Duke Blue Devils at Pitt Panthers Preview
The Duke Blue Devils are on the road to the Pittsburgh Panthers tomorrow as their quest for ACC Coastal Division supremacy continues. Fresh off of a bye, the Blue Devils will be greeted by an angry Pittsburgh team. The Panthers are still trying to figure out how they turned it over five times against Georgia Tech in the first half.
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These two teams are like mirror images of each other. Each wants to establish the run and set up the pass. Pittsburgh is probably more run heavy and Duke is probably more pass heavy. For the disparity of their records, Pittsburgh is still 2-2 in the Coastal and a game behind Duke coming into Saturday.
Date: November 1
Time: 12:00 PM
TV: ESPNU
Venue: Heinz Field (Pittsburgh, PA)
Last Time: 2013
To give you an idea how even these teams have been, you just need to look at last year’s 58-55 shootout in Durham. Pitt had NFL draftee Tom Savage then, but a lot of damage was done by Tyler Boyd, who is still the big receiving threat from Pittsburgh. Also notable was the 173 yard game by running back James Conner, who is only a bigger part of the offense now. Brandon Connette had an all-everything day with over three hundred yards passing and a hundred yards rushing.
Aug 30, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Paul Chryst (R) congratulates Pittsburgh Panthers tight end Scott Orndoff (83) after Orndorff scored a touchdown against the Delaware Fightin Blue Hens during the third quarter at Heinz Field. PITT won 62-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Opponent: Pitt Panthers (4-4)
Paul Chryst is still a Wisconsin man, and his offense goes through his running backs and his offensive line. Big James Conner is one to watch here, and Duke should be susceptible to the power running style that Pittsburgh likes to play. It took a series of Georgia Tech turnovers for the Blue Devils to defeat the last power running team that they went up against.
Tyler Boyd continues to be a deep threat that has haunted several of Pitt’s opponents on the year. He has forty-five catches for 651 yards and five touchdowns. He will demand the focus of the Duke secondary.
Oct 25, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back James Conner (24) carries the ball on a sixteen yard touchdown run against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the third quarter at Heinz Field. Georgia Tech won 56-28. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Quarterback Chad Voytik likes to run a little bit, which add that dimension to Duke’s plans for stopping the Pitt attack. Those plans should focus on shutting down the run first and making Voytik beat them through the air. Voytik is not Savage, and he should not be able to do that just yet.
The Pitt defense has been pretty stout all year, relying on pressure from its defensive front. The Georgia Tech has been an anomaly on the schedule, Pitt had not given up more than 24 points in a game before that first quarter fiasco. Duke will once again need a clean sheet with no turnovers to give themselves the best chance to win.