For the first time in program history, the Clemson football team will make a trip up to Pittsburgh to take on the Pitt Panthers.
The Tigers and Panthers have played a total of four times, none of which were played in Pittsburgh, and the series is tied at 2-2 with Clemson winning the last two matchups (once in the 2018 ACC Championship and during the regular season last year).
However, things are a little different than we would’ve expected when looking at this game on the schedule back in the preseason. Clemson is an underdog for the first time in ACC play since 2014 when the Tigers lost to Florida State in Tallahassee and this current offense has yet to put up more than 21 points against an FBS defense this season.
As we look towards the game this Saturday, we know what Clemson looks like. Here’s a view of what to expect from Pitt.
Breaking down what Clemson football fans should expect to see from Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh offense is one of the best in the nation and, right now, they’re likely the most cohesive unit in the ACC. Dabo Swinney said that Pitt might be the best offense that the Tigers will face this season and we tend to agree.
What makes them so good? It all starts with veteran QB Kenny Pickett.
Pickett is playing at a level that we simply haven’t seen from him before and, through six games, he’s already thrown for nearly 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns to just one interception. He has a great group of wide receivers around him led by Jordan Addison and Jared Wayne.
Pittsburgh likes to run with some tempo and they’re going to drop back and throw the ball, probably in the range of 35-45 times in this game. Pitt will also mix in the run with two running backs– Israel Abanikanda and Vincent Davis– but make no mistake, this offense is winning games based off the effectiveness of the passing game.
How does Clemson’s defense deal with it? They’ve got to find a way to pressure Pickett and get to him. Last week against Syracuse, the Tigers were in the backfield quite a bit and that forced some bad throws, but they still never got to the quarterback. You’ve got to find a way this week to hurry Pickett and to pick up a few sacks along the way.
Pitt is going to score some points, but the key is not giving up the explosive play and not letting Pickett pick you apart in the underneath game with soft coverage.
Defensively, Pittsburgh has come a long way in the past few weeks. The Panthers struggled at the first of the season but now the past couple of weeks, they’ve had one of the better defenses in the ACC.
That’s not good for a Clemson football offense that is struggling to put up points on anyone.
Habakkuk Baldonado is a name to watch. He’s already got 4.5 sacks on the season and has done an excellent job disrupting teams at the lines of scrimmage.
As far as scheme, Pitt will run multiple formations– including with 4-down linemen and 3-down linemen– and they’re not afraid to bring their defensive backs up in coverage. They’ll stack the box and force DJ Uiagalelei to beat them.
Clemson is going to have to commit to throwing the ball downfield simply to provide the threat of going deep to loosen up that defense.
Overall, this is going to be a tough game for the Tigers. Pittsburgh has the playmakers to score some points on Clemson’s defense– especially with some of the losses that the Tigers have suffered due to injury– and there’s nothing that has happened yet to tell us that the offense is going to explode.