PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Virginia Tech arrived in the Steel City on Friday afternoon, readying to take on the Coastal Division-leading Pittsburgh Panthers in an ACC showdown at Heinz Field.
The Hokies enter the game with a two-game losing streak and a 4-4 record, but still remain among a cluster of teams in the fight for the Coastal Division title. The Panthers lost three of four during a stretch from the end of September through mid-October, but they have won two straight and three of their past four, including an impressive 23-13 victory over Virginia last Friday.
That win put Pittsburgh at the top of the Coastal with a 4-1 league record. The Panthers have been tested this season, playing a difficult non-conference slate that included games against Penn State, at UCF and at Notre Dame – and they lost them all – but they obviously have righted the ship, as the season enters its final throes.
The Hokies – winners of two straight over Pittsburgh – led at halftime last Saturday against Boston College, but the Eagles rallied with 21 unanswered points in the second half. Tech has been victimized by poor play in the third quarter of each of its past three losses.
So that is one thing to watch for this game Saturday afternoon. Here are all of the things to watch, as the Panthers and Hokies kick off at 3:30 p.m.:
Tech's rushing defense – This note led this particular story a week ago, as the Hokies prepared for Boston College, and it certainly fits this week as well. Behind senior tailbacks Qadree Ollison (91.0 ypg) and Darrin Hall (73.1 ypg), the Panthers boast the No. 20 rushing attack in the nation, averaging 230.8 yards per game. In head coach Pat Narduzzi's four seasons, the Panthers are 16-5 when rushing for at least 200 yards.
Tech's defense held up decently against Boston College's vaunted running attack last Saturday, holding talented tailback AJ Dillon to 96 yards on 24 carries. The Eagles broke off two long runs in the game – a 29-yarder by Travis Levy and Anthony Brown scrambled for 24 yards on one play. But other than that, the Hokies did not allow any big rushing plays.
That needs to continue. Consider this: in each of the Panthers' past two losses (Notre Dame and UCF), they rushed for 116 and 109 yards, respectively. So stopping the Pittsburgh running game is probably the Hokies' No. 1 key to success.
Tech's offensive output – Saturday represents a good opportunity for Tech's offense to get back on track. That's because Pittsburgh gives up more than 30 points per game – a number that ranks 85th nationally, and the Panthers are the fourth-worst scoring defense in the ACC.
Digging into the numbers a little more, the Panthers also struggle on third downs, ranking 116th nationally in third-down defense. Opponents convert 46 percent of the time on third down against them.
The Hokies' offense has played well in spurts. It scored three touchdowns on its first three possessions in the loss to Georgia Tech, and it led BC 14-7 at halftime. Tech's issues have been consistency, but Pittsburgh's struggles on defense could be just what the Hokies need to break their recent trend.
The third quarter – Speaking of trends, for whatever reasons – or maybe an array of reasons – the Hokies have not played well in the third quarter over the past four games. During that span, Tech has been outscored 49-7 in the third quarter and lost three of the four.
The good news for the Hokies is that the Panthers struggle mightily in the third quarter as well. They have been outscored by 45 points in the third quarter this season – by far their worst quarter of the fall. North Carolina outscored Pittsburgh 17-0 in the third quarter to knock off the Panthers, and Penn State outscored the Panthers 16-0 in a big win.
The Hokies are hoping to break their recent third-quarter trend – and they're hoping the Panthers continue theirs.
Pickett's game – A year ago, seeing his first extensive action, Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett played well against Tech, completing 15 of 23 for 242 yards, with one interception in the Panthers' 20-14 loss to the Hokies. This season, he has played reasonably well, completing 60 percent of his passes, with eight touchdowns and five interceptions.
But the Panthers staff does everything possible to take the pressure off Pickett. Actually, the Panthers' run-pass split is staggering. They've run the ball 360 times compared to 206 passing attempts this season.
Pickett hasn't thrown for 200 yards in a game this fall. His 135.2 yards passing per game ranks 13th in the ACC and 106th nationally. His 1,217 yards rank 12th in the league, and his eight touchdown passes rank tied for 11th.
So obviously, Pittsburgh is built on running the football and chewing up the clock behind those two tailbacks. The Hokies thus need to find a way to limit that ground game and force Pickett to make the plays to beat them. He may possess that ability – and for sure, the Hokies need to find out.
Again, the game kicks at 3:30, and for those unable to attend, they can watch on ESPNU.
