Pitt Football: Panthers Game Preview As They Welcome Duke To Heinz Field
The Pitt Panthers football team enters this ACC game a messy 56-28 home loss to Georgia Tech hoping for a more polished effort against Duke. The loss dropped the Panthers from the top spot in the ACC Coastal.
Pitt now sits at 2-2 in the ACC and 4-4 overall.
Duke comes in at 6-1 overall, already becoming bowl eligible and also enters with ranked 24th. Duke is 2-1 on the season after 20-13 win against Virginia on Oct. 18 and did not play last week.
When: Saturday, Nov. 1
Kickoff: 12:00 p.m., ET
Site: Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Playing Surface: Natural Grass
Series Began: 1929
Series Overall: Pitt leads 10-8
ACC Series: Pitt leads 1-0
At Pitt: Series tied 4-4
At Duke: Pitt leads 6-4
Neutral Sites: N/A
Last Meeting: Sept. 21, 2013 (Pitt won 58-55)
Last Meeting at Pitt: Oct. 4, 1975 (Pitt won 14-0)
Television: ESPNU
Announcers: Adam Amin and John Congemi with Cara Capuano reporting from the sidelines
Radio Coverage: 93.7 FM – The Fan and the Pitt IMG Sports Network
Announcers: Bill Hillgrove and Pat Bostick with Larry Richert reporting from the sidelines
Internet Audio – Panthers All-Access
Odds: Duke +3.5 According to Bovada Online Sportsbook
Duke’s starting quarterback back is redshirt senior Anthony Boone who has thrown for 1,362 yards and nine touchdowns. Tailback Shaun Wilson is the leading rusher with 490 rushing yards and four touchdowns in this, his freshman season. Senior wide receiver Jamison Crowder leads the team with 471 receiving yards.
Defensively, senior David Helton leads the Blue Devils with 69 total tackles. Redshirt senior Jordan DeWalt-Ondijo leads the team with three sacks. Jeremy Cash and freshman Zavier Carmichael each have two interceptions.
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Pitt had fumbling issues with seven overall and six lost. Perhaps the most frustrating one from the Panthers was when sophomore running back James Conner had a touchdown on a long run lined up only to look at the scoreboard and lose the football in the end zone for a turnover and touchback.
Pitt had its issues offensively getting people involved other than redshirt sophomore quarterback Chad Voytik [193 passing yards], Conner [120 passing yards and three touchdowns] and sophomore wide receiver Tyler Boyd [137 receiving yards]. The only glimmer of hope was sophomore tailback Rachid Ibrahim [66 rushing yards]. This is an area of concern for the Panthers moving forward.
On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt senior Todd Thomas continues to lead the Panthers with 49 total tackles while fellow senior Anthony Gonzalez has 47. Redshirt senior David Durham and freshman Rori Blair each continue to lead the team with three sacks. Sophomore Terish Webb and redshirt senior Ray Vinopal continue to hold the team lead with two interceptions apiece.
This game ends a three game home stand, and Nov. 15 Pitt will head to the road taking on North Carolina at a to be determined time.
Prediction: Pitt seems to raise its game against ranked opponents. For this reason, I feel as though Saturday’s game will be interesting. I highly doubt this year’s game will be as high scoring as its predecessor, but I do think it will be a fun one to watch. Pitt 38 Duke 30