University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Behind Enemy Lines: Bucknell
9/23/2026 3:47:00 PM | Football
PITTSBURGH — Each week, as Pitt prepares for its next opponent, we'll look at what the other side is saying about the Panthers. Here's a snapshot of how Bucknell is approaching Saturday's matchup at Acrisure Stadium.
Building Confidence Through Execution
For Bucknell, the focus this week remains on sharpening its own performance as the Bison prepare to face Pitt.
"We just got to continue to work on our own execution in all phases of the game," Bucknell head coach Jeff Behrmansaid. "As we execute, we'll continue to build more confidence, and that'll serve us really well the rest of the season."
A Full-Team Experience
The trip to Pittsburgh will give Bucknell's entire roster an opportunity to experience playing in an NFL venue, something the program hopes to prioritize when scheduling future games against FBS opponents.
"We have an opportunity to play in venues like this, and that's something that we'd like to continue to do in future years as well when we play these FBS teams, is to be able to take everybody," Behrman said.
"We're all part of this football family, and they all work really hard day in and day out. We can't take everybody to every game, but this is the one game each year we'd like to be able to take everybody and have them have that experience together."
"It's Just a Football Game"
For Bucknell's Brandon Biagiarelli, playing at Acrisure Stadium will not be an entirely new experience. The Pittsburgh-area native previously played there during his high school career.
"Familiarity with that stadium. I played a couple games there in high school," Biagiarelli said. "Incredible field, incredible history there. So, I'm extremely excited to just go there and compete."
Biagiarelli believes settling into the game quickly will be important for Bucknell as it enters a larger and louder environment.
"I think it all just boils down to getting that first play under your belt and realizing it's just a football game," he said. "The atmosphere is not something you can control, whether playing in front of 100 people or playing in front of however many they're going to have there."
"It's just another football game at the end of the day, just going there, executing and doing your job. So, it's exciting."
