Frustration with Pitt, PSU continues to mount

competitive against good teams. Its 49-10 loss at Michigan Saturday continued a bad trend under third-year coach James Franklin. His Penn State teams are 0-7 against Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State, losing by average score of 36-14. The loss Saturday was so horrible that Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour felt the need to deliver the dreaded public vote of confidence for Franklin.

“James is not on any hot seat,” Barbour told the Altoona Mirror Wednesday. “He’s not on the hot seat, and he’s not going to be on the hot seat in December. James is going to be our football coach. I believe in where this football program is going under James Franklin.” That makes one of us. Penn State has games left against Ohio State, Iowa and Michigan State. It is looking hard at a third consecutive six-loss season under Franklin. It won’t be a surprise if it losses at home to Minnesota Saturday and/or Maryland Oct. 8. I’m thinking Barbour might be singing a different tune in December. The Penn State program is an embarrassment. Many Penn State fans will tell you as much.

There is no such disillusionment with Narduzzi. Not yet, anyway. Not with him in just his second season. Not after the win against Penn State.

But Narduzzi’s reputation as one of the college game’s top defensive coaches has taken a beating at Pitt. North Carolina passed for 453 yards and beat Pitt, 37-36, climbing out of a 13-point hole in the fourth quarter and scoring the winning touchdown with :02 left. Oklahoma State passed for 540 yards and beat Pitt, 4538, completing a 91-yard touchdown pass on the first play after Narduzzi had spent the week telling his players to be aware of the deep pass. Even Penn State passed for 332 yards in the 42-39 loss to Pitt and probably would have won if wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton hadn’t dropped what should have a been a late touchdown pass.

This isn’t exactly something new. Pitt gave up 29 points in a loss to Miami in the final regular-season game last year. It then lost to Navy, 44-28, in the Military Bowl, giving up 590 total yards. Narduzzi moaned after that game that Navy surprised Pitt by what it did offensively. Is that not a reflection on him as much as Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo?

It’s enough to make you wonder how many yards and points Pitt would be giving up if Narduzzi weren’t such a defensive genius. I know Pitt needs to recruit better players and upgrade its talent in the secondary, but giving up an average of 39 points in its past five games against major competition is ridiculous.

What will save Pitt in its remaining games against lesser opponents, starting Saturday at home with Marshall, is its offense. It is great fun to watch, even if it hasn’t been effective late in games, failing to put away North Carolina, Oklahoma State and even Penn State in the fourth quarter. James Conner alone is worth the price of a ticket. So is Quadree Henderson. The offense should make Pitt the favorite in its next four games, not just against Marshall, but also Georgia Tech, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

But Pitt must improve dramatically to keep from extending one of the most amazing streaks in Pittsburgh sports. The last time it lost fewer than three games in a season was 1981. To put that in perspective, Dan Marino was the quarterback and Jackie Sherrill was the coach. That was 13 coaches ago, counting interims and the forgettable Michael Haywood.

To keep the streak from reaching 35 years, Pitt must win at Miami Nov. 5, at Clemson Nov. 12 and all its other games. Good luck with that.