College Football
As we approach the second week of the college football season, some teams have had some hard-fought victories in week one while others experienced some easy wins or bad losses. This week Pitt faces Penn State, their in-state rival.
Last Week
Penn State narrowly escaped with a win against the Appalachian State Mountaineers last weekend at Beaver stadium. It was far from easy. Zac Thomas, the quarterback of Appalachian State, at times throughout the game really got the better of Penn State’s defense. Thomas completed 25 of 38 passes for 270 yards. He was also sacked twice and threw one interception. However, due to Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley and running back Miles Sanders, Penn State was able to escape with a win in overtime.
Overall, Trace McSorley had a nice game. He completed 20 of his 35 passes for 229 yards including one passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns. He was also sacked once. Furthermore, Miles Sanders had himself a game. Besides having 19 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns, he also scored the game-winning touchdown. Additionally, K.J Hamler had three receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown. Juwan Johnson also had six receptions for 67 yards but didn’t record a touchdown.
This Week
The Keystone Classic, as it’s dubbed, is set for the 99th annual game. The rivalry itself was renewed in 2016 after a 16 years hiatus. Here’s the game preview as Pitt faces Penn State.
Penn State comes in ranked No. 13 in the country and coming in battle tested against Appalachian State. On the other hand, Pitt comes into this game defeating the Albany Great Danes 33-7. The unique thing about that game was that all the scoring occurred in the first half.
Game Preview
In 2016, Penn State lost to Pitt at Heinz Field 42-39. In 2017, Penn State welcomed Pitt to Beaver stadium and won 33-19. This year, Pitt faces Penn State at Heinz Field and this game will be intense considering it’s the last game between the two at Heinz Field for the foreseeable future.
Expect this game to be tight. Not because of the rivalry, but because both teams have solid defenses. Penn State’s defense is a little bit more experienced, though.
The History
This Saturday’s game will be the 99th time Pitt and Penn State collide in the Keystone Classic. Before the 2016 match-up, the teams hadn’t played one another for 16 years. Currently, there is no match-up between the two teams after the 2019 game at Penn State. Overall, Penn State leads the all-time series 51-43-4 and the Nittany Lions record at Pittsburgh stands at 36-28-4.
Recently, Pitt Panthers coach Pat Narduzzi has been notorious for not showing too much of what his team has in week one. Many fans of both teams around not only Pennsylvania but around the country ask what’s the point in doing that? Pat Narduzzi has also blocked the media out of the Panthers’ practice facility the week leading up to the big game.
Conclusion
Pitt faces Penn State at Heinz Field for the last time for the foreseeable future. It should be a great game. Many fans are upset that currently there is no game scheduled between both schools after 2019. The game is set to air nationally on ABC at 8 p.m as the game of the week.
This game is a great challenge for Penn State as it’s a prime-time game on the road which will look great on their resume if they pull through. Since the bulk of Penn State’s intriguing games are at home, the committee will sure look at this game plus the game away at Michigan in the Big House as two deciding factors of true road test.
Photo credit to Penn State Alumni Association via Flickr
