It may be a stormy night in Dallas, Texas, but Pitt and SMU are going to kick off in what just might be the most important ACC game of the season to date.
Pitt is moving back to the ACC Network for the conference clash, a decision that has drawn disdain from Pitt fans. Wes Durham will handle play-by-play duties, Tom Luginbill will serve as his analyst and Dana Boyle will report from the sideline.
Bill Hillgrove — in his 51st season as the voice of the Pitt Panthers — will handle play-by-play duties on 93.7 the Fan and the Pitt Radio Network as usual, with Pat Bostick serving as his analyst and Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson reporting from the field at Acrisure Stadium.
It’s an ACC clash that will have conference and national implications, and Pat Narduzzi has seen the excitement from his squad.
“Another good week of practice, getting ready to head down to Dallas,” Narduzzi said. “Excited about where our kids are. I think they’re excited about another road game, another ACC game against a really good opponent in SMU. Getting a talented football team and looking forward to it.”
Pitt is 7-0 for the first time since 1982, one of the two undefeated schools in the ACC, and the Panthers are riding a high that hasn’t been felt since the ACC title-winning season in 2021.
A matchup against No. 20 SMU is officially the first ranked matchup for the Panthers since hosting Tennessee in 2022.
It’s a matchup that drew College GameDay hype (ultimately ending up at Penn State vs. Ohio State in State College, Pa.) and will have conference and national storylines.
“Moving on to the next one in SMU, Rhett Lashlee, won a conference championship a year ago, has stumbled only once this season, so they’ve got a great football team,” Pat Narduzzi said Monday at his weekly presser. “He’s heck of a coach. Happy for him. We’re looking forward to going down to Dallas.”
It’s a big game, the biggest in years. The ACC is still talked about as a three-team race between Miami, Clemson and SMU. ESPN gives Pitt a 2.7% chance to win the conference, behind the three aforementioned teams by a considerable margin.
A win against SMU would go a very long way in establishing Pitt as a legitimate conference (and Playoff) contender. And make the November matchup against Clemson that much bigger.
SMU is a good team, with an offense capable of scoring points in bunches, but the Pitt defense is coming off the best performance of the season. And Mustangs’ quarterback Kevin Jennings threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball four times against Duke, losing two. It’s another big opportunity for the defense.
Pitt, of course, is coming off a 41-13 win against Syracuse Thursday night, improving to 7-0 for the first time since 1982. A win against SMU would improve the Panthers to 8-0 for the first time since 1981.
Pitt and SMU are scheduled to kickoff at Gerald J. Ford Stadium next Saturday at 8 p.m. on ACC Network.
Television — ACC Network
Wes Durham (play-by-play)
Tom Luginbill (analyst)
Dana Boyle (reporter)
Radio — 93.7 The Fan, Pitt Panthers Radio Network
Bill Hillgrove (play-by-play)
Pat Bostick (analyst)
Larry Richert and Dorin Dickerson (reporters)
SiriusXM Satellite Radio
Channels 371 or on the SiriusXM app
WPTS Radio (Pitt Student Station) — 92.1 FM
