Pitt Travels to Virginia for Key Friday Night Contest

Chris Rossetti

Chris Rossetti

Published November 1, 2018 4:18 am
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Pitt plays another crucial Coastal Division encounter when the Panthers play at Virginia Friday night.

(Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)

Pitt Game Notes

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The game will have significant championship implications. The Cavs are atop the Coastal with a 4-1 ACC record, while Pitt and Virginia Tech are tied for second with 3-1 marks

No. 23/22 Virginia is riding a three-game winning streak, defeating North Carolina last week, 31-21, to gain bowl eligibility with a 6-2 mark. The Panthers evened their record at 4-4 following a 54-45 victory over Duke.

The Cavs are a balanced offense passing for 1,638 yards and rushing for 1,488.

QB Bryce Perkins is completing 63.1 percent of his passes for 1,623 yards, 15 touchdowns and eight interceptions with Olamide Zaccheaus (56 catches, 690 yards, 6 TDs) and Hasise Dubois (32 catches, 360 yards, 3 TDs) leading the receiving group.

Perkins is a mobile QB and is second on the team with 575 yards rushing and six touchdowns. Jordan Ellis leads Virginia with 683 yards on the ground and seven TDs.

NOTES: Since 2013, the Panthers own a 4-1 series advantage over Virginia in ACC play. (Pitt leads the overall series, 7-3.) The Cavaliers’ last victory over Pitt was a 24-19 decision under the lights at Scott Stadium in 2014. … Against Duke, the Panthers literally ran to victory, amassing 484 yards on the ground. The rushing total marked Pitt’s highest since the Tony Dorsett era when it had a record 530 vs. Army in 1975 … Freshman V’Lique Carter was dazzling in his college debut last week against Duke. Carter ran for 137 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries, an incredible average of 19.6 per rush … With 795 total rushing yards this season, Qadree Ollison ranks third among ACC ball carriers. (His average of 99.4 yards per game also ranks third.) Ollison is striving to become only the sixth player in Pitt history to achieve multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons … Pitt is averaging 227.9 rushing yards per game to rank 22nd nationally and fourth among ACC teams. The Cavs are surrendering only 113.0 yards on the ground to rank 20th in the nation and fourth in the ACC … Only a sophomore, placekicker Alex Kessman has the most 50-yard field goals in Pitt history with five. Three of those kicks occurred this season, including a critical 54-yarder in last week’s Duke victory.This is the 11th meeting between Pitt and Virginia in a series that dates back to 1953…Pitt leads the overall series, 7-3, and has won the last three encounters with the Cavaliers…the Panthers claimed a 31-14 decision at Heinz Field last year…Virginia’s last win in the series occurred in 2014 at Scott Stadium, 24-19…the Panthers lead the ACC series, 4-1…Pitt is 5-0 against the Cavaliers in Pittsburgh and 2-2 in Charlottesville…Virginia won the lone neutral site contest, a 23-16 decision in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl, played in the Carolina Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, N.C.)…that postseason contest featured all-time great Pitt wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and UVA standouts Matt Schaub at quarterback and Heath Miller at tight end.

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