With the Pitt Panthers holding a commanding 31-6 fourth-quarter lead in the Armed Forces Bowl against the Houston Cougars, incoming head coach Pat Narduzzi certainly had to be pleased with what he saw from the team he was set to take over.
After all, the Panthers had charged out to that seemingly insurmountable lead by dominating the Cougars for three quarters, and looked assured of a win that would not only give the Panthers their second consecutive bowl win, but positive momentum to start the Narduzzi era on the right track.
Of course, as Pitt fans know all too well, nothing works out quite that easily for their beloved Panthers.
That’s because just about the time Narduzzi had appeared live during the broadcast to laud the efforts of his future team, one of the truly improbable collapses in bowl game history was just beginning.
With the Panthers up 34-13 with just over six minutes left in the game, Houston would score 22 consecutive points in a rally that defied all reason or logic. It was a rally that included two successful onside kicks, a touchdown pass on a 4th-and-13 play and a winning two-point conversion with seconds left on the clock.
If it were anyone else, you might look at this loss as an anomaly, but for Pitt, it seems to be another in a long string of hard to swallow losses during the Paul Chryst era. It’s an era that started with one of the worst losses in program history to Youngstown State, and ended with an epic collapse to Houston.
However, there is a silver lining for Pitt fans. Friday’s debacle in Ft. Worth marks the end of that era, something that could not have come soon enough.
After all, for all the talk about the loss, it’s what Pitt has gained in the past month that will mean much more moving forward.
For one, the dismissal of AD Steve Pederson by Chancellor Patrick Gallagher sent a clear message that the direction of the football program had to change. Pederson’s ineptitude has been well documented, but when Pederson’s third coach in four seasons left for his “dream job,” Pederson was soon to be out of one.
The fascination of some with Chryst was baffling. Three straight 6-6 seasons proved little, especially with some real head scratching losses over that span, including a home loss to Akron this year.
Just as baffling were decisions made by Chryst in terms of assistant coaching hires. One of those being the decision to make Matt House defensive coordinator even though House lacked the experience and arguably qualifications for the position. Ultimately, it was House’s defense that took the lion’s share of responsibility for the Houston debacle, and was a prime example of how over his head House was.
The hiring of Narduzzi will not change all that has gone wrong overnight, but it should provide a shot of energy and confidence this program has seemingly been trying to find for way too long. The loss to Houston was more than just about an epic collapse, it was about a culture surrounding Pitt football, and one that has to change.
That will be the greatest challenge for Narduzzi. Changing a culture where invariably something always seems to go wrong, and where “Pitt happens”
Narduzzi might just be the perfect fit. Unlike Chryst, Narduzzi has an unbridled enthusiasm and vigor that seems to be contagious, and this enthusiasm will serve him well as he attempts to resuscitate a program hungry for success.
So while the collapse at the Armed Forces Bowl will be a hard loss to forget, Pitt fans will have to now look ahead to the start of the Narduzzi era.
It’s fair to guess after Friday, that Pitt fans have no problem doing that.
