The Panthers head to iconic Stanford Stadium at 3:30 p.m. this Saturday to take on a newer ACC opponent in Stanford after blowing out NC State.
Stanford is 3-5 on the year and only 2-3 in the ACC, making them one of the bottom teams in the conference. Stanford is 3-0 at home so far this year, but the Panthers need to end this streak if they want to win the ACC. Pitt stands third in the ACC, coming off a four-game win streak, and will need this win to help set them up to play three of the top teams in the country.
That’s a week or so ahead, so let’s focus on this week and what the Panthers need to do to continue their success. Here are my three keys to victory for Pitt this week as it takes on its first and only West Coast opponent.
First Key: Win time of possession
The Panthers need to put up consistent long drives that take up large chunks of the game. Time of possession will tire out the Stanford defense. Pitt has shown it plays its best when it controls the game and keeps possession of the ball. Games against Syracuse, Louisville and West Virginia were all sloppy all due to the opposing teams controlling the football.
Last week, Miami beat Stanford 42-7 while winning the time of possession battle 36:42-23:18. Pitt needs to force quick three-and-outs and get the ball back in the hands of first-year quarterback Mason Heintschel so they can control the game.
Last week was Heintschel’s best week, and the easiest way to replicate that is to get him the football as much as possible. Heintschel has proven himself as a starting quarterback who can avoid turning the ball over and score a high number of points, so Pitt’s defense must get the ball into the offense’s hands to let Heintschel work.
Second Key: Continue to find Kenny Johnson
This is junior wide receiver Kenny Johnson’s year and he needs another 10-plus target game. The offense may not rely on him, but he is always open. In the first half of last week’s game, Johnson had ten targets with seven catches for 112 yards. Again, that was only in one half, as he was taken out after a hard collision with an NC State player.
Johnson averaged 16 yards per reception in the win. This week, Johnson faces the Cardinal defense, which is 130th in pass defense and has allowed an average of 292.2 passing yards a game. Heintschel and Johnson need to connect the whole game early because it has been proven time and time again as effective.
The Pitt offense is ranked No. 10 this season in passing yards a game. Offensive coordinator Kade Bell has weaponized the arm of this first-year quarterback with the help of his strong receiving core. The Panthers are led by Johnson, who has 502 yards with three touchdowns on the year, and following closely behind is senior wide receiver Raphael Williams Jr., who has 488 yards and five touchdowns. Finding Johnson early and getting Heintschel settled in this game is key to victory this Saturday.
Third Key: Limit the Cardinal’s weapons
The Cardinal have one of the worst offenses in the FBS, sitting at 124th. They average 304.8 yards a game and only 17.5 points a game. The Panthers need to shut down Stanford, which is a seemingly easy task. Stanford’s offense relies on the pass but senior quarterback Ben Gulbranson has thrown seven picks to only eight touchdowns.
The Pitt defensive line must get after the quarterback and slow down the weapons on Stanford. They have two running backs who have cracked 100 yards plus in a game this season — sophomore running back Micah Ford and redshirt first-year running back Cole Tabb. Tabb has taken over in recent weeks, and against Florida State, he had 28 carries with 107 yards and a touchdown. Even in the tough game last week against a top ten defense, Tabb was able to find himself 66 yards on 19 carries.
The Cardinal’s other weapon is their senior wide receiver, CJ Williams, who has 40 receptions for 476 yards and two touchdowns this season. Last week, Miami did a good job removing him from the game, only allowing him one catch for eleven yards. The Panthers will win the football game if they can mirror the defensive performance of Miami.
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