Pat Narduzzi Blasts Refs, Says Pitt Beat WVU and ‘the Officials’ in Rivalry Win

Andrew PetersSeptember 14, 2024

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Pat Narduzzi didn’t hold back his feelings about the officiating in Saturday’s Backyard Brawl matchup between Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

The Panthers head coach blasted the officials, saying he and his team had overcome the referees along with the Mountaineers.

“We beat West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl and we beat the officials, too,” Narduzzi said, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

Narduzzi was specifically upset with a handful of penalties that came late in the tight game.

“Some of the calls we got. Late hit out of bounds. They catch a ball with a hands to the face,” Narduzzi said on ESPN’s broadcast after the game. “I ain’t never seen anything like it.

While it’s up for debate whether the officials favored West Virginia over Pitt, penalties were certainly costly for the Panthers. Narduzzi’s squad picked up 12 penalties for 112 yards compared to seven West Virginia penalties for 67 yards.

There were some instances, however, of penalties benefiting the Panthers, like in the first half when a handful of defensive holding penalties allowed Pitt to keep its drive alive and ultimately capitalize with a touchdown to take the lead before halftime.

Whether or not Narduzzi’s criticism of the officials is fair or not is up for interpretation. What’s important is that Pitt improved to 3-0, its best start since the 2020 season. The Panthers have also already matched their win total from a year ago when they finished 3-9.

After a thriller on Saturday, Pitt will get a lighter opponent next week when it faces Youngstown State. The Panthers will then get a bye week before jumping back into ACC play against North Carolina in October.