Pittsburgh
Last year: Pittsburgh went 7-6 overall, 3-5 in the ACC, and beat Bowling Green, 30-27, in the Little Ceasars Bowl. The Panthers opened the season by getting blasted by future national champion Florida State, 41-13, then did enough to get past New Mexico, 49-27, and Duke, 58-55, in a wild shootout. Things then settled down and Pitt found itself in a defensive battle vs. UVa where it prevailed, 14-3. The Panthers then hit a rough patch, losing three of four to Virginia Tech, Navy, and Georgia Tech. Its only win in this stretch was over Old Dominion by 11 points. Pitt then split its last four games, beating Notre Dame and Syracuse to reach bowl eligibility while losing to North Carolina and Miami. Two-time transfer QB Tom Savage (first Rutgers and then Arizona before Pitt) completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,958 yards, 21 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Pittsburgh had two running backs who gained nearly 800 yards: James Conner (799, eight TDs) and Isaac Bennett (797, seven scores). At receiver, Tyler Boyd burst on to the scene as a freshman, catching 85 passes for 1,174 yards and seven TDs. Devin Street, now with the NFL's Cowboys, caught 51 balls for 854 yards and seven TDs. Manasseh Garner had 33 receptions for 391 yards and three scores. The Panthers defense gave up 27.2 points per game and created just 16 turnovers -- eight interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. However, tackle Aaron Donald -- who was drafted No. 13 overall by the Rams -- was fantastic, recording 59 tackles, 28.5 for loss, 13 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Offense: Eight starters return to this unit. One of them is the not the signal caller. The Panthers must find another QB now that Savage has finally graduated and was picked by the Texans in the fourth round of the draft. Sophomore Chad Voytik is expected to step in and be the Panthers' next starter. He brings a dual
threat to the position but is unproven as a passer, completing just six of 11 passes last season for 116 yards. Voytik loses a valuable weapon in Street, but Boyd is back and that is terrific news for Pittsburgh. Garner also returns, as does a supporting cast of Kevin Weatherspoon (14 catches, 155 yards) and Syracuse transfer Dontez Ford. Pittsburgh gets its two-pronged running back attack back in Conner and Bennett, both sophomores. Another sophomore (notice a theme?), Rachid Ibrahim (136 yards) complements the duo. The offensive line, which gave up 43 sacks a year ago, returns four starters but is still pretty young, especially on the left side. The increase in mobility at QB should help the protection situation.
Defense: Six starters return to this defense but losing Donald is a big blow. Returning tackle Darryl Render (25 tackles, 2.5 for loss, half a sack) will do his best, along with a by-committee approach, to replace some of Donald's production. Defensive ends Shakir Soto (20 tackles, four for loss, one sack) and Ejuan Price (23 tackles, four for loss, one sack) are other key returners. Two key players at linebacker are Todd Thomas (72 tackles, six for loss) and Anthony Gonzalez (79 tackles, 3.5 for loss). In the secondary, Pitt loses one key starter at safety, 2013 leading tackler Jason Hendricks (85 tackles, 4.5 for loss, one pick) but get another back in Ray Vinopal (83 tackles, three for loss, 1.5 sacks, three INTs, two forced fumbles). The team is very young at cornerback besides senior Lafayette Pitts (44 tackles, three for loss, four pass breakups).
Special teams note: At kicker, Chris Blewitt made 14 of 18 a year ago but the Panthers must replace punter Matt Yoklic, who booted punts an average of 43 yards. The return game was not special a year ago, but it does return several key names, including Weatherspoon, Pitts, and Boyd, who returned just three punts last year, but recorded one touchdown and a 23 yard return average when he did.
