Pitt defensive line coach Charlie Partridge cracked a smile as the word “must-win” left a reporter’s lips.
“You know what I’m going to say,” Partridge started Tuesday when asked about the Panthers’ upcoming game at No. 25 Virginia Tech — and the ACC Coastal implications that come with it. “Here come all the cliches. This is the next big game because it’s Virginia Tech, and that’s who we have this week.”
The assistant head coach read like a broken record.
But Partridge, who helped Pitt to a Big East title in 2004 and Wisconsin to Big Ten championship wins in 2011 and 2012, also understands that those cliches — the ones coaches often cling to in order to ground their players in the face of pressure — only hold up for so long.
“The reality is, we’re not going to hide from the fact that you love that there’s some stuff on the line in November,” Partridge continued. “That’s what you want. That’s what you play for.”
Pat Narduzzi’s “1-0 each week” mentality is drilled into his players’ heads. Earlier in the season, if you asked Kenny Pickett or Dane Jackson or another veteran leader about the importance of a single game — or god forbid what lied ahead — they’d coolly dispatch it as unnecessary hype or chatter. Which, to an extent, is fair.
But this week, Pitt players and coaches alike have leveled with themselves that Saturday is no ordinary game.
The Panthers (7-3 overall, 4-2 ACC) have a path back to Charlotte, N.C., their preseason goal within reach. Beat Virginia Tech and Boston College, with a Virginia loss to the Hokies next Friday, and the ACC Coastal is theirs for the second year in a row. That created a buzz on the South Side in the buildup to Saturday.
Narduzzi, who didn’t have to “pull any teeth” to get the Panthers going in practice this week, said his team is “well aware” of this weekend’s importance.
“They know what the motivation is right now. They know what’s at stake,” Narduzzi said Thursday. “We know we don’t control our own destiny. But it’s a big game in November. ... They want to leave their mark, their legacy, here on Pitt football in 2019.”
Narduzzi said the Panthers getting to eight wins on Saturday could lead to a ninth and 10th win. Pitt hasn’t had a 10-win season since Dave Wannstedt’s crew did it in 2009, coincidentally the last time the Panthers beat North Carolina.
By ousting the Tar Heels in overtime last Thursday, Narduzzi’s squad secured its seventh win by 10 points or fewer. Pitt fans should expect another tight affair on at Lane Stadium.
Virginia Tech is projected to win, but not by much. The Hokies — 3.5-point favorites — have a 58.4% chance to beat Pitt, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. S&P-plus rankings, a tool created by ESPN’s Bill Connelly to measure team efficiency, forecast a 24-19 win by Virginia Tech.
The Hokies have more than Vegas and analytics on their side, too. Saturday will be Virginia Tech’s senior day and, more notably, Bud Foster’s last home game. The Hokies assistant, who joined Frank Beamer’s staff in 1987 and has served as the program’s defensive coordinator since 1995, is retiring at the end of the season.
Partridge, a longtime admirer of Foster, anticipates a “tremendous atmosphere” on Saturday given the occasion. And Narduzzi expects Foster to have his “lunch pail defense” ready.
“He’s been there for so long,” Narduzzi said. “He knows the kids, he knows the area. I mean, he obviously understands the game of football. He’s a great Xs and Os guy and he’s a great motivator, gets those guys going. That’s why Bud Foster is a legend.”
That doesn’t change Pitt’s goal, though. The Panthers aren’t there simply to play spoiler; they’re heading to Blacksburg to keep their own Coastal dreams alive.
Pitt linebacker Chase Pine — a native of Williamsburg, Va., who was recruited by Foster and Beamer’s successor, Justin Fuente — texted Foster earlier this year to congratulate him on his impending retirement, calling him a “great guy.” Still, Pine would love nothing more than to hand Foster and the Hokies a division-defining loss.
“If we lose, we go home,” Pine said of the Panthers’ Coastal hopes. “We’ve got to win this one. We’ve got to win all of them, honestly. And then we just hope UVA loses to Virginia Tech.”
Pine, who grew up on the Virginia Tech side of the Commonwealth Cup rivalry, pointed out that the Hokies haven’t lost to Virginia since 2003. He’s hoping the status quo remains unchanged.
But first, the Panthers have to lean on their 1-0 mentality and handle the Hokies themselves. If not, the palpable buzz around the program this week will be all for naught.
“It’s an exciting game, but it really all comes back to their training,” Partridge warned. “Once that ball is kicked off, you have to read your keys. You have to stay in your lanes, so to speak, literally and figuratively. Block the white noise out and do your job. ... I think it’s got a chance to be a tremendous four-quarter game.”
First Published: November 22, 2019, 6:06 p.m.