Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi just gave Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes some added fuel going into Saturday’s clash
The outspoken Panthers head coach took a not-so-subtle dig at the Hurricanes’ head coach at the end of his weekly press conference.
The Miami Hurricanes have certainly made a lot of the right moves in the transfer portal over the last few years that have set them up to compete for a College Football Playoff spot and the national championship.
In perhaps no spot have they been more successful over the last few years than at the quarterback position. They landed Cam Ward in the 2024 offseason, who went on to shatter school records on the way to being a first-team All-American, Heisman Trophy finalist, and the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans. Last year, Carson Beck came over from Georgia, and he helped Miami reach the national championship game before being drafted in the third round by the Arizona Cardinals.
This year, Duke transfer Darian Mensah has been arguably the best quarterback in all of college football, throwing for 1764 yards with 18 touchdowns and one interception. Miami landed Mensah out of the portal to replace Beck.
But it’s who Miami is alleged to have pursued that was the topic on Monday as the Hurricanes prepare to take on the Pittsburgh Panthers. At least in Pittsburgh it was.
Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi was asked at the end of his press conference about Miami allegedly pursuing starting quarterback Mason Heintschel after the 2025 season. And Narduzzi didn’t sugar coat much with his response.
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi says that Miami’s Mario Cristobal is ‘playing by his rules’ regarding pursuing players through the portal
“We (Narduzzi and Cristobal) talked down at the ACC media days, but that’s about it. If the NCAA can’t get a hold on it and Congress can’t get a hold on it, there’s nothing you can do. He’s playing by his rules, and we’ll try to play by our rules.”
To quote the movie “Dodgeball”, it’s a bold strategy, Cotton. Let’s see if it pays off for them. Kidding aside, it’s clear that Narduzzi believes that Cristobal tried to wrong him, and he’s not shy to say it publicly.
The Hurricanes certainly had their way with the Panthers last year, dominating Pitt 38-7 in the regular season finale. It was a performance that was good enough to leap Notre Dame for the final playoff spot. And now, there’s certainly added motivation for Cristobal and the Hurricanes to pour it on the Panthers in a similar fashion if they get the chance.
And with Pitt struggling on offense, particularly in a dismal 27-21 loss to Boston College last week, the Canes might just get that opportunity.