Schedule, notes, outlook: Delaware, at Boston College, at Florida International, Iowa, Akron, at Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Duke, at North Carolina, Syracuse, at Miami. If it plays a little better than expected, Pittsburgh could go 5-1 in its first six games, with only Iowa being a problem game. Boston College could be tough as well, but the others should all probably be wins. The Panthers might need to do that, too, because the final six games makes up quite the gauntlet with the Hokies, Jackets, Blue Devils, Tar Heels, Orange, and Hurricanes. I don't think anybody would sneeze at three victories in the second half of the year. Pittsburgh is young with lots of sophomores in key spots. The Panthers are also breaking in a new quarterback behind a line that was shaky a year ago. Thankfully, the running game is strong and could help off set QB and line issues. If Voytik can catch on, he has some good weapons to work with at receiver, especially Boyd, who is already one of the best in the ACC. The defense is a little bit like the offense. Potential is there, issues remain, and a major contributor in Donald must be replaced. Pittsburgh has the potential to be in the top half of the Coastal Division, but will probably settle in around .500 and it is kind of a toss-up whether or not the Panthers can take a step forward from last year.
Win-loss prediction: 6-6 or 7-5
Virginia Tech
Last year: The Hokies bounced back a bit from their 2012 campaign where they went 7-6. The 2013 Hokies tallied a mark of 8-5, 5-3 in the ACC, but lost in a blowout, 42-12, to UCLA in the Sun Bowl. Virginia Tech started out the year facing No. 1 Alabama and actually played a pretty tight game statistically, out-gaining the Crimson Tide, 212-206. Punt and interception returns for TDs, though, helped Alabama win, 35-10. Tech then mauled Western Carolina and got by East Carolina, Marshall, Georgia Tech, UNC, and Pittsburgh in pretty close games (the Marshall game went into OT at Lane Stadium). Nevertheless, Tech was 6-1 and undefeated in the ACC, very much in the conversation for reaching the ACC championship game. Things went downhill, though, in the team's final five games. Tech went just 2-3, with losses to Duke, Maryland, and Boston College, the first two of which were in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech notched what has become an expected victory over Virginia (16-6, neither team was pretty) and also topped Miami, 42-24, on the road in what was a surprising result. That was really the only good game the Hokies played, though, after their first seven games of the season. If you look at the Maryland, BC, and Duke games, you see losses that easily could have been wins and then the Hokies would have had an 11-2 record, a return to prominence if you will. But at the same time, the victories over ECU, Marshall, and Georgia Tech were all close and could have gone the other way as well, which would have made the Hokies 5-7 in the regular season and not eligible for a bowl game. I guess either way you slice it, Tech went .500 in swing games and that is probably pretty normal. Under center, Logan Thomas rebounded from a down 2012 campaign to complete 56.5 percent of his passes (up from 51.3 in '12) for 2,907 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 INTs (three fewer than in '12). He also rushed for 344 yards and four TDs. He was picked in the fourth round of the draft by the Cardinals and has been having a pretty good preseason. At running back, Trey Edmunds led the charge with 675 yards and 10 touchdowns. He broke his leg in the regular-season finale vs. UVa. J.C. Coleman had 284 yards and a score. A trio of wide receivers had 600 receiving yards: Willie Byrn (51 catches, 660 yards, two TDs), Demitri Knowles (45 receptions, 641 yards, three TDs), and Joshua Stanford (40 catches, 640 yards, one TD). TE Kalvin Cline (26 catches, 321 yards, two TDs) also contributed and D.J. Coles was a reliable red-zone target (25 receptions, 387 yards, six scores). Defensively, the Hokies were stout and better than in 2012, giving up 283.6 yards and 19.3 points per game while forcing 26 turnovers.
