Pat Narduzzi, Geoff Collins again will share same turf when Pitt visits North Carolina
Pitt's promising 2024 season resumes Saturday at North Carolina, with a subplot that could turn out to be significant:
Pat Narduzzi vs. Tar Heels defensive coordinator Geoff Collins.
You might recall the way Collins, then head coach at Georgia Tech, all but ignored Narduzzi at their postgame handshake in the wake of Pitt's 34-20 victory in Atlanta on Dec. 10, 2020. It was the last game of a choppy, forgettable covid season, and attitudes had been fraying across college football for months. No one was in a good mood.
That was nearly four years ago, so Narduzzi certainly isn't dwelling on that encounter, but he and Pitt offensive coordinator Kade Bell already have spent many hours studying North Carolina's defense. They also may peek at how it might resemble Collins' Georgia Tech defense that allowed Pitt and Kenny Pickett to score 45 points and amass 580 yards in 2021.
It will be interesting to see what nice things Narduzzi will say about the North Carolina defense Monday at his weekly news conference. (Isn't that what all coaches do before a game, praise the opponent?)
North Carolina's season started out well when the Tar Heels allowed no more than 20 points in any of their first three games — all victories — against Minnesota, Charlotte and North Carolina Central.
Then, the Dukes of James Madison showed up at Chapel Hill and scored 70 points on seven touchdowns from scrimmage, two more on blocked punt and interceptions returns and two field goals. All in the midst of 611 yards of total offense. In the aftermath, College Football Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown, 73, offered to resign if he didn't think he could fix the problems.
Brown's players supported him, and responded by throwing a shutout at Duke well into Saturday night. Then, Collins' defense surrendered a 20-0 lead in the last 21 minutes of the game and North Carolina (3-2, 0-1 ACC) lost, 21-20. Duke running back Star Thomas ran for 166 yards while the Blue Devils ruled the area of the field that matters most — the trenches.
"We put our linemen on both sides of the ball in charge and I think they dominated," Duke coach Manny Diaz said in a postgame interview with ESPN2.
Said Brown: "We really didn't play well on either side (of the ball) in the second half."
Certainly of greater interest to Narduzzi than the final score or Diaz's bravado is North Carolina's potential ability to control the game on offense. Those 611 yards James Madison collected against the UNC defense? The Tar Heels had more (616) while scoring 50 points. Also, UNC running back Omarion Hampton leads the ACC in rushing, with 658 yards and an average of 131.6 per game.
"Unlike last week (James Madison)," Brown said, "I thought they gave it everything they had and they tried."
Pitt (4-0, 0-0) was clicking on offense before the open week. The time off may allow running back Desmond Reid and guard Ryan Jacoby to heal their injuries. Narduzzi said last week after the Youngstown State game that Reid could have played, if necessary.
Yet the Panthers (4-0) have their faults, too.
North Carolina is 10th in the ACC in total defense (354.8 yards per game), but Pitt is only eighth (342). Plus, the Panthers have allowed more sacks (12) than they have inflicted on their first four opponents. Their total of 11 is not bad, but Narduzzi and defensive coordinator Randy Bates aspire to much more in terms of disruption.
The Tar Heels played Duke with third-string quarterback Jacolby Criswell after injuries to Max Johnson and Conner Harrell. Criswell is a portal product, first transferring from North Carolina to Arkansas before coming back to Chapel Hill this year after spring drills.
Brown noted the effect Duke's pass rush had on Criswell, who was sacked twice.
"They change up so much, they blitz so much and they bring the safeties so much. It's a load for a new quarterback," he said.
Safe to say, Narduzzi is waiting for somebody to say the same thing about his pass rush.
