ACC Football: 5 storylines to follow at 2019 ACC Kickoff

5. How will Pitt replace production in the run game?

The Pittsburgh Panthers rode their two-headed rushing attack of Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall to an ACC Championship appearance last season.

As the 18th-ranked rushing attack in college football a year ago at 227.9 yards per game, the Panthers were able to use the run to mask their issues in the passing game, which struggled with Kenny Pickett at the controls.

Now with both Ollison and Hall and their combined 2,357 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns off to the NFL, question marks surround the Pitt offense heading into 2019.

Who will emerge as the lead back out of a backfield featuring junior A.J. Davis, sophomore V’lique Carter, and sophomore Todd Sibley Jr.?

Will the trio be able to replace even half of the rushing production from last year’s team?

How about quarterback Kenny Pickett? Can he be relied upon to provide more in the passing game if the running game struggles to get on track?

Regardless of what Pittsburgh brings to the table in the rushing game, the passing attack must improve. Pittsburgh ranked 118th nationally through the air a year ago, averaging only 141.8 yards per game.

Pickett’s final stats for the season were pedestrian, at best. He completed a mere 58% of his passes for 1,969 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He needs to be better in his third year under center.