With Miami set to take on Pitt tomorrow afternoon, CIS took a deep-dive and compared both programs. How do the teams match up in key areas of the game, which players were recruited by the other school, and how does the series history shake out? Let's find out.
Head-to-Head
Miami Rush Offense vs. Pitt Rush Defense
Despite getting shutdown last week vs. Clemson, Miami’s running game is still the strongest unit on their team in relation to the rest of the country, coming in at 23rd nationally with 196.5 ypg. The Canes will look to get their ground game back on track this week behind RB Cam’Ron Harris (6.8 ypc, 5 TD’s) and QB D’Eriq King (60.3 rushing yards per game), who can make life difficult on opposing linebackers and DB’s if he gets into the open field.
Miami’s offensive line failed their biggest test of the season against Clemson’s front last week, but Pitt may be the second toughest front they’ll see in 2020; the Panthers are an elite run defending team in holding opponents to 52 ypg (2nd in the nation). Even though 2019 second team All-ACC selection Jalen Twyman opted out of the season, Pitt’s front 7 hasn’t missed a beat; senior DE Patrick Jones currently leads the nation in sacks (7), while senior DE Rashad Weaver has also been a problem for opposing offenses (7 TFL, 4.5 sacks). Sophomore LB SirVocea Dennis (team-leading 31 tackles, 6 TFL) has also been a productive presence at the second level. Pitt’s defensive strategy will certainly be to stack the box and limit UM’s run game, and they have had success doing that in most every game this season.
Advantage: Pitt
Pitt Rush Offense vs. Miami Rush Defense
In recent years, Pitt has been known for their run game, but they have surprisingly been one of the weakest teams in the country on the ground in 2020 at only 124 ypg (61st of 76 in FBS). Sophomore RB Vincent Davis leads the way in the Panthers backfield, but he has struggled to the tune of just 3.2 yards per carry. That’s somewhat surprising in that Pitt’s OL brings back 4 of 5 starters from last season. Pitt senior QB Kenny Pickett can be dangerous on the ground though (5 TD’s rushing) and he has to be accounted for. Miami has been very underwhelming at stopping the run, coming in at #52 in the nation with 174.5 ypg allowed, and that’s been mostly due to inconsistent LB play that is slow to react and fill gaps. It’s a battle of two weaknesses here, but UM has a history of performing well and inflating their numbers against bad running teams while later getting shredded by the best ones.
Advantage: Miami
Miami Pass Offense vs. Pitt Pass Defense
UM’s pass game took a major hit last week in putting up a dud vs. Clemson and now sits in the back half of the country in passing offense (46th at 230.3 ypg). While Miami has shown the ability to be both efficient and explosive at times behind the arm of King (61.2% completions, 6-2 TD-INT ratio), it is certainly a concern to have leading receiver TE Brevin Jordan (18 receptions) listed as questionable going into the game when Miami’s WR corps has been downright terrible at times.
They’ll be going up against a Pitt secondary that has been above average at defending the pass this season (24th at 213 ypg) and has a star in preseason first team All-ACC pick S Paris Ford (31 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 INT). Pitt’s pass rush helps the secondary out a lot as well, as the Panthers lead the country in sacks with 5 per game. On the flip side, UM’s offensive line was good up until last week (3 sacks allowed in 3 games), when they struggled against a similarly talented DL in Clemson (5 sacks allowed).
Advantage: Pitt
Pitt Pass offense vs. Miami Pass Defense
While their run game has been non-existent, the Panthers’ passing game has helped pick up the slack thus far in 2020 (#21 at 284.2 ypg). Pickett is a fourth-year starter at QB against UM, has a ton of experience, and has beaten UM in the past back in 2017. He is the engine that makes the Pitt offense go, accounting for 8 passing TD’s on 60% completions, 3 INT, and he is currently the nation’s leading passer (1,389 yards in 5 games). He is surrounded by freshman phenom WR Jordan Addison, who is 7th in the country with 30 catches, and big-play threat senior WR DJ Turner (18.4 ypc).
