After losing to Notre Dame last Saturday, the Pitt football team heads into the last two games of the season, which will determine whether they will reach the playoffs. The Panthers face the No. 16 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday and the No. 13 Miami Hurricanes Nov. 29.

Georgia Tech is coming off a close win over 1-9 Boston College. The Yellow Jackets were down 28-17 going into the fourth quarter and came back to win 36-34.

The Panthers will have to stop quarterback Haynes King, who has been their leader all throughout the season. He is third in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns in the ACC. 

He is not only a runner but can also penetrate defenses with his passing. He has over 2,000 passing yards with 10 touchdowns while only throwing two interceptions.

One aspect of Georgia Tech’s game that Pitt will need to take advantage of is their defense. In the ACC, Georgia Tech’s run defense ranks 16th in rushing and 11th in passing.

Running back Desmond Reid left the game early for the Panthers this past Saturday. If he is not able to go, true freshman Ja’Kyrian Turner will have to step up for this running game.

Then, in the last game of the season, the Panthers will face Miami. 

The Hurricanes are coming off a victory over North Carolina State, where they dominated the entire game and earned a 41-7 win.

Miami has one of the most complete teams in the ACC this year. Quarterback Carson Beck has developed a phenomenal connection with wide receiver Malachi Toney, and they have both been lethal weapons for the offense this season.

To complement those two, running back Mark Fletcher Jr. has 636 rushing yards and nine touchdowns through eight games this season.

Miami’s offense is not the only thing that Pitt will have to worry about. In the ACC, the Hurricanes’ defense ranks No. 1 in the run game and No. 2 in the passing game. This defense has proven that they are the best defense in the ACC and possibly the nation.  

The Panthers will need to forget about the outcome of the Notre Dame game and focus on the two biggest games of the year.