Pitt is one of 12 undefeated teams nationwide, a distinction the Panthers (5-0, 1-0) share with only one ACC rival, Miami.

If that’s the case, there’s nothing left to say other than: the time has come for Pitt to get serious and compete for a second ACC championship in four years.

Is there pressure to maintain that clean record? Offensive right tackle Ryan Baer says no.

‘The pressure is the same every week. Just go out there and do your job,” he said.

To a man, players and coaches insist that No. 22 in the national rankings doesn’t matter. Of course, that’s Pat Narduzzi talking through his players, but the single-minded focus is admirable. No bravado. No predictions. It is a team that reflects its coach.

“We’re driving home at the point where we didn’t do anything,” linebacker Brandon George said. “We are 0-0. We have to prove every week that we deserve to be where we are, that we deserve to win the football game.”

By thinking this way, you prevent players from overlooking an opponent. Cal-Berkeley will get Pitt’s undivided attention at Acrisure Stadium at 3:30 p.m. and early Saturday evening.

A win would give Pitt a 6-0 record, the first of this magnitude since 1982.

1. Getting his kicks

There are fourteen kickers in the country who haven’t missed a field goal. Pitt’s Ben Sauls is one of them and one of only two in the ACC (Florida State’s Ryan Fitzgerald, 6 for 6). Sauls is 9-of-9, two behind Kentucky’s Alex Raynor (11-of-11).

Sauls has been Pitt’s kicker for three seasons, but that doesn’t mean special teams coach Jacob Bronowski is ignoring his 23-year-old kicker.

‘He’s an older man. He’s been through a lot of ups and downs,” said Bronowski, who is in his first season at Pitt. “That’s why I always tell him to have fun. If he’s having a bad day, which is no big deal for Ben, it’s just joking around with him that keeps him loose.”

When things go well, Sauls is satisfied and trusts his meditation. But he can also be “very hard on himself,” according to his position coach.

“People think that specialists can’t be coached hard,” says Bronowski. “Ben is kind of the opposite. He wants to be told that he is not performing at a high level.”

2. There is an excuse to hold on

Baer was called twice for his hold in the North Carolina game, and once it was intentional.

“There was a miscommunication and I cleared the ending,” Baer said. “I’m trying not to get Eli (Holstein) killed. I take the waiting call. I have to do it.”

Baer said Holstein, who is second on the team with 265 net yards rushing, helps linemen with his athleticism and perseverance. “He breaks a lot of tackles.”

Added left guard Ryan Jacoby: “We’re going to hold our blocks as long as we can. But we know that if the bag collapses, he can get out of there. He will make positive yards from almost anything.

Holstein played with so much poise in his first five games that Jacoby said he was surprised to find out his quarterback is just a 19-year-old redshirt freshman. He turns 20 on Oct. 26, two days after the Syracuse game.

“I didn’t even know he was a freshman until a few weeks ago,” Jacoby said. “Every time I see him, he doesn’t look like a freshman. He doesn’t act like a freshman. Every time I’m reminded that he’s a freshman, it blows my mind. Really and truly. Just the way he behaves. He never gets nervous. He behaves as if he has been playing football for thirty years.”

3. Bright, red zone

A testament to Pitt’s ability to move the football is this statistic: The Panthers have more red zone chances (24) than all but nine teams in the country. With 22 scores from the red zone (18 touchdowns, four field goals), Pitt’s 91.7% success rate ranks 31st, second in the ACC. Georgia Tech leads the ACC with a 95.2% graduation rate (20 of 21).

Indiana, whose offense is coordinated by former Norwin and Pitt wide receiver Mike Shanahan, leads the nation with 37 red zone opportunities (34 scores, 30 touchdowns, four field goals). Former Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri is co-offensive coordinator for the No. 18 Hoosiers (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten).

4. Go, Brownies

You’d think George, a tough linebacker, would appreciate Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts’ leaping, swerving tackle/forced fumble on Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle on Sunday night/Monday morning.

Sorry, George wasn’t looking.

Actually, it happened after midnight, and football players’ mornings start early. He was probably sleeping.

George also had to make a confession.

“You’re not going to like what I’m going to say,” he told reporters. “I’ll say it out loud anyway. I’m a Browns fan. I sometimes find it hard to watch a Steelers game. I support them, but I can’t watch, especially when my Browns aren’t doing so well right now.

How did a Reading man become a Browns fan?

“My dad (Neil) is a Browns fan,” he said. “Every time the TV came on, the Browns were playing in the rain, in the mud, in the snow, just dirty football games. This is how football matches should be played.

“Yes, I’m going to be a Browns fan,” a young George said to himself.

“It hasn’t been particularly exciting in the 24 years of my life,” he said.

It doesn’t matter.

“That’s what loyalty is. Sticking around through thick and thin,” George said.

It also explains how George was at Pitt for six seasons and 57 games. He is on pace to break former long snapper Cal Adomitis’ school record of 64 games played.

George said he was not aware of that statistic. “Time flies when you’re having fun,” he said.

5. They must be a resilient bunch

No one has a tougher task than California coach Justin Wilcox, who must clean up the remainder of the 39-38 loss to Miami last Saturday night in Berkeley. The Golden Bears led 35-10 late in the third quarter.

“We don’t burn the tape,” Wilcox said. “We have to learn from it.”

The defense was on the field for 90 seconds and Miami scored three touchdowns in the final ten minutes against the tired pack.

“It’s a kick in the gut when you don’t win those games you think you can win,” Wilcox said.

Earlier, California lost to Florida State 14-9, the only win for the Seminoles in six games.

Still, Cal is a dangerous team that ranks third in the country with a plus-8 turnover margin (12-4) and No. 1 with 11 interceptions.

“They are a very good football team that has been tested,” Narduzzi said. “Whoever did their planning did them no favors.”

Cal (3-2, 0-2) played Auburn, Florida State and Miami in a month.

“Three very good teams,” Narduzzi said. “Hopefully on to number 4.”

Pitt will be Cal’s third trip to the East Coast this season.