Pitt’s QB controversy sounds strangely familiar

IOWA CITY - Close your eyes and envision this scenario.

One of the teams playing at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday has a quarterback who started every game for a bowl team a year ago but found himself embroiled in a competition against a strong-armed signal-caller from Tennessee. Both quarterbacks split time in a road victory and there's an open competition this week for who takes over this week.

Does that sound familiar? It's not deja vu for Iowa (2-0), which weathered its own season-long quarterback controversy last year. This is the situation facing Pittsburgh (2-0) this week.

Chad Voytik, a junior, started all 13 games for the Panthers last year. His career high in passing yards of 250 was set last year against Iowa at Heinz Field. Nate Peterman, a graduate junior, played in 11 games with two career starts at Tennessee, where he played last year. In each of Pitt's two games, both players have thrown a touchdown and an interception. The situation leaves new coach Pat Narduzzi undecided entering Saturday's game at Kinnick Stadium.

'We don't decide; the kids decide,” said Narduzzi, who is in his first season after a productive stint as Michigan State's defensive coordinator. 'We play the guys who have practiced the best. Chad (Voytik) comes prepared every week, and I don't expect him to come any less prepared this week. We have to go with whoever has the hot hand.”

Narduzzi, who met with reporters Monday, said he'll name a starter by Thursday.

'I think both of those guys are pretty equal back there,” Narduzzi said. 'We'll find out in the heat of the battle.”

Pitt's offense was stagnant through mid-second quarter against Akron. Voytik opened the first two series, and Peterman played the next two. Voytik then re-entered the game, but the offense continued to stall and Pitt trailed 7-3. Peterman took over with 2:35 left in the half. Facing third-and-6 from his 31, Peterman completed three straight passes to put the Panthers at the Akron 35. Three plays later, Pitt took the lead on a Peterman touchdown pass.

Narduzzi stayed with Peterman the rest of the game, and now he's mired in a full-scale controversy. Narduzzi doesn't expect it to divide his players.

'We have a tight-knit football team,” he said. 'We'll find out who has a better week at practice, and we'll try to make a decision. Everyone has good and bad days and this happens with quarterbacks, too. Neither one of them had that in the past two weeks, but it's just whoever has the hot hand.”

Peterman finished the game completing 12 of 17 passes for 148 yards and a score. Voytik completed 6 of 8 passes for 32 yards in the first half.

'I think it was huge,” Peterman told reporters Saturday about the second-quarter touchdown. 'We really needed some points. We had gotten in the red zone a couple of times, and I think we really needed to capitalize and we (hadn't). So it was really critical, and I had a lot of juice and enthusiasm in the locker room.”

Voytik started all 13 games last year for now-Wisconsin Coach Paul Chryst. Voytik completed 61.3 percent of his passes for 2,233 yards, 16 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Pitt's offense featured ACC Player of the Year in running back James Conner and all-ACC wide receiver Tyler Boyd. But in the Panthers' opener against Youngstown State, Conner suffered a season-ending knee injury and the Panthers need more from their passing attack.

In two games this year, Voytik has completed 15 of 22 passes for 104 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Peterman's line is 14 of 21 for 209 yards, one TD and one INT. Defenses have sacked Voytik four times and Peterman three.

If anything, Narduzzi is excited about the competition.

'It doesn't get any better than Chad Voytik as far as character goes,” Narduzzi said. 'And Nathan, for that part, is the same way. I mean, Nathan came in battling as well, trying to be the starter. He's taken it well, and just kept plugging away. That's how you become a good football team is when there's competition. Nobody is giving in, and that's the way you want it to be at every position.”

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