Pitt Take 5: Panthers start string of 8 games that matter, seeking to repeat as ACC Coastal champions
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The games that really matter — the eight that will determine if Pitt has what it takes to return to the ACC championship game for the third time in five seasons — begin Saturday night when Georgia Tech visits Acrisure Stadium.
How difficult is Pitt’s road to Charlotte, N.C.?
There are five ACC teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, and the Panthers do not play the other four: No. 4 Clemson, No. 10 N.C. State, No. 22 Wake Forest and No. 23 Florida State.
Georgia Tech is reeling after firing coach Geoff Collins and athletic director Todd Stansbury. Collins won only 10 games in three-plus seasons after replacing Paul Johnson, whose option offense gave opposing coaches serious preparation problems. Georgia Tech’s best player a year ago, third-team All-ACC running back Jahmyr Gibbs, transferred to Alabama where he is averaging 6.9 yards per carry.
Pitt is a 22 1/2-point favorite, and perhaps the best team in the Coastal. The Panthers likely will be favored in the six other games before a trip to Miami on Nov. 26.
Even then … the Hurricanes (2-2) just lost to Middle Tennessee State, 45-31, while benching presumptive All-ACC quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.
Among the others:
• Virginia Tech lost to Old Dominion and West Virginia (the latter by 23 points).
• Louisville (2-2) will be Pitt’s first road game in more than a month Oct. 22. Quarterback Malik Cunningham is rushing for an average of nearly 100 yards per game.
• North Carolina’s defense is allowing an average of almost 40 points per game, and the Tar Heels have played only one Power 5 (Notre Dame). The Irish won 45-32.
To be fair, North Carolina has scored 199 points and quarterback Drake Maye has thrown for 1,231 yards and 16 touchdowns.
• Syracuse is 4-0, but before playing Pitt on Nov. 5, the Orange play N.C. State, Clemson and Notre Dame in consecutive weeks.
• Virginia is 0-2 against Illinois and Syracuse and struggled to defeat Old Dominion, 16-14.
• Does anyone really believe Duke (3-1) can contend in the ACC Coastal?
But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Here are some thoughts to ponder while waiting for the 8 p.m. kickoff:
1. A trip into the unknown
Pat Narduzzi conducted business as usual this week, but he admitted that the Ramblin’ Wreck’s shift in leadership “changes a lot of things (in Pitt’s preparation).”
“Goes back to the opening game of the season again, not knowing what they’re going to do,” he said.
He said he expects similar alignments on offense and defense under interim coach Brent Key.
“But you never know,” Narduzzi said. “There are going to be different things that maybe they’re allowed to do now that they couldn’t do before.”
2. ‘Tough profession’
Georgia Tech is the third Power 5 program to fire its coach before the end of September, joining Nebraska and Arizona State.
That’s an unusually high number for this point in the season, but Narduzzi said he’s not surprised. He said moving signing day to December put coaches on a “short leash.”
“If there was still (only) a February signing period,” Narduzzi said, “athletic departments would think they have more time to get that recruiting class together.”
Now, schools have less time to get their house in order if they wait until after the season to make a change.
“I feel bad for anybody who has to go through that,” Narduzzi said. “It’s not easy. For players to have to go through that after game 4, it’s just a tough deal.”
For everyone.
“Tough profession,” he said. “It’s rough, getting rougher.”
3. Pitt’s future
Injuries have been a problem for Pitt, with at least 14 starters or regular contributors missing time. Only defensive end Nate Temple and cornerback Rashad Battle are out for the season, according to Narduzzi.
The hope within the facility is the Panthers have as much depth as they appeared to have in training camp. To that end, coaches were able to insert 51 players into the Rhode Island game: 27 on defense, 24 on offense.
Redshirt freshman Sean FitzSimmons (Central Valley) recorded a sack, but Narduzzi said his day included more than that. “Everybody sees the sack. But how did he do the other plays? That’s the key. He was good in there. He holds his own. He’s tough. He plays with good leverage. He uses his hands well. He’s a competitor.”
Narduzzi said the younger players in the secondary “did OK.”
“I was not impressed with some of the things that happened back there. They’re green. They need more work, at least at the cornerback position,” he said. He did, however, praise redshirt freshman Javon McIntyre.
On offense, Branson Taylor did well in his 40 snaps at left tackle. “He’s what we thought he was going to be,” the coach said.
4. What did pollsters say?
Dating to the game after Pitt’s loss to Miami last season, the Panthers have been ranked in 11 consecutive AP Top 25 polls, their longest streak since the 14 weeks spanning the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Pitt is No. 24 for the second week in a row.
The good news for fans who follow such things — Narduzzi said he is not a member of that club — is the number of pollsters leaving Pitt unranked fell from 24 to 18. The number placing Pitt No. 20 or higher almost stayed the same (from 13 to 12). David Jablonski of the Dayton Daily News carries the torch the highest at No. 12.
The bad news is victories against Western Michigan and Rhode Island did less than nothing for Pitt’s poll profile. Pitt was at No. 23 before the trip to Kalamazoo, Mich. A decisive conference victory against Georgia Tech might help.
5. Did you know?
Pitt had lost one fumble in each of the first three games until stopping the streak against Rhode Island. Overall, the Panthers have fumbled seven times. Pitt still leads the ACC and is fifth in the nation in average time of possession (35 minutes, 18 seconds), thanks to a strong running game and quarterbacks throwing only one pick in 107 attempts.
Pitt is averaging 21 pass attempts in its three victories. While winning 11 last season, the Panthers averaged 39.1 per victory.