Know the Opponent: Three Players on Pitt's Offense to Know

These three guys on Pitt should have every Georgia Tech fans attention tonight

It is officially gameday for Georgia Tech and they have another tough test on deck for Saturday. 

The Yellow Jackets are going on the road to take on Pitt, the defending ACC champions. Pitt is 3-1 heading into this game and is ranked in the top 25 in the country. The Panthers have won four straight in this series and will look to make it number five on Saturday night. 

Georgia Tech is going to be playing in their first game under interim head coach Brent Key and it will be interesting to see how this team looks on all sides of the ball. 

Last season, Pitt had one of the best offenses in the country, led by Heisman finalist and future first-round pick Kenny Pickett at quarterback and current USC wide receiver Jordan Addison. While Pitt might not be as good as they were on that side of the ball last year, this offense has plenty of playmakers that can challenge the Georgia Tech defense. 

So who are the guys that Georgia Tech should be worried about the most on the Panther's offense?

3. Gavin Bartholemew- Tight End

Pitt tight end Gavin Bartholomew has been one of the ACC's best this season :: Michael Longo/For USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK

Georgia Tech is going to have to face one of the best tight ends in the ACC tonight. Pitt tight end Gavin Bartholomew is the third leading receiver on the Panthers and at 6-5 260 LBS, could be a big matchup problem for Georgia Tech. 

On the season, Bartholomew has eight catches for 133 yards and a touchdown. He is averaging over 16 yards per catch and the Yellow Jackets' defense is going to have to make sure he does not leak out on play-action passes and get behind the second level of the defense tonight. 

2. Jared Wayne- Wide Receiver

Jared Wayne is now the top receiver on Pittsburgh this season / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

While Addison might be gone, the Panthers still have guys that can make plays on the outside. This year's leading wide receiver is Jared Wayne and he will be the top target for quarterback Kedon Slovis tonight against the Yellow Jackets. 

While Wayne only has 13 catches, he has 265 yards and is averaging over 20 yards per catch. I expect Pitt to run the ball a fair amount tonight and use that to open up play action to take deep shots against a suspect Georgia Tech secondary. The Yellow Jackets can't let Wayne get behind them and make big plays in the passing game. 

1. Israel Abanikanda- Running Back

Pitt running back Israel Abanikanda is the top guy on the Panther's offense / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

If Georgia Tech wants to have any shot at stopping this Pittsburgh offense, they are going to have to do what no other team has been able to do in the last three games and that is stop running back Israel Abanikanda. 

Abanikanda has been one of the best running backs in the country this season and in the last three games, has put up games with 154 yards rushing against Tennessee, 133 yards against Western Michigan, and 177 last week vs Rhode Island. The Yellow Jackets are going to have to hold on in the first half without linebacker Charlie Thomas and hope that Abanikanda does not run wild over their defense. 

This is going to be a tall task for the Georgia Tech offense to stop this Pittsburgh rushing attack. Let's see if they are up to it. 

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