Seeing those 2001 throwbacks in person, with guys from that team walking around the stadium, hit different.
Then we went out and played like the teams that actually wore them in a 52-23 win that reads nicer for Pitt than it actually was.
Narduzzi spent the week talking about how Miami plays by its rules and Pitt plays by theirs. It seems like one of Pitt's rules is getting its brains beaten in by Miami every year, because that's two straight. They said they had a plan for Malachi Toney. He caught 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns and set a record doing it.
Our guys took the high road afterward, but we don't have to. Pitt talked, and Pitt got embarrassed.
Pitt sold out to stop the run, and we beat them with exactly what David Lake told us on Thursday would work: the short game and the screens. Everybody on our offense can run a screen and everybody can block one, which is why they're so hard to stop. The three sacks won't show it, but Mensah had a better feel in the pocket than he's had recently, completing 31 of 37, for 387 yards and four touchdowns.
Two of the best run defenses in the country were on that field, and only one of them looked like it. We ran for 119. Pitt ran for 69 at 2.7 a carry. They stacked the box and we ran through it anyway.
Now something needs to be addressed, because it has gone on long enough. Every time Javian Mallory or Jordan Lyle or Girard Pringle Jr. has a good day, a loud minority of our fan base wants to bench Mark Fletcher Jr. There's a difference between TikTok fans, video game fans and football fans. Football fans know Fletcher is the most physical back in America. He's the best short-yardage back and the best pass-blocking back in the country. He set the tone early Saturday against the No. 1 run defense in the country, had a long run called back, and he's going to break our touchdown record this year.
None of that is a knock on Mallory. We've had the Frank Gore comp on him since he signed and took plenty of heat for it. Now it's common knowledge. That first touchdown was a wow play between the footwork, the size and the attitude. He had a couple of tough blitz pickups against Pitt's pressure, which is normal for a freshman. Lyle stopped on a dime on one run and sent a defender flying 20 yards toward the sideline. That's three backs over 210 pounds with three different styles: Fletcher's straight-ahead power, Mallory's feet, Lyle's herky-jerky balance. Who in the country matches that?
The true freshman class on offense deserves its own shout.
Mueller caught a touchdown, and he and Israel Briggs threw beautiful blocks on Mallory's second score. Ben Congdon had a rough day in pass protection against smaller, quicker rushers, but you still saw him pull and do what he does. Somourian Wingo made a nice move after the catch and Vance Spafford got in there.
The offensive line was good and bad. Over 500 yards and 52 points means something is going right up front, but it doesn't mean it's as good as last year. I want the All-22 before grading anybody too hard.
Two issues from this game: The first being about 10 penalties which you can't have when you're chasing a national title. And secondly, when Mensah got hit about ten yards out of bounds, right in front of Mario, nobody answered. Anez Cooper and Francis Mauigoa would've handled that guy. The 2001 guys walking around Saturday wouldn't have let it slide either. Pitt was taking cheap shots all game, and somebody has to make them pay.
Defensively, the defensive line was what it's been all year.
Justin Scott was picking blockers up and throwing them. Marquise Lightfoot is a complete animal. When Corey Hetherman sends pressure, it isn't always about the blitzer getting home. It's about creating one-on-ones for Damon Wilson II, Armondo Blount and Lightfoot, and those guys have to win them.
Bryce Fitzgerald handled a lot of the nickel work and played well again, sack included. JJ Dunnigan had a sack and a perfect peanut punch on the quarterback for a fumble. Mohamed Toure kept the momentum from last week, Chase Smith did some nice things, and I'd love to see more of Ezekiel Marcelin Jr.
Then the backups came in and it slipped. Mario called out the young guys in his postgame, basically saying the film will decide who stays, who goes and how we recruit. He said that for a reason.
Aside from Dunnigan, nobody in the 2026 defensive class has jumped to the front the way the offensive freshmen have. Camdin Portis has a bright future, and his dad Clinton was in the stands wearing his jersey, but he had a couple of breakdowns late that you can't have if you want to play early. Brody Jennings has performed will in spurts. He carries himself like he belongs and showed real coverage ability.
After FSU, this didn't feel like the No. 1 team in the country. We won the week everybody else lost, but it wasn't pretty. Saturday was different. We looked like No. 1 in blowout fashion, while BYU went down at UCF and the top of the polls kept shaking. The separator for Toney and Mensah in the Heisman race, and maybe for the whole season, is Notre Dame. But first it's UNC on the road, and you can't overlook anybody.
Watch the full victory Sunday breakdown, and like and subscribe so you don't miss UNC week coverage.
