Pitt Take 5: Stakes high when Panthers visit Virginia Tech

When the University of Pittsburgh lines up its football team Saturday inside Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., to confront Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (the game carries enough importance to require the proper names of both schools), the winner will have an advantage to take into the final six games.

Win or lose, each will have plenty of work to do. But three of the seven ACC Coastal teams already had two conference losses before the weekend. North Carolina had three.

Miami has one, but the U lost starting quarterback D’Eriq King to season-ending shoulder surgery. Meanwhile, Pitt and Virginia Tech are each 1-0 in the conference.

What would a Pitt victory mean?

• It would be Pitt’s third road victory against a Power 5 school, leaving the Panthers with four of their final six games at Heinz Field.

• The first 5-1 start since coach Pat Narduzzi’s first team won six of its first seven in 2015.

• Presumably, it would be accompanied by another strong performance from quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is starting to polish a blossoming Heisman resume.

• The Panthers probably would be ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time since early last season.

Let’s take a closer look:

1. One more box to check

Pickett has thrown 19 touchdown passes, second among Power 5 quarterbacks only to Alabama’s Bryce Young, who’s thrown 20 in six games.

He’s been picked off just once in 168 attempts, thrown six touchdown passes in a loss and four in a span of 12 minutes, 44 seconds against New Hampshire. We’re not talking dinks and dunks, either: Nine of 19 have come from a distance range of 22 to 67 yards. Pro Football Focus gives him the nation’s highest grade on deep balls (98.9).

Highest-graded QB on deep pass attempts this season:

???? Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh: 98.9pic.twitter.com/9RRtsYm0SN

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 8, 2021

But there’s one touchdown pass Pickett never has thrown — one that occurred inside the confines of Lane Stadium.

Pitt was blanked 28-0 in 2019 and lost 20-14 two years earlier. In the latter game, Pickett, as a freshman, recorded 242 yards through the air, but Ben DiNucci started and threw a touchdown pass to Rafael Araujo-Lopes. Pitt’s other score was a trick play that turned into a pass from punter Ryan Winslow to long snapper/backup tight end Nathan Bossory.

2. Off weeks help

In Narduzzi’s seven seasons, Pitt has won seven of nine games after an off week. (Bye weeks are for the playoffs.) That includes three during the 2020 season when the Georgia Tech game was postponed until Dec. 10 because of covid concerns.

It’s an indication that players did not get stale and used the time off to recharge.

Reporters ask if the break can stifle momentum, but Narduzzi does not bring it up to his team.

“If our kids are worried about that … that’s not the focus for us,” he said. “The focus is we’re going to go out and play like the last outing (a 52-21 victory against Georgia Tech) and try to get all their minds right into that.

He said he never would say, ‘Oh, guys, let’s make sure we don’t start slow because we had a week off.’ I don’t want to ever plant that seed.

“I hope they’re off of Twitter and don’t even listen to this press conference. We should be fresher. We should be healthier, and be excited to go play.”

3. Keep an eye on Burmeister

Virginia Tech’s offense is averaging only 327.8 yards per game (116th of 130 FBS teams). But quarterback Braxton Burmeister attracted serious attention in Pitt staff meetings and at practice.

He knows how to operate RPOs, the run/pass option plays that buried Pitt against Western Michigan, and he was taking Ibuprofen Saturday night against Notre Dame so he could return to the game after injuring his shoulder.

“He’s a tough guy,” Narduzzi said. “He came back and finished that Notre Dame game like a trooper. He will be ready to go. He makes plays and he’s legitimate fast.”

Containing Burmeister with the pass rush will be vital for Pitt. West Virginia recorded six sacks in a 27-21 victory against the Hokies earlier this season in Morgantown.

4. Friendly fire

Pitt leads the nation in scoring (52.4 points per game) and is third in total offense (554.4 yards), but secondary coach Archie Collins said his side of the ball gets in its licks during practice.

“We go good-on-good (first team vs. first team), seven-on-seven every day,” Collins said.

Narduzzi keeps score in an 18-play exercise. The offense gets a point for every play that gains at least 6 yards. The point goes to the defense for every play shorter than 6 yards or when a pass is incomplete.

“We have a great time going against those guys,” Collins said. “We take it as a challenge to shut those guys out and they take it as a challenge trying to beat us. It’s a healthy practice environment and we have a lot of fun doing it. Guys get amped up.”

Who usually wins?

“They have one day. We have one day. We go back and forth,” Collins said.

5. Looks good, but …

What may eventually set Pitt apart from most of its opponents — other than a nationally recognized quarterback — is its depth.

Pitt can go three deep at running back, including freshman Rodney Hammond Jr., who won’t be redshirted this year, six linebackers, six wide receivers averaging at least 12.2 yards per catch, three cornerbacks and some depth and versatility on the offensive line.

Narduzzi grudgingly admits to that upward trend on his roster, but he knows good times can disappear as quickly as they appear.

“We’ve done a pretty good job of recruiting. You’re never as good as you want to be,” he said. “We’ve done a good job coaching and developing.

“We haven’t done anything else. There are a lot of maybes in there.”