Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi Praises WVU QB JT Daniels

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi announces JT Daniels as the WVU starting quarterback and discusses the Backyard Brawl

The Backyard Brawl is ending an 11-year hiatus Thursday night inside Acrisure Stadium as the West Virginia University Mountaineers travel north on I-79 to take on the No. 17 Pitt Panthers at 7:00 pm.

On Monday, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi opened up his weekly press conference speaking on the Backyard Brawl.

“Obviously, a big game, not just because it's the Backyard Brawl, because it's the first game of the season. Would be a big game no matter who it was. Rivalry game adds more to it,” said Narduzzi.

“We know they'll come up, there's a lot of hatred on their end -- but there’s got to be a lot of hate on our end. That's what it comes down to in rivalry games. We'll get our guys coached up.”

A decade has passed since the two rivals have met on the gridiron. West Virginia head coach Neal Brown has brought in former players and coaches to speak the team during his tenure as rivalries are rekindling the last two seasons with Virginia Tech and Maryland remerging on the schedule. As for Narduzzi, he won’t get into the specifics, but he has been educating his team on the matter.

“Doesn't matter if you're educating them on how to be a reporter, how to ask good questions, be an artist. We're going to try to give them as much education as we can on it, teach them what a rivalry game is, he said.”

“I think you have to understand where it's coming from. They hear from other people. I can tell you this, just to finish the education. When you have to educate, you try to bring in guest speakers. Bring in the best guest speaker you can,” continued Narduzzi.

Dec 30, 2021; Atlanta, GA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi on the field prior to the game against the Michigan State Spartans during the 2021 Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Pitt is bringing in former head coach Dave Wannstedt as an honorary captain for the Backyard Brawl and will be one of the Panthers’ educators on the rivalry.

“He's coming back at Acrisure Stadium and I'm excited to have him here,” said Narduzzi. “One of my real idols. I'm not talking about because I'm the Pitt head coach, but he's a guy that I've always, always looked up to. We played him at (the University of Cincinnati). (When) he was with the Dallas Cowboys, (I was) watching 3-4 stuff. To have him here, experience who Dave Wannstedt is. Former player, former great coach, Super Bowl with the Cowboys. He's done everything. Now with FOX. You got the ultimate captain for this football game.”

Narduzzi gave a tip of the cap to the West Virginia staff, stating the Mountaineers are “well-coached” and he has a lot of respect for “West Virginia, their coaching staff and their players,” before naming the Mountaineers new starting quarterback.

“We've watched a lot of tape throughout the last four months, five months, whatever it's been. A ton of USC tape, a ton of Virginia tape, their spring game. I watched every throw. JT Daniels will be the starting quarterback. If they haven't made that announcement, I'll make it for them. He will be the starting quarterback, said Narduzzi “I watched I think 238 throws he's made in the last couple years there,” he said. “He's very, very capable. I can see why he's the starter. He can make every throw. He's really, really talented. We'll have our hands (full) on that end.”

NEAL BROWN ANNOUNCES JT DANIELS AS QB1

Narduzzi later provided a scout on Daniels.

“You don't see him scramble very much,” later added Narduzzi. “He can make every throw. He's very cerebral, I think. He makes the right decisions. 

"I'll tell you a quick story about it. Holly cow, (associate athletic director Chris) LaSala was in there. I was watching all his throws. I think it was on play, I don't know, 128. Probably on play 120 as I'm going through it. I'm like, ‘Is this guy ever going to throw an incomplete pass?’ Phil DeCapito, one of our quality control coaches, had sorted it by completions. I'm not leaving here until he throws an incomplete pass. It wasn't till about play 128. Holy cow. He's just very accurate. He's smart. He can throw a really good deep ball. Our corner has to be really good in coverage. Thrown a lot of deep balls this week. That is their favorite route, four verticals, three verticals."

On defense, senior defensive lineman Dante Stills was the only Narduzzi notable.

“Dante Stills is one of their top defensive ends, a playmaker on the D-line,” he said. “They go in and out of three down, four down. It will be a great challenge for us.”

Pitt is 6-1 in season openers under Narduzzi. 

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