PITTSBURGH – During a season that has included embarrassing losses to No. 16 Penn State, North Carolina and No. 10 Central Florida, Pittsburgh rallied with a win over Syracuse and a great effort last week against No. 3 Notre Dame before succumbing 19-14. The Panthers will try to build upon their last two outings Saturday when they host a Duke team that is undefeated on the road this season.
TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ACC Network. LINE: Duke -2.5.
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Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi, who was given a seven-year contract extension last December, built his reputation as a defensive coordinator at Michigan State, but his troops have struggled since he came to Pittsburgh. In the five games prior to Notre Dame, the Panthers had surrendered an average of 38 points per game, and his teams have allowed nearly 30 points an outing during his four-year tenure. The Blue Devils entered the rankings by starting the season 4-0, but they’ve lost two of their last three, including 28-14 to Virginia last week. In last year’s meeting between the Panthers and Blue Devils, Pitt backup Darrin Hall ran for a career-high 254 yards, including touchdown runs of 79, 92 and 4 yards, in a 24-17 Pitt victory.
ABOUT DUKE (5-2, 1-2 ACC)
Daniel Jones (64.5 completion percentage, 1,061 yards, nine TDs, four interceptions) passed for 240 yards and a touchdown against Virginia, but the only other TD the offense could muster was a 22-yard pass from wide receiver T.J. Rahming to Davis Koppenhaver on a trick play. Left tackle Jaylen Miller was lost for the season with a lower leg injury in the first quarter and linebacker Ben Humphreys injured his left leg in the second quarter. Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris leads the team with 59 tackles and needs nine more to become the 20th player in Duke history to reach the 300-tackle plateau.
ABOUT PITTSBURGH (3-4, 2-1)
Quarterback Kenny Pickett (62.4 completion percentage, six TDs, five interceptions) is averaging less than 10 yards per completion and was 19-for-28 for only 126 yards against the Irish. With 646 rushing yards, Qadree Ollison ranks third among ACC ball-carriers, and his average of 92.3 yards per game ranks second. Hall has 376 yards, four touchdowns and a 6.6 yards-per-carry average this season.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Pittsburgh leads the all-time series 13-9, including wins in four of five games since joining the ACC.
2. The Blue Devils have thrown a league-low four interceptions (tied with three other teams) while tossing 17 scoring passes, the second-highest total in the conference behind only Boston College (19).
3. Ollison is striving to become only the sixth player in Pitt history to achieve multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He had 1,121 yards as a freshman in 2015.
PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 28, Duke 24