Will Stanford Have the Firepower to Keep up with Pitt to Keep Their Season Alive?

It’s Halloween weekend in Palo Alto, but it may not even be the biggest event of the weekend. That’s because the Stanford Cardinal will take on the Pitt Panthers in an ACC battle that will dictate the entire season for both programs.

Stanford is entering the contest at 3-5, coming off of a tough loss on the road against Miami. However, the Cardinal have had tons of success at home this season, as they currently are 3-0 on The Farm.

Early in the season, Stanford beat Boston College as double digit underdogs at home. Most recently, the Cardinal beat Florida State in a key upset, also as a double digit underdog. On Saturday, they face a Pitt team that’s rolling, and is favored by 14.5 points on FanDuel.

Despite a poor start, the Panthers are on fire at 6-2, and they're doing it without Eli Holstein or Desmond Reid truly breaking out. After exiting last week's game in the third quarter, Reid is still listed as questionable for Saturday's contest.

But a freshman quarterback, high hopes, and four wins in a row have brought the Panthers’ football hopes back this season, as they are still in contention for the ACC Championship game. But they're going to have to travel 2,000 miles with a freshman quarterback, and attempt to beat a team that has held some extra magic in front of the fans at home.

The main storyline coming into the game is the quarterback situation for Stanford. Two weeks ago, QB1 Ben Gulbranson got injured just before halftime, putting redshirt freshman Elijah Brown in the game. Both played solid in the contest. Gulbranson then played against Miami on the road, but visibly looked unhealthy amidst a poor showing. Brown came in, but didn’t look amazing either.

Gulbranson has looked healthier and has been playing in practice, so it looks like the Oregon State transfer will start for the Cardinal, but there may be an opening for Brown to get into the game if Gulbranson aggravates an injury or is deemed ineffective.

Another huge storyline consists of Pitt’s quarterback, Mason Heintschel. There is no doubt that the freshman has been great, going 28-of-48 last week against NC State for 423 yards through the air with three touchdowns. Yet, he hasn't had to travel this much for a game just yet, and Stanford hasn't been an easy place for opponents this season. What kind of impact will those factors have?

It’s also important to mention that Stanford is playing for a chance to break their infamous 3-9 streak. The Cardinal have won just three games four years in a row, and look to break that streak at home against Pitt this weekend. One team will be served tricks, while the other basks in treats.

Prediction: In an extremely close game, Stanford finds a way to pull this one out, 27-24.