Virginia @ Pittsburgh preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 4, 2014 ) Pittsburgh 19, Virginia 24

With the NFL Steelers treading water without star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi has the city talking about his upstart football team. Pittsburgh seeks its first 4-1 start since 2009 when it returns home Saturday for the first time since the opener for a homecoming tilt against ACC foe Virginia.

The Panthers are coming off an outstanding defensive effort in a 17-13 victory over Virginia Tech last week, but the first-year coach doesn’t want his team dwelling on the past. "It doesn’t matter what we did back there, we’ve got to go forward,” Narduzzi said earlier this week. “Everybody up on campus is happy saying, ‘Nice job,’ and all of that bologna. But we can’t let that get to the kids because it can waterfall down the other way.” The Panthers held the Hokies to 100 yards of offense, collected seven sacks and three interceptions, and Pittsburgh enters this week second in the nation in sacks (4.25 per game) and fourth in rushing defense (71.3 yards) and total defense (243.8). The Cavaliers have a 35-29 win over William & Mary under their belt along with losses to current top-25 teams UCLA, Notre Dame and Boise State, which pasted the Cavaliers 56-14 two weeks ago.

TV: 12:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network. LINE: Pittsburgh – 10.5.

ABOUT VIRGINIA (1-3, 0-0 ACC): The Cavaliers have used the open week to forget about the five turnovers - including four interceptions - that doomed them against the Broncos. "That wasn't a good game for us,” coach Mike London said. "We have to take (the Pitt) game and use it as a game that can also springboard us and help us move into the rest of conference play.” Quarterback Matt Johns is completing 62.8 percent of his 121 passes for 989 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions, while running back Taquan Mizzell leads the team in rushing yards (157 yards) and ranks second receiving yards (292) as well as receptions (22).

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (3-1, 1-0): Redshirt freshman Qadree Ollison ran for 122 yards on 19 carries last week and is averaging 7.1 yards on 60 carries after taking over for injured tailback James Conner (knee) in the season opener. Quarterback Nate Peterman has completed 43-of-66 passes for 538 yards with four TDs and three interceptions, while wideout Tyler Boyd leads the ACC in receptions (8.7 per game) and receiving yards (91.3) and is the nation’s active career leader with 6.5 catches per contest. Those three could have big games against Virginia defense that yields ACC-worst marks of 38.3 points and 445.3 yards.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Pitt leads the series 4-3, including 3-0 at home, but Virginia built a 24-3 lead last season and held on for a five-point triumph.

2. A victory over Virginia would make Pitt just the 19th FBS school to reach 700 wins all-time.

3. Twelve Panthers have contributed to their total of 17 sacks – two shy of Pitt's entire 2014 total of 19.

PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 24, Virginia 13