Pitt vs Louisville: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have returned from the bye week and will kick off the second half of the season against one of the hottest teams in college football.
No. 14 Louisville brings its seven-game winning streak into Acrisure Stadium to take on the scuffling Panthers, who have made some lineup adjustments to try and spark a turnaround.
Game Info
Opponent: No. 14 Louisville (6-0 overall, 3-0 ACC)
Time: 6:30 p.m. EST
Location: Acrisure Stadium; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast: The CW and 93.7 The Fan
Odds
The Cardinals are a consensus 7.5-point favorite over the Panthers, who are +240 underdogs on the moneyline compared to -298 for Louisville. The point total line has been set at 44.5.
Three Storylines
Opening the Veill-Era
Christian Veilleux will not have the luxury of easing into starting duties after he replaced Phil Jurkovec last week. Veilleux did have the bye week to get more acclimated to his new role as the leader of the first offense but he will make his starting debut against the No. 14 team in the country, which has grown an affinity for capitalizing on mistakes.
Ball control will be essential for a Pitt team that ranks 12th in the league in time of possession. It would be unreasonable to expect a massive step forward for this offense with Veilleux at the helm, but care with the football and command of the system are at the top of the wishlist. More definitive evaluations can wait until further down the line.
Cardinals Can Attack From Everywhere
Louisville ranks second in both total yards passing and rushing in the ACC. The three-headed monster of Jack Plummer at quarterback, Jamari Thrash at wideout and Jawhar Jordan at running back pose diverse threats that few defenses have been able to get a hold on so far this season.
It will take a complete defensive effort from the Panthers to pull off the upset this week. The tackling must improve, the coverage must improve and the run fits must improve because if Louisville finds any open space, they will punish Pitt with remarkable team speed.
Eyes On The Trenches
Pitt will roll out the same starting five along the offensive line for a third consecutive game, a feat that has not been possible often during the first half of the season as the unit dealt with injuries.
There have been noticeable improvements made by players like Ryan Bear, who didn't allow a sack in starting action against Virginia Tech after a rough starting debut against North Carolina. Terrance Moore has also been good in two starts at center in relief of Jake Kradel, who is dealing with an injury. Continuity should also help this unit develop some chemistry and they'll need to do that desperately with a first-time starter under center.
They will meet a furious Lousiville pass rush that has helped force the most interceptions in the ACC. They're led by Ashton Gillotte, the league leader in sacks with 6.5 but have 10 players on the roster who have recorded multiple tackles for loss this season.
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