Pitt vs North Carolina: Game Info, Odds, Three Storylines

The Pitt Panthers open ACC play against the Tar Heels.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers are reeling after consecutive losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati, but with the start of ACC play gives them a second life in what has already been a long 2023 season. 

The No. 17 North Carolina visits Pittsburgh this weekend for a primetime kickoff, looking to cement their status as the league's second-best team while the Panthers seek to play spoiler and get their own season back on track. 

Game Info
Opponent: No. 17 North Carolina (3-0 overall, 0-0 ACC)
Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
Location: Acrisure Stadium; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Broadcast: ACC Network and 93.7 The Fan

Odds
The Panthers are a consensus 7.5-point underdog to the Tar Heels. North Carolina is favored at -290 on the moneyline while Pitt can be had for +235 odds. The point total line has been set at 50.5. The line has moved two points in North Carolina's favor since opening earlier in the week.

Three Storylines

Is It Possible to Spot Drake Maye
Ask the Pitt players and coaching staff and there's little the quarterback they're facing this week can't do. Drake Maye can throw, he can run, he can deal deadly passes from inside the pocket and he can improvise off schedule. So how do you go about defending a guy like that? 

Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi said it's all about sticking to their fundamentals and trusting the system. He thought his defense played pretty well the last time they faced Maye last season. The loss of eventual ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Calijah Kancey, midgame changed things and Narduzzi wants his team not to overreact when Maye makes a good play. 

Unleash Hammond
Pitt is trying to take more off of struggling quarterback Phil Jurkovec's plate and part of that means more Rodney Hammond at tailback. The Panthers feel comfortable feeding him now that Hammond is finally healthy. 

"Rodney, we’re going to put a load on Rodney [on Saturday], he needs to go," Narduzzi said. "I think you guys will all be happy with that. He was a little banged up during camp but we got him back, hopefully, to as good as health as he’s had. So Rodney’s ready to go."

Lingering Injuries
The last time we saw the Panthers, their starting left tackle, right guard and strongside linebacker did not finish the game and few updates have been provided on each of their status' for the coming game. 

Narduzzi said they expect B.J. Williams back for this game after he missed the Backyard Brawl. But even more importantly, it's anyone's guess if Matt Goncalves and Bangally Kamara will play against the Tar Heels. For a team looking to get their offense back on track and contain an explosive opponent, those would be huge losses. 

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

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