Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said he missed church Sunday, and he might commit an even greater sin and again postpone his weekly meeting with athletic director Scott Barnes. There's a lot of work to be done and less time to do it, with Pitt two days from its next game Thursday night against North Carolina at Heinz Field.
The game featuring two of the three ACC Coastal Division teams with undefeated conference records might be the most important for a Pitt team since 2009 when the Panthers lost to Cincinnati with a possible BCS bowl berth on the line.
If Pitt (6-1, 4-0) wins, it retains sole possession of first place in the Coastal. If Pitt loses, North Carolina (6-1, 3-0) seizes control of the division and would own the tiebreaker over the Panthers at the end of the season. Not the ideal time for a short week in which Narduzzi was forced to adjust his schedule, shortening some meetings and even spending less time on the field.
Coaches started preparing for the game Saturday night at home when they returned from Syracuse, then spent a long day at the training facility Sunday. That included splitting into offensive and defensive meetings and reviewing the 23-20 victory against the Orange — instead of the normal procedure of watching the entire game as a team — while developing a game plan for the Tar Heels. “I think we have it crossed and dotted, no doubt about it,” Narduzzi said when asked if any details might be sacrificed to the short week. “You don't get to practice as much is going to be the big deal.”
The team practiced Monday, a day in which players usually only watch video and meet with their coaches. But the coach said he doesn't suspect the adjustments will cause the team to lose focus. “Winning changes their focus,” he said. “They get those big eyes like, ‘Wow, let's go.' ” The important consideration is ensuring players' bodies recover in time, with the span between games shortened by two days.
“The important thing is we're fresh,” Narduzzi said. “They have to know what to do (in the game), but we can't go in there and beat them up. “There is a fine line there and we are going to try to ride that fine line. If we go out there and have dead legs, we have issues.” Middle linebacker Matt Galambos said players prefer a few more days off, but he's not complaining.
“At the end of the day, it's on our schedule,” he said. “We have no control over it. We kind of just go to work.” The game is important, but only the first of five for Pitt that will shape its season. Next is a non-conference game against Notre Dame before visiting Duke (6-1, 3-0), the other Coastal team with an undefeated record, on Nov. 14. The final two games are at home against Louisville and Miami.
“Coach Narduzzi tells us this is the biggest game of your life, but that's every week,” quarterback Nathan Peterman said. “That's been every week since Youngstown (the opener) until now. “That's how we approach every game and that's how we will approach this one.”
http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/9319830-74/6-1-nov-pitt
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
The game featuring two of the three ACC Coastal Division teams with undefeated conference records might be the most important for a Pitt team since 2009 when the Panthers lost to Cincinnati with a possible BCS bowl berth on the line.
If Pitt (6-1, 4-0) wins, it retains sole possession of first place in the Coastal. If Pitt loses, North Carolina (6-1, 3-0) seizes control of the division and would own the tiebreaker over the Panthers at the end of the season. Not the ideal time for a short week in which Narduzzi was forced to adjust his schedule, shortening some meetings and even spending less time on the field.
Coaches started preparing for the game Saturday night at home when they returned from Syracuse, then spent a long day at the training facility Sunday. That included splitting into offensive and defensive meetings and reviewing the 23-20 victory against the Orange — instead of the normal procedure of watching the entire game as a team — while developing a game plan for the Tar Heels. “I think we have it crossed and dotted, no doubt about it,” Narduzzi said when asked if any details might be sacrificed to the short week. “You don't get to practice as much is going to be the big deal.”
The team practiced Monday, a day in which players usually only watch video and meet with their coaches. But the coach said he doesn't suspect the adjustments will cause the team to lose focus. “Winning changes their focus,” he said. “They get those big eyes like, ‘Wow, let's go.' ” The important consideration is ensuring players' bodies recover in time, with the span between games shortened by two days.
“The important thing is we're fresh,” Narduzzi said. “They have to know what to do (in the game), but we can't go in there and beat them up. “There is a fine line there and we are going to try to ride that fine line. If we go out there and have dead legs, we have issues.” Middle linebacker Matt Galambos said players prefer a few more days off, but he's not complaining.
“At the end of the day, it's on our schedule,” he said. “We have no control over it. We kind of just go to work.” The game is important, but only the first of five for Pitt that will shape its season. Next is a non-conference game against Notre Dame before visiting Duke (6-1, 3-0), the other Coastal team with an undefeated record, on Nov. 14. The final two games are at home against Louisville and Miami.
“Coach Narduzzi tells us this is the biggest game of your life, but that's every week,” quarterback Nathan Peterman said. “That's been every week since Youngstown (the opener) until now. “That's how we approach every game and that's how we will approach this one.”
http://triblive.com/sports/college/pitt/9319830-74/6-1-nov-pitt
Jerry DiPaola is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at jdipaola@tribweb.com or via Twitter @JDiPaola_Trib.
