PITTSBURGH – Pitt and Miami (Fla.) will square off at high noon Saturday at Heinz Field, as the Panthers seek their fifth straight win.
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Pitt (5-2 overall, 2-1 ACC) is coming off a 27-20 win at Syracuse last Friday, while Miami (3-4, 1-3) dropped a 28-21 overtime decision at home against Georgie Tech closing out a five-game homestand that saw the Hurricanes go 3-2.
This is Miami’s first road game since a 28-25 loss at North Carolina Sept. 7 and could serve as a trap game with the Hurricanes traveling to rival Florida State next week.
A victory over the Hurricanes would give Pitt five consecutive wins for the first time since 2009 when Dave Wannstedt’s Panthers reeled off six straight.
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Pitt has displayed the ability to win tight games. The Panthers’ last four wins have been by a combined 14 points—an average margin of 3.5 points per game.
Since taking over as Pitt’s head coach in 2015, Pat Narduzzi has directed the Panthers to 22 victories in ACC play, trailing only Clemson (35) and tied with Miami during this span.
The Panthers last hosted Miami in 2017. Making his first career start, quarterback Kenny Pickett engineered a 24-14 upset of the Hurricanes, who entered the contest with a 10-0 record and ranked No. 2 in the country.
Pitt boasts the country’s top pass rush. The Panthers lead the nation with 36 sacks—seven sacks more than the three teams tied for second (Ohio State, Florida and SMU).
Sophomore defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman leads Pitt’s pass rush with seven sacks. Twyman averages 1.00 sacks per game, which ranks first in the ACC (tied) and 12th nationally.
The Panthers have the most productive pass-catching duo in the country. Senior Maurice Ffrench (56) and junior Taysir Mack (45) have combined for 101 receptions this season, the most of any Football Bowl Subdivision receiving duo.
SERIES NOTES
This is the 39th meeting between Pitt and Miami in a series that dates back to 1950…it is the seventh ACC game between the two schools…the Panthers and Hurricanes meet annually as members of the Coastal Division…Miami leads the all-time series, 26-11-1…the Panthers are 6-14 against the Hurricanes in Pittsburgh and 5-12-1 in games played on the road…Miami leads the ACC series, 4-2, and won last year’s encounter at Hard Rock Stadium, 24-3…the last time the teams met in Pittsburgh, the Panthers upset undefeated and No. 2-ranked Miami, 24-14, in the 2017 regular-season finale…Pitt’s only other win over Miami in ACC play took place in 2014, a 35-23 road victory that snapped an eight-game losing streak in the series…it was Pitt’s first win over Miami since 1997 and the Panthers’ first road win in the series since 1963…in 1997, the Panthers defeated the No. 21 Hurricanes, 21-17, at Pitt Stadium in front of a Thursday night ESPN television audience…prior to the ’97 encounter, the Panthers had not defeated Miami since a 36-19 win in Pitt Stadium in 1976, the year Pitt stormed to a 12-0 record and the national title.
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