TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Pittsburgh was expected to take a step forward and be one of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s top teams in 2020. Florida State was presumed to have a dominant defense and return to prominence in the league.

Neither program has found much success but each looks to return to the field following a bye week with a victory that they hope will build confidence for the final month of the season.

The Panthers (3-4, 2-4 ACC) have allowed 30 or more points in four straight games, all of them losses, and Pittsburgh has been without starting quarterback Kenny Pickett in the last two games. Meanwhile, the Seminoles (2-4, 1-4) have given up 35 points per game and have allowed more than 500 offensive yards in their last three games.

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi empathizes with the challenge that Florida State’s Mike Norvell has had, taking over a storied program but also trying to install his system despite the limited practice opportunities and offseason restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Probably had one of the toughest jobs going in, like any coach that comes in with a whole new staff, a new coordinator on offense and defense, without spring ball,” Narduzzi said.

Florida State has been plagued by inconsistency. The Seminoles have faced three teams who were ranked in the top 15, suffering a blowout 52-10 loss at Miami before showing progress in a 42-26 loss at Notre Dame and then stunning North Carolina 31-28. But the Seminoles finished the first half of the season with a 48-16 loss at Louisville where the Seminoles’ receivers dropped numerous passes and Louisville had five touchdowns of 10 or more yards.

“You try to learn through success and failure and we all know that,” defensive coordinator Adam Fuller said. “But we’re super inconsistent whether it’s the run game or the pass game right now.”

Florida State has found a quarterback that can energize the offense in Jordan Travis, who has a rushing touchdown and passing touchdown in the last four games — the longest streak in school history.

Pittsburgh’s question mark begins at quarterback where senior Kenny Pickett, who threw for 3,098 yards in 2019, has missed the last two games due to an ankle injury and it’s uncertain if he will play on Saturday. Freshman Joey Yellen has filled in, but he has completed just 44.7% of his passes and had three interceptions in Pittsburgh’s 45-3 loss to Notre Dame.