Pittsburgh welcomes Georgia Tech as both teams attempt to turn the page on disappointing stretches of the season on Saturday night in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup on Halloween.
Pittsburgh (5-3, 2-3 ACC) has seen its odds of a conference championship game appearance dwindle with a three-game losing streak and the loss of quarterback Mason Heintschel, who suffered a season-ending torn ACL on Oct. 2.
After consecutive losses on the road, including a 52-23 rout at No. 1 Miami last week, head coach Pat Narduzzi is realistic — but hopeful — about the rest of the season.
“The ACC championship is probably out of reach, but who knows,” Narduzzi said. “You never know in this crazy game. It’s one game at a time and we’re worried about one team and it’s Georgia Tech.”
In Heintschel’s place, Holden Geriner and Corey Dailey have each thrown two interceptions across the Panthers’ three-game skid. Geriner threw for a career-high 268 passing yards against Miami before Dailey entered and completed a 49-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.
“I thought they made some major improvements,” Narduzzi said. “It was a step forward for our quarterbacks. Is it good enough to win? No. Did we miss some stuff down the field? Yes. But it’s a process.”
This time last year, Georgia Tech was undefeated and in a prime position to contend for the first College Football Playoff appearance in school history. Since beginning last season 8-0, the Yellow Jackets (2-5, 1-3) have dropped nine of 12 and face a difficult path to bowl eligibility.
“Bewildering is the word,” Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said of the last 12 months. “It’s just everything from the point of going out and not being able to execute. It doesn’t matter if you have a good week of practice. When I say execute, I’m talking about everyone. Our jobs are to go out there and coach, adjust, correct and put players in the right spots to play.”
Key’s team allowed 399 rushing yards last week in a 49-27 home loss to Boston College. First-year starting quarterback Alberto Mendoza was picked off twice before being removed in the fourth quarter.
Mendoza has completed 71.2% of his passes for 1,714 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.