Pitt and Georgia Tech will meet Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Acrisure Stadium, and both teams are trying to stop losing streaks while working through injury concerns.
Pat Narduzzi said both programs are dealing with similar issues, noting that Georgia Tech has been hit by injuries too. He described the Yellow Jackets as a banged-up team that is still hungry for a win, while making it clear Pitt is in the same spot after dropping three straight.
What Pitt and Georgia Tech are dealing with
Pitt enters at 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the ACC after three consecutive losses. Georgia Tech is 5-3 as well, but the Yellow Jackets have lost two in a row and are coming off a 49-27 defeat to Boston College on Oct. 24.
That loss was especially notable because Georgia Tech quarterback Alberto Mendoza was removed late after throwing two interceptions. Narduzzi also pointed to a different offensive look from the Yellow Jackets, saying there are not as many quarterback runs in this version of the attack.
He said Pitt will have to be ready for whatever Georgia Tech brings, whether that is inside zone, outside zone or something else. That matters because the Yellow Jackets have been one of Pitt’s more favorable remaining opponents on paper, but the matchup still comes with real pressure for both sides.
Georgia Tech’s offense still has danger
Even with the recent losses, Georgia Tech has enough playmakers to challenge Pitt. Haynes King was one of the ACC’s most productive quarterbacks last season, rushing for 953 yards, passing for 2,951 yards and accounting for 29 total touchdowns in his final collegiate season.
Georgia Tech also has other offensive threats. Justice Haynes has 1,714 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions in the context supplied here, while Trelain Maddox has added 42 catches for 517 yards and one touchdown. Jordan Allen has 27 catches for 428 yards and two touchdowns, and Malachi Toney has produced 210.4 yards per contest.
The bigger issue for Georgia Tech has been stopping the run. The Yellow Jackets’ rushing defense is last in the ACC, which creates another layer of concern in a game where Pitt will be trying to find anything that can get its season moving in the right direction.
Narduzzi summed up the stakes simply: both teams are hungry for a win, and the goal is to go 1-0. In a matchup between two ACC teams on slide, that is the part that matters most.