UM is 39th in the country in passing defense at 245.8 ypg, and although the secondary has allowed too many receivers running free at times in 2020, they’ve been buoyed by a strong pass rush led by Quincy Roche (5.5 TFL, 2 sacks) that is 16th nationally in sacks per game (2.75). Pitt’s OL has only been slightly above average at protecting the passer this year (#34 at 1.8 sacks per game). The Miami DL needs to really pressure Pickett like they were able to last year (4 sacks in 2019), and force him to make mistakes.
Advantage: Even
Miami Special Teams vs. Pitt Special Teams
Pitt junior punter Kirk Christodoulou has a ton of experience and has been the Panthers’ starting punter since he was a freshman, and he is currently 5th in the ACC in ypp (44.7) in 2020. Pitt has a 4th year starter in kicker Alex Kessman, although he has been a below average kicker in his career (67.1% career on FG’s) and has struggled so far this season (58.3% on FG’s in 2020). On the flip side, Miami has two proven and experienced specialists in junior punter Louis Hedley, who made the Ray Guy Award watchlist (3rd in ACC at 46.1 ypp), and senior kicker Jose Borregales, who has been a true difference maker so far (7-7 on FG’s, long of 57). The Canes are still trying to find an answer at returner with Mark Pope’s struggles (2 fumbles lost in 3 games), and Xavier Restrepo wasn’t much better last week. The Panthers have used a variety of options at returner, and Turner has seen the most opportunities; Turner’s 17.7 yards per return on punts would lead the ACC if he qualified.
Advantage: Miami
Roster Notes
Pitt players recruited by Miami (5): CB Damar Hamlin, DT Keyshon Camp, OL Carter Warren, RB Daniel Carter, DB Jahvante Royal
Miami players recruited by Pitt (24): QB Tate Martell, RB Robert Burns, OL Corey Gaynor, DT Jon Ford, S Amari Carter, TE Will Mallory, OL John Campbell, DE/LB Patrick Joyner, DT Nesta Silvera, CB Al Blades, S Gurvan Hall, DE Jahfari Harvey, DE Cameron Williams, DT Jared Harrison-Hunte, STRK Keontra Smith, CB Te’Cory Couch, QB Tyler Van Dyke, RB Jaylan Knighton, WR Michael Redding, WR Xavier Restrepo, DL Elijah Roberts, LB Tirek Austin-Cave, CB Marcus Clarke, S Jalen Harrell
Pitt players that were committed to Miami (1): DT Keyshon Camp
Pitt players from South Florida (11): WR Aydin Henningham (Deerfield Beach), DL Rashad Weaver (Cooper City), RB Vincent Davis (Cardinal Gibbons), RB Daniel Carter (St. Thomas), DB Jahvante Royal (St. Thomas), DT Calijah Kancey (Miami Northwestern), LB Leslie Smith (Miami Northwestern), DE Emmanuel Belgrave (Miami Southridge), DE Sam Williams (Calvary Christian Academy), DL Deslin Alexandre (Deerfield Beach), CB Marquis Williams (Cardinal Gibbons)
Series History
**Miami leads the overall series with Pitt, 27-11-1.
**The Canes are currently on a two game-winning streak vs. the Panthers; the longest-ever winning streak in this series was 8 games, something done by Miami (1984-1996) back when the schools were in the Big East Conference.
**The largest margin of victory in this rivalry is 58 points, something done by Miami when they shutout the Panthers in Pittsburgh during the 1967 season.
Last Time They Played
**Last season, Miami QB Jarren Williams subbed in for an ineffective N’Kosi Perry late in the fourth quarter against Pitt, leading the Hurricanes on a game-winning drive in the last minute that culminated in a 32-yard TD pass to WR KJ Osborn. Miami defeated the Panthers in a defensive slugfest, 16-12.
**On a day with little offense to spare, Osborn was one of the few stars, recording 6 catches for 94 yards and the game-winning TD. The Canes recorded just 208 total yards as a team.
**Miami DE Gregory Rousseau continued his assault on ACC QB’s in this one, sacking Pitt QB Kenny Pickett 3 times on the day; Miami would record 4 sacks and 7 TFL total.
