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UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH FOOTBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 23, 2019

Pat Narduzzi

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

COACH NARDUZZI: Obviously it was a nice weekend that we were able to close a chapter out last night with our football team. It was a nice win for our kids, our coaches. A much needed one when really nobody else in the country was giving us a shot to win that football game. That's the sweetest thing about it.

I've said this every week and I continue to see an improvement from week one to two, two to three, and three to four, and I still think -- that's why we coach, that there's still room for improvement. I don't think you're seeing a finished product yet. And I think that's a good thing.

I think our schedule's been pretty firm as we've gone. And we need to keep our foot on the gas pedal this week because I think it's awful important with who we've got coming in here.

Again, stuff that we need to clean up that really bother me. I think I talked about some of the positives that we did the other day. I think I did. I don't really remember, but we've got to work on ball security again this week. Ball security can get you beat really quick. Our two missed field goals that we cannot have.

I'm going to go on record saying we probably won't miss another field goal the rest of the year. Probably won't miss another field goal the rest of the year. We'll get that fixed. And the punt return for a touchdown -- and I talked last week with our kids about complacency. I sat right in here talking to them about, you know, punt team, you were really good.

I mean, Kirk has been as good, I guess in that two-weeks-ago game, as good as I've seen a punter punt here at Pitt. And I talked to him about complacency. You did it one week; can you do it again?

We go out, he was pretty good then it just takes one 58-yard punt with a 3.3 hang time to give that guy a chance to return it. And we've got a young gunner that comes down, doesn't turn it back in, we've got plenty of guys -- but again it's that complacency. You fix one thing one week and the next week it's bad again.

A week ago, against Penn State Rangers, our punt team was bad. This week it's good. We make a play. It's like one week you fix one thing, the next week you gotta fix it. So we got to be consistent in what we do in all three phases of the game.

Delaware, you know, coming in this week, again, great football team. Historic football team. They've got those wing helmets that are so historic. And coached by Danny Rocco.

History with Delaware for me goes way, way back to the old Yankee Conference. I've coached against them. I've played in games against them, three of them.

I was a little ball boy against these guys back in 1979. Jerry, I think you were 22 years old in '79. But I was a ball boy for them. 1979, the only team we lost to at Youngstown State when my dad was head coach was Delaware.

I tell our kids all the time these games gotta be personal. It's personal for me. I'll never forget 1979. Never forget getting beat in Austin (indiscernible) Stadium or getting beat in the national championship game down in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Youngstown expected to win the champion. We didn't get it done because of Delaware.

And that was Tubby Raymond back in the day and Scott Brunner, our quarterback. If I was this big I could see the field and the locker room after the game. It's personal. So they've got a great football team.

Danny Rocco, again, Pittsburgh native. So they'll come back. I think they probably have 20 guys on their team from Pittsburgh probably. I know there's seven on the offensive side of the ball, I believe in two-deep. Bill Cubit, their assistant head coach, who you can tell has a lot to do with their offense as far as what they're doing.

Ambrose is obviously the offensive coordinator. But they do it as a team. And there's some similarities. The last time I played Cubit was I think 2013 when I was at Michigan State and he was at Illinois, played out of Illinois.

I see some of the same characteristics of what they do. So I think I'm familiar with it. I think Coach Bates is familiar with it. And those are good things. And then Chris Cosh who has been in the coaching professional for a long time is their defensive coordinator. He's coached everywhere.

They've got a very, very good coaching staff. They've got really good players and they will come in here ready to go and it's my job to get our guys to come back after a big win and get another one.

Q. You won on a pretty gutsy play call Saturday on fourth down. Is there any concession in the week leading up to it, following the Penn State game, that maybe between you and coach (inaudible) about you want to be more aggressive in game situations later or is it something (inaudible)?
COACH NARDUZZI: Not really. Not really. We're always aggressive. It's like it doesn't matter. We'll be aggressive this week against Delaware. It doesn't matter. Like we always go in have a Thursday checklist of is it conservative -- it's weird, again, it's typed up in our winner's manual, game plan -- conservative, gamble.

I always laugh and we always have weather; is weather going to be an issue? And it's always gamble. Every week I laugh, I say why do we have this conservative thing? Just throw it out; why do we even look at it? I don't think I'll ever be conservative. You'll make the best decisions for your football team.

I think, again, going back to that Penn State game, the fourth-and-one that we're afraid what defensive they're going to be in. That's a gamble especially where you are on that field.

