Tony Tye, Post-Gazette Joe Villani and the Pitt offensive line will line up against Virginia's 3-4 defense today at Heinz Field. Click photo for larger image. SCOUTING REPORT Matchup: Pitt (5-6 last year) vs. Virginia (7-5), 7 p.m., today, Heinz Field. Pitt is favored by 31/2. TV/radio: ESPNU; WPGB-FM (104.7) and WBGG-AM (970) Pitt: Had won its opening game eight seasons in a row before losing to Notre Dame, 42-21, in opener last year. ... Is 2-1 all time vs. Virginia. ... Lost to the Cavaliers, 23-16, in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl, which was teams' last meeting. ... RG John Simonitis is a four-year starter. He and MLB H.B. Blades are the only two players who started that game for the Panthers who will start tonight. ... Pitt QB Tyler Palko enters his third season as a starter. ... Is coming off its first losing season since 1999. ... Will honor the 1976 national championship team at halftime. The starting quarterback of that team was Matt Cavanaugh, who is the Panthers' offensive coordinator. Virginia: Coach Al Groh is entering his sixth season with the Cavaliers and has a record of 37-26 at the school. ... Groh was the head coach of the New York Jets in 2000 and Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt was the coach of the Dolphins that year. Groh's Jets swept Wannstedt's Dolphins but the Dolphins won the AFC East. ... Has seven players who played in the Continental Tire Bowl vs. Pitt. ... Beat Minnesota in the Music City Bowl last year, third bowl win in four years. ... NT Allen Billyk is a New Castle graduate and his roommate, QB Kevin McCabe, is from Pine-Richland. Hidden stat: Pitt has the edge in experience at quarterback. Virginia's Chris Olsen is making his first career start; Palko is making his 24th start. Related article Cook: Rhoades sees defense in fast lane

Pitt senior center Joe Villani is used to being a helper when it comes to pass blocking.

Tonight, when the Panthers play host to Virginia, Villani will be the one who needs help from the other linemen.

That's because the Cavaliers are one of the few teams the Panthers will face that line up in a 3-4 defense. Villani will spend most of the game with a nose tackle lined up directly across the line. Ordinarily, against a 4-3 defense, the two defensive tackles would be lined up opposite the guards and Villani would be called on to help either, depending on the direction the play is headed.

Villani said alignment is only one of the many differences between a 3-4 and 4-3, but he believes the Panthers' line is up to the challenge of handling whatever challenge the Cavaliers' defense presents.

"Basically it isn't that much different in terms of how many players are coming at us, it is more where they are coming from," Villani said. "We've had some experience in the past against some three-man fronts, but the tough thing is, you don't see it all the time. The key for all of us is to understand our assignments based on what front we see and that's how it would be if they had a four-man front as well."

Villani said the Panthers' offensive line is getting somewhat of a break by facing Virginia in the first game because they've had all summer and part of the spring to watch film of the Cavaliers' defense. They are well versed in what the defense is designed to do.

New Castle graduate Allen Billyk was a defensive end in high school but is the starting nose tackle for the Cavaliers. He said he doesn't think there is much difference between the 3-4 and 4-3 in terms how teams prepare to block it.

He does, however, believe football is a game of finding an edge, and the fact that there aren't many teams that play the 3-4 might be one.

"Honestly, what it means for me is more man-on-man, let me try and beat you and you try and beat me, as opposed to finding a gap to try and stuff," Billyk said.

"But sometimes in football when you are lining up against a team that has a different formation or something it can weigh on your mind a little.

"I don't expect it to be that big of a deal because I've seen Pitt's offensive line on tape and they are pretty good."

Pitt right guard John Simonitis, like Villani, said he believes the Panthers line is experienced enough to handle the nuances of the Cavaliers' scheme.

He said he isn't nearly as concerned about what the Cavaliers do as about the kind of players they are doing it with.

Simonitis is the one player who should know exactly what the Panthers are getting into because he's the only one with experience against the Cavaliers' defense. Virginia beat Pitt, 23-16, in the Continental Tire Bowl in 2003 and Simonitis was a redshirt freshman. He started at right guard.

"Most of the guys on that defense we faced graduated, but you look at the ones they have now, you see them on film and basically they look very similar," Simonitis said.

"With a week to prepare and the homework we've done, the 3-4 is not going to be the issue because we know what they are going to do.

"The real issue is that the linebackers are fast and physical, the defensive ends are quick off the ball and the nose tackles are strong. That's what our focus has to be: the talent they have.

"When we played them in 2003, we were ready for everything they did, scheme-wise, we just had too many breakdowns to sustain any drives and they had some great, great players on that team.

"I expect them to bring the same kind of athletes, so we will have our hands full."

Simonitis and Villani said the key player in the Cavaliers scheme is defensive end Chris Long, a preseason All-American who is the son of former NFL player Howie Long. The Cavaliers also have an excellent set of linebackers, although their best from a year ago, Kai Parham, left school a year early.

Along with handling the 3-4 defense, the Panthers must also find a way to handle their nervous energy as they are a very young team in a lot of key areas. Earlier this week redshirt freshman linebacker Tommie Campbell admitted he was already a little nervous about making his first career start.

He probably is not alone, as the Panthers have a number of players who will play in a game for the first time.

But Pitt won't be the only team fighting nerves tonight as the Cavaliers aren't exactly a roster full of grizzled veterans, either.

In fact, Virginia is a team that is considered to be rebuilding this year; the Cavaliers have seven sophomores and two freshmen in the starting lineup.

"Some guys will have wide eyes but hopefully once the game starts they'll calm down and play football," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said.

"I think that's the challenge for both coaching staffs, just try and keep the younger players in the game and make sure there is no panic, which, I really don't think there will be much of an issue.

"The guys are ready to play, they've prepared well and the hope is the confidence level they have won't change just because it is a game."