All focus on Miami

It’s not often Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi is begging for more questions from the media during his weekly press conference, but that is exactly what happened on Monday.

After fielding several questions about his team winning the ACC Coastal division, Narduzzi stopped mid-answer and pleaded, "Miami questions? Anybody?”

If Monday’s press conference was any indication, Miami is all the team is focusing on this week. Winning the division was last week and the ACC Championship is next week, but it’s all about the task at hand.

Narduzzi is particularly weary of the Hurricanes’ defense. Heading into this week, Miami is third in the nation in total defense, as they only allow just 274.5 yards per game. The Hurricanes are a top-20 scoring defense surrendering just 19.5 points a game.

“I mean, I feel like Warren Sapp came back, and he's played in all four of those down four positions for Miami,” Narduzzi said of the Hurricanes’ stout defensive line led by 6-5 and 285-pound junior Gerald Willis. He leads the ACC in tackles for loss with 17 and is being projected as a potential first round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

The key to the defense, however, is junior middle linebacker Shaq Quarterman. He is among the leading tacklers in the ACC and creates a presence in the middle for Mark Richt’s defense.

“This guy is a scary dude that goes sideline to sideline, and he's been playing for three years and playing at a high level,” Narduzzi said of Quarterman. “That guy is an NFL linebacker if I've ever seen one.”

The defense is also strong on the backside. The Hurricanes rank top 10 nationally with 15 interceptions as a team. Interceptions for Miami usually means one thing: the turnover chain. It was one of the biggest storylines of college football last season after Miami’s 10-0 start. It hasn’t been in the headlines quite as much this year, but Narduzzi warned they are still as good as ever.

“I mean, they've got that chain still. I think it's an upgraded version. But they're still creating turnovers, and they're just not winning as many games so nobody hears about it as much,” Narduzzi said. “You’ll see, they’re got some guys.”

Of course there’s the revenge factor to consider. The Hurricanes rose to No. 2 in the polls and looked poised to potentially crack into the College Football Playoff last season, but the Panthers pulled one of the biggest stunners of the college football season knocking off Miami 24-14.

That loss sent Miami into a tailspin. The Hurricanes are just 6-7 since the big upset by Pitt. Still, Narduzzi's team is not taking this game lightly because of Miami's recent record. A lot of those players are still around and that's enough to worry about for Narduzzi.

“We get Miami and it's a great football team, and if we aren't focused, we'll get smacked in the mouth real hard, and the next week won't matter,” Narduzzi said.

“It won't even matter. I hate to tell you that, but it's all about this week.”