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Pat Narduzzi releases statement regarding reprimand, fine from ACC after Backyard Brawl
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Pat Narduzzi released a statement on Monday regarding the critical comments he made about the officials who worked Saturday’s Backyard Brawl against West Virginia.
“Saturday was an exciting and emotional win for Pitt,” the Pittsburgh head coach said in the statement. “I’m proud of the way our team responded to the challenge to earn a hard-fought victory. I take responsibility for my postgame comments and, like the ACC, consider this matter over and done with.”
Here’s a look at the statement from Narduzzi and Pitt Athletics:
New: Statement from #Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi. pic.twitter.com/5uzBLQBzjF
— Karl Ludwig (@LudwigKarl8) September 16, 2024
According to a release by the conference, Pitt received a $5,000 fine while Narduzzi got publicly reprimanded as part of the violation of the ACC’s Sportsmanship Policy. Narduzzi made the critical comments about the referees even after the Panthers prevailed, 38-34, scoring 2 touchdowns in the final 3:06, including the game-winning score with 32 seconds left.
“Some of the calls we got … late hit out of bounds, they catch a ball with a hands in the face and I’ve never seen anything like it, you know? Wow. We beat West Virginia in the Backyard Brawl, and we beat the officials, too, in one game,” Narduzzi said during his postgame interview on ESPN.
Narduzzi’s Panthers improved to 3-0 with the victory and will look to stay perfect on Saturday at home against Youngstown State. The game is set to kick off at 3:30 p.m.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