If we don't get that one you guys are screaming and they score a touchdown on a drive, it's like you just lost the game. But we're gambling all the time. Every play is a gamble.

When you say that play is like a critical, they're all critical. If we watch tape together you'd see that I grabbed him in the huddle and said, guys, we're going to go for it and you're going to make it and we've got to execute. Comes down to execution.

But if one guy doesn't do his job, it becomes an ugly play. Becomes a gamble. The gamble is only if you don't execute. So the play was the play. It had a nice name. The whole deal. But just wait for the right time to call it against the right defense. Coach Whipple did a heck of a job. Hat goes off to him. He made the call I listen to him and say I like it.

Q. What do you think is the (inaudible)?
COACH NARDUZZI: I'm not going to get into -- what is he?

Q. He's three of eight.
COACH NARDUZZI: On field goals? I didn't even know that. I just take one game at a time. I know he's 0-for-2 on Saturday.

We won't get into specifics but my guess is it will get turned around. Maybe I should have done something earlier. Again I don't like mess to with kickers. I've talked to two kickers on game day, once at Clemson and once Saturday. You can probably add them up. I stay away from those guys. Only when they need it.

And so I don't know -- I shouldn't say I don't know what it is. I know what it is. I won't discuss it. But I think it will get fixed.

Q. What did you say to him after the second miss? Because you --
COACH NARDUZZI: I said if you do that again I'm going to kill you. No, you can ask Kess. I said to him, I said, "Listen, don't worry about it; let it go. You're going to kick the game winner." And I think he did. That's all I said to him.

Q. Without getting into specifics, a lot of guys went down on Saturday. What's the overall health of your team?
COACH NARDUZZI: I think we're pretty good. I think we're pretty good right now. We may not have one guy, I don't know, we may have them all. But, again, banged up but nothing bad, which is a good thing. So I feel good right now.

Q. More specifically on that (inaudible) that final drive?
COACH NARDUZZI: Which is a good thing, isn't it? I mentioned we had 27 players, I believe, play on defense the other day. And you're playing a pretty darned good football team, as we all know. And the most impressive thing we played guys they stepped up made plays.

Therran Coleman, my hat goes off to that guy. And Marquis Williams, they're waiting, begging, whining, complaining -- which they should; when do I get my chance? But you look at those three corners -- Pinnock, Mathis and Dane Jackson -- put this really good guy -- I mean you kind of sometimes have to wait your turn, but you had your turn, and you went in there -- Marquis made a nice play on a bubble, quick now and chopped the guy down.

They came in did some stuff that you go, okay, good, we can trust you. And sometimes you don't know. It's hard to trust someone until you give them a chance to go. And that's the hardest thing as coaches. You want to play your best players to win football games. So that was a good thing those guys came in there. Now, makes us even that much stronger.

Q. Do you expect Mathis and (indiscernible) to play on Saturday?
COACH NARDUZZI: Yes.

Q. Seems like the football team (indiscernible) injuries?
COACH NARDUZZI: Why do you keep talking about injuries? One question, two, three, and you know I'm not talking about it, but you know I'll get after you. Okay, what have you got?

Q. Seems like in all levels of football there's a lot of injuries. Is the game changing now? Are players too big, too fast?
COACH NARDUZZI: Too big, too fast, too soft, I don't know what it is. It's not like it was in the old days. I don't know what it is. I think sometimes it's overuse. When I say overuse it's the constant, when you're in third grade, you're playing five sports.

I don't know what it is. But everybody's got him in a camp here, he's going there. These moms are driving them all over the place. You hear about it. But I think there's a long-lasting effect on these kids. So who knows what it is.

I'm not a trainer. I'm not a doctor, but I think a lot of times it's doing too much for so many years, eventually wears you out. Seven on sevens now compared to what they were 20 years ago, a lot more.

Q. You were down two defensive linemen. It was a hot day. They ran it 34 times, averaged two and a half yards per run. What does that say about your defensive front and how they elevated their play after their injuries?
COACH NARDUZZI: Still wished we had Keyshon Camp and Rashad Weaver, I keep saying that. I look at it all the time, man, what if we had those two guys? Because they're difference-makers.

But Coach Bates and Charlie Partridge together have done a great job with the D line. And again credit goes to those guys. It goes to our football players that are continuing learning. If you walk by the D line room over there they're always in there watching tape trying to figure out what that team's doing and how can I get better.

