{"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":"
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 <\/p>\n The Panthers played N.C. State well for a half before the better team took over. At 2-5, with their only wins over Youngstown State and Rice, the team could’ve folded under the pressure of adversity and called it a season. Thankfully, this young squad took their failures to heart, and decided to start fighting back. The coaching staff wisely chose one running back in Darrin Hall, and handed him the keys to the running game. He’s responded by averaging 182.5 yards over his past two contests. Ben DiNucci has yet to step up his game since the season ending injury to Max Browne, and it seems that freshman Kenny Pickett could get the nod at any moment to jumpstart the stagnant passing game.<\/p>\n The defense is getting better by the week. The hard work and dedication put forth by the coaches into teaching their system, and the willingness to learn it by the players is finally starting to pay dividends. Now they must continue trending upwards and build for next season and beyond.<\/p>\n Pitt should have most of their bumps and bruises healed after a 11 day layoff.<\/p>\n Carolina’s defense can be had via ground or air. As they did the previous two games, expect to see a lot of Darrin Hall, with a mix of Qadree Ollison, Jordan Whitehead, and Quadree Henderson. It would be nice to see DiNucci get on track and give Pitt a balanced attack. If not, what is Pat Narduzzi waiting for with Kenny Pickett?<\/p>\n Pitt’s running game, combined with a steadily improving defense, should be good enough to bring the Panthers back to 5-5 on the year, with big time tests looming in Virginia Tech and Miami to close out the regular season.<\/p>\n NCAA Week 11<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Venue:<\/strong> Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA.<\/p>\n Game-time:<\/strong>\u00a0Thursday, November 9th, 7:30 pm<\/p>\n Game Tickets Link<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n TV:<\/strong>\u00a0ESPN\u00a0| Announcers: <\/strong>Dave Flemming (play-by-play) Booger McFarland (analyst) Joey Galloway (analyst)\u00a0| Laura Rutledge (reporter)<\/p>\n Local Radio:<\/strong> Pittsburgh- 93.7 The Fan\u00a0| Announcers:\u00a0<\/strong> Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play) Bill Osborne\u00a0(analyst) | Larry Richert\u00a0(sideline)<\/p>\n National Radio:<\/strong> ESPN Radio | Announcers:\u00a0<\/strong> Bill Rosinski (play-by-play) David Norrie (analyst) | Ian Fitzsimmons (sideline)<\/p>\n Sirius XM Satellite Radio:<\/strong> Sirius Channel 84, XM Channel 84, Internet Channel 84<\/p>\n Weather at Kickoff:<\/strong>\u00a045 with a 10% chance of rain.<\/p>\n Vegas Line:<\/strong>\u00a0Pitt -10.5<\/p>\n Overall Record:\u00a04-5 | ACC Record: 2-3 | Rank: N\/A<\/p>\n Head Coach: Pat Narduzzi\u00a0(3rd\u00a0Season with Pitt)<\/p>\n Lifetime Record:\u00a020-15 (.571)<\/p>\n 2017 Pitt Panthers Roster<\/a><\/p>\n Last Week:\u00a0<\/strong>Pitt\u00a031 Virginia 14<\/p>\n Quarterback-<\/em>\u00a0Senior graduate transfer Max Browne\u00a0was the starter at the beginning of the season, but his career\u00a0came to an end at Pitt\u00a0after\u00a0requiring surgery\u00a0on\u00a0a shoulder injury he sustained against Syracuse.\u00a0Ben DiNucci is the next man up and has the ability to take off and run if none of the passing lanes are open. The future of the program belongs to Kenny Pickett. The young freshman is now one snap away from being the starter and given his abilities, the sooner that happens, the better for both him and the program.<\/p>\n Running Backs-<\/em> Pitt plenty of\u00a0guys who can tote the rock, but none are making a difference. Qadree Ollison\u00a0was the starter for the first half of 2017, but Darrin Hall\u00a0has been handed the keys to the lead back role.\u00a0When Hall was finally given the ball consistently vs Duke, he responded with 254 yards on 24 carries. Chawtez Moss had worked his way\u00a0into the mix with his abilities but now finds himself suspended indefinitely. AJ Davis has played sparingly but has seen his role increase the last\u00a0few games.\u00a0Fullback George Aston is back from injury\u00a0but hasn’t been involved much in the offense since his return. Despite playing defense and missing three games, SS Jordan Whitehead is\u00a03rd on the team in rushing with 147 yards.<\/p>\n Wide Receivers-<\/em> Jester Weah caught 36 passes for 872 yards and 10 scores last year. He had struggled to emulate those numbers early in 2017 but has picked his game up over the past month. Needs to get better at attacking the ball and dropping too many easy catches. Quadree Henderson\u00a0is a dynamic playmaker but hasn’t seen anywhere near the touches needed to produce. When he has gotten the ball, he hasn’t done much.\u00a0Maurice French contributes on both the ground and in the air, as he employs a style similar to Hendersen. Aaron Mathews is taking advantage of his chances,\u00a0and Raphael Araujo-Lopez\u00a0is the team leader\u00a0with\u00a037 receptions on the year.<\/p>\n Tight Ends-<\/em> Matt Flanagan and Chris Clark are hoping to be a dynamic duo at tight end for the Panthers. Flanagan has put up decent\u00a0numbers so far in 2017, and Clark, a huge target, is starting to make his presence known in the Pitt offense.