After a brutal 41-14 defeat to North Carolina in its most recent game — plus a bye week to recover — Virginia football eyes a crucial showdown at No. 23 Pittsburgh. There is certainly a lot to work on for Coach Tony Elliott’s bunch, namely a horrendous defense that has surrendered 40 or more points in each of the last two games, as well as an offense that has failed to score when it matters due to key injuries on the offensive line. Now, they will look to turn their fortunes around Saturday. Fortunately, the Cavaliers (4-4, 2-3 ACC) are getting healthier, and will look to brighten their fortunes and get back on track for a bowl game. If the Virginia offense can rise to the occasion and the defense can rebound from an incredibly rough stretch, there is a far-fetched but visible path to victory.
Unlike the Cavaliers, the Panthers (7-1, 3-1 ACC) have had a dream season. It started the season with seven wins in a row, mostly off the back of play from redshirt freshman quarterback Eli Holstein. Holstein has been a very consistent captain of the Pittsburgh offense, and his dual-threat ability has made the Panthers very successful. However, Pittsburgh did lose its most recent game at No. 13 Southern Methodist 48-25 and is now out of the driver’s seat to make the ACC Championship game. To stay in the running, the Panthers must conquer Virginia.
For the Cavaliers, any chance of an upset victory starts with the defense. Virginia ranks 15th in the ACC in sacks and 14th in points allowed. On the other hand, the Panther offense is fifth in points scored and seventh in yards. This spells disaster for the Cavalier defense. Virginia will have to put significant pressure on Holstein to force bad decisions and negate a potent passing game — a meaningful goal spelled out by Elliott.
“If we can get the quarterback to move off the spot and disrupt timing, to me that’s as effective as getting to the quarterback,” Elliott said.
At the same time, junior running back Desmond Reid will be another one to watch for the Virginia front seven. Between him and Holstein, the Pittsburgh rushing game is fierce. However, the Panthers boast an even better aerial attack. Five players have registered over 250 receiving yards for Pittsburgh this season. By comparison, the Cavaliers only have two. The Panthers’ passing game is relentless and will seriously challenge a Virginia defense that ranks second-worst in passing yards allowed throughout the ACC. Players like senior safety Jonas Sanker will have to do a better job of containing Holstein’s receivers if the Cavaliers want any chance at a win.
On the other side of the ball, Virginia will have to avoid turnovers and get more effective with the basic plays. Sophomore quarterback Anthony Colandrea threw two interceptions against the Tar Heels and was sacked nine times. Between Colandrea’s decision making and the offensive line’s ability to protect, something has to improve if the Cavaliers want to score more points.
Establishing the rushing game will also be critical. Virginia has not had a 100-yard rushing game since its game against Coastal Carolina Sept. 21, and no players ran for even 25 yards against North Carolina. The top running backs in graduate student Kobe Pace and junior Xavier Brown are both highly capable rushers, but they have yet to get space to run from the offensive line. Colandrea and company will be able to get more done through the air if the run game is working.
All this being said, establishing any sort of offense against Pittsburgh will be challenging for the Cavaliers. They have sacked opposing quarterbacks 24 times so far this season, and they have 10 interceptions. Sophomore linebacker Kyle Louis will be a force to be reckoned with for the Panthers — he leads the team with three interceptions and is tied for the team lead with four sacks. Another player to watch will be sophomore defensive lineman Jimmy Scott, who also has four sacks this season and is the best in the trenches for Pittsburgh. Sophomore linebacker Rasheem Biles will also be a problem for Virginia, as he is both great rushing the quarterback and in coverage.
An upset victory against Pittsburgh is highly unlikely, but there is still hope for the Cavaliers. Elliott is 3-0 after a bye week during his tenure at Virginia. Additionally, Elliott has led his team to big wins on the road before, such as the win at North Carolina last season, so a win is not out of the ordinary. The Panthers also tend to win by thin margins, with four of their seven wins being within ten points. If the Cavaliers can capitalize on a few mistakes from Pittsburgh and play a clean game, a win is far from impossible. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. Saturday, and the game will be broadcast on ACCN.
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