Offense: The Hokies now must move on without Thomas and the quarterback battle is a developing story that has yet to reach its conclusion. The top two candidates to replace the three-year starter are Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer and senior Mark Leal. The Hokies are expected to name a starter Friday after the squad's final scrimmage. Most people are expecting Brewer to get the job. Leal was underwhelming in a backup role last season, completing just 15 of 29 passes for one TD and two interceptions. Thomas got hurt in the Sun Bowl and Leal was not impressive vs. the Bruins. Brewer was impressive in limited action the past
two seasons with the Red Raiders, completing 70.7 percent of his passes for 440 yards, five TDs, and zero INTs. In the backfield, it is unclear if Edmunds will be the starter when the Hokies kick off against William & Mary, as he is still getting back from his leg injury. Either way, Tech will be taking a by-committee approach at tailback. Coleman will see time and true freshmen Marshawn Williams and Shai McKenzie could as well. Expect junior Joel Caleb (41 yards, one TD) to see time, too. Tech returns all three of its top receivers in Byrn, Stanford, and Knowles, a big plus for whoever ends up being QB. Some freshmen to watch in the WR corps are Cam Phillips, Jaylen Bradshaw, and Isaiah Ford. Cline returns at tight end and Ryan Malleck, who tore his left rotator cuff in the preseason last year, will contribute as well. In 2012, Malleck caught 17 passes for 174 yards. On the offensive line, David Wang, Jonathan McLaughlin, Caleb Farris, and Laurence Gibson all return and all have starting experience. Tech lost a starter in Mark Shuman, who had an injury-marked career and tore the meniscus in his right knee for the third time Aug. 14 and decided to call it a career. The line is pretty experienced, but hasn't done the most adequate job the past two seasons in protecting the QB and opening up holes for the RBs.
Defense: This unit returns five starters. The team's two leading tacklers, linebackers Jack Tyler (100 tackles, 11 for loss, 4.5 sacks) and Tariq Edwards (74 tackles, 11 for loss, 3.5 sacks, one pick) are gone. Other key losses are defensive tackle Derrick Hopkins (54 tackles, nine for loss, five sacks) and defensive ends J.R. Collins (51 tackles, 11 for loss, five sacks) and James Gayle (44 tackles, 10.5 for loss, six sacks). Up front, tackle Luther Maddy (55 tackles, 13.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks) is a key returner and the Hokies welcome back Corey Marshall, who missed last season but tallied 26 tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in 2012. Dadi Nicolas (32 tackles, seven for loss, four sacks) has potential at DE. The secondary is one of the finest in the conference. The cornerbacks are Kendall Fuller (58 tackles, 2.5 for loss, half a sack, six picks) and Brandon Facyson (27 tackles, two for loss, five INTs) while the safeties are Detrick Bonner (48 tackles, two for loss, two picks) and Kyshoen Jarrett (71 tackles, one for loss, two INTs). The defensive question mark for the Hokies is at linebacker, where Chase Williams (12 tackles, 0.5 for loss), Deon Clarke (11 tackles, 0.5 for loss), Josh Trimble (20 tackles, two for loss, one sack), Derek DiNardo (nine tackles, 0.5 for loss) and Ronny Vandyke (hurt last season but was a minor contributor on 'D' and more of a factor on special teams in 2012) are expected to jostle for starts and playing time. Bottom line, this is a Bud Foster defense and despite a possible weak link at LB, there should be enough talent and experience up front and on the back end for it to once again be one of the best in the ACC.
Special teams note: The starting kicker is up in the air after the (about time) dismissal of Cody Journell for off-the-field transgressions. He was not too solid last year anyway, making just 10 of 16 field goals. The job is expected to come down to Joey Slye, Michael Santamaria, Eric Kristensen, Remington Crinshaw, or Carson Wise. Only Kristensen (4 of 5 a year ago) has experience. A.J. Hughes (44.1 yard-average) is one of the best punters in the ACC. The return game will be seeking more production this year after averaging just 20.4 yards per kick return and 4.4 yards per punt return in 2013 with zero touchdowns.
