"Play your bu*t off": Joel Klatt goes off on Pat Narduzzi after Pitt HC viewed Notre Dame game as a non-must-win

Pitts HC Pat Narduzzi doesn't see his side's upcoming game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as a must-win. When asked at his weekly press conference about whether the Notre Dame game is a must-win, Narduzzi said,

"Absolutely not. It is not an ACC game. I'm glad you brought that up. It's not an ACC game. I would gladly take a 103 or 110-10 beating in that game. They can put up 100 on us as long as we win the next two after that."

Joel Klatt caught wind of his comments and went off on the Pitt head coach. While speaking on his show, Klatt said,

"I don't understand some of these coaches. They literally throw excuses towards their teams. 'Aye, here you go. Don't play well. I didn't love Pat Narduzzi's comments talking about this game."

Klatt continued,

"He basically said that this game doesn't matter. Like why would you put that in your players' heads. What are you talking about? Like be a competition, what do you mean? There's a game. There's lines on the field. There's a scoreboard. Play your bu*t off!"

Klatt concluded, saying,

"I don't understand some of these coaches. They literally throw excuses towards their teams. I don't get it, I don't understand it at all."

Pat Narduzzi's comments have sparked debates around the college football space. Some see it as him playing mind games against the Fighting Irish, while others view it as him waving the white flag.

Narduzzi has led the Panthers to a 7-2 record this season. Next up is a game against last year's beaten national championship finalists.

Pitt and Notre Dame are fighting for a playoff berth

Pitt will host the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a make-or-break game for both programs. The Fighting Irish enter the showdown ranked No. 9, while the Panthers are No.22.

Notre Dame has been on a seven-game winning streak since suffering consecutive losses to open the campaign. They're looking to make another postseason appearance under respected head coach Marcus Freeman.

The Pitt Panthers, too, are on a five-game winning streak after two consecutive losses in September. They've defeated some tricky opponents during that spell.

Both the Fighting Irish and Panthers have their work cut out for them. Here's what you need to know about the game:

• Date: Saturday, November 15, 2025
• Livestream: FuboTV and DAZN
• Time: Noon ET
• TV Channel: ABC
• Venue: Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Edited by Nick Igbokwe