Oct. 5, 2015

PITT vs. VIRGINIA Game Notes

October 10, 2015 • 12:30 p.m., ET

Heinz Field (68,400/Natural Grass) • Pittsburgh, Pa.
ACC Network • Pitt IMG Sports Radio Network
PittsburghPanthers.com • @GoPittFootball • #UVAvsPITT
LINK: Where to Watch Pitt-UVA

LINK (PDF): Pitt Game Notes (UVA)
GAME STORYLINES

*  Pitt looks to build on its 3-1 start when it hosts ACC Coastal Division foe Virginia this Saturday. The Panthers are back at Heinz Field following three consecutive away games. Pitt completed its road swing with a 17-13 victory over Virginia Tech in its ACC opener.

*  The Cavaliers visit Heinz Field with a 1-3 mark. However, their three losses are to teams with a combined 12-3 record (UCLA, Notre Dame and Boise State). Virginia defeated Pitt last year, 24-19.

*  A win over Virginia would give Pitt its first 4-1 start since the 2009 season. The Panthers have opened with a 4-1 record five times in the past 15 seasons. Since joining the ACC in 2013, Pitt has never won its opening two league games.

*  The Panthers enter the Virginia contest with 699 all-time wins. A victory over UVA would make Pitt just the 19th Bowl Subdivision team to achieve 700 all-time wins.

*  Pitt boasts one of the country’s most productive defenses. The Panthers own national top-5 rankings in quarterback sacks (second, an ACC-best 4.25 sacks/game), rushing defense (fourth, 71.3 yards/game) and total defense (fourth, 243.8 yards/game).

*  With their seven sacks at Virginia Tech, the Panthers now have 17 through four games. In comparison, the Panthers had only 19 sacks in 13 contests last year.

*  Twelve different Pitt players have been in on sacks this season. Senior defensive end Ejuan Price paces the team with three sacks followed by senior linebacker Nicholas Grigsby with 2.5.

*  On the other side of the ball, Pitt features a viable All-America and ACC Offensive Player of the Year candidate in receiver Tyler Boyd. The junior leads the ACC in receptions (8.7 avg.) and receiving yards (91.3 avg.) per game. Boyd is the nation’s active career leader with 6.52 catches per contest.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television • ACC Network (WTAE, Channel 4, in Pittsburgh)
Tim Brant, play-by-play
Dave Archer, analyst
Roddy Jones, reporter

Pitt Radio • 93.7 The Fan & the Pitt IMG Sports Network
Bill Hillgrove, play-by-play
Pat Bostick, analyst
Larry Richert, reporter

SiriusXM Satellite Radio

Sirius Channel 145, XM Channel 193

WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) • 92.1 FM

Pitt IMG Sports Network Online Audio Options

PittsburghPanthers.com via CSLive

Pitt Gameday LIVE App:     iOS    Android    TuneIn

SERIES NOTES

This is the eighth meeting between Pitt and Virginia in a series that dates back to 1953…Pitt leads the series, 4-3…the Cavaliers won last season’s encounter at Scott Stadium, 24-19…in 2013, Pitt triumphed, 14-3, at Heinz Field in the first Atlantic Coast Conference meeting between the two schools…Pitt and Virginia meet annually as members of the ACC’s Coastal Division…the Panthers are 3-0 against Virginia in Pittsburgh…in addition to its 2013 victory, Pitt owns home wins in 2006 (38-13) and 1955 (18-7)…Virginia has a 2-1 edge in games played in Charlottesville, winning in 2014 and 2007 (44-14)…Pitt’s lone road win in the UVA series occurred in 1953 (26-0)…the lone postseason encounter took place in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte, a game that featured Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald and UVA standouts Matt Schaub at quarterback and Heath Miller at tight end…the Cavaliers won that bowl matchup, 23-16.

