Pittsburgh (3-8, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) at Duke (6-5, 3-4), Saturday at 12 p.m. EST (ACC Network)
Line: Duke by 6 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
Series record: Pitt leads 17-9.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
The Blue Devils are playing for bowl positioning as they close out a regular season that has seen them battle critical injuries — most notably to dual-threat quarterback Riley Leonard — since mid-October. The Panthers are closing their worst season under ninth-year coach Pat Narduzzi.
KEY MATCHUP
Duke’s defense against Pitt’s offense. The Blue Devils’ defense has been a strength all year, though the unit has slid to 27th in the Bowl Subdivision ranks in scoring (19.8) after giving up five touchdowns through the first four games. The Panthers’ offense has been a mess, averaging 20.3 points and 318.8 yards per game to rank near the bottom of FBS. Some of that is fueled by the Panthers’ 20 turnovers, which also puts them near the bottom of the national stats.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Pittsburgh: QB Nate Yarnell. The redshirt sophomore thrust himself into the mix to be the starter in 2024 with a solid performance in a win over Boston College last week. Yarnell doesn’t overwhelm with physical talent but has shown a penchant for making good decisions and avoiding turnovers, which may be all Pitt needs to be competitive.
Duke: QB Grayson Loftis. The former third-stringer and January freshman enrollee has shown positive signs in recent weeks, including leading a second-half comeback in a double-overtime loss at North Carolina. He threw for a season-high 278 yards in last week’s loss to Virginia and has thrown for five TDs with one interception in the past two games.
FACTS & FIGURES
Pittsburgh has won seven straight and 11 of 12 meetings, with nine of those coming since the Panthers joined the ACC in 2013. Duke’s last win came in double overtime on the road in 2014. … The teams formerly played every year as part of the now-defunct divisional scheduling model of the ACC. … Pitt has averaged 42.9 points in those league meetings. … The Panthers need a win to avoid the program’s first nine-loss season since 1998. … Pitt RB Rodney Hammond is coming off a career-best 145 yards rushing in last week’s win over Boston College. … The Blue Devils have punted on their opening drive in their last four games. … Duke RB Jaquez Moore is coming off his second 100-yard game this year, running for 100 yards on just nine carries with a 58-yard score. … Jordan Waters, the other half of Duke’s 1-2 rushing punch, is one of 19 players in FBS to run for at least 12 touchdowns.
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