Pittsburgh at Wake Forest Week 14 College Football Matchup Pittsburgh at Wake Forest Matchup - Week 14
Sun, Dec 5 2021 · Week 14 · Neutral Site · 🏟 Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC · Turf · 75,412 cap
Pittsburgh✈ 363 miSame TZ
Away (Neutral)
45 21
Final
Home (Neutral)
📊 Punt & Rally Projection
Pittsburgh
38
Wake Forest
31
P&R Line Pittsburgh -7.5
P&R Total O/U 68.5
Confidence 86 High
Vegas Pittsburgh -3.5 · O/U 72.5
Matchup Prediction
Pittsburgh has the edge in this matchup
Both Momentum Control (CSS) and Game Control metrics favor Pittsburgh entering this game.
Momentum Control
61.3%
Pittsburgh wins
Lean
Game Control
49.4%
Pittsburgh wins
Toss-up
Vegas Spread
Pittsburgh -3.5
O/U 72.5
teamrankings
Advanced Stats
PPA + Success Rate agree → Pittsburgh · 73.9% ATS historically
↓ See full breakdown
🚌 Pittsburgh 2nd straight Road Game
Pittsburgh 2021 Schedule
Pittsburgh's 2021 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Sat 9/4Pittsburgh vs Massachusetts-38.0W51–756.0W51–7OY
Sat 9/11Pittsburgh at Tennessee-3.5W41–3456.0W41–34OY
Sat 9/18Pittsburgh vs Western Michigan-14.0L41–4459.0L41–44ON
Sat 9/25Pittsburgh vs New Hampshire-29.0W77–753.0W77–7OY
Sat 10/2Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech-3.0W52–2157.5W52–21OY
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/16Pittsburgh at Virginia Tech-6.0W28–755.5W28–7UY
Sat 10/23Pittsburgh vs Clemson-3.5W27–1747.0W27–17UY
Sat 10/30Pittsburgh vs Miami-9.5L34–3861.0L34–38ON
Sat 11/6Pittsburgh at Duke-21.0W54–2964.5W54–29OY
Thu 11/11Pittsburgh vs North Carolina-6.5W30–2372.0W30–23UY
Sat 11/20Pittsburgh vs Virginia-12.5W48–3869.0W48–38ON
Sat 11/27Pittsburgh at Syracuse-12.0W31–1458.5W31–14UY
Sat 12/4Pittsburgh vs Wake Forest-3.5W45–2172.5W45–21UY
Thu 12/30Pittsburgh vs Michigan State+3.5L21–3155.0L21–31UN
Wake Forest 2021 Schedule
Wake Forest's 2021 Schedule
DateMatchupSpreadTotalResultO/UCover
Fri 9/3Wake Forest vs Old Dominion-32.5W42–1061.5W42–10UN
Sat 9/11Wake Forest vs Norfolk State-43.0W41–1658.0W41–16UN
Sat 9/18Wake Forest vs Florida State-4.5W35–1463.0W35–14UY
Fri 9/24Wake Forest at Virginia+3.5W37–1771.0W37–17UY
Sat 10/2Wake Forest vs Louisville-7.0W37–3464.5W37–34ON
Sat 10/9Wake Forest at Syracuse-5.5W40–3759.0W40–37ON
— Bye Week —
Sat 10/23Wake Forest at Army-3.0W70–5653.5W70–56OY
Sat 10/30Wake Forest vs Duke-16.5W45–771.5W45–7UY
Sat 11/6Wake Forest at North Carolina+2.5L55–5878.0L55–58ON
Sat 11/13Wake Forest vs NC State-1.0W45–4265.0W45–42OY
Sat 11/20Wake Forest at Clemson+3.5L27–4857.0L27–48ON
Sat 11/27Wake Forest at Boston College-5.5W41–1064.0W41–10UY
Sat 12/4Wake Forest vs Pittsburgh+3.5L21–4572.5L21–45UN
Fri 12/31Wake Forest vs Rutgers-17.0W38–1063.0W38–10UY
Advanced Stats
Advanced Analytics Matchup
Matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense) · 2021 season
Pittsburgh PPA Edge
Agreement Signals — When All Metrics Agree
Elite · 83.1% ATS
PPA + PPO + SR + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 82.4% ATS
PPA + PPO + Havoc
Split
Metrics disagree
Elite · 73.9% ATS
PPA + Success Rate
Both Agree
→ Pittsburgh
Individual Factors — Ranked by Predictive Strength
PPA Overall
Points added per play · Elite predictor
Pittsburgh
+0.556
Wake Forest
+0.392
Pittsburgh Edge
PPA Passing
Pass efficiency edge · Strong predictor
Pittsburgh
+0.618
Wake Forest
+0.595
Pittsburgh Edge
Havoc Total
Def. disruption rate · Strong predictor
Pittsburgh
0.199
Wake Forest
0.198
TFLs, sacks, PBUs, forced fumbles — higher is better
Even
Points Per Opp
Drive-finishing edge · Strong predictor
Pittsburgh
+8.468
Wake Forest
+8.599
Wake Forest Edge
Success Rate
Play consistency edge · Solid predictor
Pittsburgh
+0.944
Wake Forest
+0.853
Pittsburgh Edge
Field Position
Avg start (lower=better) · Solid predictor
Pittsburgh
69.9
Wake Forest
69.5
Avg yards from own endzone to average start — lower is better · longer bar = better field position
Wake Forest Edge
Advanced stats sourced from CFBD · 2021 season · Edges are matchup-adjusted (offense vs opponent defense)
Power Ratings
Team Power Ratings
Overall · Offense · Defense ratings · Updated as season progresses
Pittsburgh Rated Higher
Overall Power Rating
Pittsburgh
9.1
Wake Forest
4.6
Offense Rating
Pittsburgh
19.3
Wake Forest
16.6
Defense Rating (lower = better defense)
Pittsburgh
10.2
Wake Forest
12.0
Power ratings updated throughout the season as results accumulate
Momentum Control (CSS)
Consecutive Scoring Sequences Who builds scoring momentum? Pittsburgh Edge
Avg sequences created per game
Pittsburgh #7
2.00
Wake Forest #50
1.18
Avg sequences allowed per game (lower is better)
Pittsburgh #12
0.46
Wake Forest #55
0.82
Pittsburgh +0.82
CSS Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 61.3% of games historically
Based on 11 games this season
Game Control (GC)
Win Probability Dominance Who controls games start to finish? Pittsburgh Edge
Avg GC score per game (offense)
Pittsburgh #1
72.6
Wake Forest #1
71.0
Avg GC score allowed per game (lower is better)
Pittsburgh #7
14.5
Wake Forest #16
17.5
Pittsburgh +1.6
GC Edge (season-to-date)
Teams with this edge win 49.4% of games historically
Based on 12 games this season
Actual Result
CSS Battle
Tie
1 — 1 sequences
✗ Predicted incorrectly
GC Battle
Pittsburgh
16.6 — 62.0 GC score
✓ Predicted correctly
Game Result
Pittsburgh won by 24
✓ Model called it
Spread Context
ATS Historical Context
Based on 2021–2025 backtest · FBS vs FBS · Regular season

