Hokie ClubThe Hokies will face off against the Panthers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh Saturday afternoon. Below are some storylines fans should keep an eye out for heading into Saturday's game at 3:30 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.
Battle in the Trenches
If you're a fan of hard-nosed football, Saturday will be the game to watch. Tech enters the game second in the ACC in sacks allowed per game (1.4). Pitt on the other hand, ranks first in the ACC and 13th in the nation in sacks per game (3.2). A matchup to watch is Tech left tackle Silas Dsanzi versus Pitt defensive lineman Kalijah Kancey. Dsanzi, the heart of the offensive line, will be facing one of the toughest rushers in the ACC, as Kancey ranks third in the ACC in tackles for losses (7.5).
Slow and Methodical
The Panthers offense, led by quarterback Kedon Slovis who transferred from USC, has controlled the ball and made the game play to their speed, ranking first in the ACC and 11th in the country in time of possession (34:01). The Hokies will need to be able to stop Pitt's drives when they can, and luckily for them, they have been able to do that so far this season. Tech currently ranks first in the ACC and eighth in the nation in stopping opposing offenses on the third down (24.6%). Another way to stop the Panthers' offensive unit is by creating turnovers. The Hokies have only created four turnovers so far this season, and will need to force some more this Saturday in order to stay in the race for a shot at the ACC title game.
Familiar Foes
The head coaches for each team will be facing off against a familiar face across the field. Brent Pry, during his time as the defensive coordinator at Penn State, faced Pat Narduzzi's Pitt Panthers from 2016-19. The Nittany Lions came away 3-1 in the series and 1-1 at Pittsburgh. Besides the one loss in 2016 when Pitt put up 42 points, Pry was able to keep Narduzzi's offense in check, holding them to under 15 points in the other three games. Pry will look to continue that trend on Saturday, as his Lunch Pail defense currently ranks third in the ACC in total defense (310.2 yards allowed/game).
Stopping the Run
Tech will be facing one of the most dangerous weapons in the ACC, in running back Israel Abanikanda, who currently leads the ACC and is seventh in the nation in total all-purpose yards (773), second in the ACC in rushing yards (510) and second in touchdowns (seven). The focus for the Hokies heading into this game is containing Abanikanda, as a player of this talent can blow a game wide-open. However, the defensive unit for Tech has done well against the run. Prior to last week, the Hokies were ranked third in the ACC in run defense (86.0 ypg).
Coastal Chaos
Since 2013, when the ACC expanded to 14 teams, Pitt is the only two-time Coastal champ (2018, 2021). The 2022 season will be the last time teams will be competing for the title of division champs, as starting next year, the ACC will be getting rid of division structure. A win on Saturday would put Tech at 2-1 in the ACC and in a good position to compete for the final Coastal championship.