tackle out for the season with a leg injury).”

Of course, that’s no guarantee Holstein will play.

Two weeks ago, Narduzzi said he wasn’t sure Holstein would play against SMU until a Wednesday afternoon staff meeting that included head football trainer Chris Hanks.

“Depends on what Chris Hanks tells me,” Narduzzi said Monday. “Our doctors make all those decisions. I wish I could tell you. I stay out of the training room. It’s not my job.

“My job is to coach football and let our trainers and the best medical care in the country take care (of the players).”

He was joking with reporters when he added, “If you can sneak down to the training room, you might find out.”

(No word on whether any member of the media accepted that challenge.)

Holstein completed only 10 of 23 passes for 121 yards before he was a victim of targeting in the third quarter and left the game.

“I thought he made some really good decisions, just didn’t throw the ball as well as he wanted to,” Narduzzi said. “Wasn’t very accurate. Couple times over the middle wasn’t as accurate as he’s been.

“As far as his decision-making and putting the ball where it’s supposed to go, he did that more often than not. He’s been under (pass-rush) pressure. That’s obvious.”

Meanwhile, Nate Yarnell threw two interceptions while trying to rally Pitt to victory.

“We have a lot of confidence in Nate. He doesn’t get the reps (in practice),” Narduzzi said. “Anytime you get put in that position, you feel bad for him. I don’t think that’s a fair exam on who Nate Yarnell is. If he was able to get starting reps, you’d see a different guy.”

Another big issue, according to Narduzzi, is getting those players who helped Pitt start 7-0 to quit — as the coach remarked twice — “shooting ourselves in the foot.”

“Way too many (penalties) on offense (eight), three on defense,” he said. “You can at least count them on defense.”

Narduzzi said penalties led to first-and-15 and second-and-15. That might be a reason Pitt has converted only 24% (12 of 50) of its third downs over the past four games.

“When you start off first-and-15, you have to get 15 to get a first down. You make it hard on the quarterback. You make it hard on everybody. You make it hard on the O-line because people are thinking you have to pass,” he said.

“We have to make sure we only need 10 yards the first time we touch the ball.”

Narduzzi juggled the offensive line Saturday, moving Ryan Baer from right to left tackle, giving right tackle Isaiah Montgomery his first career start and moving Terrence Enos, who had been Taylor’s replacement, from left tackle to left guard.

“Are we going to stay with it? We’ll figure that out,” the coach said. “Was I happy with (the new alignment)? Sometimes, I was happy. Sometimes, I wasn’t. We certainly have to do a better job.”

“You knew it wasn’t going to be a perfect day. There are growing pains when you make that move. Part of the thought process was (when taking) Ryan Baer and (moving) him from right to left, are we hurting Ryan Baer? Now, right tackle is broken and left tackle is broken. Those are all the conversations you have. Wish nobody would get hurt. That would make it a lot easier.”

He said players’ demeanor has not changed during the two-game losing streak.

“Like normal,” he said. “Obviously, they’re down. Just like they were the week before, no different. Nobody likes to take one on the chin. They’re down and they should be, but they were great walking out of here (Sunday) night, and that’s the most important thing.”

Using Yarnell as a yardstick, he said the team’s confidence is not shaken.

“There was confidence (during the game),” he said. “Nate Yarnell walked by me and said, ‘Don’t worry, coach. We’re going to win the game.’

“There’s swag on the sideline. That’s probably what makes it more disappointing. They thought they were going to pull it out.”

NOTE: Narduzzi said he has spoken to ACC officials about referee Nate Black calling for a do-over when Pitt stopped Virginia on fourth down in the fourth quarter Saturday. He declined to offer any specifics about the conversation. “You guys know I’m not going to talk about officiating. I want to be smart, and I’m not going to say a word,” he said. “But you guys all watched the tape. That’s probably all I need to say. I’m not allowed to say anything about what I heard or said or was told.”

He added, “Not happy.”