SERIES IN BRIEF

Series Began: 1953
Series Overall: Pitt leads 4-3
ACC Series: Series tied 1-1
At Pittsburgh: Pitt leads 3-0
At Virginia: UVA leads 2-1
Neutral Sites: UVA leads 1-0 (UVA won 2003 Charlotte Bowl, 23-16)
Last Meeting: Oct. 4, 2014 (UVA won, 24-19)
Last Meeting at Pitt: Sept. 28, 2013 (Pitt won, 14-3)
Current Series Streak: UVA has won 1 (2014)
Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: 2 games (1953, 1955)
Longest UVA Series Win Streak: 1 game (3 times, 2003; ‘07; ‘14)
Largest Pitt Victory Margin: 26 points (26-0, 1953)
Largest UVA Victory Margin: 30 points (44-14, 2007)

Notes: Here is a great Re-Cap Page from the Pitt Media Dept that chronicles all the games played to date.  Let’s keep the link for quick reference when commenting so it sounds like we know what we are talking about to outside readers.

Here is a nice piece by Jerry DiPaloa of the Trib about the different results on defense we are seeing with almost the same players as we had last season… something I was somewhat skeptical of happening.  Ejuan Price , our finally healthy LB turned DE says this about one of the things that has helped that to happen “Everybody is bought in,” said senior defensive end Ejuan Price, who missed the 2014 season with a chest muscle injury but now leads Pitt in sacks with three. “There are no locker room lawyers. Nobody saying, ‘I think I should be doing this or that.’ ”

There is some concern.  Just as we hope our offense gets better in the drier weather, we really need the defense to play better on nice days also after giving up 35 points to YSU then 27 points to Iowa.  This quote also from Price is telling in a different way.

There is a perception the Pitt defense is more aggressive this season, just because everyone assumes coach Pat Narduzzi has built it in his image. Price said it’s more than that. “I don’t know if it’s more aggressive,” he said, “but I’d definitely say it’s more sound than stuff we’ve done in the past. It’s more foolproof. Like if this happens, we have a plan to do this.  “I feel like it’s more thought out.”

Here is a great in-depth recap of the Pitt win over VT by Pitt students themselves.  I have to say that some of the best and most detailed post-game writes are found in The Pitt News and I have been amiss in not checking their work after each game, I’ll make sure to do that in the future.  Here is the Pitt News sports editor, Dan Sostek’s take on how the game played out last Saturday.  Here is a slice of the text and end’s with a quote that sings a positive note:

Virginia Tech had two more opportunities to drive down the field and take the lead, but squandered both. It was forced to punt on its first drive following the block, thanks to a 10-yard sack by Pitt defensive end Ejuan Price, who registered two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. The second opportunity was even less fruitful, as Motley was sacked twice and threw a fourth-down interception to Mike Caprara with 2:18 remaining.

The Panthers ran the remainder of the clock out, sealing their third victory of the season.  Narduzzi was pleased that, unlike two weeks ago in Iowa City, the Panthers were able to close out a game in a close fourth quarter.  “They kinda panicked in the fourth quarter [against Iowa],” Narduzzi said. “In this fourth quarter, they didn’t.”

Keeping with the Pitt News here is Senior Staff Writer Jeremy Tepper’s mid-week take on where the teams stands.

Over the first few weeks of the season, co-starters littered Pitt’s two deep depth chart. This week, there are no “OR’s”—the word that signified a position with two starter– as freshman running back Qadree Ollison and junior linebacker Bam Bradley are now listed as the sole starters at their respective positions. .  “There’s always or’s,” Narduzzi said. “You can see a starter listed in there today and it may be different tomorrow.”

Notably, the depth chart lists Ollison as the sole starter at running back, while Bradley is the starter at the money linebacker, positions that previously had co-starters.  Coming off a 122-yard performance against Virginia Tech, Narduzzi said Ollison earned himself more playing time moving forward.  “He got a bigger footprint at the running back spot just because what he did at the end. He’s starting to figure what is his style,” Narduzzi said.