[ad_1]
The two programs will meet for the 22nd time on Saturday.
Football
10/7/2022 8:00:00 AM
The Hokies will face the Panthers on Saturday afternoon at Arizona Stadium in Pittsburgh. Below is what fans should watch leading up to the 3:30 p.m. game on the ACC Network.
War in the Trenches
If you’re a hard-nosed football fan, 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 must-watch matchup is Tech’s tight end Silas Dsanzi against Pitt defensive lineman Kalija Kanse. Dsanzi, the heart of the offensive line, will face one of the toughest running backs in the ACC, as Kanze ranks third in the ACC in tackles for loss (7.5).
Slow and methodical
The Panthers’ offense, led by USC transfer Kedon Slovis, controlled the ball and dictated the pace of the game, ranking first in the ACC and 11th in the nation in scoring efficiency (34:01). The Hokies need to be able to stop pitchers when they can, and luckily, they’ve been able to do that so far this season. Tech is currently first in the ACC and eighth nationally in stopping offense on third down (24.6%). Another way to stop the Panthers offensive unit is to create turnovers. The Hokies have committed just four turnovers so far this season, and will need to force some more this Saturday to stay in the race for a shot at the ACC title game.
Known enemies
Each team’s head coach faces a familiar face on the field. Brent PrHe faced Pat Narduzzi with the Pitt Panthers from 2016-19 when he was the defensive coordinator at Penn State. The Nittany Lions are up 3-1 in the series and 1-1 against Pittsburgh. In addition to one loss in 2016, when Pitt was held to 42 points, Pree held Narduzzi to less than 15 points in the other three games, controlling Narduzzi’s offense. The Lunch Pail defense currently ranks third in the ACC in total defense (310.2 yards allowed/game), so Pry will look to continue that trend on Saturday.
Stop the run
Tech currently leads the ACC and is seventh in the country in all-purpose yards (773), running back Israel Abanikanda, one of the most dangerous weapons in the ACC, will be in the ACC in rushing yards (510). ) and second in touchdowns (seven). A player of this talent can blow the game wide open, so the attention of hockey players heading into this game has Abanikanda. However, Tech’s defensive unit performed well on the run. Prior to last week, the Hokies ranked third in the ACC in run defense (86.0 ypg).
Beach chaos
Since 2013, when the ACC expanded to 14 teams, Pitt is the only two-time Coastal champion (2018, 2021). The 2022 season will be the last time the teams compete for the division championship trophy. A win on Saturday would put Tech at 2-1 in the ACC and in a good position to compete for the eventual Coastal Championship.
[ad_2]
Source link