Okay, do yourself a favor and read these two posts from over at The Key Play. Further confirming my view that neither side is going to do anything too out of character for this game. Both teams have coaches that have their game plans. Know what the identity of their respective teams should be, and will not deviate far off the script. I will note, that if there is any way to sneak Walt Harris onto the sidelines for the game, do it. I think it would give the Hokie collective severe heart palpitations. Anything to further mess with their heads.

Speaking of messed up heads, that was one of the issues to be addressed during the bye week.

One of the biggest areas of emphasis, though, was starting with the little things.

Panthers coach Paul Chryst said the team emphasized mental mistakes, such as avoiding negative plays and pre-snap penalties which plagued the team in its previous game, a 24-19 loss Oct. 4 to Virginia.

On the season, Pitt is averaging 58.3 penalty yards per game.

“You first want to start with things you can control, or you like to think you can control,” Chryst said Monday. “We had four pre-snap penalties [against Virginia]. Now, all of a sudden you’re in a situation where you’re not as apt to run, or can run. So now, [if] it was a second-and-long and now it’s second-and-extra long.”

Simply put, Pitt’s offense is not explosive enough (or good enough)to survive playing stupid. This is not the Big 12. The margin for error — especially when the offense is about controlled execution and time of possession  — is too small.

So, the emphasis has been even more on the O-line.

Pitt offensive line coach Jim Hueber is usually prone to blunt honesty.

So when asked how his unit has fared through six games, exactly at the midpoint of the season, he didn’t mince words.

“We’re 3-3; we’re average,” Hueber said Thursday at the team’s practice facility. “That’s it. … Just like the team, we’re average. We’re not making stuff happen enough times.”

Sensing a theme?

Hueber may have been speaking about the offensive line, but his sentiment really applies to the Panthers as a whole. Pitt has the weekend off to do some soul-searching and try to figure out if the team has what it takes to be more than average when the second half of the season resumes Thursday in prime time against Virginia Tech.

Players have today off, but will get right back to work Saturday in order to make the weeknight game feel like a normal game week, with five weeks of preparation.

Coach Paul Chryst said the staff used the time off to focus on Pitt in practice for a couple of days, rather than preparing for the next opponent.

“Some ‘ones’ versus ‘ones,’ some offensive emphasis period, some defensive emphasis period,” Chryst said. “So you can kind of clean up some stuff that you want to kind of sharpen up a little bit more.”

The O-line rotation will be back with Adam Bisnowaty returning from his single game suspension.

With the offense, in general, getting a “fails to meet expectations” grade, and teams continuing to devote a lot of energy to containing Tyler Boyd and James Conner, I have to hope that the Chad Voytik will be able to find and throw to his other options. They are going to be there in this game. This could be the chance for Adonis Jennings to start breaking out. With the VT secondary down a starter. The focus on Boyd. He should have a chance if used and Voytik goes to him.

I know. I know. Big ifs.

And in a sign of how the coaching staff and team knows and is aware of the magnitude of this game. James Conner is not hiding talk of finally getting some work at Defensive End.

“I’m going to get that thing going this week on the defensive side of the ball,” Conner said. “I’ll be out there Thursday.”

Conner spent considerable time working with defensive ends coach John Palermo in training camp and after the start of the season, but he played exclusively on offense the first six games.

He leads the ACC in rushing yards (874) and touchdowns (nine) and he ranks fifth and seventh nationally in those categories.

But coach Paul Chryst might be looking for a spark to help end Pitt’s three-game losing streak. Conner’s venture onto defense last year against Bowling Green in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl helped Pitt win 30-27, and his possible dual role was the talk of the offseason.

If Conner does play defensive end Thursday, it probably will mean more time for backup running backs Chris James, Rachid Ibrahim and Isaac Bennett.

Is there a touch of desperation in this? Perhaps. But there’s also the numbers. Luke McLean is out for the game. David Durham hasn’t quite been as good since getting hurt. Shakir Soto hasn’t been bad or good. Help in any form is needed for the defensive ends. Especially if Pitt wants to disrupt VT QB Michael Brewer and get him to make the mistakes we think he is capable of producing.

Open thread will be coming closer to game time.