Schedule, notes, outlook: William & Mary, at Ohio State, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Western Michigan, at North Carolina, at Pittsburgh, Miami, Boston College, at Duke, at Wake Forest, Virginia. The Hokies received a big boost Tuesday when Heisman-contending Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller re-injured his throwing shoulder. He will miss the entire season. Suddenly, in my mind, the door opened for the Hokies to start the season 5-0 if it can get adequate production out of the QB spot. William & Mary should be an easy win (though you never know after the 2010 JMU game) and playing ECU, GT, and WMU all at home are more than likely victories with varying levels of certainty for each game. Playing at the Horseshoe is never easy, but now OSU will be breaking in a redshirt freshman QB against a very good Tech defense. It would not shock me at all now for the Hokies to win that game. The next five games are all tossups to some degree or another if Virginia Tech plays about the level it did last year. The final two games vs. the Demon Deacons and Cavaliers should be Hokie victories. To summarize, a very winnable first five games with one tough game in there (albeit not as tough as it was at the beginning of the week), a tough-ish middle stretch and an easy finish. I think it adds up to a pretty good year for Tech. Brewer at QB, assuming that happens, could be just what the Hokies needed as they seemingly had few good options otherwise. Brewer comes from a passing system at Texas Tech and is probably an upgrade at passer when compared to Thomas. The running backs and receivers are young but hold promise. If the OL can get it going a little bit, this offense should be better than a season ago. The defense will, of course, cause problems for offenses. Tech could find itself back in contention for the Coastal should a couple things fall its way.
Win-loss prediction: 8-4 or 9-3
Last year: Pittsburgh went 7-6 overall, 3-5 in the ACC, and beat Bowling Green, 30-27, in the Little Ceasars Bowl. The Panthers opened the season by getting blasted by future national champion Florida State, 41-13, then did enough to get past New Mexico, 49-27, and Duke, 58-55, in a wild shootout. Things then settled down and Pitt found itself in a defensive battle vs. UVa where it prevailed, 14-3. The Panthers then hit a rough patch, losing three of four to Virginia Tech, Navy, and Georgia Tech. Its only win in this stretch was over Old Dominion by 11 points. Pitt then split its last four games, beating Notre Dame and Syracuse to reach bowl eligibility while losing to North Carolina and Miami. Two-time transfer QB Tom Savage (first Rutgers and then Arizona before Pitt) completed 61.2 percent of his passes for 2,958 yards, 21 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. Pittsburgh had two running backs who gained nearly 800 yards: James Conner (799, eight TDs) and Isaac Bennett (797, seven scores). At receiver, Tyler Boyd burst on to the scene as a freshman, catching 85 passes for 1,174 yards and seven TDs. Devin Street, now with the NFL's Cowboys, caught 51 balls for 854 yards and seven TDs. Manasseh Garner had 33 receptions for 391 yards and three scores. The Panthers defense gave up 27.2 points per game and created just 16 turnovers -- eight interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. However, tackle Aaron Donald -- who was drafted No. 13 overall by the Rams -- was fantastic, recording 59 tackles, 28.5 for loss, 13 sacks, and four forced fumbles.
Offense: Eight starters return to this unit. One of them is the not the signal caller. The Panthers must find another QB now that Savage has finally graduated and was picked by the Texans in the fourth round of the draft. Sophomore Chad Voytik is expected to step in and be the Panthers' next starter. He brings a dual
Defense: Six starters return to this defense but losing Donald is a big blow. Returning tackle Darryl Render (25 tackles, 2.5 for loss, half a sack) will do his best, along with a by-committee approach, to replace some of Donald's production. Defensive ends Shakir Soto (20 tackles, four for loss, one sack) and Ejuan Price (23 tackles, four for loss, one sack) are other key returners. Two key players at linebacker are Todd Thomas (72 tackles, six for loss) and Anthony Gonzalez (79 tackles, 3.5 for loss). In the secondary, Pitt loses one key starter at safety, 2013 leading tackler Jason Hendricks (85 tackles, 4.5 for loss, one pick) but get another back in Ray Vinopal (83 tackles, three for loss, 1.5 sacks, three INTs, two forced fumbles). The team is very young at cornerback besides senior Lafayette Pitts (44 tackles, three for loss, four pass breakups).
Special teams note: At kicker, Chris Blewitt made 14 of 18 a year ago but the Panthers must replace punter Matt Yoklic, who booted punts an average of 43 yards. The return game was not special a year ago, but it does return several key names, including Weatherspoon, Pitts, and Boyd, who returned just three punts last year, but recorded one touchdown and a 23 yard return average when he did.
