Pat Narduzzi Criticizes ‘Lopsided’ Penalties in Overtime Loss to West Virginia
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi was visibly frustrated with the officiating following his team’s overtime loss to West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, a result that gives the Mountaineers bragging rights for the next four years. In his postgame remarks, Narduzzi touched on several issues, including quarterback play, the lack of a running game, and the performance of WVU’s offense, but his biggest gripe was with the refereeing.
“Whew. You guys saw the game, I don’t know. There were some things out there, but we’ll go back and watch the tape. I’m not happy with that at all. 14 penalties—it was a bit lopsided. Eli got punched, had his helmet ripped off, punched in the face; no call. We had someone get spit on too, but things just didn’t go our way,” Narduzzi said.
While Narduzzi’s frustration is understandable, it’s worth noting that many of the 14 penalties called on Pitt were fairly clear and avoidable—false starts, holding penalties, defensive pass interference, and offside infractions. There were perhaps only a couple of calls that could be considered borderline.
On the flip side, Pitt did get a break at the end of the first half when West Virginia’s Nicco Marchiol took a hit after sliding, leading to a potential late-hit penalty. However, officials ruled that there was no time left on the clock, effectively ending the half without a penalty. This situation raised questions, as some assumed there would be either an untimed down or a penalty enforced on the second-half kickoff, but neither happened.
Narduzzi’s complaints also seemed to overlook some of the favorable calls Pitt received. For example, in the third quarter, a sack by MarShon Oxley resulted in a flag for unsportsmanlike conduct after he simply stood up and walked away. That penalty gave Pitt a new set of downs, and they eventually scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.
In the first half, linebacker Ashton Woods was ejected for targeting on a play that seemed, from every angle, to be a clean hit. Additionally, there were several instances where Pitt defenders appeared to make contact with receivers early, possibly warranting defensive pass interference penalties, yet no flags were thrown.
Ultimately, the penalties West Virginia committed were much more damaging and came at more crucial moments than the ones Pitt was called for.
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