Pitt's Narduzzi sticks with Holden Geriner, names Corey Dailey the No. 2 QB

Holden Geriner is still Pittsburgh's starting quarterback. Head coach Pat Narduzzi backed him on Monday after a disappointing first start last Saturday, and he also left no doubt about who comes next: true freshman Corey Dailey.

On3's Pittsburgh Sports Now reported that Narduzzi stood behind Geriner, a fifth-year transfer from Texas State, at his weekly press conference. Most of the coach's comments, though, were about the freshman behind him. Narduzzi called Dailey young and inexperienced. He compared him to "Mason" a year ago, a quarterback he described the same way, and said he has a lot of confidence in Dailey.

"He's the No. 2 quarterback right now, period," Narduzzi said, according to the outlet. He added that Dailey has to be ready and should improve every week from the practice reps he is getting.

Dailey has not played much. Narduzzi said the best way to judge a quarterback is by what he has done in games, and he noted that Dailey got few snaps in live scrimmages during spring practice. Dailey's only college action so far came in Pitt's 59-0 win over Bucknell. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 57 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown. Narduzzi said Dailey made good throws and good decisions in that game. He also got the offense lined up, avoided false starts and managed the operation cleanly, which Narduzzi called the biggest thing for a young quarterback. Asked about anything beyond that, Narduzzi said, in effect, that nobody knows.

Narduzzi did not announce a change. Still, publicly naming the backup the day after Geriner's shaky first start means Saturday's game will be about more than the result. Geriner needs a cleaner performance to keep the job secure. If he struggles, Pitt has now said in public that Dailey is next.

The Panthers (5-1) visit Boston College (2-3) on Saturday, October 17, at noon Eastern on ESPN2. The Eagles have had a difficult start, and the market expects Pitt to win. Pittsburgh is favored at -208 on Novig, one of the venues listing the game. The best sportsbook price on the Panthers is -215 at theScore Bet. The spread has Boston College getting 6.5 points, and the total is 42.5. Full prices for the game are on our odds page.

With a total in the low 40s, the market expects a low-scoring game at Chestnut Hill. That may favor a quarterback who protects the ball and keeps the offense on schedule over one who makes big plays. Geriner gets the first chance to show he can do that, and Narduzzi has made clear that Dailey should be ready if he is needed.