All eyes will be on how the Panthers can respond to last weeks loss
The Pittsburgh Panthers will kick off against the North Carolina Tar Heels at 8 pm tonight in Chapel Hill. The Panthers enter the contest with a record of 4-3. The Tar Heels enter as the 17th-ranked team in the nation and a record of 6-1.
Pittsburgh looks to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Louisville in a game where it was yet another disappointing showing from quarterback Kedon Slovis. North Carolina is fresh coming off a bye week after a thrilling win against rival Duke. UNC will look to keep the coastal lead firmly in the driver’s seat of the division.
This game is putting a couple of streaks on the line. To offer Pitt fans a little hope, the team has beaten a ranked team in six straight seasons under coach Pat Narduzzi. The downside is Pitt has never won a game at Chapel Hill, going 0-6 all-time at UNC.
If the Panthers want to have a chance at this game this HAS to be the game the offense shows up for and plays a complete game. North Carolina is averaging 41.7 points per game. Quarterback Drake Maye has been the catalyst for this explosive offense. On the season Maye has 2,283 passing yards, completing 70.1% of his passes for 24 touchdowns and three interceptions. Maye is also the teams leading rusher with 378 yards on the season and adding another three touchdowns.
On the defensive side, North Carolina is one of the worst teams in the country and Pitt has to take advantage. The Tar Heels allow a whopping 476.3 yards per game and have allowed 30 touchdowns so far. UNC is 126th in the nation in passing defense so if there is a game that Slovis can get right it has to be this game. With the 111th-ranked rushing defense, Israel Abanikanda has the potential for another big game if the Pitt offense isn’t forced to play keep up with the UNC offense.
This is shaping up to be one of the toughest matchups for Pitt on the season outside of the Tennessee game. Everyone will be watching to see if the Panthers can respond after last week’s letdown.