Pittsburgh @ Louisville preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 30, 2010 ) Louisville 3, Pittsburgh 20

THE STORY: One would expect a mid-November road game for Pitt to have Big East title ramifications. It’s Louisville, though, which is seriously vying for the conference crown. The young Cardinals, picked in the preseason to finish near the bottom of the Big East, have recorded three straight victories entering their final home game, against Pittsburgh. The Panthers, meanwhile, need two victories in their final three games just to become bowl eligible. And that won’t be an easy task considering they’re 0-2 with seven turnovers on the road.

TV: Big East Network. LINE: Louisville -2.5

ABOUT PITTSBURGH (4-5, 2-2 Big East): The Panthers are still feeling the loss of Ray Graham, who was leading the Big East in rushing when he suffered a season-ending injury last month. That has placed a heavy burden on QB Tino Sunseri, who is more apt to manage a game than win one on his own. The junior has only eight touchdowns against eight interceptions playing behind a patchwork offensive line that hopes to get guard Lucas Nix back Saturday. He's missed four games with a knee injury. Pitt’s one-dimensional style could be a huge detriment against the conference’s No. 1 defense in scoring and yards allowed.

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (5-4, 3-1 Big East): Teddy Bridgewater has revived a once hollow offense. The freshman completed his first 10 throws and racked up a career-high 246 passing yards in a 38-35 win last week at West Virginia. Bridgewater has used to agility in the pocket to escape blitzes but will now face an aggressive defensive line. The Panthers rank sixth in the nation with 3.22 sacks per game and sophomore defensive end Aaron Donald has recorded five sacks in the last three games.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Louisville has scored 14 points in the first quarter in each of its last two games. Fast starts are important, considering the Cardinals have yet to post a win under Charlie Strong when trailing after three periods.

2. Pitt has owned the last three matchups, winning by an average of 25.3 points. Louisville hasn’t topped more than 10 points in any of those losses.

3. Louisville is capable of grinding out victories if they have a late lead. Strong listed five running backs as “co-starters” on this week’s depth chart. The Cards are averaging 33.3 rushing attempts per game on their current winning streak.

PREDICTION: Louisville 14, Pittsburgh 12 – The feel-good story of the Big East keeps getting better as the Cardinals eke out a win. The Panthers' carelessness with the football will cost them.