Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi defends decision not to go for the win in OT

DETROIT — This article originally appeared on PittsburghSportsNOW.com.

Pitt’s bowl game continued on for some time after regulation, through an eventual sixth overtime — the most in any bowl game in NCAA history. And unfortunately for the Panthers, an incomplete pass on a two-point conversion attempt in the sixth overtime capped off a 48-46 Toledo win.

Pitt had few chances to ground the Rockets, but perhaps none were better than the fourth-and-goal from the 1.

Narduzzi didn’t go for it then, playing for a tie and getting one. And he defended the decision following the eventual loss.

“No — coach makes a call, I’m not for that,” Narduzzi said after the game. “I don’t care on the road, at home, I want our players to go make plays. To me, they had the field goal in the first part of that overtime, I don’t even know how many overtimes there were, I’m just focused on that moment, I think there were six.

“But fourth-and-1, if you don’t get it, you lose the game. I don’t want it to end like that, I want our kids to make plays, always put it in the kids’ hands. For the coach to make a decision to lose the game or win the game, I’m not for it. I think the overtime’s a great system and that’s kind of the ways it goes.”

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