3 Winners, 3 Losers From Pitt's Victory Over Virginia Tech
PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers earned their fourth win of the season with a somewhat impressive blowout over Virginia Tech.
By no means was this Pitt's best showing, but when you break an offensive record and force your first two turnovers since Week 3, it's not a bad win.
As the Panthers move to 4-2, here are their biggest winners and losers against Virginia Tech.
Winners
Israel Abanikanda
Does anything more need to be said than a broken Tony Dorsett record? Israel Abanikanda is Pitt's best player, he's proving to be the best runner they've had in years and it's only Week 6.
Abanikanda finished the night with 320 yards and six touchdowns, breaking Pitt's single-game rushing yards record and tying their single-game rushing touchdowns record.
"It feels amazing. Unreal," Abanikanda said after the game. "But also, I know what I'm capable of. It's nothing new. But it feels unreal breaking these legendary players' records."
It really doesn't feel like anything crazy compared to what he's been doing all season. That being said, there's no way to minimize a record that's held strong through names like Ironhead Heyward, LeSean McCoy, James Connor and so many others.
Now, it's only a matter of time before Abanikanda is Pitt's next nationally spotlighted player.
Pitt's Big Play Defense
The Panthers' defense was as inconsistent as they could've been in Week 6, but when they needed to step up, they did - and that's a win.
When Virginia Tech was facing third down and on the verge of field goal range, Pitt would find the quarterback for a sack. When the offense failed to produce and the team needed a stop, they got one. And in the fourth quarter when the Hokies found a pass across the middle that could've sparked a game-changing drive, John Morgan forced a fumble.
It was a pretty game for the Panthers' defense, but it was the game they needed to get back into their winning ways. The team came into the season looking to rely on their running game and defensive power - through six games, they've done just that. And against the Hokies, it worked.
Jared Wayne
Pitt's passing attack struggled in this one, but Jared Wayne continues to make it know he's the best option on the team. He finished the night with four receptions for 36 yards but was open a number of times on plays that didn't go his way.
When the ball is in Wayne's hands, good things happen. When the offense runs in his direction, he makes the block. There's nothing the Panthers' senior isn't good at these days.
It's about time they start taking more advantage of him.
Losers
Kedon Slovis
Slovis didn't have a terrible game against Virginia Tech, but it was certainly one he won't enjoy looking back on.
Pitt's quarterback finished with 170 yards on the night, completing 15 of 27 passes. Again, not a terrible showing. But watching, you noticed multiple times that Slovis's timing was off and that his ability to make a second read seemed very slow against the Hokies.
Even head coach Pat Narduzzi noticed it.
"We'll figure it out," Narduzzi said. "We've got to get him -- make him better. We've got to make him better as coaches, so we'll look into that. I've got some ideas, and we'll figure that thing out."
It's hard to tell if it's the offensive gameplan and rather reserved play-calling or Slovis having a difficult time adjusting to the offense. Either way, it's a glaring concern for Pitt's offense.
Frank Cignetti
Pitt's offense is a one-man show with so much talent that isn't being utilized. Maybe it's the struggles of Slovis, but it feels like a very small amount of what was made known to be a large playbook being used by offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti.
Abanikanda is having a record-setting season for the Panthers, but sometimes you have to think about how good he would be if the running plays weren't so predictable. And when it comes to the passing game, don't even get started.
All we heard this offseason was how the receiving game would be fine without Jordan Addison because of all the talent behind him. Well, that talent rarely gets used. And when it does, it's screen passes.
There's no spark outside of Abanikanda on this offense. And honestly, it feels like Abanikanda and the offensive line are making that spark themselves.
Very concerning for a team that was ready to keep their offensive success high with a new OC.
Pitt Special Teams
Pitt has had some stellar play from their special teams unit this season, but against Virginia Tech, the unit needed to be better.
The Panther started the game with a fumble by C'Bo Flemister in the first half. They replaced Flemister with Abanikanda afterward with hopes of finding consistency and reliability from their returners.
In the second half, things got worse. The Hokies blocked a punt with a little over 13 minutes remaining in the third quarter. The block turned into a touchdown and gave Virginia Tech an opportunity to tie the game at 31 - an attempt that was denied on the two-point conversion.
The block was the first time an opposing team blocked a punt by Pitt since Notre Dame did so on Oct. 24 2020.
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