Pat Narduzzi must have missed the subtle tweak made during the offseason to the NCAA's targeting rule, or maybe he just forgot in the moment.
During a segment Monday morning on ACC Network's "Packer and Durham," the Pitt head coach was discussing the topic, which certainly is a sore subject for those who closely followed the Panthers' defense in 2019 and a point of aggravation for Narduzzi.
Starting safety Paris Ford twice was ejected from games last season after being penalized for targeting. Had he received a third, he would have missed an entire game.
One targeting call came late in the fourth quarter during a wild win at Duke, a game in which Ford made 12 tackles, had two interceptions (one for a touchdown) and was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week for his efforts.
This reaction came moments before by a long walk back to Pitt's locker room was captured by television cameras at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Pitt’s Paris Ford was not thrilled to find out he got tossed for targeting. pic.twitter.com/0A4ZJjnnY8
— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) October 6, 2019
Ford wasn't happy. Neither was Narduzzi. Actually, scratch that. Narduzzi still isn't happy about it, and he's said he would do something about it if Ford gets flagged again for targeting.
"Next time, I'm going with him," Narduzzi said half jokingly, and after the hosts burst out in laughter, he added, "You think I'm kidding you? You think I'm kidding you?"
Narduzzi won't need to make the walk after the NCAA altered the rule. The penalized player no longer will be forced to leave the playing area for the locker room, but he will not be allowed to re-enter the game.
Ford, who led Pitt in tackles last season with 97, also was ejected for this hit at Virginia Tech.
Pitt DB Paris Ford has been ejected for Targeting pic.twitter.com/FNeZnIWsLk
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) November 23, 2019
Depending on the moment, targeting penalties can be a triple whammy.
Not only is the defense penalized 15 yards, the guilty player is ejected from the game and, if the infraction occurred during the second half, he must sit the first half of the ensuing game. Ford was a frequent culprit, but he wasn't the only Pitt player called for the infraction. Damar Hamlin, the Panthers' other starting safety, was ejected for targeting during an overtime win against North Carolina.
Pitt DB Damar Hamlin has been ejected for Targeting pic.twitter.com/C4IQ54Bq1d
— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) November 15, 2019
"He would have been a draft-eligible guy, but we got another year out of him, and he really makes things tick back there," Narduzzi said of Hamlin. "He covers that No. 2 slot receiver all the time, but if want to watch just how important he is, watch the first half of the North Carolina game, where he really shuts things down and then, all of a sudden, he gets a targeting call. He's out for the second half, and (North Carolina) took advantage of it at the back at that time. (Hamlin) is the guy who makes things go back there."
So what is targeting?
The 2019 NCAA rulebook states "no player shall target and make forcible contact against an opponent with the crown of his helmet," and "no player shall target and make forcible contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow or shoulder." The rulebook further explains targeting can include a launch into an opponent or a crouch followed by an upward and forward thrust into an opponent.
The rulebook clearly states its definition. On-field interpretation is another thing.
And there's the problem. Coaches want consistency.
"I think it's important that the officials understand what we're coaching, and we understand what they're looking at and what they're being taught to do, too," Narduzzi said. "It's a two-way street, and we can always do a better job as coaches, coaching it better and we will, you, know, in every respect. I don't think we had a targeting call until last year, and we don't expect to have any this year."
While Pitt felt the affects of multiple targeting calls, evidence indicates the infraction was called less often in 2019.
A report released by the NCAA last October stated targeting calls were down 32 percent through the first seven weeks of the season as opposed to the same time frame in 2018. At the time of the study, there were 132 targeting penalties called at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, 83 were enforced and 49 overturned by video review. In 2018, there were 171 targeting penalties called through seven weeks, with 122 enforced and 49 again overturned.
Eliminating them would be a boon for a Pitt team that was penalized 113 times last season.
"I know what we coach, and we try to do it the right way," Narduzzi said. "But, you know, we can always get better. I want to take the officials out of the ballgame, so if there's anything we could do to make it cleaner, where they don't even think about it, that's what I want."
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