Pitt football coach Pat Narduzzi had a lot to say during an appearance on Bazzy’s Black & Gold Banter podcast. He even called out Michigan State.
Last season, the Panthers faced the Spartans in the Peach Bowl. Star quarterback Kenny Pickett opted out because he wanted to prepare for the NFL Draft.
Michigan State ultimately defeated Pitt by a final score of 31-21. Narduzzi, however, believes his team would’ve blown out its opponent if Pickett was active.
“(Pickett is) a 21-point difference,” Narduzzi said, via MLive.com. “Michigan State gets their butt kicked in. And I’ll tell you what, it’s at least a 14-point difference if Nick Patti plays the whole game, I can tell you that. That’s how I feel.”
Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker was recently asked about Narduzzi’s comments. He decided to take the high road.
“I really prefer not to go into hypotheticals, especially games played in the past that were decided on the field,” Tucker responded.
Michigan State’s Mel Tucker asked about Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi’s comments that Pitt would have beaten MSU if QB Kenny Pickett would have played: “I really prefer not to go into hypotheticals, especially games played in the past that were decided on the field”
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 27, 2022
Tucker is focused on the present, which makes sense considering he’s building something special at Michigan State.
After a disappointing Year 1 in East Lansing, Tucker led the Spartans to an 11-2 record in 2021.
The Spartans will try to take that next step towards becoming a College Football Playoff team this fall.