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With Week 1 in the books, Pitt now turns their attention to a familiar foe in Boston College this weekend.
Boston College, like Pitt, ended up with a convincing win this weekend. The Eagles' 30-7 defeat of UMass wasn't nearly as impressive as the Panthers' win over Delaware, particularly because they struggled early, leading only 6-0 at the half. But the team regrouped and won comfortably.
While the Panthers had an easy time of things this weekend, the game against the Eagles marks a significant step up in competition.
Fellow ACC member, Boston College, is a program the Panthers are familiar with. The Eagles were one of the first defectors from the Big East and the rivalry with Pitt will be renewed this weekend.
In addition, the Panthers will be facing a team similar to them. Not only did Boston College play good defense on Saturday, allowing only seven points, but the team heavily loaded up on the run, rushing for 338 yards on 61 attempts. Quarterback Tyler Murphy led the way with 118 yards and Pitt will have to be mindful of him as a dual threat.
And as Pitt has to do this season with the loss of Aaron Donald, Boston College is also tasked with replacing their best player from 2013 - running back Andre Williams.
This is a dangerous game of sorts. Playing any road game on a weekday night is a big deal and can be a stiff challenge. This one also comes early enough in the season where there's still plenty of optimism for just about everyone. And coming off of a 30-7 win against UMass, you can probably expect a decent crowd to show for this one.
Not only is it dangerous, but it's really one of the keys to Pitt's season IMO. A win makes an eight-win season much more doable. A loss and the Panthers could be in real danger of yet another 6-6 team. The Panthers won't pass every major test on their schedule, but these are the types of games the Panthers need to win to get to the next level under Paul Chryst.
With the level of competition each played in their opening game, this contest should tell us a decent amount of each team. But at first glance, while Boston College should challenge the Panthers, after their dominant win this weekend, Pitt certainly has a chance to pick up a win on the road.
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