Pitt went 8–5 in 2015. The Panthers began the Narduzzi era on September 5 with a 45–37 victory over FCS opponent Youngstown State. Pittsburgh won their second game of the season the following week, defeating Akron by a score of 24–7. After a 27–24 loss to Iowa, Narduzzi's squad defeated Virginia Tech by a margin of 17–13. In the season's fifth game, the Panthers defeated Virginia by a score of 26–19. A third straight win came on October 17 with a 31–28 victory over Georgia Tech. After a 23–20 victory over Syracuse, Pittsburgh suffered its second defeat of the season with a 26–19 loss to North Carolina. On November 7, Narduzzi's Panthers lost to No. 8 Notre Dame by a score of 42–30. That was followed by a 31–13 victory over Duke. After a 45–34 victory over Louisville, Pitt fell to Miami in the regular season finale by a score of 29–24. The Panthers accepted an invitation to the Military Bowl, where they lost to No. 21 Navy by a margin of 44–28. During the 2015 season, Pitt was ranked in the AP top 25 for the first time since 2010. Narduzzi's first full recruiting class, in 2016, was ranked 30th in the country, Pitt's highest ranked class since 2008. On December 10, 2015; Pitt signed Narduzzi to a two-year contract extension and raised his pay.