Notre Dame Crushes Pitt, But Coaches' Frosty Handshake Raises Eyebrows

On November 12, 2022, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish earned a convincing 37-15 win over the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium. However, the most notable moment of the game may have come after the final whistle, when Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman and Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi met for the customary postgame handshake.

The interaction between the two coaches was noticeably brief, with Narduzzi appearing to attempt a pleasantry only for Freeman to quickly disengage and walk away. When asked about the frosty exchange, Freeman simply stated that he "wanted to go celebrate" with his team.

The terse handshake may have been fueled by Narduzzi's curious pregame comments earlier in the week. While Narduzzi was complimentary of Notre Dame, he suggested that the game against the independent Fighting Irish was not a "must-win" for his then-22nd ranked Panthers, as it was not an ACC conference matchup. This remark could have provided extra motivation for the Fighting Irish, who have now won eight games in a row since an 0-2 start to the season.

Despite the lopsided final score, Narduzzi's decision to call a timeout with just seconds remaining, allowing Pitt to score a late, meaningless touchdown, also raised some eyebrows. However, Freeman downplayed the significance of the late timeout, emphasizing that his defense should not have allowed the touchdown, even with reserves in the game.