<\/p>\n Defense-<\/em> Dewayne Hendrix\u00a0and Rashaad Weaver are co-starters at defensive end, with Allen Edwards on the other side. James Folston, Jr. and Patrick Jones II will also see plenty of action.\u00a0In the middle, you\u2019ll find Shane Roy and the impressive freshman Keyson Camp. Amir Watts and Kam Cater will be in the rotation.<\/p>\n At linebacker, Elijah Zeise, Saleem Brightwell, and Seun Idowu are the starters. Anthony McKee, Jr. and Chris Pine will get\u00a0plenty of\u00a0chances to make an impression, too.<\/p>\n The secondary was scorched game after game last year, and that trend has continued into 2017. Help is on the way as star safety Jordan Whitehead is back after being suspended for the first three games. Avonte Maddox will start at corner\u00a0on one side and expect to see a rotation of Dane Jackson and Damarri Mathis until one stands above the other. With Whitehead back at SS, Dennis Briggs returns to being a back-up.\u00a0Bricen Garner and highly touted Damar Hamlin\u00a0will rotate at\u00a0FS.\u00a0Top recruit Paris Ford enrolled late, but his talent will eventually rise to the top and he will see action sooner than later.<\/p>\n Kicker-<\/em> Freshman Alex Kessman takes over the kicking duties for Pitt. He needs to be more consistent, but he has nailed a 56 yarder this year. He’ll get better with age.<\/p>\n Kick\/Punt Return-<\/em> Quadree Henderson\u00a0will be back deep for every kick.<\/p>\n Quarterback<\/strong><\/p>\n Ben DiNucci (895 yards passing |\u00a04 TD passes\u00a0|\u00a04\u00a0interceptions |\u00a011\u00a0sacks |\u00a043 yards rushing |\u00a01 rushing TD)<\/p>\n Kenny Pickett (74 yards passing |\u00a00 TD passes\u00a0|\u00a00interceptions |\u00a00 sacks |\u00a018 yards rushing |\u00a00rushing TD)<\/p>\n Running Back<\/strong><\/p>\n Darrin Hall (473 yards rushing |\u00a05 rushing TD\u2019s |\u00a09 receptions |\u00a059 receiving |\u00a01\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Qadree Ollison (330 yards rushing |\u00a05 rushing TD\u2019s |\u00a017 receptions |\u00a0150 yards receiving |\u00a01\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Jordan Whitehead\u00a0(147 yards rushing |\u00a01 rushing TD\u2019s |\u00a02 receptions |\u00a07 yards receiving |\u00a00\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Chawntez Moss (113 yards rushing |\u00a02 rushing TD\u2019s |\u00a05 receptions |\u00a075 yards receiving |\u00a01\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n AJ Davis (40 yards rushing |\u00a01 rushing TD\u2019s |\u00a01 receptions |\u00a00 yards receiving |\u00a00\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Fullback<\/strong><\/p>\n George Aston\u00a0(0 yards rushing |\u00a00 rushing TD\u2019s |\u00a00 receptions |\u00a00 yards receiving |\u00a00\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Wide Receivers<\/strong><\/p>\n Rafael Araujo-Lopes\u00a0(37 receptions |\u00a0461 receiving yards |\u00a01\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Jester Weah\u00a0(29 receptions |\u00a0489 receiving yards |\u00a04\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s<\/p>\n Maurice Ffrench (18 receptions |\u00a0179 receiving yards |\u00a00\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Aaron Matthews\u00a0(15 receptions |\u00a0180 receiving yards |\u00a00\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Quadree Henderson\u00a0(13 receptions |\u00a0140 receiving yards | 0 receiving TD\u2019s |\u00a0160 yards rushing |\u00a00\u00a0rushing TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Tight Ends<\/strong><\/p>\n Matt Flanagan (17 receptions |\u00a0160 receiving yards |\u00a00\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Chris Clark (11 receptions |\u00a060 receiving yards |\u00a01\u00a0receiving TD\u2019s)<\/p>\n Kicker<\/strong><\/p>\n Alex Kessman (Extra Point:\u00a025-25 | FG:\u00a09-16 | 0-19: 0-0 |\u00a020-29:\u00a02-4 |\u00a030-39:\u00a01-1 |\u00a040-49:\u00a04-7 |\u00a050+:\u00a02-4 | Long:\u00a056<\/p>\n Pitt Team Statistics, including Defensive Stats<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Overall Record:\u00a01-8 |\u00a0ACC Record:\u00a00-6 | Rank: N\/A<\/p>\n Head Coach:\u00a0Larry Fedora\u00a0(6th Season with\u00a0North Carolina)<\/p>\n Lifetime Record:\u00a075-52 (.590) |\u00a041-30 (.577)\u00a0at North Carolina<\/p>\nPitt Keys to Victory<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Offense<\/h3>\n
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Defense<\/h3>\n
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Prediction<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Pitt\u00a034\u00a0North Carolina 17<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nGame Information<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Pitt\u00a0Panthers (4-5,\u00a02-3)\u00a0vs North Carolina Tar Heels <\/strong>(1-8,\u00a00-6)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nPitt vs North Carolina <\/strong>History<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Game Notes <\/strong><\/h2>\n
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A look at the Pitt\u00a0Panthers!<\/strong><\/h2>\n
<\/h3>\n
Scouting the Panthers<\/strong><\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
Stats<\/strong><\/h3>\n
A look at the\u00a0North Carolina Tar Heels!<\/strong><\/h2>\n