Pitt : Football Travels to Virginia for Key ACC Coastal Division Encounter
By Kipper
@pghsportsforum
http://http://www.pittsburghpanthers...092914aaa.html
"Sept. 29, 2014
Pitt (3-2, 1-0 ACC) vs. Virginia (3-2, 1-0 ACC)
Date Saturday, October 4, 2014 | 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Location Charlottesville, Va. | Scott Stadium (61,500/Natural Grass)
Television ROOT Sports Pittsburgh | RSN Affiliates
Radio PITT IMG Sports Radio Network | 93.7 FM The Fan | WPTS-FM 92.1
Online Panthers All-Access | TuneIn
Live Stats Gametracker
Game Notes / Stats Notes | Stats
Social Media @GoPittFootball - Twitter / Instagram / #PittvsUVA
Game Storylines
• Pitt travels to Virginia for a key Atlantic Coast Conference game. The Panthers and Cavaliers are both 1-0 in the ACC and look to stay atop the Coastal Division standings.
• After opening the season with three consecutive victories, the Panthers head to Virginia looking to break a two-game losing streak. Pitt has never lost three consecutive games under Coach Paul Chryst.
• Pitt sophomore running back James Conner leads the ACC and ranks second nationally in total rushing yards (791) and rushing touchdowns (nine).
• James Conner's 791 rushing yards are the most in the opening five games of a season in Pitt history. Conner is outpacing such Panther luminaries as Tony Dorsett, Craig "Ironhead" Heyward and LeSean McCoy.
• Conner and Pitt's offense will be challenged by a Virginia defense that ranks 10th nationally (second in the ACC) against the run. UVa yields just 86.6 yards on the ground. The Panthers are averaging 269.4 rushing yards, third best in the ACC.
• Pitt boasts national top-25 rankings in six major defensive categories: total defense (eighth, 265.2 yards/game), pass defense (10th, 158.4 yards/game), passes intercepted (11th, seven total), third-down conversion defense (14th, 28.8%), scoring defense (23rd, 18.0 points/game) and rush defense (24th, 106.8 yards/game).
• The Panthers are fielding one of their youngest rosters in memory. Pitt went through the preseason with 81 underclassmen (53 freshmen and 28 sophomores), the highest total of any Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team in the country.
Pitt-Virginia History in Brief
Series Began: 1953
Series Overall: Pitt leads 4-2
ACC Series: Pitt leads 1-0
At Pittsburgh: Pitt leads 3-0
At Virginia: Series tied 1-1
Neutral Sites: UVa leads 1-0 (UVa won 2003 Continental Tire Bowl, 23-16)
Last Meeting: Sept. 28, 2013 (Pitt won, 14-3)
Last Meeting at UVa: Sept. 29, 2007 (UVa won, 44-14)
Current Series Streak: Pitt has won 1 (2013)
Longest Pitt Series Win Streak: 2 games (1953, 1955)
Longest UVa Series Win Streak: 1 game (twice, 2003; 2007)
Largest Pitt Victory Margin: 26 points (26-0, 1953)
Largest UVa Victory Margin: 30 points (44-14, 2007)
Pitt-Virginia Series Notes
This is the seventh meeting between Pitt and Virginia in a series that dates back to 1953...Pitt leads the series, 4-2...the Panthers won last year's encounter at Heinz Field, 14-3, in the first-ever Atlantic Coast Conference game between the two schools...Pitt and Virginia play annually as members of the ACC's Coastal Division...the Panthers last visited Scott Stadium on Sept. 29, 2007...the host Cavaliers scored 27 first-quarter points en route to a 44-14 win...this is Pitt's third all-time visit to Charlottesville...prior to the 2007 game, the Panthers last played at UVa in 1953, winning 26-0...Pitt is 3-0 against Virginia in Pittsburgh and 1-1 in Charlottesville...the lone postseason encounter took place in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte, a game that featured Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald and UVa standouts Matt Schaub at quarterback and Heath Miller at tight end...the Cavaliers won that bowl matchup, 23-16.
Pitt- Virginia Broadcast Information
Television • RSN (ROOT SPORTS in Pittsburgh)
Wes Durham, play-by-play
James Bates, analyst
Jenn Hildreth, reporter
Pitt Radio • 93.7 The Fan & the Pitt IMG Sports Network
Bill Hillgrove, play-by-play
Pat Bostick, analyst
Larry Richert, reporter
--PITT--"
I hope the Panthers can bounce back tonight against the Cavaliers. The past two games have been tough. Pitt has not played like the same team that opened 2014, 3-0. Going into Charlottesville for a night game is a tall order. The Cavs have played competitive football against above average competition this year - vs. UCLA, vs. Louisville, at BYU - and they've really answered the calls to Mike London possibly losing his job. My thought is the Panthers are going to have to play a solid game tonight to have a chance. The running game has to get going with James Connor and Isaac Bennett. The defense must be tall and up to the task. No expectations of a win, but it is not out of the question.
LET'S GO PITT!
http://http://www.cbssports.com/coll...elmets-vs-pitt
"Virginia will debut a new look on Saturday night, wearing an all-white uniform at home with a slick-looking carbon fiber helmet.
"Perhaps for the first time ever," a school release said, Virginia will have white jerseys and white pants for a home game. The decision was made in order to contrast the new helmets, which will stand out under the lights along with pink wristbands, socks and gloves in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month.
With a win against Louisville and competitive showings against UCLA and BYU, Virginia has been one of the few ACC Coastal teams to exceed expectations early in the 2014 season. A win against Pittsburgh on Saturday is big for getting the Wahoos to bowl eligibility given a schedule that closes with Florida State, Miami and Virginia Tech.
Check out more of the helmet and uniform below, proudly modeled by defensive end Eli Harold."