Boston College football will host Pitt on Saturday afternoon in what could be a close game. Coming off of a close loss to North Carolina, the Eagles need this game to keep their winning record and establish an in-conference winning record. Pitt, a strong team with lock-down defense, will be a challenge for BC. However, Pitt is coming off a disappointing one-point loss to NC State, proving BC has the potential to contend this weekend. Let’s see what Boston College needs to look out for this Saturday.
How they compare
Pitt started off the season with a shutout, establishing its strong defense. This season, the Panthers have outscored their opponents 128-60. BC is going to need to get on the board early if it wants to compete. They are also an aggressive defense. In their four games, they have had eight sacks, so Boston College’s offensive line needs to step up and protect quarterback Phil Jurkovec.
BC has established itself as a passing team. David Bailey has the top rushing yards with only 112, while Jurkovec has passed for 823 yards. Overall, BC has 823 passing yards and 211 rushing yards. Pitt plays similarly with 1,155 passing yards and 522 rushing yards. Clearly Pitt has been outplaying BC offensively, but it is a similar type of play. Boston College needs to attack the ball in the air. With four interceptions already this season, it’s possible. Pitt should watch out for BC defensive back Mike Palmer, who went 70 yards on his interception against Texas State.
Even in games where Pitt lets up on the defense, the offense steps up and generally scores high. Boston College needs to look out for quarterback Kenny Pickett, who’s scored four touchdowns in four games. He also threw for six touchdown passes and 1,123 yards. He’s an offensive force, so if BC can stop him, it has a good chance of getting ahead. Boston College’s defense has 11 sacks in its three games, so if it can keep up this aggressive approach it may be able to stall Pickett.
What this means
Pitt will be looking to bounce back after its close 30-29 loss to NC State last weekend. The Panthers are going to be looking for a win and a big one. They do not play to keep the game close. BC is going to need to come into the game with the same fire it tends to wait until the fourth quarter to tap into. It’s great Boston College is able to rally and refocus at the end of the game, but it needs to start becoming more consistent. As its schedule continues to get harder, last-minute wins will not come so easily. This was proven in the Eagles’ game against North Carolina last weekend. While they gave UNC a scare, they are just too good of a team to wait so long to compete against. Boston College football only has a real shot against Pittsburgh if it is able to play at a high level for the whole game.
I am a junior Communication major at Villanova University, with specializations in Journalism and Media Production. My Instagram is @bridgethyland_.