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Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene is hit during his carry by Pitt defensive back Dane Jackson in the first half at Lane Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Blacksburg, Virginia.
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Commentary: Pitt’s loss to Virginia Tech had a troublesome and familiar feel

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Commentary: Pitt’s loss to Virginia Tech had a troublesome and familiar feel

Pitt had a chance to go to Blacksburg and prove this is a different kind of team. The Panthers had a chance to win on the road against a team that was ranked in the AP poll. They had a chance to notch a signature win, one that would change the course of this season.

But the Panthers fell flat on their face and got shut out 28-0. It was a tough performance to watch, especially since it killed the Panthers’ chances of winning the Coastal division for a second year in a row. Pitt had the chance to show progress in the program but instead is left to answer questions about why it can’t get to the next level.

There are still some milestones to play for, as they can take their final game and then a bowl game to get to nine wins. That would be the first time they get to nine wins in a decade, and a bowl win would be the first under Pat Narduzzi.

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But all of that seems a little less important today because Virginia Tech is a really good team and Pitt could have sent a real message by beating them on the road.

Quarterback Kenny Pickett of the Pittsburgh Panthers carries the ball against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the first half at Lane Stadium on Nov. 23, 2019, in Blacksburg, Virginia
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Kenny Pickett, penalties and Paris Ford: Observations from Pitt's loss at Virginia Tech

Now, though, there are legitimate questions to ask about whether there is a next level for Pitt. These are questions that have spanned decades, athletic directors, coaches and players. 

Narduzzi is still the right man for the job. He has built a good program and put it on the right track. It takes time to build a program and get it to the next level. But now we are through five seasons and the program seems to have reached its peak, or at least the peak of what it is capable of.

There has to be more that Pitt can achieve. Look around the Coastal, and you don’t see a team that Pitt shouldn’t be able to compete against. It used to be Miami, but even the Hurricanes have become something less than what they used to be. 

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Pitt could be one of the teams that annually competes for and often wins the Coastal because everything is in place. The school has the facilities, the tradition and history and it is a great university to boot. There is no reason Pitt shouldn’t be able to recruit top players and win games against ranked teams.

Up until Saturday, this program looked close. The loss to Penn State was by seven points. The loss to Virginia was close in the second half and it was opening weekend, so anything can happen in a game like that. The UCF win was a good one, although it has lost a little luster.

You could even excuse the Miami loss as a bad day at the office and a setback. But this loss to Virginia Tech was disappointing because the Panthers weren’t even competitive. And that has happened far too often for Pitt over the course of time.

The next level, though, is to win these tough games and get to a point where nine- and 10-win regular seasons are the rule instead of the exception. Pitt has been this close before in recent history, and every time the program was blown up and it takes years to recover.

Virginia Tech wide receiver Tayvion Robinson rushes for a gain of yards during anNCAA college football game against Pittsburgh in Blacksburg, Va., Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
First-half mistakes end ACC Coastal hopes as Pitt loses at Virginia Tech

That’s not what needs to happen here. Instead, Narduzzi and his staff need to spend the offseason searching for every little edge they can find. They need to commit to details and finally push Pitt over the top and into a level it hasn’t seen in decades.

First Published: November 25, 2019, 8:55 p.m.

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Virginia Tech tight end Dalton Keene is hit during his carry by Pitt defensive back Dane Jackson in the first half at Lane Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Blacksburg, Virginia.  (Getty Images)
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