Schedule, notes, outlook: Delaware, at Boston College, at Florida International, Iowa, Akron, at Virginia, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Duke, at North Carolina, Syracuse, at Miami. If it plays a little better than expected, Pittsburgh could go 5-1 in its first six games, with only Iowa being a problem game. Boston College could be tough as well, but the others should all probably be wins. The Panthers might need to do that, too, because the final six games makes up quite the gauntlet with the Hokies, Jackets, Blue Devils, Tar Heels, Orange, and Hurricanes. I don't think anybody would sneeze at three victories in the second half of the year. Pittsburgh is young with lots of sophomores in key spots. The Panthers are also breaking in a new quarterback behind a line that was shaky a year ago. Thankfully, the running game is strong and could help off set QB and line issues. If Voytik can catch on, he has some good weapons to work with at receiver, especially Boyd, who is already one of the best in the ACC. The defense is a little bit like the offense. Potential is there, issues remain, and a major contributor in Donald must be replaced. Pittsburgh has the potential to be in the top half of the Coastal Division, but will probably settle in around .500 and it is kind of a toss-up whether or not the Panthers can take a step forward from last year.
Win-loss prediction: 6-6 or 7-5
Virginia Tech
Last year: The Hokies bounced back a bit from their 2012 campaign where they went 7-6. The 2013 Hokies tallied a mark of 8-5, 5-3 in the ACC, but lost in a blowout, 42-12, to UCLA in the Sun Bowl. Virginia Tech started out the year facing No. 1 Alabama and actually played a pretty tight game statistically, out-gaining the Crimson Tide, 212-206. Punt and interception returns for TDs, though, helped Alabama win, 35-10. Tech then mauled Western Carolina and got by East Carolina, Marshall, Georgia Tech, UNC, and Pittsburgh in pretty close games (the Marshall game went into OT at Lane Stadium). Nevertheless, Tech was 6-1 and undefeated in the ACC, very much in the conversation for reaching the ACC championship game. Things went downhill, though, in the team's final five games. Tech went just 2-3, with losses to Duke, Maryland, and Boston College, the first two of which were in Blacksburg. Virginia Tech notched what has become an expected victory over Virginia (16-6, neither team was pretty) and also topped Miami, 42-24, on the road in what was a surprising result. That was really the only good game the Hokies played, though, after their first seven games of the season. If you look at the Maryland, BC, and Duke games, you see losses that easily could have been wins and then the Hokies would have had an 11-2 record, a return to prominence if you will. But at the same time, the victories over ECU, Marshall, and Georgia Tech were all close and could have gone the other way as well, which would have made the Hokies 5-7 in the regular season and not eligible for a bowl game. I guess either way you slice it, Tech went .500 in swing games and that is probably pretty normal. Under center, Logan Thomas rebounded from a down 2012 campaign to complete 56.5 percent of his passes (up from 51.3 in '12) for 2,907 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 13 INTs (three fewer than in '12). He also rushed for 344 yards and four TDs. He was picked in the fourth round of the draft by the Cardinals and has been having a pretty good preseason. At running back, Trey Edmunds led the charge with 675 yards and 10 touchdowns. He broke his leg in the regular-season finale vs. UVa. J.C. Coleman had 284 yards and a score. A trio of wide receivers had 600 receiving yards: Willie Byrn (51 catches, 660 yards, two TDs), Demitri Knowles (45 receptions, 641 yards, three TDs), and Joshua Stanford (40 catches, 640 yards, one TD). TE Kalvin Cline (26 catches, 321 yards, two TDs) also contributed and D.J. Coles was a reliable red-zone target (25 receptions, 387 yards, six scores). Defensively, the Hokies were stout and better than in 2012, giving up 283.6 yards and 19.3 points per game while forcing 26 turnovers.
