Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi blasts Top‑25 voters after 35‑33 win over Virginia Tech

The University of Pittsburgh Panthers defeated Virginia Tech 35‑33 on Oct. 2, 2026, and head coach Pat Narduzzi used the post‑game interview to tell Top‑25 poll voters to “wake their ass up.”

The win kept Pitt unbeaten at 5‑0 and marked their first five‑game start since 1991, yet the team remained outside the Associated Press Top 25, sparking fresh dialogue about the fairness of the ranking system.

Virginia Tech jumped to a 14‑0 lead before Pitt scored with ten seconds left in the first quarter. The Hokies led 24‑21 at halftime, but Pittsburgh seized its first lead early in the third quarter and extended it to 35‑24 late in the fourth before a safety narrowed the margin. A final field‑goal attempt by Virginia Tech’s John Love missed wide left, sealing the Panthers’ win.

Pittsburgh’s defense forced four turnovers despite being outgained 499 to 295 yards. Running back Ja’Kyrian Turner rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown, while Cataurus Hicks added two receiving touchdowns on three catches for 65 yards.

“We got a hell of a football team,” Narduzzi said. “Any of those voters, if they wake their ass up, they might figure it out.”

After the game the Panthers still held just 52 points in the latest AP poll, while the Hokies, also unranked, had 86 points. Narduzzi’s comments reflected growing impatience with a system that, in his view, failed to recognize an undefeated team that had already beaten UCF and Syracuse and posted high‑scoring performances earlier in the season.

The victory adds pressure on poll voters as the season progresses, and the Panthers say they will let future results speak for themselves while the debate over their ranking continues.