While Pitt's offense continues to click, don't forget how defense steps up on the money downs

Back when Pat Narduzzi was playing linebacker for Youngstown State and Rhode Island, he knew a third-down stop meant success. Series over, offense trudging to the bench, punt or field-goal try upcoming.

That was in the 1980s and even into the next century, to be honest, which might as well be eons ago with the way the game has evolved.

Today, thanks to advanced analytical studies and people keeping track numerically of everything that occurs on a football field, coaches are aware that the odds of converting fourth-and-short are equal to kicking a field goal, maybe even better.

Why settle for three points when — with some patience and sharp play-calling — you can get six? Why punt and cede control to the opponent when it’s just as easy to get a first down and keep the drive alive?

“Back when I was playing,” Narduzzi said Monday at his weekly news conference, “nobody went for it on fourth-and-1. (Today), even in your own territory, people are going for it more and more every single year because of the odds of getting it and sophistication of offensive plays.”

Which makes what happened Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C., so impressive.

North Carolina coach Mack Brown could have ordered a field-goal try or punted on 10 fourth-down occasions. Aside from a field goal and three punts, he kept his offense on the field six times and failed on four of them.

Once, he gave up the chance to kick field goal of fewer than 30 yards. The other three were not gambles at all, with the Tar Heels needing only 1, 2 and 6 yards to convert. All were in Pitt territory, and all failed.

Brown’s decisions might have been based, partially, on his respect for the Pitt offense, which is averaging 45.6 points. Field goals just aren’t enough under that circumstance.

“Maybe it’s respect for the offense, but he’s going by analytics like everybody else in the country is doing,” Narduzzi said. “You have a 55% chance of making the field goal, but you have a 55% chance of converting on fourth-and-1. Let’s go. Let’s put the game away. Mack Brown made good decisions. Everything he made decision-wise, I would have done the same thing he did. You have to take those chances when you have those opportunities.”

Nonetheless, Pitt’s defense largely stepped up on what coaches refer to as the money downs.

Actually, Pitt has been proficient on both sides of the ball on those downs.

• The offense has converted 28 of 59 third downs, or 47.5%, which is 29th in the nation, third in the ACC.

• Fourth downs have been less frequent, thanks, in part, to Ben Sauls earning Narduzzi’s trust by hitting all nine of his field-goal attempts. But the offense has converted five of seven into first downs (71.4%, tied for 21st in the nation and third in the ACC).

• On third downs, the defense is 26th in the nation, fifth in the ACC, allowing only 24 of 76 conversions (31.6%), which is only slightly worse than Narduzzi’s goal of 30%.

All wasn’t perfect, however. When players and coaches reconvened Sunday to rehash the 34-24 victory and prepare for the next ACC test — Cal, on Saturday at Acrisure Stadium — coaches made special note of the mental errors that showed up on video.

“There is always the good and the bad,” Narduzzi said.

Meanwhile, word trickled into the practice facility Sunday that Pitt (5-0, 1-0 ACC) is nationally ranked for the first time in nearly two years in the Associated Press and AFCA (coaches) polls — Nos. 22 and 24, respectively. One voter — Chip Towers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution — ranked Pitt No. 11 on his AP ballot.

ESPN’s power rankings list Pitt 19th.

“We ignore it,” Narduzzi said. “We didn’t talk about it (Sunday) night at all. It doesn’t matter what we’ve done in the past.

“I don’t care about the rankings. The only ranking we’ll brag about is the postseason ranking and trying to win a championship. Those are the rankings you worry about. Right now, midseason, if you get too caught up in ‘Look at us, we’re ranked,’ good luck to you.”

NOTE: Quarterback Eli Holstein was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the fifth time, joining running back Desmond Reid and linebacker Kyle Louis in winning the conference’s weekly honors.