Pitt’s Halloween meeting with Georgia Tech now has a kickoff time, and the Panthers will get a night stage at Acrisure Stadium. The Week 9 game on Oct. 31 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN2.
That gives Pitt its first non-weekday primetime kickoff of the season. The Panthers had been on noon starts for their last three ACC games, while earlier this year they opened at 12:30 p.m. against Miami (Ohio) in Week 1 and at 3:30 p.m. against UCF in Week 2.
It will also be Pitt’s second primetime home game of the season after Syracuse in Week 3, and its first home primetime game on a non-weekday since a 24-19 loss to Virginia in Week 9.
The Panthers are trying to stop the slide after consecutive losses, falling 21-17 to UNC at Acrisure Stadium in Week 6 and 27-21 at Boston College in Week 7. Both defeats came against teams that had been struggling, especially Boston College, and they likely knocked Pitt out of the race for the ACC Championship Game.
Quarterback has become a major issue since sophomore Mason Heintschel tore his ACL in the 35-33 road win over Virginia Tech in Week 5. Pitt has not found much success with fifth-year Holden Gerriner or freshman Corey Dailey.
That uncertainty under center makes the road ahead look shaky, though Georgia Tech may still offer a chance to steady things. The Yellow Jackets are 2-4 overall and 1-2 in ACC play, with losses to Colorado, 14-13 at home in Week 1, and Stanford, 34-27 on the road in Week 4.
Pitt enters the matchup 5-2 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, and one more victory would clinch bowl eligibility. After facing No. 1 Miami on the road in Week 8, the Georgia Tech game could help the Panthers get back on track in 2026.
The series history leans Pitt’s way. The Panthers and Yellow Jackets have played 18 times, with Pitt leading 12-6.
The teams were both in the ACC Coastal Division from 2013, when Pitt joined the league, through 2022, when the ACC dissolved the divisions. Georgia Tech won three of the first five meetings, but Pitt has controlled the matchup lately, taking five of the last six and four of the past five in Coastal Division play.
Last season, Pitt delivered a big road win over then-ranked No. 22 Georgia Tech, racing to a 28-0 second-quarter lead before finishing off a 42-28 upset in Week 13.
Georgia Tech’s most recent win in Pittsburgh came in 2022, when it upset the then-ranked No. 22 Panthers 26-21 in Week 5.
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Clemson Now Faces A Very Different Florida State Offense
Florida State is heading into its bye week with a very different look in the backfield after a bruising double-overtime loss to Miami left the Seminoles shorthanded. Ousmane Kromah was injured on the play and his absence comes at a bad time, because the matchup with Clemson now looms next on the schedule and Florida State will have to sort out its running game without one of its more important pieces.
The Seminoles did not issue an official medical update, but the situation points to a lengthy recovery and a possible season-ending setback. Tre Wisner is expected to absorb a bigger workload in the offense, and how Florida State adjusts around him could shape what that Clemson game looks like when the bye week ends. [Read more 🡒]
Pitts First 2026-27 Test Exposed A Problem Fans Will Notice
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The most encouraging offensive note for Pitt was the debut of a North Carolina transfer, who led the Panthers with 15 points. But Providence kept controlling the possession game, knocking down 15 three-pointers and winning the rebounding battle 42-26, the kind of issues that tend to show up fast in November and linger if they are not cleaned up. [Read more 🡒]
Pitt Fans Have Several Big Reasons To Pay Attention Right Now
Pitt fans have a lot going on across the fall sports calendar, and volleyball is one of the more interesting puzzles to watch right now. The Panthers are using a two-libero setup, with Izzy Masten handling serve receive and Trinity Thompson taking base defense, while Mallorie Meyer continues to provide depth as a serving and defensive specialist. It is the kind of arrangement that says a lot about how the staff is trying to maximize each role, especially as the team looks for stability in the back row.
There is plenty more to keep an eye on beyond the volleyball court. The football team is still sorting through backup quarterback play after Corey Dailey and Holden Geriner had mixed results in their first starts, with the offense leaning heavily on the running backs, while mens basketball showed a more balanced scoring distribution in its exhibition against Providence. On the soccer side, though, the best immediate news may be the men sitting No. 6 in the D1 Committee Top 16, a spot that puts them in strong position for the postseason and potentially to host at least a few games. [Read more 🡒]