With five games left on the schedule, Pitt’s 2019 season outlook is coming into focus. Each week, we’ll break down how the Panthers’ remaining opponents did and where things stand in the Coastal Division.

WEEKEND RECAP
All five of Pitt’s remaining opponents were in action this weekend, with four of them facing each other. The biggest surprise of the day on Saturday - at least in the Coastal Division - was in Miami, where the Hurricanes found a surprising foe in Georgia Tech.

The Yellow Jackets, who entered the game with one win on the season (against USF), took Miami to overtime on a blocked field goal and then stunned the Hurricanes with a stop on fourth down in the first overtime period. Georgia Tech got half of its four touchdowns in non-offensive fashion - a fake punt and a recovered fumble in the end zone - but the game was more a reflection on where Miami.

The Hurricanes will visit Heinz Field next weekend with a losing record overall and just one conference victory. The Yellow Jackets are off.

Georgia Tech and Miami weren’t the only Coastal Division teams to play in overtime on Saturday. Virginia Tech and North Carolina met in Blacksburg, and the two teams needed not one but six overtime periods to settle things.

The Hokies prevailed 43-41, but had to finish the game without quarterback Hendon Hooker. Ryan Willis and Quincy Patterson replaced Hooker and each backup threw a touchdown pass. Patterson clinched the win with a two-point conversion in the sixth overtime, but UNC’s Sam Howell had a strong game, too, throwing for 348 yards and five touchdowns in the loss.

Virginia Tech gets a week off to heal up, while North Carolina will host Duke next Saturday.

Of course, the most notable game in the Coastal for Pitt each week - aside from its own - will be Virginia, the current leader in the division and the only ACC team to defeat the Panthers so far. Due to that season-opening loss, Pitt needs Virginia to lose one more game, but it didn’t happen this week.

Instead, the Cavaliers hosted Duke and faced little resistance, jumping out to a 27-0 lead and pushing it to 41-7 before settling into a 48-14 victory. Virginia will go to Louisville next Saturday.

Pitt’s other remaining opponent in 2019, Boston College, scored a blowout win in Atlantic Division play by beating N.C. State 45-24 with a dominant rushing performance (the Eagles 429 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns). Boston College is now 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC.

COASTAL STANDINGS
1. Virginia (5-2 overall, 3-1 ACC)
2. Pitt (5-2 overall, 2-1 ACC)
3. Duke (4-3 overall, 2-2 ACC)
4. Virginia Tech (5-2 overall, 2-2 ACC)
5. North Carolina (3-4 overall, 2-2 ACC)
6. Georgia Tech (2-5 overall, 1-3 ACC)
7. Miami (3-4 overall, 1-3 ACC)

The big question grew even larger this weekend: Who can beat Virginia? Duke looked like a quality team and potentially a challenger to the Cavaliers, but Bronco Mendenhall’s team didn’t have much trouble at all. Virginia will follow this weekend’s Louisville game with a trip to North Carolina and then three home games to finish the season: Georgia Tech, Liberty and Virginia Tech.

In terms of ACC teams who could knock off the Cavaliers, that’s not exactly a schedule filled with candidates. Virginia Tech is probably the most likely option; the Hokies have defeated the Cavs 15 years in a row, and while Virginia looks good this year, Virginia Tech could potentially build on the momentum of its marathon win over UNC. The Tar Heels themselves could also be a dangerous team and have shown signs of potential this season.

For Pitt, of course, the focus remains week-to-week, starting with Saturday's noon kickoff against Miami at Heinz Field.