Pitt Rallies Behind Blue Vase to Upset Louisville
PITTSBURGH -- Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi strode to the podium in the bowels of Acrisure Stadium, his white polo shirt dirty, damp from the rain that had fallen on him for three-plus hours and brimming with confidence. In his hands, he carried a blue vase, which stood next to him and the players who followed to answer questions after pulling a stunning upset over undefeated Louisville.
A symbol his program had used for years as motivation when the situation seemed dire had been misinterpreted by local media and ridiculed by the public. They didn't understand the message and he didn't care. The blue vase had just worked its magic, helping pull the Panthers from the depths of 1-4 back into a world of hope.
“I told our guys all week that we were going to win this football game," Narduzzi said. We talk about 'blue vase-ing' it, just find a way to get it done, no matter what it is. ... We were going to find a way to get it done. I'm just happy as heck for our football team. We needed that in a bad way."
Pitt was unveiling a new starting quarterback while reeling from a four-game losing streak that matched the longest this program had ever endured under Pat Narduzzi's leadership. The No. 14 team in America stood between them and the start of a climb out of rock bottom and they rolled right through them, winning 38-17 behind the steady arm of newly-minted starting quarterback Christian Veilleux and a defense that forced three turnovers.
The blue vase, a long-utilized motivational tactic that has its roots in a 1920s novel by Peter B. Kyne, took special prominence this week. A blue vase stood in the lobby of the Panthers' practice facility, right in front of the entrance to the locker room, athletic training spaces and hallway to the practice field. Players and staff couldn't avoid it, even if they tried.
"Like he said, the blue vase - we come in here and we take our thoughts, what goes on outside the facility and we leave it in the blue vase," wideout Bub Means said. "When we come in there, it's straight football and I saw laser focus."
The players embraced the message behind the blue vase - its demand for effort in the face of long odds and a commitment to doing what's necessary. By Narduzzi's own admission, it's "a little corny" but he and his players have found the message endearing.
This week, the coaching staff brought back a tradition they used back in 2016, when they prepared to face No. 2 Clemson, a game they'd eventually win on a last-second field goal. Each player was given a small blue vase to carry with them to the stadium and some even brought it out onto the field. As it did in 2016, the gift of the blue vase coincided with a landmark upset of ranked opponent.
"Branson Taylor comes up to me on the field and goes, I had it in my socks," Narduzzi said.
Following the game, Pitt celebrated the blue vase in a victorious final score graphic. Veilleux, who threw for 200 yards and two touchdowns in his first start, posed with the vase and honored it by posting on Twitter. A newfound respect for the vase was born.
Safe to say, the blue vase is not going anywhere. Days ago, it was a punchline for those reveling in Pitt's poor start. Now the Panthers have turned it into a rallying cry, one that will be a fixture of the lobby at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex indefinitely.
The blue vase is no longer a secret and Pitt wears it proudly.
"No doubt about it, it's going to stay out there," Narduzzi said. "The blue vase is always out there."
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