Pitt’s Bowl Struggles Continue: Turnovers, Missed Opportunities, and a Familiar Postseason Feeling
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Another postseason, another frustrating finish for Pitt football.
On a gray Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the Panthers capped off their 2025 campaign with a 23-17 loss to East Carolina in the Military Bowl. It marked the sixth bowl defeat in eight appearances under head coach Pat Narduzzi - a stat that’s starting to feel less like a coincidence and more like a pattern.
This one, though, hits a little differently. Because unlike some of Pitt’s past bowl losses - where injuries, opt-outs, or tough matchups offered at least partial explanations - this time, there weren’t many excuses to lean on.
Turnovers Tell the Story
Let’s start with the obvious: five turnovers. That’s how many times Pitt gave the ball away - three fumbles on offense, one interception, and a muffed punt. You’re not going to win many games with that kind of self-inflicted damage, especially not in December when every possession matters.
The offense struggled to find rhythm, and while the Panthers had their key playmakers on the field - including their top passer, rusher, and receiver - execution was inconsistent. The offensive line, fully intact, couldn’t generate enough push or protect the ball carriers from costly mistakes. And when Pitt did manage to string together drives, those efforts were often undone by turnovers or missed opportunities.
A Missed Opportunity Against a Shorthanded Opponent
What makes this loss sting even more is the context. East Carolina came into the game severely undermanned.
The Pirates were missing both their offensive and defensive coordinators, their starting quarterback, their top running back, and two of their top three receivers. This wasn’t a full-strength AAC contender - this was a team patching things together on the fly.
And yet, they outplayed Pitt when it mattered.
Pitt, meanwhile, had nearly its full starting lineup available. The Panthers’ top defenders - leaders in tackles, tackles for loss, and interceptions - were all active.
Even their field goal kicker, who had missed the final two games of the regular season, was back in action. On paper, this was a game Pitt should have controlled from start to finish.
Instead, they left the field with more questions than answers.
A Postseason Pattern That’s Hard to Ignore
This isn’t just about one game. Saturday’s loss adds to a growing list of postseason misfires under Narduzzi. Pitt is now 2-6 in bowl games during his tenure, and three of those losses have come against Group of Five opponents.
It started back in 2015 with a loss to Navy - a strong, ranked team playing at home, but still a missed opportunity. The following year, Pitt fell to Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl after losing key players mid-game.
In 2018, they dropped the Sun Bowl to Stanford despite winning the Coastal Division. In 2021, they lost to Michigan State in the Peach Bowl - a game played without their Heisman-finalist quarterback and, eventually, his backup.
And in 2024, they battled Toledo through six overtimes before falling with their third- and fourth-string quarterbacks under center.
In each case, there were reasons - injuries, opt-outs, tough matchups. But reasons don’t win games. And when you stack up all the near-misses, the pattern becomes impossible to ignore: Pitt consistently underperforms in bowl season.
This Time, No Excuses
That’s what separates this year's loss from the others. This wasn’t a game where Pitt was outmanned or outmatched.
It wasn’t a case of a depleted roster or a powerhouse opponent. This was a winnable game - against a team missing key personnel - and Pitt simply didn’t get it done.
The Pirates came in as double-digit underdogs. They had lost to both Power Four teams they faced this season.
They were supposed to be the team scrambling to stay afloat. But they played cleaner, smarter football - and they made the most of Pitt’s mistakes.
Looking Back - and Forward
To be fair, bowl struggles aren’t new for Pitt. Before Narduzzi arrived, the program suffered a brutal collapse in the 2014 Armed Forces Bowl, blowing a 31-6 fourth-quarter lead to Houston in a 35-34 loss. Narduzzi, just hired at the time, watched that game from the booth after wrapping up his duties as Michigan State’s defensive coordinator.
He couldn’t have known then that the heartbreak he witnessed would become a recurring theme during his own tenure.
But here we are. Eight bowl games, six losses, and a growing sense that Pitt just can’t seem to finish seasons on a high note. The program has had its moments - division titles, marquee wins, a Heisman finalist - but the postseason continues to be a stumbling block.
And after Saturday’s loss, it’s fair to wonder: what will it take for Pitt to finally flip the script in December? Because whatever the answer is, it wasn’t on the field in Annapolis.