{"id":23355,"date":"2017-11-07T08:34:34","date_gmt":"2017-11-07T13:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/test.ngscsports.com\/?p=23355"},"modified":"2020-08-20T11:54:50","modified_gmt":"2020-08-20T15:54:50","slug":"pitt-panthers-vs-north-carolina-tar-heels-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ngscsports.com\/2017\/11\/07\/pitt-panthers-vs-north-carolina-tar-heels-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitt Panthers vs North Carolina Tar Heels Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n \t<\/i> Read Time:<\/span>15 Minute, 56 Second <\/div>\n\n <\/div>

Welcome to the Pitt Panthers\u00a0vs\u00a0North Carolina Tar Heels\u00a0Preview! This is your one-stop shop for everything you need to know about Pitt and their upcoming opponent! Mike Drakulich of Pittsburgh SportsNation brings you inside the huddle for both teams, providing all fans\u00a0with\u00a0a Game Preview, Pitt’s Keys to Victory, Score Prediction, a detailed\u00a0breakdown of each team, Game Information, Individual Stats, Team Stats,\u00a0down to\u00a0the weather at kickoff. The only thing you\u2019re missing is a game uniform!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On Thursday night, the Pitt Panthers look to run their winning streak to three in a row when the North Carolina Tar Heels visit Heinz Field.<\/p>\n

After a tumultuous early\u00a0season, a once young and\u00a0inexperienced\u00a0defense is starting to come into it’s own, especially in shutting down the opposing team’s running game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou’re really starting to see the fruits of their labor show up in their production,\u201d defensive line coach Charlie Partridge said. \u201cIt hasn’t necessarily shown up in the stat line up until the Virginia game, but this has been a thing coming for a long time since I got here eight months ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

Out of the 11 players starting for the Panthers this week on defense, the unit had a combined total of six career starts at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n

Partridge is excited for what the future will bring for his unit.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis group can be and has the potential to be \u2014 and those are dangerous words, can and potential \u2014 one of the best D-lines here,\u201d he said. \u201cTrust me, I know what that statement means.\u201d<\/p>\n

Partridge has coached some pretty good D-lineman in his career, including none other than the Pittsburgh Steeler’s T.J. Watt, while at Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs you look to the horizon, this group can be special,\u201d Partridge said. \u201cIt’s a young group with a lot of potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

Virginia tested Pitt’s defense by going for it on 4th down five times. They were successful only once. They also stopped Virginia 11 out of 17 times on 3rd down.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked about getting paid on the money down,\u201d head coach Pat Narduzzi said. \u201cWe stopped them four out of five times on fourth down. That’s big-time football.\u201d<\/p>\n

The players have found their confidence and are seeing their hard work in practice–and in games–\u00a0finally paying off.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re a young group, so we had to get our groove,\u201d sophomore middle linebacker Saleem Brightwell said. \u201cNow, we’ve got it going. I just love being out there with my defense, my brothers, and just making plays happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Offensively, it was great to see Quadree Henderson work his magic again in Pitt’s last game vs Virginia, where he broke seven tackles enroute to a 75 yard punt return for a score.<\/p>\n

Henderson hasn’t made as much a difference in the Panther rushing attack this year, but defenses are still pulling players towards his side when he gets used as a decoy for the Jet Sweep.<\/p>\n

\u201cThree guys are coming with me, and he (Darrin\u00a0Hall)\u00a0has (only) eight people to get away from,\u201d he said. \u201cThe safety, the linebacker and a corner all looked at me, thinking I had the ball. Carrying out all my fakes sprung D-Hall on both of those big runs. I’m never a selfish player.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do whatever I have to do to get my teammates open for us to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hall picked up where he left off against Duke in the Virginia game, rushing for 111 yards vs the Cavaliers.<\/p>\n

Henderson and the Panthers are getting a little weary of North Carolina, who owns a four game winning streak against Pitt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe owe them one,\u201d Henderson said.<\/p>\n

Though players like Henderson are eager\u00a0for a little revenge against a team that has had it’s number since joining the ACC, coach Narduzzi wasn’t going to let UNC’s 1-8 record give his team, or the media,\u00a0a false sense of confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know some of you (reporters) will probably think it’s an easy game,\u201d Narduzzi said. \u201cWe’ve stressed with our guys it will not be an easy game. I’ll guarantee you that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Tar Heels have had a tough time replacing key players lost to the NFL, including QB Mitch Trubisky. Chazz Surratt, Brandon Harris and Nathan Elliott have all given it a shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre any of them Trubisky?\u201d Narduzzi said. \u201cProbably not, but none of our (quarterbacks) are (Nathan) Peterman yet, so that’s even right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

One particular player, Ryan Switzer, won’t be there to torture the Panthers anymore.<\/p>\n

The Tar Heels, like the Panthers, have shown improvement as the season has progressed. They just haven’t translated any of it into wins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey should have beat Miami, in my opinion,\u201d Narduzzi said.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Pitt Keys to Victory<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Offense<\/h3>\n