PITTSBURGH – Teams coming off disappointing losses face off in their ACC opener when Pittsburgh hosts Georgia Tech on Saturday. The Panthers were outscored 44-0 over the final 30 1/2 minutes against in-state foe Penn State while the Yellow Jackets lost to South Florida - its fifth defeat since the start of the 2017 season after taking a double-digit lead during the course of a game.
TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ACC Regional Sports Network. LINE: Georgia Tech -4.5.
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Pitt had 14 penalties, three turnovers and three dropped holds (costing them 11 points) in the 51-6 defeat, while quarterback Kenny Pickett threw for just 55 yards and was sacked four times in front of 68,400 fans -- the second largest crowd in school history. "Our football team came out cranked up. They were ready to go, but we made too many mistakes and it doesn’t matter how ready you are to go," Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi told reporters this week. “We’re not going to measure anything after a game. One game, two games, three games, nothing’s measured like that. Every week, this is the most important game. Georgia Tech is the most important game now.” Despite scoring on its first three possessions of both halves and going over 600 total yards for the sixth time under 11th-year coach Paul Johnson, the Yellow Jackets were undone by two fourth-quarter turnovers and gave up three consecutive fourth-quarter scores in the 49-38 defeat. "It was just sickening” (to watch the game video)," Johnson told reporters earlier this week. “I don’t think confidence is a problem. It might be too much of it. It seems like every time we make a play, we want to celebrate. You’ve got to close out the games.”
ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (1-1)
The Yellow Jackets rushed for 419 yards - their second straight game with more than 400 - and passed for 183 more, amassing 602 yards in total offense and holding the ball for over 35 minutes. Quarterback TaQuon Marshall left the game early in the third quarter with a minor leg injury and finished with 113 yards rushing and a touchdown on 13 carries while completing 9-of-18 passes for 183 yards and one score. Jordan Mason, who got the majority of carries after starter KirVonte Benson went down with a knee injury, ran for 95 yards on 13 attempts and is averaging 7.5 yards per carry in two games.
ABOUT PITTSBURGH (1-1)
The only bright spot on offense for the Panthers against the Nittany Lions was senior running back Qadree Ollison, who ran for 119 yards on 21 carries but was stonewalled in the second half. Pickett completed 9-of-18 passes in his third career start, but it was certainly a step back after his performance in an upset win over Miami in the 2017 finale and going 16-of-22 against Albany in the season-opening 33-7 victory. Senior linebacker Quintin Wirginis, who missed all of last season with an injury, had nine tackles, 2.5 for loss, and a sack against the Lions.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Pitt leads the all-time series 7-5, but Georgia Tech pulled out a 35-17 victory last season, shutting out the Panthers in the second half and holding them to 100 yards.
2. Georgia Tech has lost six straight games away from Bobby Dodd Stadium. It has not won away from home since a 33-18 win over Kentucky in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl on Dec. 31, 2016, and has not won a true road game since a 28-27 win at Georgia on Nov. 26, 2016.
3. Benson, who ran for 1,053 yards last season, injured his knee in the first half last week and will be lost for the season.
PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 27, Georgia Tech 23