We type notes in after practice on the computer. Kids are sitting at home watching on their iPads, just like you guys have your computers open and their watching it and seeing the critique. Then they're coming in the next day watching it with the coach again and getting the same critique or more.

It's called develop your players, your young players, and that's what we have to do. And we're stuck in a jam there. The scary part was that was a scary part; your D line is down. Also your DBs are beat up. We're and putting new guys in here, and we're playing a team that's snapping the ball in eight seconds. You're like, oh, boy. You look upstairs and say a prayer.

Q. Did you play 27 players on defense four years ago?
COACH NARDUZZI: That's a long time ago.

Q. Three years ago?
COACH NARDUZZI: I don't remember. I can't even remember last year if we played 27. I don't know how many players we played against them last year. I just know there were some guys in there. Add in Watson, Weaver into that and you've got more.

We played 20 -- I want to say 25 on offense, 37 on special teams, if my numbers are correct.

Q. How comfortable were you with, I think Patti had to play a little bit? How do you think he did?
COACH NARDUZZI: Obviously he played really well. He made some plays. He got out of trouble, made some plays with his feet. But it's one of those guys. Again, I talked about Therran and Marquis, the same thing with Nick Patti on the other side of the ball. I'm fired up that he got to go in. And we had our plan of him go in and having a series already going into that game.

So we wanted -- when he did go in it wasn't because -- I think the first time he went in, Kenny was still in with him, if you guys recall. But we had a little couple things that we wanted to do with them, and we'll continue to maybe expand that package every week about what we can do with him because he can run. And he's tough. And again he can throw the ball as well.

He's got -- again he was our scout team quarterback a year ago so I know what he's got. He's got his tail beat in and he keeps coming back for more, so I know who he is. Didn't surprise me, but you know what, on game day when the lights are on it's a big-time game, you never know what's going to happen.

He showed us what he's going to do when he gets in there. Gives Coach Whipple, the offensive staff and myself more confidence if he has to go in there that we're good.

Q. How familiar are with you Andre Robinson, the Delaware running back (indiscernible) and the other guys (inaudible)?
COACH NARDUZZI: I don't know where I was. I don't remember the name. I've watched No. 10 run around. He's a big physical back. He's a good football player, and someone that we've got to have our eyes on. But they've got a few of them back there.

The other guys to mention No. 33 here, DeJoun Lee and Will Knight two other guys that are really good backs. One is a transfer from Old Dominion as well. So they've got guys on scholarship too. They're a good football team. They're well-coached and they're tough.

Q. (Indiscernible) is currently fourth in the country in sacks. What can you say about his continued growth?
COACH NARDUZZI: He just keeps getting better. I've talked about (indiscernible) every week. I don't care about the sacks or what he did four games ago or two games -- he got zero sacks this week.

So nobody cares what we did last week or what we did the week before. Everybody cares about what we're going to do this Saturday at 12:30. And I want to see him get another sack.

We'll look at all those stats. I have no clue where he was. Thanks for telling me; I don't care. But I mean it doesn't matter. Where is he going to be at the end of the year? If he's No. 1 or 4 that's good. If he drops because he's -- I hope he doesn't know that. That's why I hate these phones. These phones right here, I'm going to try to maybe tell our team -- I'm going to maybe see if I can buy them all flip phones. They can't look at anything, just flip phone. They can call mom, call your girlfriend. But you can't go on the Internet, can't go on Twitter. It's a good thing.

Q. Another stat you might care about. You're second in the nation in passing attempts, 180.
COACH NARDUZZI: We're second in the nation in pass attempts? No wonder we're not running the ball very good. You don't run it, you can't get yards.

Q. Is that a stat you like or do you prefer less?
COACH NARDUZZI: I don't care about stats. I care about Ws -- Ws, wins and losses. That's how you're graded. You're not graded about how you do it, how many times you blitz, how many times you play base, how many times you play quarters, how many times you play two. Doesn't matter. It matters how many times you win. We try to win. Doesn't matter what we have to do to win.

Q. Are you surprised that you've thrown it that much this year?
COACH NARDUZZI: Two games you're behind and you're try to catch up. Really three games in the fourth quarter you're behind. How you -- I don't remember if we were behind or not, but you look at three games we've been behind. And we were ahead last weekend, and then the fourth quarter we find ourselves having to play catch up. We talked about the opener where you're down and you're throwing it 19 times in the fourth quarter.

