Pitt will have a chance to reset under the lights in Week 9.
The Panthers’ Halloween matchup with Georgia Tech at Acrisure Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN2, giving Pitt its first non-weekday primetime kickoff of the season. The Panthers previously played at noon in each of their last three ACC games, went at 12:30 p.m. in Week 1 against Miami (Ohio), and kicked off at 3:30 p.m. against UCF in Week 2.
It will also be Pitt’s second primetime game at Acrisure Stadium this year, following Syracuse in Week 3, and its first home primetime game on a non-weekday since a 24-19 loss to Virginia in Week 9.
Pitt enters the Georgia Tech game coming off consecutive setbacks, falling 21-17 to UNC at home in Week 6 and 27-21 at Boston College in Week 7. Those losses came against teams that had also struggled, particularly Boston College, and they likely shut the door on Pitt’s path to the ACC Championship Game.
The quarterback situation has only added to the slide. Sophomore Mason Heintschel tore his ACL in the 35-33 road win over Virginia Tech in Week 5, and Pitt has not gotten much from fifth-year Holden Gerriner or freshman Corey Dailey since then.
Georgia Tech, meanwhile, comes in at 2-4 overall and 1-2 in ACC play, with damaging defeats already on its ledger - a 14-13 home loss to Colorado in Week 1 and a 34-27 road loss to Stanford in Week 4.
For Pitt, though, the math is simple. The Panthers are 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, and one more win would clinch bowl eligibility.
With No. 1 Miami looming on the road in Week 8, Georgia Tech could be the game that helps get Pitt back on track in 2026.
The Panthers and Yellow Jackets have met 18 times, with Pitt holding a 12-6 edge in the series. The teams were ACC Coastal Division rivals from 2013, when Pitt joined the conference, through 2022, when the ACC dissolved the divisions.
Georgia Tech won three of the first five matchups, but Pitt has controlled the series lately, winning five of the last six, including four of the last five in the ACC Coastal Division.
Last season, Pitt beat then-ranked No. 22 Georgia Tech on the road, jumping out to a 28-0 second-quarter lead and finishing off a 42-28 upset in Week 13.
The Yellow Jackets’ most recent win in the series came at Acrisure Stadium in 2022, when they knocked off the then-ranked No. 22 Panthers 26-21 in Week 5.
In Other News...
Georgia Tech Keeps Showing Promise But The Same Problems Wont Go Away
Georgia Techs latest trip to Virginia Tech looked familiar in too many ways, even as there were enough bright spots to keep the frustration from turning into full-on alarm. The Yellow Jackets showed promise in spurts, and several players helped fuel that feeling, with Alberto Mendoza directing the offense, Trelain Maddox making his presence felt and Jordan Allen adding his own contribution. Still, the loss fit a pattern this team has been trying to break, one where the flashes are real but the bigger problems keep hanging around.
Turnovers, missed field goals and protection issues continue to undercut whatever progress Georgia Tech makes from one stretch to the next. The second-half response offered some evidence that the Jackets can settle in and compete, but it also only sharpened the question that has followed them all season: how do they clean up the mistakes before the margin disappears again? [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Tech Faces Big Availability Questions Ahead Of Must-Have Bounce Back
Georgia Tech heads into its homecoming matchup with Boston College carrying more than just the weight of last weeks loss to Virginia Tech. At 2-4, the Yellow Jackets need a quick reset, and the depth chart released ahead of the game suggests the staff is still sorting through several injury questions on both sides of the ball. The timing is especially tricky for a team trying to steady itself at home and get back on track.
Among the biggest concerns is the defense, where the Jackets are hoping to be closer to full strength after some uneven stretches. The hope is to have cornerback Daiquan White back in the mix after missing the last two games, while the offense is also waiting on clarity for players such as Justice Haynes and Malachi Hosley. For a team in need of a bounce back, the availability report may end up shaping just as much as the game plan. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smarts Gunner Stockton Update Raises New Questions For Georgia
Gunner Stocktons rough second half against Auburn left Georgia with more than one concern to sort through. The quarterback committed three turnovers after halftime, including two interceptions and a late fumble, and while the performance itself will draw plenty of scrutiny, the injury aftermath is part of the conversation too. Kirby Smart said Stockton came away with a shoulder stinger and did not show concussion symptoms, which at least clarified one part of the situation coming out of the game.
The bigger question for Georgia is how quickly Stockton can settle back in and how the staff handles the next layer behind him. Backup Puglisi was effective when he was called upon, completing all of his passes for 55 yards, a small sample but a notable one given the uncertainty around the starter. For a team trying to steady itself after a messy finish, that kind of efficiency only adds to the intrigue as the Bulldogs move into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]