**Pitt had a strong day on the ground against UM, putting up 176 rushing yards behind a team-leading 54 rushing yards from Todd Sibley.
Head-to-Head
Miami Rush Offense vs. Pitt Rush Defense
Despite getting shutdown last week vs. Clemson, Miami’s running game is still the strongest unit on their team in relation to the rest of the country, coming in at 23rd nationally with 196.5 ypg. The Canes will look to get their ground game back on track this week behind RB Cam’Ron Harris (6.8 ypc, 5 TD’s) and QB D’Eriq King (60.3 rushing yards per game), who can make life difficult on opposing linebackers and DB’s if he gets into the open field.
Miami’s offensive line failed their biggest test of the season against Clemson’s front last week, but Pitt may be the second toughest front they’ll see in 2020; the Panthers are an elite run defending team in holding opponents to 52 ypg (2nd in the nation). Even though 2019 second team All-ACC selection Jalen Twyman opted out of the season, Pitt’s front 7 hasn’t missed a beat; senior DE Patrick Jones currently leads the nation in sacks (7), while senior DE Rashad Weaver has also been a problem for opposing offenses (7 TFL, 4.5 sacks). Sophomore LB SirVocea Dennis (team-leading 31 tackles, 6 TFL) has also been a productive presence at the second level. Pitt’s defensive strategy will certainly be to stack the box and limit UM’s run game, and they have had success doing that in most every game this season.
Advantage: Pitt
Pitt Rush Offense vs. Miami Rush Defense
In recent years, Pitt has been known for their run game, but they have surprisingly been one of the weakest teams in the country on the ground in 2020 at only 124 ypg (61st of 76 in FBS). Sophomore RB Vincent Davis leads the way in the Panthers backfield, but he has struggled to the tune of just 3.2 yards per carry. That’s somewhat surprising in that Pitt’s OL brings back 4 of 5 starters from last season. Pitt senior QB Kenny Pickett can be dangerous on the ground though (5 TD’s rushing) and he has to be accounted for. Miami has been very underwhelming at stopping the run, coming in at #52 in the nation with 174.5 ypg allowed, and that’s been mostly due to inconsistent LB play that is slow to react and fill gaps. It’s a battle of two weaknesses here, but UM has a history of performing well and inflating their numbers against bad running teams while later getting shredded by the best ones.
Advantage: Miami
Miami Pass Offense vs. Pitt Pass Defense
UM’s pass game took a major hit last week in putting up a dud vs. Clemson and now sits in the back half of the country in passing offense (46th at 230.3 ypg). While Miami has shown the ability to be both efficient and explosive at times behind the arm of King (61.2% completions, 6-2 TD-INT ratio), it is certainly a concern to have leading receiver TE Brevin Jordan (18 receptions) listed as questionable going into the game when Miami’s WR corps has been downright terrible at times.
They’ll be going up against a Pitt secondary that has been above average at defending the pass this season (24th at 213 ypg) and has a star in preseason first team All-ACC pick S Paris Ford (31 tackles, 3.5 TFL, 2 INT). Pitt’s pass rush helps the secondary out a lot as well, as the Panthers lead the country in sacks with 5 per game. On the flip side, UM’s offensive line was good up until last week (3 sacks allowed in 3 games), when they struggled against a similarly talented DL in Clemson (5 sacks allowed).
Advantage: Pitt
Pitt Pass offense vs. Miami Pass Defense
While their run game has been non-existent, the Panthers’ passing game has helped pick up the slack thus far in 2020 (#21 at 284.2 ypg). Pickett is a fourth-year starter at QB against UM, has a ton of experience, and has beaten UM in the past back in 2017. He is the engine that makes the Pitt offense go, accounting for 8 passing TD’s on 60% completions, 3 INT, and he is currently the nation’s leading passer (1,389 yards in 5 games). He is surrounded by freshman phenom WR Jordan Addison, who is 7th in the country with 30 catches, and big-play threat senior WR DJ Turner (18.4 ypc).
