What Pat Narduzzi Said About West Virginia

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi discussed this week's matchup against the Mountainee

Monday afternoon, Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi held his weekly press conference to discuss his team's loss to Cincinnati and also preview this week's matchup against West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl.

Below, you will find quotes related to WVU and/or the Brawl.

WVU's offense

"CJ Donaldson is a good football player. [Garrett] Greene, the quarterback, is athletic, he's a weapon. They like to run the football. They got a bunch of RPOs. Again, CJ is 240 pounds, he's a load. He's hard to get down. Hopefully we'll be tied in more. We've seen live bullets in the game. It won't be as much as a surprise as it was last year. I think we're better prepared, but they're better prepared. I think they got nine guys returning on offense. Their entire line is back. Neal Brown does a great job scheming up. He does a great job play-calling as well. I don't think he called them last year, so we'll have a totally different play-caller. It's like preparing for a whole different offense."

Stopping the run

"They rushed for 190 yards a year ago against us in the opener and had a couple big plays. We can't let what happened Saturday happen again defensively. We got to come out and it doesn't matter what they throw at you, we've got to react the right way. We'll show them a bunch of stuff this week to prepare them the best we can about how they want to attack us."

If he wants to play the Backyard Brawl every year

"Yeah."

Coaching in Morgantown

"I think every player and coach does [like playing in hostile environments]. I like coaching, period. I like playing wherever we get to play. I like going to different places. I think that's all part of the pageantry of college football. I think everybody embraces that."

What he and his team learned about the Backyard Brawl last year

"We'll learn more going down there. I think the kids will really learn the rivalries on the road and how hostile it is. Rivalries are rivalries. It's nothing more than any other game for me. We know we're just down the road. But it's a football game that means a lot to a lot of people. Our Pitt fans are passionate. West Virginia fans are passionate. People want to see you play well in those games."

Thoughts on Garrett Greene

"I see a guy that's athletic. He's a real athlete. He's physical, he's tough. He's a competitor. He's a run threat. He can throw it. He can throw all the RPOs he needs to throw. I think he's thrown for 200 yards a game which is good when they're running the ball 70% of the time of 65% of the time. He's played in big games and I just think he's a competitor. He's a tough dude."

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