Pat Narduzzi has made the challenge clear for Pitt at No. 1 Miami on Saturday: this is not a one-man problem. Malachi Toney is the headline threat, but Miami’s offense has enough balance and enough power in the backfield to punish any defense that overcommits.
That is what makes the matchup so awkward for the Panthers. Miami enters at 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the ACC, and Toney has been at the center of everything, with 50 receptions for 758 yards and eight scores. He opened the season against Stanford with 12 catches for 234 yards and three touchdowns, then followed that with 11 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns in last weekend’s 43-35 double-overtime win over Florida State.
Narduzzi: do not build the game plan around one player
Narduzzi’s message was simple: if Pitt tries to focus too much on Toney, Miami can hurt it somewhere else. “It’s not like they’ve got Malachi Toney and nobody else,” he said. “You double him, they’ll run the ball down your throat.”
That is the heart of the problem. Miami is dangerous because it can change the picture quickly, forcing a defense to choose between taking away the passing game and giving up space on the ground. As Narduzzi put it, “It’s simple for them to say, ‘OK, (Pitt wants) to do that? We’re going to do this.’”
He added: “You pay some other way.”
Pitt’s defense has to be sound, not greedy
For Pitt, the answer cannot be a desperate gamble. Narduzzi said the best approach is discipline: “Best thing to do is be sound against him, know where he is and play good football.”
That challenge is especially important because Pitt’s rushing defense, which has been described as No. 1-ranked, will be tested by Miami’s ground game as much as by Toney. Narduzzi pointed to the Hurricanes’ backfield depth and power, saying: “Everybody’s going to talk about Toney, but Fletcher and Mallory at tailback, those guys, they’re two horses.”
He also said Miami can go deeper than that. “(Miami) doesn’t have two of them, they have four that will play in the game,” he said. “They’ve got a slew of guys in the backfield.”
That is why the contest is bigger than one matchup on the outside. Pitt cannot simply take away Toney and expect the rest of the day to become manageable.
Strader expects a test, but backs the Panthers
Raion Strader knows what Miami can do, having transferred to Pitt this past winter after beginning his college career at Miami (Ohio) and then Auburn. He described Toney as “a really good player, real dynamic player,” but said Pitt believes it has a workable plan.
“But I think we have a great scheme for him,” Strader said. “I think we’ll go in and just play how we play, keep playing aggressive.”
Strader’s confidence matters because Pitt will need both poise and physicality if it is going to stay competitive. “You’ve got to let the chips fall where they may,” he said. “We believe in ourselves, we’re real confident on the defensive side and we’re going to bring it to him.”
Last season’s result is a reminder of what happens if Pitt loses control early. In a 38-7 loss, the Panthers allowed Toney 13 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown. That will be in the background on Saturday, but Narduzzi’s warning suggests the more immediate danger is Miami’s ability to answer any adjustment with another weapon.
For Pitt, then, the assignment is not just to slow Toney. It is to avoid becoming so focused on him that the rest of Miami’s offense takes over. Against a No. 1 team with a 6-0 record and too many ways to attack, that is where the real test begins.
