Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi arrives at the stadium to coach the Panthers against the Louisville Cardinals at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pitt HC Responds to Louisville Ball Boy Incident

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Mitchell Corcoran | Last updated Sep 29, 2025 3:00 PM ET

PITTSBURGH — Pitt Panthers linebacker Rasheem Biles got into a viral scuffle with a Louisville Cardinals' ball boy in Pitt's 34-27 loss over the weekend.

Head coach Pat Narduzzi was asked about his thoughts on the incident in a press conference this week. He said that he didn't see the altercation or the video until one of his assistant coaches sent him the clip after the game.

"I was really happy to watch that," Narduzzi said sarcastically.

Narduzzi went on to seemingly brush off the entire incident and chalked it up to Biles being in the heat of the moment and not realizing it was the ball boy he was wrestling with.

"Probably a little bit overblown," Narduzzi said. "What do our guys do after they get a turnover? They go dunk. So he was just doing like he normally did. Then he obviously got surprised by someone coming in and trying to take it away from him, and didn't know who it was. Thought it was one of his boys. Probably a little overblown, emotions of the game."

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The scrum started in the first quarter when Biles intercepted a pass from Cardinals' quarterback Miller Moss and returned it 75 yards for Pitt's first defensive touchdown of the season. Biles then appropriately celebrated the big score that gave Pitt a 17-0 lead, and he decided to hand the ball to the crowd.

However, because Biles was about to hand away one of Louisville's footballs, the ball boy, Zephian Wade, attempted to take it away from Biles. This created a physical altercation between Wade and Biles that involved grabbing, pushing and shoving.

Eventually, Wade knocked the ball away from Biles and someone from the Pitt bench gave Biles a ball to give to the crowd.

What is going on at Pitt ??? pic.twitter.com/2OWQv05PU6
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) September 27, 2025

After Louisville won the game, Wade trolled the Panthers by posting a picture of himself posing with the supposed ball Biles intercepted and posted it on X with the caption: "In case y'all are wondering, WE GOT THAT BALL BACK AND TOOK HOME A DUB GO CARDS BABY."

In case yall are wondering, WE GOT THAT BALL BACK AND TOOK HOME A DUB GO CARDS BABY pic.twitter.com/tjoUGD9d9p
— Zephian (@Zephian5) September 27, 2025