University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Narduzzi Notebook: Pitt Looks to Bounce Back Against Boston College
10/12/2026 1:33:00 PM | Football
Nobody inside the Pitt locker room was smiling after the loss to North Carolina, and Pat Narduzzi wouldn't have wanted them to be.
The Panthers have been working since January with one goal in mind, which is to go 1-0 every week and eventually finish 12-0. When that doesn't happen, he said, players should want more.
He pointed to Deion Sanders removing players from his team a few weeks ago for laughing after a game as a reminder of how seriously the sting of a loss should be taken.
Narduzzi said he would have been upset if his own players didn't feel it, but they did. They came back disappointed in both the performance and the outcome, and the mood in the building was good. A few NFL games played before the first team meeting, but once the tape started, the focus shifted to what went wrong and how to fix it.
"It better hurt a little bit," Narduzzi said. "It hurts for coaches, hurts for players, it hurts for the fans."
Geriner's Next Step
Holden Geriner's first start as the quarterback played out in two very different halves.
He completed 71% of his passes before halftime, then cooled considerably after the break, and Narduzzi put part of that on the coaching staff for how the second half was called and executed.
He gave North Carolina credit for what it did defensively and said the math was simple. A completion rate near 50% in the second half wasn't going to win it, but 60% might have kept Pitt in the game.
The explosive play numbers told a similar story. The Panthers finished with six on offense, the first time all season they were held to a single digit in that category. Narduzzi said the opportunities were there down the field and Pitt simply didn't make the Tar Heels pay.
None of it changes the plan. Geriner remains the starter, and Narduzzi believes too much rotation at quarterback only creates bigger problems. He pointed to a pair of fourth-and-two situations as teaching moments, including one where Censere Lee was wide open on the tape and Geriner's read took him elsewhere.
"That's game experience," Narduzzi said. "It doesn't happen naturally, guys. There's a lot going on. I wouldn't want to play quarterback."
Dailey Stays Ready
If Geriner needs help, the next name up is Corey Dailey, and Narduzzi left no doubt about where he sits on the depth chart.
Dailey is young and still green, the coach admitted. The staff has a ton of confidence in him, and Narduzzi expects him to get better every week simply because of the reps he's taking.
"He's got to be ready, right? He's got to be ready," Narduzzi said. "He's the number two quarterback right now. Period."
The challenge in evaluating Dailey is that there isn't much to grade. He saw limited work in jersey scrimmages and the spring game, so the picture comes mostly from what he has done in games.
What he showed against Bucknell stood out to his head coach. He made some nice throws and good decisions, and he got the offense lined up without a single false start. For a young quarterback, Narduzzi said, the operation is always the biggest piece.
A Quarterback on the Move
The next test comes from a Boston College quarterback who has Narduzzi's full attention. Mason McKenzie is a transfer from Saginaw Valley State and was the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Narduzzi called him electric and a really good player, and the concern is how quickly a dropback can turn into a run.
That puts the pressure on every defender, not just the front seven. Narduzzi said Pitt has to keep its eyes on the quarterback for every keeper and scramble, because he'll look like he's going to pass and then take off.
The question Narduzzi often gets from reporters about whether a quarterback is a "kill" or a "capture" has an answer this week.
"This might be a capture guy," Narduzzi said. "You just got to keep this guy in the pocket."
