By Paul Sykes
If watching a defense get to the quarterback is your thing, you gotta love watching the Pittsburgh Panthers play. In four games this year they’ve dumped the quarterback 16 times. The 3-1 Panthers have a ferocious front four that loves to come full speed at passers in the pocket.
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The rest of the Panthers defense, however, could use a lot of work. 500 yards given up to the University of Buffalo. They gave up 38 points in a surrender to North Carolina State, a team that couldn’t find the end zone against Steve Spurrier led South Carolina.
For those of us who braved the disaster at Heinz Field last year and sat in shock and disgust as the Panthers rolled up the score on the University of Louisville football team, it’s a matter of U of L needing to move the ball against this Big East foe. It is also mandated that they put the clamps on running back Dion Lewis, who has rushed for 493 yards and 7 touchdowns this season.
Pitt was a prelude to the Rutgers disaster last year but keep in mind that the Cardinal defense was shorthanded against both Pitt and Rutgers. With more numbers and less injuries , plus a game in front of a Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium crowd, the Cards should fare better against Dave Wannstadt’s crew.
I’m going out on a limb here and picking the Cards to win their first game in way too long against a D-1 opponent. Make it Louisville 31, Pittsburgh 28.
So, you think I’m daft? Well, share with me your insights and your predictions.
Pitt destroys us 41-10. Wannstedt is a marginal coach, but he has a top flight running back and a good pass rush. I will be enough.
I am a Pitt fan, Wanny and Krag are the 2 worst coaches in the Big East, I give the nod to UL in this game, home field advantage
UL 24
Pitt 17
Have doubled my estimate of Cards’ wins to four. This isn’t one of them. 16-10 Pitt. But will enjoy the evening anyway…
LOL, CB. Just basing the points on what the Pitt defense has given up so far this year. Their pass defense is suspect, we’re showing signs of developing a pretty fair pass attack.
At this juncture, I’d settle for a 7-3 win.
My prediction…we play better, but not good enough to win. Pitt wins 28-24. At least this time we score 4 of 4 times in the Red Zone.
Pitt gets 4 sacks but gives up several big plays, which allows U of L to score three TDs.
This almost victory gives U of L fans hope that Kragthorpe can pull it out. Kind of like betting it all on the second best hand.
21-14 Cards
I have a hard time believing we will beat Pitt but it could (and I hope will) happen. But 31 points?????????
That’s more than we had against the worst D-I school in the country. And if you toss out the fluke TD against Utah almost as many as we scored against UK and Utah combined.
Not indulging in some of that Kentucky hemp’s cousin are we?
Cards can win if we stay out of the red zone and never have any third downs.
Louisville by three in overtime, 37-34
Burke better be wearing extra padding. With our coach,
I’m thinking yet another loss. If we are fortunate to win…we will barely win. We aren’t that good. Our team speed sucks. A big disadvantage is our offensive play caller.
Can’t do it, Paulie.
The Panthers 33-17.