PITTSBURGH — Frank Beamer doesn’t want to talk about momentum or the way Virginia Tech has reasserted itself as a factor in the ACC’s wide-open Coastal Division following a two-game pratfall against East Carolina and Georgia Tech.

All Beamer knows is his team’s mojo has a way of disappearing each time the Hokies (4-2, 1-1) find themselves in Pittsburgh. As resilient as Virginia Tech looked while beating Western Michigan and North Carolina, it won’t matter if the Hokies can’t end a bewildering run of poor play against the reeling Panthers (3-3, 1-1).

Virginia Tech has lost four of its last five meetings with Pitt, including a surprisingly easy 35-17 romp at Heinz Field two years ago that kickstarted a tumble out of the AP Top 25 in a forgettable 7-6 season.

“I think every year is different of what caused the first loss, second loss, third loss, fourth loss,” Beamer said. “Different reasons. But the bottom line is they’re always a very physical football team.”

Not exactly. The Panthers have dropped three straight following a torrid 3-0 start, blowing a 10-point halftime lead against Iowa before getting upset at home by Akron and falling behind by three touchdowns against Virginia in a 24-19 loss two weeks ago.

“I don’t want people to take this the wrong way, but like I’ve said, we’re still 1-1 in ACC play, and our goals are still attainable,” Pitt running back James Conner said. “I know our record doesn’t look too great right now, but we still have to stay focused on the rest of the season.”

One that won’t look nearly as promising as it did a month ago if the Panthers can’t avoid their first four-game losing streak since 2007.

“We can’t wait,” offensive lineman Jaryd Jones-Smith said. “The bye week really helped us out. It gave us a chance to catch our breath and get our heads back on straight. So, we’re definitely looking forward to Thursday night to kick some butt.”