Pitt quarterback position remains unsettled as Nathan Peterman will continue to receive reps

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Pitt football head coach Pat Narduzzi didn't rule out a quarterback competition of sorts after Saturday's game against Youngstown State. In that contest, he inserted backup quarterback Nathan Peterman into the game after only two series and played him for two series before replacing him with starter Chad Voytik. Peterman led a touchdown drive then had an interception before being taken back out and if you think the quarterback competition talk will die down, you should think again.

Speaking in his weekly press conference on Monday, Narduzzi said that Peterman will continue to get chances to play. He even went as far to say that perhaps Peterman should have been given more time:

"I think we're going to put him in there. If he doesn't come in and throw a pick, you probably give him another series [vs. YSU]. You kind of look at that and go, ‘Uh, oh.' We have a lot of confidence in Nathan, we really do. We have a lot of confidence in both of those [quarterbacks]. Maybe we should've put him back out there and gave him a second chance. I think everybody deserves those, so Nathan is definitely going to get another opportunity to go out there and show what he's got."

Narduzzi also added that it was a 'work in progress' with Voytik.

It's hard to say with certainty right now, but it sounds as if Peterman will play (at least for the time being) exclusive of Voytik's performance. Even if Voytik looks great (which, admittedly, he did not on Saturday), you can expect to see Peterman in there ... for whatever reason.

As I've stated before in the comments section of another article, I'm all for competition when justified. And seeing Voytik out there on Saturday didn't inspire a ton of confidence. That said, I remain confused as to why a more legitimate competition wasn't held during training camp to sort this out sooner.

The counter could be that the staff isn't high enough on either guy right now to rule out playing the other. But if that is the case, I'd point to any number of two-quarterback situations, which generally do not end well.

Neither on their own have any track record of being a great passer. Voytik had a very successful second half to last season, but largely because of the scrambling he element he brings. He made better decisions and threw fewer interceptions, but still has never thrown for more than 250 yards in a game. Peterman has even less of a track record. I'd argue that the starter needs reps, not intermittent play where they can be sitting on the sidelines for series' at a time, to get better.

We'll see where this goes but the answer from Narduzzi is pretty clear - Pitt, for now, will continue playing two quarterbacks.

Be sure to join Cardiac Hill's Facebook page and follow us on Twitter @PittPantherBlog for our regular updates on Pitt athletics. Follow the author and founder/editor @AnsonWhaley.

In This Article

Players
  • Nathan Peterman (QB)

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