Both metrics agree on Pittsburgh, but the GC edge is small. When metrics agree but GC is near-neutral, the agreed-upon team has covered only 46.7% of the time historically (n=224) — potentially a fade signal.

ATS data is informational only. Past cover rates do not guarantee future results.

Coaching Matchup
Pittsburgh
Pat Narduzzi #1
44–35 (56%) · Yr 7 at school
OC Mark Whipple Yr 1 #1
DC Randy Bates Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
Wake Forest
Dave Clawson #1
43–45 (49%) · Yr 8 at school
OC Warren Ruggiero Yr 1 #1
DC Lyle Hemphill Yr 1 #1
Staff Rating
0.00 #1
About these metrics
Advanced Stats shows matchup-adjusted factor edges (offense vs opponent defense). Combination signals — when PPA, PPO, Success Rate, and Havoc all point the same direction — have historically predicted the SU winner in 95–97% of games and the ATS winner in 82–83% of games (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS, regular season).
Impact: Advanced Stats are the best performance based metric used to predict the outcome of games.

Momentum Control (CSS) measures consecutive scoring sequences — when a team scores, holds the opponent scoreless, then scores again. Teams entering a game with a CSS edge of +1.0 or more have won 71–78% of games historically (2021–2025, FBS vs FBS).
Impact: Momentum Control is a great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Game Control (GC) measures win probability dominance — how thoroughly a team controlled the game from start to finish. Teams with a GC edge of +12 or more have won 67–76% of games historically. When both metrics agree, combined confidence is higher. When they split, treat as a lean at best.
Impact: Game Control is another great measure for predicting game outcome but NOT an ATS advantage, data shows this is already considered when lines are set.

Power Ratings are a custom-built composite of a Teams Talent, Experience & Production, Coaching & Performance Metrics. These are updated constantly with roster changes, performance once the games start for the 2026 season, injuries the team is dealing with and scheduling situations.
Impact: There are a wide range of power ratings available, we think ours is the best, you can decide for yourself