UM vs Pitt: Matchups to Watch
By David Villavicencio
HurricanesSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The Canes have one more game left at Hard Rock Stadium and they want to send their seniors off with a victory.
After becoming bowl-eligible with a 38-14 win over Virginia Tech last time out, Miami concludes its regular season with a home matchup vs. #24/#25 Pitt on Senior Day at Hard Rock Stadium. Miami is looking to avenge last year’s lone regular-season loss, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Miami carries a commanding 25-11-1 all-time series lead vs. Pittsburgh, including a 13-5-1 lead in games played at home in the head-to-head series. The Hurricanes fell, 24-14, in last year’s regular season finale vs. Pitt at Heinz Field, marking Miami’s only regular-season loss of 2017 (10-1). Miami has won 10 of the last 12 matchups dating to 1998, and has only lost three times to Pitt in the modern era of Miami Football (18-3 since 1979).
Pittsburgh is under the direction of fourth-year coach Pat Narduzzi, who has compiled a 28-21 record at Pitt – the 2018 Coastal Division champions. The Panthers are riding a four-game winning streak heading into Saturday’s matchup, and have not lost since an October 13 game at Notre Dame. The Pitt offense is led by quarterback Kenny Pickett (1,695 passing yards, 15 total TDs), running back Qadree Ollison (1,106 rushing yards, 10 TDs) and running back Darrin Hall (888 rushing yards, 9 TDs). The Panthers defense is led by defensive back Damar Hamlin (70 total tackles) and defensive lineman Rashad Weaver (12.0 TFLs, 5.5 sacks).
Here are three matchups to watch in Saturday’s game.
Miami’s run defense vs. Pitt’s running game
Pitt’s identity is a power running team that features a pair of excellent backs running behind a high-quality and veteran offensive line. The Panthers rank third in the ACC and 14thnationally in rush offense, averaging 247.5 yards per game. Qadree Ollison is third in the conference in rushing yards per game ay 100.5, while Darrin Hall is sixth at 80.7 yards per game. The duo has combined for 19 rushing touchdowns this season.
The Panthers’ offensive line was recently named a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award, which has been annually presented to college football’s outstanding offensive line unit since 2015. Four seniors lead the group upfront that has helped the Panthers average an impressing 346 rushing yards per game over their current four-game winning streak, but Pitt will be without sophomore starting center Jimmy Morrissey after he sustained a season-ending ankle injury.
The Canes are among the best in the ACC at stopping the run, holding opponents to 132.8 yards per game – third-fewest in the conference. Miami’s defensive line is led by All-America candidate Gerald Willis III, who leads the ACC with 17.0 tackles for loss. The disruptive redshirt senior is joined by fellow defensive tackles Pat Bethel and Tito Odenigbo, as well as ends Joe Jackson and Jonathan Garvin, on the line.
Linebackers Shaquille Quarterman, Michael Pinckney, strikers Zach McCloud and Romeo Finley and defensive backs Jaquan Johnson, Sheldrick Redwine, Michael Jackson and Trajan Bandy are also excellent tacklers and will play a key role in limiting big runs by Pitt. Stopping the run will be key to Miami’s success on Saturday, as Pitt ranks 13th in the ACC in passing offense with 155.5 yards per game through the air.
Miami QB N’Kosi Perry vs. Pitt QB Kenny Pickett
A year ago, true freshman quarterback Kenny Pickett caught everyone by surprise and led the Panthers to an upset victory over an undefeated Miami team that was ranked No. 2 at the time. Pickett completed 18-of-29 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown, while adding 60 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground in his first career start.
Pickett will be making the 13th start of his career when the Panthers play Miami this week. In his first season as Pitt’s full-time starting quarterback, the sophomore has completed 151-of-243 passes (62%) for 1,695 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. A career performance by Pickett lifted Pitt past Wake Forest, 34-13, last week, clinching the Panthers’ first ACC Championship Game berth. Pickett completed 23-of-30 passes (77%) for 316 yards and three touchdowns. His yardage, completions and TD total were all personal bests.
Perry is set to make his sixth start Saturday and is coming off one of the best performances of his young career. Last time out at Virginia Tech, Perry earned the first road win of his career with a 21-for-34, 171-yard performance. He threw two touchdowns, no interceptions and added his first rushing TD. In his five starts at quarterback, Perry has orchestrated Miami’s season-long drives by time (7:49, vs. FSU), total yards (95, vs. Georgia Tech) and plays (15, vs. Georgia Tech). He has 13 touchdown passes this year.
In his second career start vs. Florida State (Oct. 6), Perry threw for a career-high four touchdown passes to help complete an epic second-half comeback. UM is 2-0 in games started by Perry at Hard Rock Stadium; in six games there, he has 11 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Miami’s running game vs. Pitt’s run defense
This is a matchup the Hurricanes hope to take advantage of, as their rush offense been trending up over the previous three weeks. Miami has scored at least two rushing touchdowns in each of its previous three games, including three scores on the ground in a victory at Virginia Tech last weekend. The Canes gashed Duke for 300 rushing yards three weeks ago.
Miami features three talented backs, but junior Travis Homer (801 rushing yards) and sophomore DeeJay Dallas (570 rushing yards) have been the primary ball carriers all season. In UM’s last home game vs. Duke (Nov. 3), both rushed for 100 yards in the same game for the first time; Homer totaled 133 yards on 18 carries, while Dallas rushed for 124 yards on 12 and both had one touchdown.
The two running backs have split reps over the first 11 games, with Dallas also recording 100-yard rushing games vs. Toledo (Sept. 15, 110 yards) and North Carolina (Sept. 27, 114) and Homer doing it vs. FIU (Sept. 22, 114). Homer has five career 100-yard rush games while Dallas has three such games.
The third back making noise for the Canes is freshman Cam’Ron Davis. Earning more significant action last time out at Virginia Tech, Davis delivered another strong performance with a career-high 77 rushing yards and two total touchdowns — scoring a rushing touchdown on a career-long 42-yard run and catching a 16-yard touchdown. Davis saw the first major action of his career the week prior at Georgia Tech, posting a team-high 48 rush yards and his first career TD — a 22-yard rush just before halftime in Atlanta.
Pitt’s run defense ranks eighth in the ACC, allowing 1635 rushing yards per game. Under Pat Narduzzi, Pitt has held a total of 17 opponents under the 100-yard rushing mark. The Panthers are 14-3 overall in such games, including a 3-1 mark this season. In the 2018 opener, a 33-7 win over Albany, Pitt yielded only 60 yards on 28 carries (2.14 avg.). In their Oct. 13 contest at Notre Dame, the Panthers limited the Irish to 80 yards on 38 carries (2.11 avg.) in a 19-14 setback. Pitt held Virginia to 44 yards on 26 attempts (1.7 avg.) in a 23-13 win (Nov. 2). Most recently, Pitt held Wake Forest to 79 yards on 28 carries (2.8 avg.) in a 34-13 win (Nov. 17).