So that doesn't surprise me any. And we like to throw the ball, too. And Kenny throws it pretty good and the receivers are catching it pretty good right now. So you do what you do to get first downs.

And, again, we're throwing the ball and still winning the time of possession the last two weeks, and that's important. Time to possession is key. If you're moving the sticks down the field that's good. I'd still like to score more.

Q. (Inaudible) as a coach, do you do this every game? I'm curious (inaudible) if there's a connection to you almost have to --
COACH NARDUZZI: I've got a little kid connection. So it's personal for me. Maybe not personal for him, but each one of us in some way has to find out what gets you going and who are you playing for. And to me it has to be personal. Someone's coming in here next Saturday and wants to hit you in the mouth. It becomes personal real quick.

If it's not personal going in, it's going to be personal after the first play. And to me you've got to have that mindset going in that it's personal. And to me there's always an extra flavor every week to a game. And this is a big game.

Q. Dontavius (inaudible) at wideout (indiscernible) choppy. And then Jared Wayne, what has Jared shown you to earn a spot or at least --
COACH NARDUZZI: To not earn a spot?

Q. To earn a spot as a (indiscernible).
COACH NARDUZZI: Jared, we talked about him back in camp, out on the patio back there. He's done a great job. Wish we would have got him in more maybe Saturday. So Jared and Shocky both are doing a nice job. So it's kind of in those big games getting them in there and you're trying to win the game. It's no different.

I don't want to take Pinnock out of the game. I don't want to take Mathis out of the game. I want to keep all those guys in there. It's just little by little, we kind of give them a little bit. And Dontavius every week keeps making a play. And you just kind of let him go. And those guys will get more reps as we continue. We're going to need them to.

Q. You mentioned this morning (indiscernible) talked about Marquis earlier. Erick, though, Erick Hallett, he's listed as a safety, but I think he was running nickel for you guys too?
COACH NARDUZZI: Erick Hallett can play corner and safety. He's kind of a both. He's a great football player. Really excited about him. This week he started in our nickel package on third down when we were able to get in a true nickel package.

We wanted to do that so we could keep Pinnock out there to start with. We know Erick Hallett's a great player. Didn't want to have a, okay, Pinnock needs to go to corner, we need to put a new star in there; we didn't want to get into that with the tempo and have confusion. That was kind of narrowing it down.

I would say this week JP would probably be back at the star just because they tempo. They're a no-huddle team, but they kind of go a little slower than what we saw this past weekend.

So we'll kind of get back to what we do, I think. But Erick Hallett is a good football player. He played really well in the game. He can play corner. He can play star. He can play safety. We move him around. You could say he might be the third or fourth corner if we could afford to put him in there.

We thought it was really important to have him in the safety position last week and play. We wanted to give Damarri, Damarri's going to need a blow. And we want our best cover we could on the number two receiver, and that's why we had him in there. We were able to press our slot receiver a little bit as far as the game plan goes -- with our field safety.

Q. (Inaudible) was there something you saw, or did Aaron Matthew just go out and make a play?
COACH NARDUZZI: Aaron made a play. But there was something we saw. We thought we could get after it. But we do every week. I laugh at Andre Powell, who does a great job on special teams, I think we can really get them this week. Hey, last week you said we could get them and you didn't get a block.

You'd like to have one every week, but every week we think we're going to get one. And every week we're going to have a block and a return in of some sort that we try to go after them. But he did a great job making a play and then Wendell, scoop and score. And Aaron Matthews came back and got a nice block to get him in the end zone too.

Q. Is Your offensive lines taking (indiscernible) strides?
COACH NARDUZZI: I think they did. I think we had three winning performances on the offensive line, three out of four. I think our inside guys are really good. I'd like to see our tackles be a little bit better. But winning performance. We won.

So the O line played well. And I think every week we'll get a little bit better at that position as well.

Q. Were you scared at all when Aaron went airborne?
COACH NARDUZZI: Scared? No. He's good. What I get scared about is guys after that thinking let me go jump too, because as a defensive guy you jump, I'm going to get you. And you saw the helicopter last week you can't do that all the time. So you do it but don't do it all the time.

Q. Maurice looked like (indiscernible) --
COACH NARDUZZI: He wanted to because they see it and go, oh, that was good. And everybody goes whoo. Then they want to get an ooh, and sometimes an ooh is like ah. And that's not so good.

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