Boston College, Iowa headline first-half football schedule

The 2014-2015 Pitt football season is noteworthy because the team has an opportunity to exceed a .500 regular season record, which hasn’t happened in four years. 

At first glance, it’s easy to suggest a majority of the schedule is winnable. The upcoming season is constructed like a bumpy roller coaster — it could be a very thrilling ride if approached correctly, or very disappointing if the Panthers are not prepared. Developing and maintaining momentum will be key for the Panthers’ success.

Many of the two-game stretches on the schedule consist of games against weaker opponents, immediately followed by games against formidable ones. The heavily sought-after 10-win season is within grasp and, if accomplished, could be pivotal for the development of Pitt football in the future.  

Game 1: Saturday, Aug. 30 vs. Delaware

Don’t overlook this matchup. The teams will meet for the first time ever in this game and it’s vital that the Panthers start the season on a strong note by securing the win in their season opener. Two seasons ago, Youngstown State University shocked Pitt with a 31-17 victory and, hopefully, Division I Football Championship Subdivision opponents are not taken lightly by the Panthers anymore. The Delaware Blue Hens finished last season with a 7-5 overall record, which included a 4-4 conference record. Much of Delaware’s success comes from senior quarterback Trent Hurley, who was recently named to 2014 College Football Performance Awards Watch List as one of the nation’s top quarterbacks. Just as impressive is Hurley’s 137.18 passing rating for his career as a Blue Hen, which should clearly lay out the Panthers’ game plan — shut down the accomplished signal caller to lock in a win.

Game 2: Friday, Sept. 5 at Boston College

Pitt’s first ACC game is a cross-divisional matchup against Boston College, who is in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers’ last matchup against the Eagles came 10 years ago when both schools were members of the Big East Conference. The Panthers won 20-17. Pitt owns a 16-13 record against Boston College. Last season, the Eagles were 7-6 overall and 4-4 in ACC play. The Atlantic Division is thought to be tougher and more competitive than the Coastal Division and Boston College comes from experience. Stand-out veteran center Andy Gallik has anchored the Eagles’ offensive line for three straight years and enables the Eagles to maintain a run-heavy offense. That said, the Eagles lost key attack pieces, including quarterback Chase Rettig and running back Andre Williams, to the NFL. Also, the team won’t have its top two tacklers from last season. On a personnel standpoint, Pitt has the slight advantage, but Boston College has the comfort of Alumni Stadium — its home field — where the Eagles won five out of six games last season.

 Game 3: Saturday, Sept. 13 at Florida International University

This game is a not proverbial “trap game,” in which the highly favored team could get upset if it overlooks a talented, but less reputable, opponent. Coming out of Conference USA, these fellow Panthers could only muster one win in 12 games in 2013 and lost to Pitt in their only previous matchup, 44-17 in 2010. FIU returns sophomore running back Silas Spearman III, who led all runners with four touchdowns on the ground, and senior safety Justin Halley, who snagged three interceptions. 

Game 4: Saturday, Sept. 20 vs. Iowa

Last year, the Hawkeyes finished with an 8-5 record overall, going 5-3 in the Big Ten Conference. More importantly, they finished the year ranked ninth in fewest points per game allowed in the Football Bowl Subdivision. This year, there’s a solid mix of experience and youth for the defense to continue its success. In addition, 1,000-yard rusher Mark Weisman returns to the backfield for the Hawkeyes along with junior quarterback Jake Rudock, who played soundly under center, throwing for 2,383 yards and 18 touchdowns. Pitt is ahead 3-2 in the all-time series with the last two games decided by a combined five points. The Panthers have never lost to the Hawkeyes in Pittsburgh.

Game 5: Saturday, Sept. 27 vs. Akron

Pitt will once again transition from a major out-of-conference opponent to a minor one when the team hosts the Akron Zips in its fifth game of the season. The Panthers crushed the Zips 35-0 in their only prior meeting more than a decade ago. Last season, the Zips flirted with a .500 season by completing the year with a 5-7 overall record. Akron played Bowling Green last year as well, but was on the losing end of a 31-14 score. In odd fashion, special teams and transfers are the Zips’ strengths. This summer, junior punter Zach Paul was named to the Ray Guy Award preseason watch list as the nation’s best punter. He finished the season ranked sixth in the Middle Atlantic Conference and 30th nationally in punting average. Ohio State transfer Jamal Marcus, a defensive end who made special teams and defensive contributions with the Buckeyes, will also pose a challenge. Junior linebacker Jatavis Brown rounds out the Zips’ defense. He  broke the century mark in total tackles last year. 

