PITT (4-4, 3-1 ACC) vs. No. 23/22 VIRGINIA (6-2, 4-1 ACC)
November 2, 2018 • 7:30 p.m., ET
Scott Stadium (61,500/Prescription Athletic Turf) • Charlottesville, Va.
ESPN2 • Pitt IMG Sports Radio Network
PittsburghPanthers.com • @Pitt_FB
LINK (PDF): Pitt Game Notes (vs. Virginia)
GAME STORYLINES
- Another crucial Coastal Division encounter is in store for the Panthers when they play at Virginia Friday night. 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.
- 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.
SERIES NOTES
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.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Television • ESPN2
Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (analyst), Paul Carcaterra (reporter)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Sirius Channel 108, XM Channel 193, Internet Channel
And some more fodder for discussion…
pittpov.com 