A year ago, UVa opened its 2018 campaign with a 42-13 home victory over Richmond. This year, if the Cavaliers are going to roll as easily as that one, they'll have to do it on the road and against the defending Coastal Division champs.

Virginia gets the season started on Saturday night when the Wahoos head north to Heinz Field for a matchup against Pitt (7:30 p.m., ACCN) in a game that should provide quite a bit of intrigue.

For UVa, of course, it'll be about the expectations on the program as the Hoos were picked in the preseason to win the division. While they return a number of pieces, they'll have to go this year without two key players from last season in Olamide Zaccheaus and Juan Thornhill. The Panthers, meanwhile, won't have running backs Darrin Hall and Qadree Ollison, who combined to run it 28 times for 253 yards in Pitt's 23-13 win in Charlottesville. A new offensive coordinator further complicates just what to expect from this offense out of the game but Mark Whipple has generally been a play caller who likes to get the ball downfield, something Pitt has rarely done against UVa.

So, what should fans expect from the Panthers? As we do each week during the season, we’ll take a look at several players on the opponent’s roster and try to identify playmakers who the Hoo will need to try and neutralize in this week's matchup in the Steel City.