No. 12 Miami Hurricanes vs. No. 22 Pittsburgh Panthers: How to watch, what to know, 3 keys
The No. 12 Miami Hurricanes (9-2, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) travel to face the No. 22 Pittsburgh Panthers (8-3, 6-1 ACC) on Saturday, with kickoff scheduled for noon from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Here is what you need to know about the matchup.
How can I watch the Miami Hurricanes vs. Pittsburgh Panthers game?
The game will be televised on the ABC and available to stream on the ESPN app.
Who is favored in the Miami Hurricanes vs. Pittsburgh Panthers game?
The Hurricanes are an seven-point favorites over Pittsburgh, according to Odds Shark as of Friday morning. The over/under is 49 points.
What is the history between the Miami Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Panthers?
Miami is 29-12-1 all-time against Pittsburgh, but the Hurricanes lost the most recent meeting between the teams (42-16 on Nov. 26, 2022) and arguably the most recent influential meeting — a 24-14 loss on Nov. 22, 2017, that started a three-game losing streak to end a Miami season that started a perfect 10-0.
What were the expectations for the Miami Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Panthers entering the season?
Miami was voted to finish second to Clemson in the 17-team Atlantic Coast Conference.
Pittsburgh was voted to finish ninth in the ACC.
How has the season gone so far for the Miami Hurricanes and Pittsburgh Panthers?
The Hurricanes swept through their nonconference schedule, with wins over the then-No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, then-No. 18 USF Bulls and Florida Gators. Miami opened ACC play with a win at FSU before dropping two of its next three — losing to Louisville and SMU with a win over Stanford in between. The Hurricanes have since won three consecutive games in convincing fashion over Syracuse, NC State and Virginia Tech.
Pittsburgh started the season 2-2 with easy wins over Duqense and Central Michigan before losing in overtime to West Virginia and by one score to Louisville. The Panthers then rattled off five consecutive wins before a humbling 37-15 loss to Notre Dame and a 42-28 upset win over Georgia Tech.
What are three keys for the Miami Hurricanes against the Pittsburgh Panthers?
Win: It’s as simple as that. UM needs to win its final game in order to have any shot of reaching the 12-team College Football Playoff — and keep its thin shot of reaching the ACC Championship Game alive. Get on the field, handle business and do what’s needed to stay in the postseason conversation.
Stop the run game: The Hurricanes have been pretty good at run defense this year, entering Saturday sixth nationally in yards allowed per game (92) and tied for 11th in average yards allowed per rush (2.99). But Miami gave up a season-high 194 rushing yards against Virginia Tech, struggling to set the edge and times and failing to cleanly tackle in other situations. UM needs to clean that up against a Pitt team that has the potential to wreak havoc on the ground.
Take advantage of a nearly full roster: The Hurricanes should be as close to full strength as the have been in some time. Mark Fletcher Jr. and CJ Daniels are back. Cornerback OJ Frederique should return after a four-game absence and defensive tackle David Blay could be back, too. Miami can use any and all reinforcements that they have at their disposal.
Who are three Miami Hurricanes players to watch?
Carson Beck: Regardless of what his actual stats are, the Hurricanes need their veteran quarterback to set the tone. He has been steady the past two weeks, completing 79.5% of his passes (66 for 83) for 858 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions. Minimize mistakes, get the offense right early and lead the team as they navigate through a stretch of must-win games.
Malachi Toney: The freshman phenom wide receiver continues to do a little bit of everything for the Hurricanes. Obviously, he’s excelling as a pass-catcher (71 catches, 844 yards, six touchdowns), but he’s also getting more involved in trick plays, which have made him a threat as a runner and even as a passer (he has three completions in three weeks).
Akheem Mesidor: While Rueben Bain Jr. continues to get the love in draft circles, Mesidor has put together an excellent final season. He enters the Pittsburgh game leading the Hurricanes in tackles for loss (12) and sacks (seven).
Who are three Pittsburgh Panthers players to watch?
Mason Heintschel: The Panthers are 6-1 since the freshman quarterback became Pittsburgh’s starter. He has completed 63.1% of his passes for 1,899 yards and 14 touchdowns with six interceptions.
JaKyrian Turner and Desmond Reid: Reid, a senior who was a prep star at Miramar High, has been hobbled by injury but is a force when healthy. Turner, a true freshman, ran for 201 yards in Pitt’s win over Georgia Tech.
Rasheem Biles: In addition to returning two interceptions for touchdowns, the linebacker has a team-leading 77 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss along with two-and-a-half sacks.
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