Pitt Looking for Offense to Support Christian Veilleux

Christian Veilleux needs help from the rest of the Pitt Panthers offense, according to Pat Narduzzi.

PITTSBURGH -- Christian Veilleux was thrown into the fire suddenly this past weekend, after starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec was sidelined with an undisclosed injury, and his first game action against an FBS opponent as a Pitt Panther was rocky. 

But Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi highlighted the three turnovers Veilleux committed in the second half, 

“You look at the quarterback play, you look at those three turnovers and it’s not all on him," Narduzzi said. "I think [Veilleux] was good. You know, again, it’s the guys around you ... We got three turnovers and any time you see that, you’re going to say no. We had two the week before, and it's not good. Whatever the reason is, we've got to get it fixed."

Narduzzi said at least one of the turnovers - an interception thrown deep into the opposite endzone in the third quarter - could have been avoided if the intended receiver, speedy freshman Kenny Johnson, didn't pull up early on his route. 

"He slowed down, didn't see the ball, didn't think he was going to get it, and the DB is right with him," Narduzzi said. "If Kenny with his speed bursts up and get that, it's a touchdown for us instead of a touchdown for them."

Veilleux is not without his own blame to shoulder. Even if his first interception could have been excused, he did throw another right to a Carolina defender with no receiver in the neighborhood and fumbled a handoff immediately after the Panthers had blocked a punt deep inside Tar Heel territory. 

But whether or not Veilleux will get a chance to correct those mistakes this week is unclear. Jurkovec has not been ruled out of this weekend's contest at Virginia Tech and the Panthers will ride with him if he is healthy enough to play. But Veilleux is the next man up and Pitt has faith in him. 

"You've got to give Christian his chance to go get it done, period," Narduzzi said.  "I've got a lot of faith in him, as well. I've got faith in everybody in this room, guys. It's a next-man-up mentality, period, whether it's the O-line or quarterback. You can't lose faith. You really can't."

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