Pittsburgh vs. Virginia Tech: Complete Game Preview
The Pittsburgh Panthers (2-1, 0-0) are the last team Virginia Tech (2-2, 0-0) wants to see this week after the Hokies lost to the East Carolina Pirates for a second consecutive season. The Panthers beat the Hokies last fall behind 210 yards rushing.
Fortunately for the Hokies, Panthers running back James Conner and quarterback Chad Voytik—who combined for 203 yards on the ground—won't be in the starting lineup this time around.
Conner, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, is out the for season with a knee injury. Voytik has ostensibly been replaced as Pitt's top quarterback by junior Nathan Peterman. Voytik is still receiving playing time, but Peterman is now the Panthers' top option under center.
Pitt and VT are former Big East rivals, and this is the Panthers' second season in the ACC. Overall, the Hokies lead the all-time series, 8-6, but Pitt has won five of the past six meetings.
- When: Saturday, October 3
- Where: Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, Virginia
- Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- TV: ACC Network, ESPN3
- Radio: Virginia Tech IMG Sports Network. Here is a complete list of stations by area.
- Spread: The Hokies are presently 4.5-point favorites, via Odds Shark.
Pittsburgh Panthers' Keys to Victory
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Exploit Virginia Tech's Run Defense
The Hokies currently rank No. 102 in run defense, allowing over 205 yards rushing per game. Yes, you read that right. Virginia Tech's once-vaunted defense is struggling in 2015, especially in stopping the opposition's running game.
Voytik may not be the starting quarterback, but he should get some time under center this weekend. The Hokies have struggled to contain athletic quarterbacks on the ground, and Voytik had a career day against VT last year. Pitt's starting running back, Qadree Ollison, leads the Panthers with 305 yards rushing and is averaging over seven yards per carry. Ollison, at 6'2" and 230 pounds, is built similarly to Conner, who is 6'2" and 240 pounds.
Feature Tyler Boyd
Arguably one of the top receivers in the country, Tyler Boyd has 21 receptions and 226 yards through just two games in 2015. He didn't play in Week 1, but last year against Virginia Tech, Boyd caught six passes for 86 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown.
VT's All-American cornerback, Kendall Fuller, looks like he could miss a second straight game this weekend, according to head coach Frank Beamer, per Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times. That's not good for the Hokies and leaves them vulnerable to big plays downfield.
That's where Boyd comes into play. If Fuller is out, defending Boyd will be problematic for Virginia Tech.
Virginia Tech Hokies' Keys to Victory
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Stick With the Running Game
Quarterback Brenden Motley led the Hokies with 85 yards rushing on 19 carries. Outside of Motley, the Hokies rushed for just 73 yards on 23 attempts. To beat Pitt—who is No. 15 nationally against the run—the Hokies need more from their running game.
J.C. Coleman, Tech's starter entering the season, has just 117 yards on 32 carries this season. Freshman Travon McMillian has proven to be VT's top backfield option this fall. Against the Panthers, McMillian should receive plenty of opportunities, as he is the type of back who can score from anywhere on the field.
Offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler will need to get creative to run against the Panthers. That should include using players like Deon Newsome in the running game, using the jet sweep.
Keep Tyler Boyd From Making the Big Play
Boyd is a star. Kendall Fuller is a star, too, but he likely won't play. That puts the pressure squarely on Brandon Facyson and Greg Stroman. Facyson is capable of defending the opposition's No. 1 receiver, but Stroman struggled mightily against East Carolina.
Free safety Chuck Clark, a former cornerback, will be involved in attempting to limit Boyd's effectiveness. The Hokies could use Facyson to defend Boyd with Clark playing over the top. Clark is an excellent cover man and could be Virginia Tech's key player on defense this weekend.
Pittsburgh Panthers Players to Watch
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Quarterback Nathan Peterman
Peterman is off to a good start this season. Originally Pitt's backup quarterback, Peterman put the heat on Voytik in fall camp and has gradually taken the job from him. Peterman makes more plays from the pocket, while Voytik is more athletic.
Voytik beat the Hokies last fall, so the coaching staff could look to get him more snaps. It's important for Peterman to get off to a good start and not turn the ball over. He has three interceptions on the young season.
Running Back Qadree Ollison
Pitt's running game has struggled a bit since Conner went down. But that's not Ollison's fault. The redshirt freshman is taking advantage of his opportunities and should be featured more. After 16 and 21 carries in his first two games, respectively, Ollison carried the ball just four times in the loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes.
In order for the Panthers to defeat Virginia Tech, Ollison needs 20-25 carries. That means Pitt is controlling the ball and time of possession.
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Virginia Tech Hokies Players to Watch
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Quarterback Brenden Motley
Motley has played well since taking over for the injured Michael Brewer. On the season, he has tossed six touchdown passes with just two interceptions. He's the only quarterback under Beamer to pass for over 200 yards in his first three starts.
Motley can beat opponents with his legs, too. But Pitt is stout versus the run; the Hokies need Motley to make some big plays down the field. And he isn't afraid to take chances, either. This is another major test for Motley, as it's his first ACC game.
Tight End Bucky Hodges
What's wrong with Bucky Hodges? Through four games in 2014, Hodges has just 10 receptions for 132 yards. He does have two touchdown grabs.
Loeffler—and Motley—must do a better job of involving Hodges in the offense. Against ECU, Hodges did catch five passes for 73 yards, but that was overshadowed by his key fourth-down drop late in the fourth quarter that killed VT's chance to tie the game.
Opposing defenses have done a better job of trying to take Hodges out of the game in 2015. It's up to Loeffler to find ways to get Hodges open, lining him up in the slot, in the backfield or out wide. Hodges is a player who can make a difference for Virginia Tech against anyone.
What They're Saying
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Playing Voytik against Virginia Tech seems natural, considering how well he played against the Hokies last season. But Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi plans on sticking with Peterman, according to Jerry DiPaola of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
"We are going to stick and try to stay with one guy,” Narduzzi said. “It might be just a package (for Voytik) where it's a play or two or three in a row and then get him out and go from there."
Beamer received a bit of criticism for his remarks after ECU's victory over the Hokies, where he essentially said losing nonconference games wasn't that bad, per Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
"I told them, you’ve got to treat these games, they’re exhibition games, they’re preseason games," Beamer said. "Now it’s on to conference games. Now it’s down to being really important."
Beamer explained those comments in Monday's press conference, per Andy Bitter of the Roanoke Times:
"I think anyone who knows the business knows the conference games are what are important. Like I said, I’ll go right back, if you can win your non-conference games, you have a chance to win the national championship. If you don’t, anytime that you win puts you in a better position for a bowl game. But when you start the conference, now if you can win that, you go to the Orange Bowl. And every win you get in the conference puts you in a better position. I think anybody that understands the business understands exactly what I’m saying.
"
Those comments will not sit well with Virginia Tech fans who want more than just another bowl game.
Prediction
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It's tough to see this one becoming a high-scoring affair. Virginia Tech's defense has struggled a bit, but you have to believe longtime defensive coordinator Bud Foster will rectify that soon. He always does.
Outside of Iowa, Pitt hasn't truly been tested yet.
That will change Saturday.
Expect this one to be close into the fourth quarter, but the Hokies will make enough plays on offense to pull this one out in the end. Expect Foster's defense to create a turnover—or two—that turns into points for Virginia Tech.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 23, Pitt 17
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