KEY MATCHUP: Duke offensive line vs. Pittsburgh’s defensive front.
The Blue Devils are banged up across the offensive line and there’s a possibility that C Zach Harmon could move to a tackle spot, but he has been dealing with a bad ankle as well. Duke could have two sophomore starters on the line. The group has been hammered with injuries. It could be a chance for the Blue Devils to exploit the Panthers in some ways because Pittsburgh has yielded 223.3 yards per game on the ground, while they’ve managed to record only four sacks this season. Yet it’s a challenge for Duke’s line to protect QB Daniel Jones, who was sacked four times last week by Virginia.
DRAFT SLANT
–LB Joe Giles-Harris is one most acclaimed defenders in recent Duke history. His ability to get to ball carriers is impressive and he’ll be looking to build on a season in which he gained national recognition in 2017. “We know what he can do,” coach David Cutcliffe said. “He can be real physical.” Seven games into the 2018 regular season, Giles-Harris holds a career average of 9.09 tackles per game.
ROSTER REPORT
–WR Anthony Young was out for the Virginia game with an injury. He was back a week earlier against Georgia Tech for his only other game besides the opener, when he suffered a hamstring injury.
–LB Ben Humphreys left the Virginia game late in the first half with a leg injury. The senior captain returned for part of a third-quarter defensive series, but departed and didn’t make it back on the field. His status for the Pittsburgh game is unclear.
–K Collin Wareham didn’t play in the Virginia because of an injury. He had been the place kicker, though hasn’t been handling kickoffs.
–OT Jaylen Miller, a redshirt sophomore, is out for the season after undergoing surgery for a broken right ankle the day after the Virginia game. He had started in the last three games, and played in all seven games this year.
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