Cardinals and Panthers meet in Steel City
The 25th-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers head back into Big East play this weekend, as the entertain the Louisville Cardinals at Heinz Field.
The Panthers took a break from their conference slate last weekend and pulled out a thrilling 36-33 four-overtime victory at Notre Dame. The victory was a nice bounce back from a disappointing loss to Rutgers the prior weekend and it made Pittsburgh bowl eligible. The Panthers, who haven't been to a bowl since 2004, are one victory shy of delivering head coach Dave Wannstedt his first winning campaign in four seasons.
As for Louisville, it enters the contest on a real down note, dropping a 28-21 decision at Syracuse last weekend. The setback to the league's doormat came one week after the program had upended nationally-ranked South Florida. With their three-game win streak now behind them, the Cardinals will try to improve on their 1-2 league mark this weekend.
Louisville leads the all-time series with Pitt, 7-4, and the Cardinals have won the last seven meetings, dating back to 1983.
Offensively, the Cardinals are a balanced group gaining 189.0 ypg on the ground and 199.1 ypg through the air. The unit is averaging 29.2 ppg, which is solid, but the offense has also been prone to turnovers, committing 16.
Last weekend, Louisville turned the ball over twice and was limited to 351 total yards in a 28-21 loss at Syracuse. Victor Anderson guided the team in defeat with 113 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. The talented back has enjoyed a solid campaign thus far and he paces the squad with 840 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.
Quarterback Hunter Cantwell was also productive in a losing effort last weekend, completing 23-of-36 tosses for 241 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception. On the season, Cantwell has lacked some consistency and he has passed for 1,579 yards, with 12 touchdowns against 10 picks. Doug Beaumont has been his primary outlet with 37 catches and 443 receiving yards, although he has yet to catch a touchdown.
Louisville has done a respectable job on the defensive side of things thus far, as the team is limiting foes to 23.9 ppg and 316.5 total ypg. The defense has been stout versus the run (91.6 ypg), but has shown some weakness against the pass (224.9 ypg).
Last weekend however, the Cardinals gave up 207 of their 385 total yards on the ground in a loss to Syracuse. The defense failed to record a single sack and managed only one takeaway against a less than stellar Syracuse offense. Jon Dempsey had four stops in the setback, giving him a team-best 47 for the year. Earl Heyman (five sacks) and Woodny Turenne (four interceptions) are two others players that opposing teams will want to keep an eye out for, as they are both capable of making big plays.
Conor Lee kicked a 22-yard field goal in the fourth overtime, lifting Pitt over Notre Dame 36-33 this past weekend. It was the fifth field goal of the game and the fourth in overtime for Lee, who has now converted on 16-of-18 attempts for the season.
"I was just trying to take it one kick at a time,"
said Lee. "I wasn't even thinking what's going to happen. I kicked one in regulation, and I ended up kicking four in overtime. In football you don't know what's going to happen so I just tried to stay as level-headed as possible."
Tailback LeSean McCoy played a huge role in the victory, toting 32 times for a season-high 169 yards and a touchdown. It was the fifth straight 100-yard effort by McCoy, who has really taken off and has now rushed for 1,044 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. With starting quarterback Bill Stull out with a concussion last weekend, the ground game needed to be good and it was, gaining 178 yards, slightly above the team's season-average of 164.4 ypg. Pat Bostick filled in for Stull last weekend and he threw for 164 yards and a touchdown, but with three interceptions as well.
"The thing is, we're here to win a football game, and when you throw picks, it's not about you'"
said Bostick. "You can't just say 'woe is me.' It's all about 'hey, what are we going to do the next drive to take this ball down the field and win this game."
Bostick started for Pitt last season when Stull was lost due to injury, but hadn't seen much action this year prior to last weekend's game. Stull is listed as probable for this weekend, so it would be surprising if he wasn't named the starter.
The Panthers haven't forced many turnovers (eight) this season, but that doesn't mean the defense hasn't been solid. Pitt is holding opposing clubs to just 318.8 total yards and that includes only 121.1 ypg on the ground. The team has even had some success bringing down opposing quarterbacks, racking up 22 sacks.
Last weekend, the Panthers allowed 386 total yards to Notre Dame, but the unit was solid in the second half and overtime. The defense held Notre Dame to just seven second-half points and four field goal tries in the overtimes. Scott McKillop led the Panthers with 15 stops, while Greg Romeus accounted for the team's lone sack. For the season, McKillop ranks among the top tacklers around with 82 to his credit and he places second on the squad with four sacks.
