Pittsburgh head football coach Pat Narduzzi has been at odds with Associated Press Top 25 voters (and, really, all critics) for years, and according to Narduzzi, that will continue to be the case until AP voters respect his undefeated team.
On Friday night, the Pittsburgh Panthers (5-0) outlasted the Virginia Tech Hokies (4-1) at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Hokies barely — and I do mean barely — missed a 36-yard field goal as time expired, giving Pittsburgh the 35-33 win.
IT’S NO GOOD 😱
Pitt defeats Virginia Tech in Blacksburg 😯 pic.twitter.com/RsRV6QJkQL
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 3, 2026
In a season of controversial college football endings, Chase Daniel and several other college football fans believed the kick was good, but Narduzzi didn’t have time for any Pitt skepticism during his on-field interview with ESPN sideline reporter Dana Boyle.
“We got a hell of a football. Now, any of those voters out there, if they wake their ass up, they might figure that out.” – Pittsburgh HC Pat Narduzzi pic.twitter.com/HoTqEjhBg9
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 3, 2026
“Wow,” Narduzzi said. “We got a hell of a football team. Now, any of those voters out there, if they wake their ass up, they might figure that out. And I tell you what, we beat a damn good football team in Virginia Tech.”
“I can’t say enough,” an increasingly hyped Narduzzi added. “We got four turnovers defensively. Offense made plays when they needed to, and we got that dub!”
Boyle brought up the elephant in the room: quarterback Mason Heintschel suffered an apparent right knee injury in the third quarter, exiting the game and reappearing on crutches.
Nothing could dampen Narduzzi’s mood, however, as he praised backup quarterback Holden Geriner before dunking on Virginia Tech’s “Enter Sandman” tradition.
“Is it safe to say ‘Enter Sandman’ won’t be on the playlist at practice?” Boyle asked.
“It won’t be,” Narduzzi said, nearly out of breath by now. “It might be in that locker room, I guarantee you that.”
The Panthers received seven votes in the annual preseason AP Top 25 poll this August. Narduzzi reacted by telling reporters, “Don’t care.” He added, “It matters where you are Week 11, Week 12, and that’s what we’re working on.”
Narduzzi definitely cares about whether the Panthers crack the Top 25 entering Week 6.
About Megan Armstrong
Since first getting published as a student by the Kansas City Star in 2013, Megan Armstrong has gone wherever curiosity and stories have taken her, specializing in sports, media, music, and culture coverage. She also has an extensive background in interviewing and profiling public figures. Her work has appeared in Billboard, Boardroom, Bleacher Report, Esquire, GQ, GRAMMY.com, NYLON, Newsweek, Teen Vogue, The Hollywood Reporter, UPROXX, and elsewhere.