Boston College-Pitt, one last time

Tomorrow at noon, much will be on the line for the Pitt football team.

The Panthers are now… Tomorrow at noon, much will be on the line for the Pitt football team.

The Panthers are now in the heart of their Big East schedule, and with one conference loss already, every game could be considered a “must-win.” Pitt will put all of its conference title hopes on the line as the Boston College Eagles soar into Heinz Field tomorrow.

According to Thursday’s edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it appears that head coach Walt Harris’ job might also be on the line tomorrow.

Despite everything that’s at stake for Pitt, all eyes should be on the defensive line for BC. Through five games this season, the Eagles’ defense has only allowed 49 points, for an average of 9.8 points a game — good enough for tops in the Big East and 12th in the nation.

They are currently ranked eighth in the nation in run defense, and, according to Harris, their front four is a big reason for their success.

The biggest member and reason for the Eagles’ success at stopping the run is 6-foot-7-inch defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka. A preseason All-American, he already has nine tackles for losses this season, putting him 11th in the nation.

“He definitely affects the game plan,” Harris said of Kiwanuka. “We have to be aware of where he is all the time,”

Starting right tackle Mike McGlynn knows he and his fellow linemen have their hands full this week.

“They’re probably the best defensive front we’ve seen so far,” McGlynn said after practice Tuesday. “It’s going to be important for us to try and pound them early, and establish a running attack. If we can do that, we can set up our play-action passes and hopefully some big plays.”

With questions still surrounding the health of Pitt’s offensive line, the Panthers might have a difficult time trying to stop such a prolific defense. When asked about his line, Harris said he was still unsure of how healthy the line was and who would be in the lineup tomorrow.

Not only is the Eagles’ defensive front putting up strong numbers, but their secondary has also carried its weight so far this year. The unit has allowed only three touchdowns through the air this season.

In his weekly press conference, Harris said that BC defensive back Will Blackmon is a wonderful athlete and may be the fastest player on the field Saturday.

Blackmon, who covered Larry Fitzgerald last year when the Panthers traveled to Boston, will likely be assigned this week to Greg Lee.

“He looks real good on film. It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Lee said of the Eagles’ defensive back. “I would say he is the best DB we’ve seen so far.”

Lee and the rest of the receiving corps have combined with quarterback Tyler Palko for some impressive numbers so far this season. Lee is leading the pack with two consecutive 100-yard games.

If the Panthers are to defeat a strong defensive team like the Eagles, it will be imperative to establish a balanced attack of pass and run. Pitt hopes to continue its strong offensive trend from the second half against Temple by pouncing on the Eagles early.

“As a whole, the offense is really starting to gel and mesh together,” McGlynn said. “We were real pleased with how we finished up last week. If we can build upon that, I think we can be successful.”

If the Pitt offense from last Saturday’s second half — which scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter — shows up tomorrow, the Panthers could have a chance to improve their record to 4-2. They would then be right back in the hunt for a conference title.

It will all be on the line — literally — at noon tomorrow at Heinz Field. The game will be televised regionally on ESPN2.