A win against Pitt is crucial on the path to 8
On Thursday night, the Boston College Eagles football team travels to Pittsburgh to face the Pitt Panthers for a weeknight ACC match-up. Both teams have a short turnaround after losing games on Saturday, as BC got demolished by Virginia Tech, 48-22, while Pitt couldn’t stop Syracuse’s rushing attack in a 28-13 loss.
Who: Boston College Eagles (6-4) vs Pittsburgh Panthers (2-8)
Where: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
When: Thursday November 16th
Kickoff Time: 7pm ET
How to Watch: This game will be broadcasted live on ESPN
This match-up is the first installation in what should become a yearly Northeast rivalry. Boston College and Pittsburgh are slated to face each other every year for the next seven years, if ACC scheduling goes as planned.
Our staff has spent this week compiling some great content to preview this match-up. Take a look:
Boston College Football Opponent Preview: Pitt Panthers
What to Watch For
- It’s the run game, stupid. Pittsburgh is terrible at defending the run. Syracuse racked up almost 400 yards on the ground against them last week while only attempting 8 passes all day on their way to a double-digit win. With Thomas Castellanos behind center and Kye Robichaux returning from injury, BC needs to lean heavily on its run game.
- Can BC force turnovers? With Eagles CB Elijah Jones out for the season, BC will need someone to step up in the defensive secondary to make plays. Pitt is one of the national leaders in turning the ball over, and with a question mark at who they’ll be starting at QB, a few key interceptions could be deadly.
- The BC defense needs to show up. Pitt is not a scary offense, but I can’t trust this Eagles D after the showing they just had against Virginia Tech. If they are missing tackles and blowing coverages like they did against the Hokies, then they could let anybody beat them.
- I want Phil Jurkovec! BC’s former QB1 transferred to Pitt this past offseason to follow former BC offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr., but Jurk lost the starting job midway through the season. With Pitt now facing yet another QB controversy, however, who knows who we could see behind center on Thursday night. I know I would enjoy seeing him out there, but he’ll likely be relegated to back-up duties.
Tailgate Treat of the Week
Those who know me know I love Allagash. So I’m going to punctuate this short week with one of their classics, the Hop Reach. I will warn you, though, I had one of these directly after BC’s loss to Virginia Tech, so drink at your own risk.
Prediction: Boston College 28 Pitt 20
Despite the disappointment that was last Saturday, Boston College football has at least shown that they can take care of business against weak competition. Pitt is in the basement of the ACC this season, where many thought BC might be instead, and their run defense provides a tantalizing match-up for Castellanos and Robichaux. The Eagles have been able to dispose of teams on Pitt’s level like Virginia and Syracuse, so I’ll take them in a win here, too.