Pittsburgh Football: 3 Takeaways from win over Georgia Tech
By Andrew Tineo
2. 3rd down conversions
Coming into this contest, Pitt ranked last in the ACC in third down conversions. The Panthers only exceeded the sticks on 35 percent of their attempts coming into this game. One of the keys in the game was to get reasonable third down conversions and Pitt did that well.
The Panthers went 8-17 on third down, good for a 47 percent conversion rate. Georgia Tech doesn’t have an intimidating defense and don’t force many turnovers. As a matter of fact, Pickett’s interception would end up being a fumble for the Yellow Jackets, was just their sixth on the season.
Being able to handle teams and make their weakness hurt them in the game is important. The future of the 2020 season for Pittsburgh is unclear and the Panthers found out more answers tonight than bring up questions.
If the Panthers qualify for a bowl game, improving on their 3rd down rate will be important. Add the explosiveness of Davis more consistently and they have their answer.