Narduzzi: Beating Penn State Can Be A 'Signature' Moment For Program
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - Just days away from renewing the rivalry, Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi joined the Starkey and Mueller Show and admitted there's a different buzz around the building.
When asked about the magnitude of this game, Narduzzi said it offers him a chance at a real signature victory.
"No question about it, it would be a program win for sure," Narduzzi said. "I think in my year here, the past 14 games, so far we haven't had that signature program win. We've had some good wins, but we haven't had that one to hang your hat on yet and this would provide one of those."
It's not just a meaningful victory that's on the line. Narduzzi said a win in this game would give either team an advantage when it comes to courting the local high school recruits.
"I think the winner has an upper hand, but I don't think it's like, 'Oh my gosh!"
With the talk this week that some Penn State fans look down on Pitt and don't view this as a rivalry, Narduzzi made a comparison of this rivalry to one he's very familiar with, Michigan-Michigan State.
"I don't think there could be a closer similarity," Narduzzi said. "I guess we know it's a rivalry here. I've heard this week they don't think it's a rivalry, which is very similar to that Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. Michigan really didn't, you know, look at us like a rivalry and I think Michigan State took it a little but more serious.
Click the audio link below to hear more from the Panthers head coach as he also talked about why shutting his team out from talking to the media was about keeping their focus on the game, how he evaluated James Conner's first game back and if we could see Jordan Whitehead on the offensive side of the ball this week.
