In the aftermath of Pitt’s 28-13 loss to Syracuse at Yankee Stadium on Saturday, head coach Pat Narduzzi left open the question of which quarterback will start for the Panthers when they face Boston College at Acrisure Stadium on Thursday night.
“We’re going to look at the tape and find out,” Narduzzi said after Saturday’s game.
The options for Narduzzi are Christian Veilleux, who started against the Orange, and Nate Yarnell, who replaced Veilleux in the fourth quarter after Veilleux’s third turnover.
Naturally, the matter of which quarterback will start on Thursday was a priority inquiry during Narduzzi’s weekly press conference on Monday.
“I don’t talk injuries,” Narduzzi said when he was asked on Monday which quarterback will start against Boston College.
That was a curious response, given that Veilleux showed no clear indication of being hurt on his second fumble, and the television broadcast did not show him receiving medical attention on the sideline.
So Narduzzi was then asked if Pitt’s quarterbacks are injured.
“I don’t know. Are they? I don’t know.”
Insinuations of injury aside, it would seem that Narduzzi and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti do have a decision to make. Veilleux’s first career start resulted in an upset win over Louisville, but in his five games as a starter - including that win - the redshirt sophomore has thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 52.2% of his passes and averaging 6.6 yards per attempt.
For comparison, in the first five games of the season, Phil Jurkovec completed 50.9% of his passes, averaged 7.3 yards per attempt and threw six touchdowns against three interceptions. Jurkovec was benched for Veilleux after Pitt’s loss at Virginia Tech.
Meanwhile, Yarnell replaced Veilleux against Syracuse and completed 3-of-5 passes for 48 yards. He had Pitt’s offense marching in the final five minutes, despite a 15-point deficit, before Rodney Hammond was ruled to have fumbled, giving the Orange possession and sealing the game.
A redshirt sophomore himself, Yarnell has been fairly effective in a remarkably small sample size. In four games played over the course of the last two seasons, he has completed 15-of-22 (68.2%) for 318 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The bulk of his playing time came in a spot start against Western Michigan last season - a game Pitt won with a heavy emphasis on running the ball while Yarnell didn’t commit any turnovers.
That last point may be Narduzzi’s primary motivation. All three of Veilleux’s turnovers against Syracuse led to touchdowns for the Orange. His first fumble gave Syracuse the ball at its own 48, and the Orange covered the 52 yards on nine plays. Two drives later, Veilleux threw an interception that was returned 23 yards for a touchdown. And on the next possession, Veilleux fumbled another handoff on a read, giving Syracuse possession at the Pitt 34.
“Obviously, turnovers will get you every time,” Narduzzi said Monday. “We played an outstanding first half, I thought, and had a chance, came out that first drive and looked pretty darn good and then we turned it over. It’s a recipe for disaster, and that’s exactly what happened in the second half.”
To Narduzzi’s point, Pitt’s 13-10 halftime lead turned into a 28-13 loss as a result of three second-half touchdowns that all came from turnovers.
That ball insecurity got Yarnell into the game, and it could keep him on the field on Thursday night. For now, Narduzzi isn’t disclosing any details about the plans at quarterback.
"We’ll see Thursday night.”
