GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Pittsburgh’s turnaround has been fueled by its rushing attack. Against Virginia Tech, the Panthers ran for a whopping 492 yards and six touchdowns. Wake Forest, meanwhile, has one of the most vulnerable rushing defenses in the nation. The Demon Deacons rank No. 103 in the FBS against the run, giving up 203.6 yards per game. Expect Pittsburgh, which ranks No. 10 in rushing (256.9), to stay true to its identity by grounding and pounding away at Wake Forest.
DRAFT SLANT
–RB Qadree Ollison, A senior with fledgling NFL draft prospects, gave scouts his best outing of the season last week as he ran for a season-high 235 yards on 16 carries with three touchdowns. That included a 97-yard run. Ollison has 1,054 yards rushing on the season, becoming just the sixth player in school history to reach the 1,000-yard mark in a season.
ROSTER REPORT:
–RB Darrin Hall is 156 yards away from eclipsing the 1,000-yard mark this season. He’s trying to join Qadree Ollison in that club; Pittsburgh has never had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.
–RB V’Lique Carter, who rushed for 137 yards against Duke in his debut as a true freshman, did not play against Virginia as Pittsburgh juggles his availability with burning his redshirt.
–WR Taysir Mack had three catches for 78 yards after missing two games in October due to injury.
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