Pittsburgh Football: Panthers look towards a bowl in 2018

Offense

Last season saw Pitt struggle mightily on offense, especially in the red zone. The Panthers only averaged 24 points per game. If there is to be an overall improvement, the offense must be better.

Fortunately the quarterback position is figured out with Kenny Pickett. With mediocre performances from Max Browne and Ben DiNucci, Pickett was inserted into the Virginia Tech game for a spark and he nearly led the Panthers to a comeback. The following week he started against Miami and had a huge performance in the upset win, going 18 of 29, 193 yards and a touchdown pass to go along with two rushing scores on the ground. Now the expectations for Pickett are high and he will need to carry the team.

The rushing attack has a lot of talent if the offensive line can block for them. Both Darrin Hall and Qadree Ollison are back and star recruit Mychale Salahuddin might get some action as well. But the Panthers rushed for under 1,800 yards a year ago and that was mainly a product of poor blocking. The offensive line is losing three starters, but perhaps it will be addition by subtraction with a mix of veterans and junior college transfers in the fold.

The receivers are a potential problem. Gone are Quadree Henderson and Jester Weah. Rafael Araujo-Lopes is back but he is not a huge target. The rest of the unit is made up of young, unproven guys. They will all need to step up quickly to keep the offense clicking.