"Our old offensive coordinator had no desire to run the ball. Everybody knew. He was stubborn. I mean Wake Forest was 118th in run defense and we threw the ball every down. When we ran it, we ran for 10 yards but that wasn’t good enough. So [Pickett] was banged up, so maybe if he didn’t bang him up all season, maybe he would’ve played [in the bowl game].”
Based on the comments Narduzzi has made throughout the offseason, it sounds like Pitt is going to lean more heavily on the running game in 2022. Frank Cignetti Jr., who Narduzzi hired to replace Whipple, has a track record of utilizing a ground attack — for better or for worse.
“I feel even better about our staff now than I did a year ago. That’s a fact,” Narduzzi said. “I don’t care if we win one football game. We’ve got better people coaching in those positions on offense. I can guarantee you that, OK? I’m just giving you facts. Coach Cignetti. Coach Underwood. Couldn’t be any better.”