Offense: The Hokies now must move on without Thomas and the quarterback battle is a developing story that has yet to reach its conclusion. The top two candidates to replace the three-year starter are Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer and senior Mark Leal. The Hokies are expected to name a starter Friday after the squad's final scrimmage. Most people are expecting Brewer to get the job. Leal was underwhelming in a backup role last season, completing just 15 of 29 passes for one TD and two interceptions. Thomas got hurt in the Sun Bowl and Leal was not impressive vs. the Bruins. Brewer was impressive in limited action the past
Defense: This unit returns five starters. The team's two leading tacklers, linebackers Jack Tyler (100 tackles, 11 for loss, 4.5 sacks) and Tariq Edwards (74 tackles, 11 for loss, 3.5 sacks, one pick) are gone. Other key losses are defensive tackle Derrick Hopkins (54 tackles, nine for loss, five sacks) and defensive ends J.R. Collins (51 tackles, 11 for loss, five sacks) and James Gayle (44 tackles, 10.5 for loss, six sacks). Up front, tackle Luther Maddy (55 tackles, 13.5 for loss, 6.5 sacks) is a key returner and the Hokies welcome back Corey Marshall, who missed last season but tallied 26 tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in 2012. Dadi Nicolas (32 tackles, seven for loss, four sacks) has potential at DE. The secondary is one of the finest in the conference. The cornerbacks are Kendall Fuller (58 tackles, 2.5 for loss, half a sack, six picks) and Brandon Facyson (27 tackles, two for loss, five INTs) while the safeties are Detrick Bonner (48 tackles, two for loss, two picks) and Kyshoen Jarrett (71 tackles, one for loss, two INTs). The defensive question mark for the Hokies is at linebacker, where Chase Williams (12 tackles, 0.5 for loss), Deon Clarke (11 tackles, 0.5 for loss), Josh Trimble (20 tackles, two for loss, one sack), Derek DiNardo (nine tackles, 0.5 for loss) and Ronny Vandyke (hurt last season but was a minor contributor on 'D' and more of a factor on special teams in 2012) are expected to jostle for starts and playing time. Bottom line, this is a Bud Foster defense and despite a possible weak link at LB, there should be enough talent and experience up front and on the back end for it to once again be one of the best in the ACC.
Special teams note: The starting kicker is up in the air after the (about time) dismissal of Cody Journell for off-the-field transgressions. He was not too solid last year anyway, making just 10 of 16 field goals. The job is expected to come down to Joey Slye, Michael Santamaria, Eric Kristensen, Remington Crinshaw, or Carson Wise. Only Kristensen (4 of 5 a year ago) has experience. A.J. Hughes (44.1 yard-average) is one of the best punters in the ACC. The return game will be seeking more production this year after averaging just 20.4 yards per kick return and 4.4 yards per punt return in 2013 with zero touchdowns.
Schedule, notes, outlook: William & Mary, at Ohio State, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Western Michigan, at North Carolina, at Pittsburgh, Miami, Boston College, at Duke, at Wake Forest, Virginia. The Hokies received a big boost Tuesday when Heisman-contending Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller re-injured his throwing shoulder. He will miss the entire season. Suddenly, in my mind, the door opened for the Hokies to start the season 5-0 if it can get adequate production out of the QB spot. William & Mary should be an easy win (though you never know after the 2010 JMU game) and playing ECU, GT, and WMU all at home are more than likely victories with varying levels of certainty for each game. Playing at the Horseshoe is never easy, but now OSU will be breaking in a redshirt freshman QB against a very good Tech defense. It would not shock me at all now for the Hokies to win that game. The next five games are all tossups to some degree or another if Virginia Tech plays about the level it did last year. The final two games vs. the Demon Deacons and Cavaliers should be Hokie victories. To summarize, a very winnable first five games with one tough game in there (albeit not as tough as it was at the beginning of the week), a tough-ish middle stretch and an easy finish. I think it adds up to a pretty good year for Tech. Brewer at QB, assuming that happens, could be just what the Hokies needed as they seemingly had few good options otherwise. Brewer comes from a passing system at Texas Tech and is probably an upgrade at passer when compared to Thomas. The running backs and receivers are young but hold promise. If the OL can get it going a little bit, this offense should be better than a season ago. The defense will, of course, cause problems for offenses. Tech could find itself back in contention for the Coastal should a couple things fall its way.
Win-loss prediction: 8-4 or 9-3
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