UM is 39th in the country in passing defense at 245.8 ypg, and although the secondary has allowed too many receivers running free at times in 2020, they’ve been buoyed by a strong pass rush led by Quincy Roche (5.5 TFL, 2 sacks) that is 16th nationally in sacks per game (2.75). Pitt’s OL has only been slightly above average at protecting the passer this year (#34 at 1.8 sacks per game). The Miami DL needs to really pressure Pickett like they were able to last year (4 sacks in 2019), and force him to make mistakes.
Advantage: Even
Miami Special Teams vs. Pitt Special Teams
Pitt junior punter Kirk Christodoulou has a ton of experience and has been the Panthers’ starting punter since he was a freshman, and he is currently 5th in the ACC in ypp (44.7) in 2020. Pitt has a 4th year starter in kicker Alex Kessman, although he has been a below average kicker in his career (67.1% career on FG’s) and has struggled so far this season (58.3% on FG’s in 2020). On the flip side, Miami has two proven and experienced specialists in junior punter Louis Hedley, who made the Ray Guy Award watchlist (3rd in ACC at 46.1 ypp), and senior kicker Jose Borregales, who has been a true difference maker so far (7-7 on FG’s, long of 57). The Canes are still trying to find an answer at returner with Mark Pope’s struggles (2 fumbles lost in 3 games), and Xavier Restrepo wasn’t much better last week. The Panthers have used a variety of options at returner, and Turner has seen the most opportunities; Turner’s 17.7 yards per return on punts would lead the ACC if he qualified.
Advantage: Miami
Roster Notes
Pitt players recruited by Miami (5): CB Damar Hamlin, DT Keyshon Camp, OL Carter Warren, RB Daniel Carter, DB Jahvante Royal
Miami players recruited by Pitt (24): QB Tate Martell, RB Robert Burns, OL Corey Gaynor, DT Jon Ford, S Amari Carter, TE Will Mallory, OL John Campbell, DE/LB Patrick Joyner, DT Nesta Silvera, CB Al Blades, S Gurvan Hall, DE Jahfari Harvey, DE Cameron Williams, DT Jared Harrison-Hunte, STRK Keontra Smith, CB Te’Cory Couch, QB Tyler Van Dyke, RB Jaylan Knighton, WR Michael Redding, WR Xavier Restrepo, DL Elijah Roberts, LB Tirek Austin-Cave, CB Marcus Clarke, S Jalen Harrell
Pitt players that were committed to Miami (1): DT Keyshon Camp
Pitt players from South Florida (11): WR Aydin Henningham (Deerfield Beach), DL Rashad Weaver (Cooper City), RB Vincent Davis (Cardinal Gibbons), RB Daniel Carter (St. Thomas), DB Jahvante Royal (St. Thomas), DT Calijah Kancey (Miami Northwestern), LB Leslie Smith (Miami Northwestern), DE Emmanuel Belgrave (Miami Southridge), DE Sam Williams (Calvary Christian Academy), DL Deslin Alexandre (Deerfield Beach), CB Marquis Williams (Cardinal Gibbons)
Series History
**Miami leads the overall series with Pitt, 27-11-1.
**The Canes are currently on a two game-winning streak vs. the Panthers; the longest-ever winning streak in this series was 8 games, something done by Miami (1984-1996) back when the schools were in the Big East Conference.
**The largest margin of victory in this rivalry is 58 points, something done by Miami when they shutout the Panthers in Pittsburgh during the 1967 season.
Last Time They Played
**Last season, Miami QB Jarren Williams subbed in for an ineffective N’Kosi Perry late in the fourth quarter against Pitt, leading the Hurricanes on a game-winning drive in the last minute that culminated in a 32-yard TD pass to WR KJ Osborn. Miami defeated the Panthers in a defensive slugfest, 16-12.
**On a day with little offense to spare, Osborn was one of the few stars, recording 6 catches for 94 yards and the game-winning TD. The Canes recorded just 208 total yards as a team.
**Miami DE Gregory Rousseau continued his assault on ACC QB’s in this one, sacking Pitt QB Kenny Pickett 3 times on the day; Miami would record 4 sacks and 7 TFL total.
**Pitt had a strong day on the ground against UM, putting up 176 rushing yards behind a team-leading 54 rushing yards from Todd Sibley.
