The Bostick Breakdown: How Pitt matches up with Louisville
What does former Pitt quarterback Pat Bostick see in the Panthers’ matchup with Louisville today? Here’s the Bostick Breakdown.
Louisville offense
Louisville uses a lot of one-back/one-tight end/three-wide, and they want to spread you out, although they will use some two-tight end, too. Foundationally, they want to run the football and they want to run the wide zone with Javian Hawkins, their bell-cow tailback. They love the wide zone to try to get you running laterally and then they’ll try to puncture you north and south with those cutback lanes. Hawkins will take it the whole way backside, so gap control and contain will be important. Off the wide zone, they love to run naked bootlegs and run crossing routes, get the ball to Tutu Atwell in space; they’ll throw screens to him and try to get him in favorable matchups. Malik Cunningham has been efficient and they’re able to utilize their running attack to set up play-action and push the ball downfield to Dez Fitzpatrick. I think they have a good group on offense: they’re solid up front and they have a lot of speed.
Louisville defense
They have a 3-4 base, but I think the strength of their defense is the middle linebackers. C.J. Avery, Dorian Etheridge and Rodjay Burns are all seniors who have played a lot, especially Avery and Etheridge inside. They’re stout against the run and they’re very, very multiple in coverage. They run a lot of variations of single-high safety and man zone, and they’ll do a lot on third down with pressure. They’ve struggled to get a pass rush; they’re a veteran group up front but they play a lot of catch and two-gap with their three down linemen. It’s a veteran defense overall, but if they’re susceptible to anything, it’s that they’ve struggled with their pass rush and allowed people to get matchups in the passing game. Pitt will look to take advantage of that.
Player to watch: Offense
You have to stop Javian Hawkins first before you can focus on pressure and getting to Cunningham and trying to cover Tutu Atwell. It starts with stopping Hawkins and the run game, and that’s a tall order.
Player to watch: Defense
I like Etheridge, the middle linebacker. Pitt needs to run the ball in this game, and in order to do that, you have to get to the second level. Get your double teams at the point of attack and get to the second level and block these linebackers, which is not an easy task. So I think you have to watch the linebacker level.
Favorable matchup: Louisville offense
Their speed off of play-action is really a strength. Pitt is highly aggressive in the front and the safeties are really tied into the run game; if you create a moment of indecision off of play-action, it gives you a chance to utilize that speed and get a step. And if you get a step with Atwell and Fitzpatrick and these receivers, they can take it to the house. Pitt will try to stop the run; that will be foremost on their minds. So Louisville is going to have a chance to run some play-action, and if the Panthers aren’t tied into their keys and disciplined in covering the receivers off the play-action, they’ll hit some big plays.
Favorable matchup: Louisville defense
I think they do have a good front and they’re pretty good against the run. They haven’t been great this year when you look at their statistics. Miami was able to pretty much do what they wanted and they hit some big plays in the air that really hurt Louisville. But I think the linebackers are their strength and Pitt struggled against Syracuse blocking run-throughs and blitzing linebackers, and I think Louisville will go to school on that film and try to be a little more aggressive up front.
Favorable matchup: Pitt offense
I think they’ll have a chance in pass protection to get some matchups down the field, and I like Pitt’s ability in this area. Louisville’s secondary is solid but not as good as Syracuse’s. I like the chances that Jordan Addison will have in the slot, Jared Wayne will have inside, Taysir Mack and Shocky Jacques-Louis - I like their matchups. I think Kenny Pickett is going to have time to push the ball down the field in this game.
Favorable matchup: Pitt defense
I think they have a matchup advantage up front almost every week, and if they’re able to stop the run - which will be a group effort - I think they can get pressure on Cunningham and hit him. He’s far less efficient when he is getting pressured than when he has time.
Bostick’s attack: Offense
I think you cut it loose and take some shots in this game. You need to score points and I want to see an aggressive game plan from Mark Whipple. Certainly, you want to get the run game going to set things up, but I think this is a game where you can get aggressive and take some shots down the field, get into a rhythm and get some confidence on offense. Last week was not a good showing on their part; I think this is a chance to give Pickett the full arsenal and go out there and be aggressive on offense, take some shots down the field early.
Bostick’s attack: Defense
I say this every week, but it’s a disciplined, controlled by aggressive mindset. Penetration is great, but there has to be backside contain and gap control for how Louisville wants to run it offensively in that wide zone. You have to tackle well in open space and be disciplined because Louisville does a lot off of bootleg and naked action, so discipline in your run/pass keys and contain is key. Play sound defense: tackling will be critical in this game with the speed and playmakers that Louisville has.