After watching their team pick up a big win in the Belk Bowl and suffering through a long offseason as the excitement loomed, Wahoo fans finally get their wish tomorrow night when UVa opens the 2019 season on the road at Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m., ACCN).

The Cavaliers come in returning arguably the division's best quarterback as well as a host of pieces on that side of the ball along with nearly a dozen starters or significant contributors back on D. Pitt, meanwhile, comes into tomorrow night's opener with uncertainty on offense after hiring a new OC in the offseason and losing its two best running backs. Meanwhile, the Panthers won't have their sack leader as part of a defense that suffered several losses as well.

All told, it makes for an intriguing matchup in the Steel City as both teams look to get off to fast starts in the Coastal Division.

Pittsburgh Panthers (0-0)

Head coach: Pat Narduzzi, fifth year (28-24 overall)

Series: Pitt leads the all-time series 8-3.

Last Meeting: The Panther beat the Hoos 23-13 in Charlottesville last year.

-- Pittsburgh’s identity on offense in 2018 was plain to see. The Panthers were going to run the ball and then run some more. And they were good at it, too. Pitt rushed for 3,191 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, averaging nearly 5.6 yards per carry. In their 23-13 win over Virginia at Scott Stadium, the Panthers rushed 42 times for 254 yards and three touchdowns, controlling the line of scrimmage and the clock in the second half. But this season, they may be looking for a change of identity. Saturday’s game will be the first under new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple, who joins Pitt after a five-year run as the head coach at UMass, his second stint leading that program. Whipple has a lengthy resume, which includes a couple of years as Miami’s offensive coordinator under then coach Randy Shannon, a few more head coaching stops at FCS and D2 schools, and duties with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cleveland Browns. His offenses at UMass skewed much more pass-heavy than anything Pittsburgh has done in recent years, which could mean that a more balanced attack is in the works for the Panthers. Despite being overmatched in nearly every game of its difficult schedule as an FBS Independent, UMass managed to score 32.8 points per game last season under Whipple’s tutelage and amassed 3,577 yards and 27 touchdowns through the air.

-- Though Whipple’s scheme may be new, he will have veteran players to work with in his first year on this job, particularly in the passing game. Junior quarterback Kenny Pickett is back for his second full year as the starter, after mostly serving as a game manager last season. In 2018, he threw for 1,969 yards and 12 touchdowns, with six interceptions. Pickett broke 200 yards passing just once, in the Coastal Division clincher at Wake Forest. The New Jersey native can also make plays with his legs, and it will be interesting to see how much Whipple is willing to put on his quarterback as he adjusts to a system that will surely ask more of him. Luckily for both Whipple and Pickett, there is plenty of talent back at wide receiver. Maurice Ffrench is arguably Pitt’s most explosive player, both at wide receiver and as a returner. Ffrench led the Panthers in receiving touchdowns a year ago with six and surely Whipple will try to find creative ways to get the ball in his hands. Ffrench is complimented at wideout by Taysir Mack, Shocky Jacques-Louis, and others in what should be a pretty compelling matchup with Virginia’s secondary. The Panthers are also likely to utilize the tight end position after having 10 total receptions from that position group a year ago. Veteran Will Gragg and Rutgers grad transfer Nakia Griffin-Stewart should both factor into the game plan this weekend.

-- While Pitt’s passing game will be under the microscope Saturday night and beyond, the running game will still be a big part of the game plan. Narduzzi made that clear at his Monday press conference when he said “we’re going to be able to run the football, I can guarantee you that.” And while the passing game brings back a lot of the key contributors from last season’s team, the running game will feature plenty of newcomers. The Panthers are overhauling their offensive line, with new starters at both tackle and guard spots. And at running back, Pitt arguably loses more production in the backfield than any other team in the country. Gone are Quadree Ollison and Darrin Hall, who combined to rush for 2,357 yards and 21 touchdowns last season. Hall in particular gashed the Cavaliers, rushing 19 times for 223 yards and all three of Pitt’s touchdowns last fall. In their place, the Panthers turn to junior A.J. Davis and sophomore Todd Sibley, who are listed as co-starters on the depth chart. Davis carried the ball 32 times for 134 yards in spot duty last year while Sibley has yet to make a real impact in a game situation. Both backs are talented and fit the mold of what Pitt looks for in their ball carriers, but neither is a proven commodity at this point.

-- Pitt runs a 4-3 defensive scheme under Narduzzi, a head coach who comes from that side of the ball. In 2018, the defense was up-and-down, allowing 27.8 points per contest. The Panthers held six of their 14 opponents under 20 points, but had a tendency to give up quite a few to some of the more talented teams on their difficult slate last fall. They weren’t particularly proficient in one area or another, and in their 14 games allowed an even number of passing and rushing touchdowns (24) as their opponents rushed for 4.8 yards per carry and passed for 212.8 yards per contest. The Panthers were middle-of-the-road in 3rd-down and red-zone conversions allowed, and were 41st nationally in sacks with 32. Against Virginia, they have had success slowing down the Wahoos, holding them to 27 total points in the previous two meetings, and just three offensive touchdowns in their last 10 quarters of play.

-- The front seven features an older group of players but they do lose quite a bit from the 2018 team. At linebacker, the Panthers replace all three starters. They were boosted by the addition of transfer Kylan Johnson, who joined the program from Florida, where he started nine games for the Gators in his career, recording 83 total tackles. Junior Elias Reynolds and senior Saleem Brightwell are listed as co-starters at the Mike linebacker spot after both saw significant game action a year ago, finishing fourth and 10th on the team in tackles respectively. Cam Bright and Phil Campbell are still battling for the final starting spot at linebacker, and both figure to play on Saturday night. Each player was a reserve a year ago but Bright did force a fumble in Pitt’s win at Scott Stadium last fall. On the defensive line, Pitt lost a significant cog earlier in fall camp when Rashad Weaver went down with an ACL tear. Weaver led the Panthers in sacks a year ago with 6.5, and had a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss in their win over the Wahoos. In his place, the Panthers will turn to sophomore Deslin Alexandre and Habakkuk Baldonado, a pair of younger players who have both drawn praise from Narduzzi during fall camp. Luckily for the Panthers they have experience along the remainder of the line. Chesapeake native Patrick Jones starts at the other defensive end spot, after a solid 2018 campaign where he registered 7.5 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. Pitt features upperclassmen Keyshon Camp and Amir Watts at tackle, in what should be an intriguing matchup against an evolving UVa offensive line.

-- In the secondary, Pittsburgh brings back a great deal of experienced and talented playmakers. At cornerback, the Panthers are led by captain Dane Jackson, who received honorable mention All-ACC honors as a junior. Jackson led Pitt in pass break-ups a year ago and forced four fumbles over the course of the year. At the other corner, Pitt features a pair of juniors, Jason Pinnock and Damarri Mathis, both of whom should see plenty of playing time on Saturday. Pinnock was one of two Pitt defenders with multiple interceptions on the season while Mathis had an interception as well. At safety, the Panthers are led by Damar Hamlin, who is arguably the best player on the defense. Hamlin led the Panthers in tackles a year ago with 90 and was the other defender with two interceptions on the year. Hamlin will play alongside Paris Ford and Jazze Stocker, a pair of in-the-box safety options for Pitt, both of whom are good athletes and capable playmakers.