UNC vs. Pitt: Game preview, info, prediction and more
UNC is one of six ACC football teams to start its season 3-0 – and the Tar Heels are being rewarded with a primetime game.
The Tar Heels open up conference play against Pitt on Saturday night, traveling up to Pennsylvania for an 8 p.m. start. Each team’s respective season is trending in opposite directions – UNC sits at 3-0 after holding Minnesota to 13 points in last weekend’s victory, while Pitt dropped to 1-2 by losing the 106th annual Backyard Brawl to West Virginia.
Both teams have different playing styles.
Carolina is an offensive juggernaut that can either torture you with Drake Maye’s arm or Omarion Hampton’s legs. The Heels have reached 31 points in two of their first three games, including a season-high 40 in the back-and-forth triumph over App State.
Pitt is a team built on its defensive identity. The Panthers sport the nation’s third-best passing defense, allowing just 114 yards per game to opponents. Cincinnati beat Pitt 27-21 in Week 2, but that’s the highest point totaled Pitt’s given up through three weeks.
A strong passing defense didn’t stop Maye last week, as he torched Minnesota for 414 yards and two touchdowns. Maye should certainly win the quarterback battle against Boston College transfer Phil Jurkovec, who carries a 474-yard, 4-touchdown, 3-interception statline into Saturday’s battle.
Hampton is the best running back on either team – he is joined by another 100-yard rusher in British Brooks. Carter Daniel leads the Pitt rushing room with 103 yards, but three separate players have scores.
Let’s take a deeper dive into Saturday night’s ACC opener for both teams:
Key to victory for UNC
After two consecutive “slow” weeks, UNC starting quarterback Drake Maye appears to have finally found his rhyhthm.
The redshirt sophomore failed to crack the 300-yard mark against South Carolina and App State, a feat he accomplished seven times in 2022.
In the 31-13 victory over Minnesota, Maye exploded for 414 yards (second-highest UNC career total) and two touchdowns, looking a lot more like the Heisman Trophy contender the college football world expects. The Golden Gophers entered last Saturday allowing under 100 passing yards per game to opponents, which made Maye’s outing that much more impressive.
Pitt’s pass defense is equally as great, if not better, than Minnesota’s. The Panthers allow 114 passing yards per game, good enough for third-best in the nation.
Maye has a wide variety of receiving weapons at his disposal – Nate McCollum, Bryson Nesbit and Kobe Paysour, to name a few.
Whoever Maye decides to throw to on Saturday, he’ll need to develop a fast and deep connection with. UNC’s key to victory is a productive Maye, which we saw a whole lot of last week.
Something to watch
Even with the arrival of Phil Jurkovec from Boston College, the Pitt offense has severely underwhelmed through its last two games.
Since walloping FCS school Wofford by a 45-7 mark in Week 1, the Panthers have struggled to find the end zone.
Yes, Pitt scored 21 points in a Week 2 loss against Cincinnati, but it didn’t crack 300 yards. Last week was even more disappointing for the Panthers, as they mustered just 211 total yards against West Virginia in the 106th annual Backyard Brawl.
Pitt has just one 100-yard rusher – Daniel Carter – but three guys with rushing scores and at least 95 yards. Jurkovec is a solid runner too, with 76 yards of his own.
Jurkovec was one of the ACC’s top passers in 2020, slinging the ball for 2,558 yards and 17 touchdowns as a Boston College Eagle. He also ended his BC career with a 1,711-yard, 11-touchdown campaign last year.
Those watching the UNC-Pitt game should keep an eye on the Panthers’ offense, particularly Jurkovec. Pitt has a running back committee, similar to UNC’s, that can wear down opponents. The Panthers have a solid QB in Jurkovec, but he hasn’t played like the gunslinger Pitt expected when he transferred in the offseason.
What you need to know
WHAT? North Carolina Tar Heels (3-0) vs. University of Pittsburgh (1-2)
WHEN? Saturday, Sept. 23rd, 8 p.m. EST
WHERE? Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.
TV? ACC Network (Watch and stream the game live on theacc.com)
RADIO? 93.7 The Fan and Pitt Radio Network
WEATHER? 65 degrees, 10% chance of rain, 6 mph winds
LINE? UNC -7.5
LAST MEETING? 2022, UNC 42-24
ALL-TIME SERIES? UNC leads, 11-5
PREDICTION? UNC 34, Pitt 24
