Pittsburgh Panthers Football: Top 5 most important games in 2015
September 1, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Isaac Bennett (34) scores on a 4 yard touchdown run against the Youngstown State Penguins during the first quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
5. Pittsburgh vs. Youngstown State – Sept. 5
There are a couple of reasons this matchup is big for Pittsburgh, but some of them aren’t as obvious as with others on this list, depending on how much you know about the Penguins and their relation to the Panthers.
The most significant element about this game is simple – it’s the first. Not only will Pitt’s meeting with Youngstown will be the first game of the 2015 season, but it will be Pat Narduzzi’s first game as head coach. This game will give us all our first glimpse into the Narduzzi era and what his first Panthers team brings to the table.
Relatively little is known about how well Narduzzi’s first squad will play, although we do have a good idea of how some of the major players will fare, like star running back James Conner. Nonetheless, this will be the first look the public will have at the team in action. Playing a relatively weaker team in Youngstown State will also give Pat and his new coaching staff the chance to shake out some of the bugs in the new system.
The team will take the field without wide receiver Tyler Boyd and defensive end Tyler Boyd, who were both given one game suspensions due to separate, offseason DUI incidents last week. Both players are big contributors, and not having them on the field will definitely pose an extra challenge that the team will need to overcome.
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Beyond that, there are a couple smaller things that add extra meaning to what would normally be considered a test game against a weaker opponent. Youngstown State’s history with Pitt is pretty modest, but significant. The Penguins staged a major upset in their last meeting with the Panthers, trouncing them 31-17 in front of a Heinz Field crowd for the first game of the 2012 season. Needless to say, a many Pitt fans still remember the sting from that loss.
This game will not only be Pat Narduzzi’s first game in his new position, but Youngstown State’s Bo Pelini as well. Pelini, who was the head coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers since 2008, returned to his hometown to coach the Penguins following his dismissal from Nebraska after the 2014 season. Both coaches have noteworthy resumes with big programs (although Narduzzi’s is in more of a positive light than Pelini’s at the moment), and having them meet in their debuts with their new teams definitely adds a layer of intrigue to the opener.
Despite the history and the missing players, the skilled Panthers crew should be able to overcome Pelini’s squad, although the upset possibilities are threatening. The Penguins may not be a very formidable foe, but winning here is very necessary. A loss to a smaller team as Youngstown could destroy the team’s aspirations for the season. A win gives the team and the fans an early confidence boost, an endorsement of higher hopes for the Panther’s season and for the possibilities of what Pitt could achieve under Narduzzi.
Next: Georgia Tech