The Pitt Panthers had their first loss of the season after falling to North Carolina 21-17. A lot of the team didn't have their best game, including the secondaries on defense and coaching decisions, but what has really stuck with people is quarterback Holden Geriner.
Geriner, a fifth-year senior who transfered from Texas State, came in after Mason Heintschel's injury against Virginia Tech. To his credit, Geriner helped Pitt get the road win against the Hokies by throwing for 78 yards and a touchdown with no turnovers in the second half. What's bizarre is that he played much worse at home against North Carolina, a team with a worse record than Virginia Tech and a game he was actually intended to play in.
Geriner threw for 219 yards and two interceptions on 27/44 pass attempts; he also rushed for -1 yard.
While just looking at the stat sheet isn't great, watching the film itself shows a lot of the problems. On a pivotal fourth down, Geriner had wide receiver Cataurus 'Blue' Hicks, who's been great the past two games, wide open. Instead of passing it to Hicks' chest, Geriner threw it over Hicks' head, which resulted in the wide receiver having to make a Herculean effort to catch the ball, but dropped it.
Narduzzi's Choice
"We have a lot of faith in [Geriner]," head coach Pat Narduzzi said postgame when asked about if he will keep the same quarterback against Boston College next week. "First start, sometimes not pretty. But I thought he did a nice job. We opened up with a 12-play, 75-yard drive, we just have to stay consistent."
To Geriner's credit, he's good at making very quick reads on shorter passes, which got tight end Carson Kent a lot of touches. He's also proved he can deliver on the road before, but he hasn't shown he can deliver through four quarters.
Other Options
Some Pitt fans may remember last season when Narduzzi said he was sticking with quarterback Eli Holstein after two rough losses, but then made a near game-time decision to start true freshman Mason Heintschel instead. That game was also against Boston College.
So, don't be surprised if suddenly Corey Dailey is named the starter on Oct. 17 against Boston College. Dailey, a 6'6 four-star from Texas, got some action against Bucknell, throwing for 57 yards and a touchdown on the last drive.
When asked about Geriner remaining the starter, Narduzzi slipped in, "Corey [Dailey] will keep getting better, as well, as weeks go on." He said this despite the question not mentioning Dailey at all.
This loss to North Carolina exposed Pitt as not the same ACC contending team they were thought of. It's understandable to give Geriner another chance, but last year proved that trusting in a true freshman can be high-risk, high-reward.
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