Darryl Render isn't bitter. He doesn't regret the past. He won't expect the ACC to offer Pitt a rematch of the North Carolina game — its only conference loss — even though coach Pat Narduzzi would embrace it. “I was happy for North Carolina,” Render said when asked his initial reaction to the Tar Heels' nailing down the ACC Coastal Division championship. “They deserve it.” And here's his most important reaction: “It was out of our hands,” said Render, a senior defensive tackle.
It's time for Pitt to turn the page. Who better to do it than Render, one of four co-captains who have only two games left in their collegiate careers? There will be no championship, but perhaps the possibility of a ninth victory won't be a bad consolation prize if Pitt can defeat Miami on Friday at Heinz Field.
Pitt hasn't won nine games prior to a bowl since the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Before that? You have to turn a lot of pages backward to the 1982 season, Dan Marino's senior year. “The focus is getting win No. 9,” senior center Artie Rowell said. “We'll do that by our preparation and it doesn't change.
“Getting win No. 9 and getting to a good bowl game, probably the best bowl game we've gone to while I've been here, we're excited about it. We're ready to play Miami.”
Pitt, which hasn't missed college football's postseason since 2007, looks to be a lock to go to a more prestigious bowl than its past five appearances in the BBVA Compass Bowl (three times), Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and Armed Forces Bowl. Pitt (8-3, 6-1) has been projected by several outlets to earn a berth in one of the ACC's Tier One bowls. The Pinstripe in Yankee Stadium (Dec. 26), the Music City in Nashville, Tenn. (Dec. 30) and the TaxSlayer in Jacksonville, Fla. (Jan. 2) are three of the destinations mentioned most often. Opponents could come from the Big Ten (Minnesota) or SEC (Mississippi State or Georgia).
Narduzzi doesn't expect to have a problem keeping his team motivated during this short work week, even with a holiday thrown on the end of it. Narduzzi said he has had no problem getting his players' attention from the day he was hired.
“They embraced me when I walked into this room as a head football coach, haven't looked back and bought into what we're doing,” he said.
When he was asked how he can keep his players' attention with no championship at stake, he didn't seem worried. “What can a coach do?” he said. “Talk about the things that are important. Don't talk about the things you can't control.” “We shot for here,” he said, raising his arms above his head. “But maybe we got here (he lowered his arms). And we are trying to get there (raising them again even higher).”
For now, Narduzzi will settle for a good week of practice and a victory against Miami to extend Pitt's winning streak to three games. “Kids continue to execute better and better, week in and week out,” he said. “If we continue to get the great execution going into Friday, I'll be excited.”
Going bowling
Several media outlets are projecting Pitt to appear in one of the ACC Tier One bowls. Here are three possible destinations:
Game Site Date Opponent Source
Pinstripe Bowl New York Dec. 26 Minnesota ESPN
Music City Bowl Nashville, Tenn. Dec. 30 Georgia SBNation.com
TaxSlayer Bowl Jacksonville, Fla. Jan. 2 Mississippi State ESPN
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib. http://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/threads/pitt-ulou-game-day-results-analysis.37919/
http://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/threads/pitt-ulou-game-day-results-analysis.37919/
It's time for Pitt to turn the page. Who better to do it than Render, one of four co-captains who have only two games left in their collegiate careers? There will be no championship, but perhaps the possibility of a ninth victory won't be a bad consolation prize if Pitt can defeat Miami on Friday at Heinz Field.
Pitt hasn't won nine games prior to a bowl since the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Before that? You have to turn a lot of pages backward to the 1982 season, Dan Marino's senior year. “The focus is getting win No. 9,” senior center Artie Rowell said. “We'll do that by our preparation and it doesn't change.
“Getting win No. 9 and getting to a good bowl game, probably the best bowl game we've gone to while I've been here, we're excited about it. We're ready to play Miami.”
Pitt, which hasn't missed college football's postseason since 2007, looks to be a lock to go to a more prestigious bowl than its past five appearances in the BBVA Compass Bowl (three times), Little Caesars Pizza Bowl and Armed Forces Bowl. Pitt (8-3, 6-1) has been projected by several outlets to earn a berth in one of the ACC's Tier One bowls. The Pinstripe in Yankee Stadium (Dec. 26), the Music City in Nashville, Tenn. (Dec. 30) and the TaxSlayer in Jacksonville, Fla. (Jan. 2) are three of the destinations mentioned most often. Opponents could come from the Big Ten (Minnesota) or SEC (Mississippi State or Georgia).
Narduzzi doesn't expect to have a problem keeping his team motivated during this short work week, even with a holiday thrown on the end of it. Narduzzi said he has had no problem getting his players' attention from the day he was hired.
“They embraced me when I walked into this room as a head football coach, haven't looked back and bought into what we're doing,” he said.
When he was asked how he can keep his players' attention with no championship at stake, he didn't seem worried. “What can a coach do?” he said. “Talk about the things that are important. Don't talk about the things you can't control.” “We shot for here,” he said, raising his arms above his head. “But maybe we got here (he lowered his arms). And we are trying to get there (raising them again even higher).”
For now, Narduzzi will settle for a good week of practice and a victory against Miami to extend Pitt's winning streak to three games. “Kids continue to execute better and better, week in and week out,” he said. “If we continue to get the great execution going into Friday, I'll be excited.”
Going bowling
Several media outlets are projecting Pitt to appear in one of the ACC Tier One bowls. Here are three possible destinations:
Game Site Date Opponent Source
Pinstripe Bowl New York Dec. 26 Minnesota ESPN
Music City Bowl Nashville, Tenn. Dec. 30 Georgia SBNation.com
TaxSlayer Bowl Jacksonville, Fla. Jan. 2 Mississippi State ESPN
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib. http://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/threads/pitt-ulou-game-day-results-analysis.37919/
http://pittsburgh.forums.rivals.com/threads/pitt-ulou-game-day-results-analysis.37919/