Then we went out and played like the teams that actually wore them in a 52-23 win that reads nicer for Pitt than it actually was.
Narduzzi spent the week talking about how Miami plays by its rules and Pitt plays by theirs. It seems like one of Pitt's rules is getting its brains beaten in by Miami every year, because that's two straight. They said they had a plan for Malachi Toney. He caught 16 passes for 194 yards and three touchdowns and set a record doing it.
Our guys took the high road afterward, but we don't have to. Pitt talked, and Pitt got embarrassed.
Pitt sold out to stop the run, and we beat them with exactly what David Lake told us on Thursday would work: the short game and the screens. Everybody on our offense can run a screen and everybody can block one, which is why they're so hard to stop. The three sacks won't show it, but Mensah had a better feel in the pocket than he's had recently, completing 31 of 37, for 387 yards and four touchdowns.
Two of the best run defenses in the country were on that field, and only one of them looked like it. We ran for 119. Pitt ran for 69 at 2.7 a carry. They stacked the box and we ran through it anyway.
Now something needs to be addressed, because it has gone on long enough. Every time Javian Mallory or Jordan Lyle or Girard Pringle Jr. has a good day, a loud minority of our fan base wants to bench Mark Fletcher Jr. There's a difference between TikTok fans, video game fans and football fans. Football fans know Fletcher is the most physical back in America. He's the best short-yardage back and the best pass-blocking back in the country. He set the tone early Saturday against the No. 1 run defense in the country, had a long run called back, and he's going to break our touchdown record this year.
None of that is a knock on Mallory. We've had the Frank Gore comp on him since he signed and took plenty of heat for it. Now it's common knowledge. That first touchdown was a wow play between the footwork, the size and the attitude. He had a couple of tough blitz pickups against Pitt's pressure, which is normal for a freshman. Lyle stopped on a dime on one run and sent a defender flying 20 yards toward the sideline. That's three backs over 210 pounds with three different styles: Fletcher's straight-ahead power, Mallory's feet, Lyle's herky-jerky balance. Who in the country matches that?
The true freshman class on offense deserves its own shout.
Mueller caught a touchdown, and he and Israel Briggs threw beautiful blocks on Mallory's second score. Ben Congdon had a rough day in pass protection against smaller, quicker rushers, but you still saw him pull and do what he does. Somourian Wingo made a nice move after the catch and Vance Spafford got in there.
The offensive line was good and bad. Over 500 yards and 52 points means something is going right up front, but it doesn't mean it's as good as last year. I want the All-22 before grading anybody too hard.
Two issues from this game: The first being about 10 penalties which you can't have when you're chasing a national title. And secondly, when Mensah got hit about ten yards out of bounds, right in front of Mario, nobody answered. Anez Cooper and Francis Mauigoa would've handled that guy. The 2001 guys walking around Saturday wouldn't have let it slide either. Pitt was taking cheap shots all game, and somebody has to make them pay.
Defensively, the defensive line was what it's been all year.
Justin Scott was picking blockers up and throwing them. Marquise Lightfoot is a complete animal. When Corey Hetherman sends pressure, it isn't always about the blitzer getting home. It's about creating one-on-ones for Damon Wilson II, Armondo Blount and Lightfoot, and those guys have to win them.
Bryce Fitzgerald handled a lot of the nickel work and played well again, sack included. JJ Dunnigan had a sack and a perfect peanut punch on the quarterback for a fumble. Mohamed Toure kept the momentum from last week, Chase Smith did some nice things, and I'd love to see more of Ezekiel Marcelin Jr.
Then the backups came in and it slipped. Mario called out the young guys in his postgame, basically saying the film will decide who stays, who goes and how we recruit. He said that for a reason.
Aside from Dunnigan, nobody in the 2026 defensive class has jumped to the front the way the offensive freshmen have. Camdin Portis has a bright future, and his dad Clinton was in the stands wearing his jersey, but he had a couple of breakdowns late that you can't have if you want to play early. Brody Jennings has performed will in spurts. He carries himself like he belongs and showed real coverage ability.
After FSU, this didn't feel like the No. 1 team in the country. We won the week everybody else lost, but it wasn't pretty. Saturday was different. We looked like No. 1 in blowout fashion, while BYU went down at UCF and the top of the polls kept shaking. The separator for Toney and Mensah in the Heisman race, and maybe for the whole season, is Notre Dame. But first it's UNC on the road, and you can't overlook anybody.
Watch the full victory Sunday breakdown, and like and subscribe so you don't miss UNC week coverage.