Game 6:  Saturday, Oct. 4 at Virginia

The Cavaliers sat at the bottom of the Coastal Standings in the ACC a year ago, not beating a single Coastal team in eight opportunities. But their dismal performance for the season, 2-10 overall, wasn’t as apparent in their game against Pitt in 2013. Virginia was extremely competitive and Pitt escaped with a 14-3 victory. In six contests between the Cavaliers and Panthers, Pitt holds a 4-2 advantage that could narrow due to the influence of some key returners for Virginia. On the defensive line, junior Eli Harold was dominant a year ago with 15 tackles for losses, ranking sixth in the ACC. Another playmaker comes from the strong safety position in team captain Anthony Harris, who logged eight interceptions. Both players were named to the 2014 Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, which recognizes the college defensive player of the year. On the other side of the ball, junior quarterback David Watford returns after starting all 12 games last season. 

Game 7:  Thursday, Oct. 16 vs. Virginia Tech

At this point in the season, Pitt will be coming off a bye week and 12 days of rest to begin a three-game home stand. The Hokies will lead off the second half of opponents for the Panthers and it should be an exciting game. Led by quarterback Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech finished second in the Coastal Division a year ago with a 5-3 conference record and an 8-5 overall record. Though the Hokies have Pitt beat in all-time head-to-heads 8-5, the Panthers have four of the last five victories. Virginia Tech’s roster is significantly inexperienced, which aids Pitt’s hopes for success. Junior running back J.C. Coleman is expected to start while only receiving action on 17 percent of run plays last year.

Game 8: Saturday, Oct. 25 vs. Georgia Tech

With Georgia Tech’s notorious 100 percent commitment to the running game, via the spread option attack, the Yellow Jackets finished sixth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards per contest by averaging 299 yards a game during the 2013 season. More so, Georgia Tech quarterbacks threw the football a little more than 200 times the whole season — half of the next-lowest team. These staggering numbers worked in their favor and fueled them to jump Pitt in the standings by finishing the season with a 5-3 ACC record and 7-6 overall record. Before last year’s battle — which resulted in Pitt losing 21-10 — the teams played each other seven times, and the Panthers won four of those games. The good news for Pitt in this matchup is that Georgia Tech lost both its rushing leaders from last year: David Sims and Robert Godhigh. It will be up to senior rusher Zach Laskey to carry the load. Laskey cashed in seven rushing touchdowns in 2013 and big plays will be expected of him, along with senior wide receiver and kick returner DeAndre Smelter. 

Game 9: Saturday, Nov. 1 vs. Duke

Last year’s game against Duke served as the coming-out party for freshmen Tyler Boyd and James Conner in many ways. Boyd hauled in eight catches for 154 yards and three touchdowns, while Conner barreled through the Blue Devils for 173 yards and a score. Pitt won in a shoot-out 58-55 and evened the head-to-head series 9-9. Despite the crushing defeat, Duke enjoyed a successful season — winning the Coastal Division with a 10-4 overall record and 6-2 conference mark. The Blue Devils return most of their star players — wide receiver Jamison Crowder leading the list. Crowder enters his senior season alongside quarterback Anthony Boone. Together, they carried the Blue Devils’ points per game average to more than 30 last season. On defense, redshirt junior safety Jeremy Cash returns while coming off a 121-tackle and four-interception season. 

Game 10: Saturday, Nov. 15 at North Carolina

The Panthers finish the season with two of three games on the road. The first will take place in Chapel Hill, N.C. North Carolina is 5-3 all-time against Pitt, and the deficit will grow if the Panthers don’t play a flawless game. North Carolina finished one spot ahead of the Panthers in the Coastal standings a year ago with a 4-4 division record and 7-6 overall record. The Tar Heels return eight players who have been named to the Phil Steele 2014 Preseason All-ACC team. Two of those eight  — sophomore wideout Ryan Switzer and senior punter Tommy Hibbard — are first team selections.

Game 11: Saturday, Nov. 22 vs. Syracuse

The Orange exceeded expectations last fall. Analysts singled the team out to be bullied in their opening season as a member of the ACC’s Atlantic Division but Syracuse finished third, behind only Florida State and Clemson, in their division by claiming a 7-6 record overall and a 4-4 conference record. The all-time series between these two schools is 35-31-3 in favor of Pitt. Syracuse has senior quarterback Terrel Hunt, who threw 10 touchdown passes last season back under center. Another returner to watch is wide receiver Ashton Broyld who caught 52 passes in his sophomore season — ranking second all-time for Syracuse sophomores. 

Game 12: Saturday, Nov. 29 at Miami (Fla.)

Pitt faces the Miami Hurricanes, the front-runner to win the Atlantic Coastal Conference this season. After finishing 9-4 in 2013 and 5-3 in the division, the Hurricanes return many playmakers. Senior tight end Clive Walford was named to the 2014 John Mackey Award Preseason watch list — one of four ACC players to be recognized for this award. In addition, Miami Hurricanes senior center Shane McDermott was named to the 2014 Rimington Trophy fall watch list. Other Hurricanes receiving preseason accolades include running back Duke Johnson (Maxwell Award), wide receiver Stacy Coley (Maxwell Award) and linebacker Denzel Perryman (Bednarik Award). 

Buckle up, Pitt fans.