Pitt looks to get on track against hurting Hokies

When head coach Paul Chryst arrived at Pitt in 2012, he brought with him plans to develop a Midwest-style football team, meaning that, in some cases, he’d choose to sacrifice speed for size among his players.

Chryst has now cultivated three recruiting classes, and his Panthers are finally gaining recognition for being a grind-it-out squad that uses its offensive size advantage to bull into end zones, and, defensively, just about every freshman under Chryst has put on weight.

Pitt (3-3, 1-1 ACC) hosts Virginia Tech (4-2, 1-1 ACC) Thursday night in the Panthers’ most interesting matchup of the season, as Tech head coach Frank Beamer will bring a style of play to Heinz Field that directly counters Chryst’s.

Beamer’s offensive line features just two players over 300 pounds, while members of Pitt’s offensive line weigh an average of 315 pounds, two of whom are 335-pounders. On defense, Virginia Tech’s defensive ends equal the size of Pitt’s linebackers.

“They’re physical, and we’re not the biggest in the world,” Tech defensive line coach Charley Wiles told reporters this week.

Still, Beamer has proven that size is not all-important in football. The Hokies boast the 16th best rushing defense (108.8 ypg) and 23rd best scoring defense (19.8 ppg) in Division I, and no running back has amassed 100 yards against Tech this season.

Pitt’s James Conner suffered a shoulder injury in last year’s contest, which the Hokies won 19-9, and Conner picked up just one yard on two carries.

But the sophomore bruiser from Erie, Pa., leads the ACC in rushing yards (874) and touchdown runs (nine), and he’s shown thus far that an athlete can improve immensely in a year.

“We’ve got to beat him up,” Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster told reporters Tuesday, referencing Conner. “We were able to do that last year.”

Virginia Tech’s defense is led by cornerback Kendall Fuller, who was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week after returning an interception for 47 yards and breaking up two passes in the Hokies’ Week 6 win at North Carolina. Fuller was also named to the Sports Illustrated Midseason All-America Team.

Chryst said there will be “quite a few times” that Fuller will be matched up with Pitt’s sensational sophomore receiver Tyler Boyd.

Both teams are coming off bye weeks, and, by gametime, they will have enjoyed 12 days away from competition.

Pitt practiced twice last week, and according to Chryst, got an early start in the film room. Players and coaches began looking at film over the weekend for Thursday’s game. Before Saturday games, Chryst’s staff and players begin their preparation on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Hokies savored every moment of rest they could get.

In addition to injured tight end Kalvin Cline, Tech’s top three running backs are all sidelined with injuries and will miss Thursday’s showdown. Beamer said Wednesday that he planned on bringing reserve back, sophomore Jerome Wright, to Pittsburgh despite his plan to redshirt, but Wright injured his hamstring and can’t play.

“We’re having the doggonest time,” Beamer said.

Junior J.C. Coleman will likely start at running back, the team announced. Coleman and sophomore Joel Caleb, who is now second on the depth chart, have rushed just 38 times for a combined 145 yards this season. Beamer added that another planned redshirt will likely travel in Wright’s place.

All of the above means that the Hokies are expected to combat their inexperienced backfield with plenty of passing, but Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Brewer has thrown at least one interception in every game this season. He’s tied for second-worst nationally in the category with 11 picks, and Pitt’s defense is tied for second-best in the ACC with eight interceptions.

A battered backfield and the projected heavy reliance on Brewer are two reasons why most gambling services have penned Pitt as a one or two-point favorite against Virginia Tech, who won at Ohio State earlier in the year.

With the ACC Coastal Division’s playing field wide open, both teams are still in the mix for a first-place finish. Chryst expects a packed stadium Thursday for ESPN’s national telecast.

“I anticipate it being a very good atmosphere,” Chryst said. “Football in this city is a big deal.”