Ahead of Pitt visiting No. 25 Florida State this weekend, Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi had plenty of kind words for the coaching staff on the opposite sideline.
In fact, he was overwhelmingly positive about the entire FSU contingent, praising coaches and players alike.
Narduzzi mentioned FSU head coach Mike Norvell, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, and defensive coordinator Tony White all by name. He called Norvell a “heck of a football coach,” while going on to say that FSU’s shakeup with the two new coordinators has clearly made a big difference.
On the offensive side, Narduzzi called Malzahn a “guru,” praising his talent in play-calling. On the defensive side, he said White’s ability to coach linemen has turned their front four into a “fantastic four” that opponents have to scheme around.
“That's a really, really, really good football team, guys, and we're going to have to play our best to go down there and get a win on Saturday,” Narduzzi said. “That's for sure. They're really good, talented everywhere, and they've got great coaches. We'll have to go down and play.”
Of note, Narduzzi mentioned the improvement of senior quarterback Tommy Castellanos. Narduzzi is plenty familiar with the dual-threat talent, given his past career at ACC foe Boston College.
Asked what he’s seen in Castellanos’ development from last year at BC to this year at FSU, Narduzzi acknowledged how much the talent around him has made a difference.
“I think maybe surrounded with a lot better players than when he was back at Boston College,” Narduzzi said. “The talent surrounding him, the weapons he's got -- 6'7" receiver, he's got a 6-foot-6 wideout that is going to call run-it routes, he's gonna run a comeback, he's going to get thrown back-shoulder fades at 6'6".”
Narduzzi then quipped: “We don't have any 6'5" corners.”
The Panthers head coach did go on to say it isn’t just the talent around Castellanos that makes him so dangerous.
“His athletic ability hasn't changed,” Narduzzi said. “He was athletic and scrambled all over the place in the past. He's doing the same thing. He can make plays with his feet. They like to run quarterback draws with him, so we've got to be really ready for all the quarterback draws that we'll see.”
The performances of Castellanos and that “fantastic four” on the defensive line have largely defined the season for FSU. When all involved parties are at their best, FSU is tough to beat. In two losses, Castellanos and the defensive front both struggled with mistakes.
To hear Narduzzi break it down, that’s who the game will come down to yet again on Saturday.
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